Human Geography Advanced Info Flashcards
Explain the trend in global food production in the past 60 years and why
Increased globally
Area of land used for farming has increased since 1965
Increased due to technological advances that have meant that more food can be produced from less land
Explain the trend in locations for food production
East Asia and North America = lots of food production
- climates are good for farming
- widespread investment in farming
Central America and Africa
- lack of resources and funding for farming equipment
- large areas that are unsuitable for farming as they are mountainous or have poor quality soil such as the desert
- unsuitable climates- some areas do not get enough rainfall or are too hot
Explain the trend in global food consumption
Global food consumption is increasing
Food consumption per person is also increasing because as the world becomes more economically developed people are eating more
Explain the global distribution in food consumption
Europe and America- consume a lot
- large variety of foods
- culture of consumerism
- high disposable incomes so can afford more food
Africa and South America- less developed areas
- consume less food per person
- can’t afford as much food
China and other emerging countries are consuming more as their wealth increases
Some variations within countries due to deprivation
Explain the make up of diets and variation between countries
Meat costs more than a vegetarian diet
Meat makes up a bigger proportion of developed countries
Give a fact regarding meat consumption between developed and developing countries
- 7kg in developed countries between 2013-2015
26. 6kg in developing countries between 2013-2015
What is leading to a rise in obesity globally?
Increased intake of energy- dense foods
Increased sedentary lifestyle
What type of system is a farm and why?
An open system
Energy and matter can be lost or gained from the environment
Give some inputs into a farm system
Climate, relief, soil fertility, drainage, labour, seeds, agrochemicals
Give some flows in a farm system
Growing crops
Rearing livestock
Daily routines
Gives some outputs of a farm system
Crops
Livestock
Livestock products
Give some feedbacks within the farm system
Profit for reinvestment
Manure for fertiliser
Hay and silage for fodder
What is agricultural productivity?
A measure of the amount that is produced in an area
Measure of agricultural outputs in comparison to agricultural inputs
Give the 5 main types of farming
Commercial farming Subsistence farming Intensive farming Extensive farming Nomadic farming
What is commercial farming?
The production of crops or livestock to create a profit
Often involves specialisation through monoculture
High investment of capital
High agricultural productivity
More common in developed countries than in developing countries
What is subsistence farming?
The direct production of sufficient food to feed family or community involved with any excess sold or bartered
Common in Africa (Nomadic pastoralism) and Asia
What is intensive farming?
High investment in labour and/or capital such as machinery, glasshouses and irrigation systems
High yields per hectare
Eg. horticulture in south-west England and the Netherlands
What is extensive farming?
Low inputs of labour, machinery and capital but involves large areas of land
Produces less food
Less environmental impact and more ethical food production
Eg. hill sheep in upland regions of UK
Give the 5 physical environment factors that are influencing agriculture
Temperature- dictates the length of the growing seson
Precipitation- determines water supply and affects the growth of many plants
Wind- restricts cultivation of grain crops
Soil quality- vulnerability to leaching influences the nutritional value of the soil
Relief
What is arable farming?
The farming of cereal and root crops on flatter land where soils are of higher quality
What is pastoral farming?
Livestock rearing
What is nomadic farming?
Farmers moving from place to place to grow crops or graze animals on different land
How are desert areas classified?
Deserts receive less than 250mm of rainfall per year
Discuss the distribution of deserts globally
Hot deserts occur 30 degrees north and south of the equator with maximum air temperatures above 40C
Temperate deserts occur at high latitudes eg. Central Asia. Cooler than hot deserts, but still as arid
What is consumption directly related to?
Affluence and access to international trading markets
What are the two distinct characteristics of hot deserts?
High temperatures - between 43-49
Low precipitation levels- 1-38cm annually
Describe the population distribution of the Sahara desert
2.5 million inhabitants
0.4 people per km2
Distribution is uneven with clusters around water sources
What challenges arise in the Sahara desert and how are these overcome?
