globalisation

Question 1

what is globalisation

Answer 1

globalisation results in increasing political and cultural exchanges between countries

therefore globalisation is the phenomenon where information, ideas, culture, and values spread from one place to another

Question 2

what is transport?

Answer 2

transport refers to the movement of people and goods from one place to another

various modes of transport such as cars and airplanes are used to bring about or facilitate this movement

mode of transport refers to the means by which people travel from one place to another

Question 3

land transport

Answer 3

• In the past, people walked or used animals such as horses or donkeys to travel from one place to another. By 4000BCE, simple vehicles drawn by animals e.g. bullock carts were used.
• Today, land transport uses fossil fuels and alternative energy
  e.g. solar energy and there is a larger range of land transport e.g. trains, truck, etc.
• Industries benefited from these developments e.g. heavy industries depend on rail transport to carry heavy and bulky raw materials and goods over a long distance.

Question 4

water transport

Answer 4

• powered engine unlike wind powered vessels gave people greater control over the duration, distance and direction of their travels at sea.
• larger range and size of water vehicles e.g. ocean liners, ferries and cruisers.
• Types of goods carried by water vehicles grew and are more varied – container ships, oil tankers and refrigerated fishing vessels.

Question 5

opening of the suez canal

Answer 5

• An artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt,
  connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red
  Sea through the Isthmus (narrow neck of land) of Suez.
• Work began in 1857 and first ship passed through in 1867.
• Shorter journey between the North Atlantic and northern Indian Oceans by avoiding the South Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans, reducing the journey by approximately 7,000 kilometres.

Question 6

BUILDING THE PANAMA CANAL

Answer 6

• An artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean by cutting across the Isthmus of
  Panama, that connects the continents of North and South America.
• Possibly the greatest engineering project in history. Work on the Canal began in 1880, but only officially opened in 1914.
• Greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy,
  hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America.

Question 7

air transport

Answer 7

• An increase in distance and time airplanes can stay airborne.
  o For example, Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched the world’s longest commercial flights in October 2018, with non-stop services between Singapore and New York using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range).
• People can even travel to outer space in space shuttles.
  o Mars One mission: a one-way trip to Mars in 2024
  o US$200, 000 for a suborbital ride aboard a space shuttle to enjoy a few minutes’ worth of weightlessness and a view of the curvature of the Earth.

Question 8

benefits of transport development

Answer 8

Greatly reduces time taken to move from one place to another.

• With increasing of vehicles, more goods and people can be carried.
• Increases speed and comfort of transport.
• Both accessibility and connectivity of places have improved promoting greater social and economic contrast between people.

Question 9

communication

Answer 9

• Refers to the exchange of information and messages between people.
• Helps people to keep in touch with one another even across great distances.

Question 10

• Two types of communications:

Answer 10

1. Print media
   o Presents information in a printed format e.g. newspapers and magazines.
2. Telecommunication
   o Allows signals and messages to be sent over long distances using electronic equipment such as radio, television, telephone and internet.
   o Allows people to interact with one another without the needs of physical presence in front of others.

Question 11

DEVELOPMENTS IN PRINT MEDIA

Answer 11

• Early communication took place face to face, using body languages and hand gestures.
• The first alphabet was invented by the Phoenicians.
• The Chinese invented the wooden press – the written form could be multiplied and produced quickly, reaching more people.
• Invention of printing press and paper made from wood in 1800s, print media such as books, magazines, newspapers can be produced quickly in massive copies!

Question 12

DEVELOPMENTS IN TELECOMMUNICATION

Answer 12

• Telegraphs and telephones
  o Earliest forms of codes and signals used to transmit messages restrict. A limit to the
  distance the messages could be sent or received.
• Computers and the internet
  o Internet is a worldwide collection of networks that connect together in many different ways.
  o Internet enables transfer of information around the world in seconds.
  o Possible to communicate almost instantaneously either be calling, sending email or texting using mobile phones.

Question 13

Videoconferencing

Answer 13

o People from different places can hear and see one another with the help of electronic devices such as video cameras and computers (web-cam).
o Helps to save time and money - people need to travel long distances for discussion. It also helps people to make prompt decisions on any urgent matter.

Question 14

Satellite television

Answer 14

o Television making use of satellite and satellite dish for receiving signal from around the world.
o Enables a large number of people in different parts of the world to share a wide range of channels and services.
o It provides real-time broadcasting programmes such as live award shows.

Question 15

wireless communication

Answer 15

• Also known as WiFi (wireless fidelity) or WLAN (wireless local area network).
• Uses low-power radio waves to transmit data over distances from one device to another without the use of wires,
• Allowing senders and recipients to access info while on the move- invaluable for businesses where people travel frequently and need to keep in touch with their colleagues.
• Makes it possible for for more individuals to work from home.

