GI2 - Changing Space The Shrinking World Case Studies

Question 1

Shrinking World - LEDC globalisation

Answer 1

OLPC (one laptop per child)

• aim to globalise through young generation
• inexpensive computers to children
• Uruguay 2007 ordered 100,000
• cheap, limited tech, too expensive to run

Question 2

Containerisation

Answer 2

Suez Canal

• crucial to Egyptian income/ economy
• accounts for 8% world trade
• faster and cheaper delivery
• connects Mediterranean and Red Sea
• Shortest route between Atlantic and Indian oceans in N hemisphere

Question 3

Containerisation and NIC growth

Answer 3

Incheon, South Korea

• Free economic zone (2003) = global investment
• transport hub with 2nd largest sea port S Korea and international airport
• Industrial region with manufacturing industry
• coastal city, opened to world

Question 4

Containerisation and Shipping

Answer 4

Panama Canal Widening

• from 1970s ships too big to go through
• widening for larger vessels to improve global shipping
• crucial to supply chain as a fast route
• 3rd set ship locks 2014 $5.25bn increased W hemisphere trade opportunities

Question 5

Chokepoint

Answer 5

Strait of Hormuz

- 30% global oil passes through

Question 6

Air Travel - Budget Airlines

Answer 6

Easyjet (1995)

• over 300 flight routes in EU
• 1st online booking 95% tickets bought this way
• over 600 routes, 32 countries
• 2006 33mn people, £2bn revenues

Question 7

Air Travel - Impact on Developing Countries

Answer 7

Kenya

• blossoms grown year-round naturally
• good transport links Nairobi airport flower and veg terminal
• perishable goods flown 500,000 rely on trade
• $600mn flower industry
• 124,858 tonnes at $507mn exported 2013

Question 8

Air Travel - Transfer Hubs

Answer 8

Dubai

- world’s largest transfer point or hub

Question 9

Internet (note)

Answer 9

Social Media e.g. FB and Online Shops e.g. Amazon

Question 10

Internet - Growth of Call Centres

Answer 10

Philippines (outsourcing)

• call centre capital 600,000 workers
• attractive low wages (teleserv agent $4,800 a year), speak english and friendly
• need new tech to compete click to chat, social media and emails now despite 1/4 population in poverty
• wants BPOs like India so offering tax breaks (India $70bn revenue, Philippines $9bn)

Question 11

Internet - Mobiles

Answer 11

• 1/2 Africa’s have mobiles
• every 10 per 100 people add 5% to GDP
  M-Pesa (Kenya)
• users store money on phone bay bills etc by text, cashed in at M-Pesa office
• cheap, easy, revolutionary
  MobileMoney (Uganda)
• created 2009 600,000 signed up in year now over 1.6mn
• uganda digital divide due to literacy rate

Question 12

Internet - Smart Phones

Answer 12

Grameen Foundation in Uganda

• Phones to farmers to get info to / from rural
• connection with farming communities
• 500 CKWs trained in 32 districts, paid £20 month
• reach 20,000 households / 10,000 people
• But unreliable network coverage and lack of electricity for charging

Question 13

Technology and Revolution

Answer 13

Arab Spring Uprising (Egypt / Tunisia)

• Tech promote successful revolutions
• info dissemination, news gathering, social media connect and coordinate people, mobiles take photos and shared, TV reports = groups brought together and bypass state controlled media
• Tunisia and Egypt tried to block social media but protests and eventually overthrown

Question 14

ICT - Global Variation

Answer 14

UK
- mobiles cheap, access everything
- generation digital divide
- mobile internet users 7.3mn 2008
- 2010 13% adults smart phone, 31% 2011
- 60bn redundant phones
- over 77% internet access at home
North Korea
- Gov TV and radio stations only
- 1mn/24mn have mobiles
- no international phone lines or internet
- monitored internet for gov propaganda
- man executed for telling S Korean friend of conditions
- foreigners have to rent local phones with 3G only for state newspaper