Geography Edexcel B -Development 2.2. A GH Flashcards
How can climate affect the development of a country ?
If a country has a poor climate (really hot or really cold or really dry) not much will grow, which as a consequence, reduces the amount of food produced, which can lead to malnutrition. People who are malnourished have a low quality of life. Also people have fewer crops to sell, so less money to spend on goods and services, which also reduces their quality of life.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR.
How can topography affect the development of a country ?
If the land in a country is steep, then it won’t produce a lot of food, similar to a poor climate. Steep land can also make it difficult to develop infrastructure like roads, power lines etc. This can limit trade and make it hard to provide basic services.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR.
How can education affect the development of a country ?
Well educated people produce a more skilled workforce, meaning the country can produce more goods and offer more services (e.g. ICT). This as a result, can bring more money into the country through trade or investment. As educated people also earn more, they can therefore pay more taxes, which provides a higher sum of money that the country can spend on development.
SOCIAL FACTOR.
How can health affect the development of a country ?
In poorer countries (developing countries) lack of clean water and poor health care mean that many people suffer from diseases such as malaria and cholera. People who are too ill to work, can’t contribute to the economy, so they may need expensive healthcare or medicine. Lack of economic contribution and increased spending on health care means that there’s less money to spend on development.
SOCIAL FACTOR.
How can colonialism affect the development of a country ?
Countries that were colonised, are often at a lower level of development when they gain independence than they would be if they had not been colonised. European countries had colonised much of Africa in the 19th century. They had controlled their economies, removed raw materials and slaves, even sold back expensive manufactured goods, which was not good for African development, as parts of Africa were made dependent on Europe, and led to famine and malnutrition.
HISTORICAL FACTOR.
How can neo- colonialism affect the development of a country ?
After colonies gained their independence, richer countries continued to control them indirectly e.g. some TNCs exploit the cheap labour and raw materials of poorer countries. International organisations sometimes offer conditional loans, which mean poorer countries have to develop in the way their donors want them to.
HISTORICAL FACTOR.
How can systems of governance and international relations affect the development of a country ?
Authoritarian governments can put development policies in place without worrying about anyone stopping them, which can be good for economic development e.g. the rapid growth of China. But it can go wrong too e.g. Cuba’s economic crash. Development under democratic governments is usually less extreme- different interest groups prevent either huge growth or economic collapse.
Corrupt governments can hinder development by like taking money that’s intended for building new infrastructure or improving facilities for people.
Countries with good international relations are more likely to get good trade agreements. They can also get loans from international organisations to invest in development projects.
Explain one way that colonialism can affect a country’s development after it gains independence.
Parts of a country that were once colonised, can get too dependent on the countries that made them colonised, which can slow down their development as they are now depending on them for resources, goods and such like.