Question 16

what is a network

Answer 16

• A system of links connecting people and places together e.g. network of stations and MRT lines.

Question 17

what is accessibility

Answer 17

• Refers to how easy it is to get to a place.
• Factors affecting accessibility:
  o Barriers (Natural vs Man-made)
  o Technology
• Benefits of accessibility:
  o Shorter travelling time.
  o Places previously not accessible can now be reached – increase in knowledge as new
  experiences are gained.
  o Encourage trade and cultural exchange.

Question 18

what is connectivity?

Answer 18

Refers to how easy it is for people to maintain contact with one another thru transport and communications (cannot be used interchangeably).

• Also, one way of measuring the efficiency of a transport network.

Question 19

developments in transport and communication (↑ accessibility, ↑ connectivity)

Answer 19

• Shrinking world
• Greater trade and flows of investment
• Rise of TNCs
• Increased interactions and interconnectedness
• Trade and interdependence
• Uneven development

Question 20

globalisation at work

Answer 20

• Nike, McDonald’s and Starbucks are examples of TNCs and globalisation at work.
• Products are manufactured and sold in many different locations.
• This process is facilitated by advancements in transport & communication developments, which resulted in a “shrinking world”.
  o Globalisation helps to speed up the movement of goods, people and ideas etc.

Question 21

shrinking world

Answer 21

• Used metaphorically.
• Also known as time-space compression.
• Developments in transport and
  communications have enabled people
  to travel between places and communicate with one another more easily and quickly, so the world seem to be ‘shrinking’ or smaller.
• Technological improvements in transport allow people to travel faster and further than in the past.
• Technological improvements in telecommunication makes it possible to communicate almost instantaneously.
• Physical contact no longer necessary for
  communication to take place; people can keep in contact regardless of distance.

Question 22

RISE OF THE TNCS

Answer 22

• Transnational corporations (TNCs) are
  very large businesses that have offices and factories all over the world.
• Headquarters and main factories located in DCs (e.g. USA and Japan)
• Smaller offices and factories tend to be
  in LDCs because of cheap labour and low production cost
• TNCs which set up units in LDCs train people there to manage manufacturing operations as well as other aspects such as the marketing of products.
• As TNC operations increase, the level of industrialisation increase resulting in some
  LDCS developing rapidly and they are now referred to as newly industrializing country (NICs/NIEs).
• NIEs/NICs have the following characteristics:
  o Experienced fast rate of growth in manufacturing e.g. Brazil employment in manufacturing industry was 14.1% of the country’s total employment in 1950 increased to 23.9% in 1980.
  o Have a rising share of world’s exports in manufactured products e.g. Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong had just 2% share of the world’s merchandise exports and by 2003 it had risen to 9.4%.

Question 23

key ideas

Answer 23

1. Globalisation is facilitated by advancements in transport and communication technology.
2. Globalisation has led to the development of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and Newly
   Industrialised Economies/Countries (NIEs/NICs).
3. Globalisation leads to greater interdependence between countries through increasing trade and exchanges.

Question 24

INCREASED INTERACTIONS & INTERCONNECTEDNESS

Answer 24

• World’s 500 largest companies control at least 70% of world trade.
• Influence consumer tastes and lifestyles.
  o For example, “McDonaldization” is when a society adopts the characteristics
  of a fast-food restaurant: efficiency (fast), standardisation and predictability,
  and replacement of human by non-human technologies
• Responsible for many scientific and technological breakthroughs.
  o For example, “Fordism” involves mass production of standardized goods on
  an assembly line using dedicated machinery and semi-skilled labour.

Question 25

TRADE AND INTERDEPENDENCE

Answer 25

• Trade is the movement of goods and services between countries.
• LDCs mainly export low-value primary goods while DCs mainly export expensive manufactured goods.
• A trade deficit occurs when the cost of imports is greater than the money made from the exports
• For example, Japan has a large population, little flat land for farming and few natural resources of its own. It imports foodstuffs, energy supplies and raw materials from other
  countries. Japan also produces high-value goods for sale to other countries.
  o Japan is thus increasing interdependent on trade with other countries.

Question 26

With globalisation, world trade has caused countries to become increasingly interdependent. (true/ false)

Answer 26

True:
1. increase in employment in LDCs, and train them
2. countries can get resources they need
3. more efficient use of land if food crops

False:
1. TNCs make use of cheap labour
2. Macdonalization → changes culture and expectations (expects fast and cheap labour and goods)
3. interdependence, overeliance