Agriculture is nearly impossible due to infrequent rainfall whihc is usually in the form of heavy convectional rainstorms which can cause flash flooding and erosion
Water can be drawn from oases to irrigate crops nearby. Crops can be grown in the shade of other taller food plants eg. date palms - allowed for settlement around oases
Nomadic tribes allow for grazing of livestock as the animals eat the shrubbery
Give examples of how agriculture can occur in desert regions
Groundwater for irrigation can be accessed with motorised pumps
Drip irrigation where water slowly drips onto crops, minimising evaporation
Magic stones which contain water within an area and prevent soil erosion
Explain the impacts climate change is having on agriculture
Decreasing agricultural productivity due to reduced rainfall which has meant that areas can produce less food
Increased extreme weather events which is exacerbating soil erosion
Increased droughts
Introduction of new pests to an area
What are tropical climates categorised by?
Warm temperatures- 27C
High precipitation levels of 261cm
Where are tropical climates located?
10 degrees south and 25 degrees north
How is food production in tropical climates?
Low due to leaching of soil nutrients which decreases the availability of soil for crop growing
What is the main role of investment banks?
To help companies raise capital by selling shares on behalf of those companies
What 4 things happened in the 1980s to make the financial system more global?
- ICT allowed investors greater access to information which meant they could make more educated decisions on whether to invest
- Investment banks created new financial products that made foreign investment less risky
- Financial deregulation
- Greater range of companies got involved in finance and took on more services such as currency exchange
Give 3 ways that a country controls trade into and out of a country
Tariffs- taxes on products coming into the country
Non-tariff barrier- rules on the quality of products coming into the country
Banning certain products
What is a trade agreement between two countries called?
Bilateral trade agreement
What is a multilateral trade agreement called?
Trade agreements between several countries
What is the role of the World Trade Organisation?
To govern the global trade system
Established in 1995
WTO sets rules on how countries can trade with each other
Forum for countries to negotiate trade deals with each other and settle trade disputes
How have changes in transport influenced globalisation?
Improved transportation systems through high speed rail networks and shipping has meant that products can get to locations quicker and more easily than ever before
Explain the importance of containers
Allowed for more efficient packing of goods into the ship
Easy to transport onto other forms of transport so it has meant that there has been an increased speed of distribution within countries
Cheaper and easier transport
Explain the importance of communication satellites
Cheap wireless communication between two areas
Have increased the connectivity of rural and urban areas
What are optical fibre cables and what do they allow?
Signals of light to transmit information between two locations almost instantly
Give 4 ways that companies have become more efficient
Companies supply chains have become more global- supplier and factory may be in different locations which minimises costs
Economies of scale- large businesses can buy in bulk and use specialised production lines to cut down manufacturing costs
Outsourcing- paying another firm to do part of the production process to save money
Change in working contracts- don’t have to pay a fixed yearly wage
Why has globalisation increased global security?
Countries reliant on trade with each other are less likely to want to go to war as they require goods from each other to thrive
Countries work together to improve security ie through NATO- deter common threats
Why has globalisation decreased global security?
Developed countries can intervene in conflicts in developing countries to secure resources such as oil
Provided a platform for exchange of information between people such as terrorists
Use SEEP to suggest ways that globalisation causes interdependence
Social- greater connection between people creates greater social interdependence- ie. through migration
Economic- countries rely on each other for economic growth
Environmental- rely on each other to solve environmental issues and look after the environment
Political- countries are reliant on each other to solve issues that cannot be solved by one country in isolation
Describe benefits of unequal flows of people
Causes economic growth in host country by migrants doing jobs that countries citizens can’t do or won’t do
Causes economic growth in the country of origin as migrants often send remittances which can significantly increase the amount of capital within an economy
Describe the problemsassociated with unequal flow of people
Inequalities- less developed countries suffer from brain drain and this reinforces inequalities between countries
Conflict- low skilled migrants are happier to work for less money than low skilled locals so it may depress wages for local population which causes conflicts between the migrants and locals
Injustice- migrant workers are made to work in dangerous conditions for little money
Describe the benefits of unequal flows of money
Foreign Direct Investment allows for foreign companies and countries to take advantage of cheap raw materials and low labour costs
Host country can benefit from capital and expertise through FDI
Foreign aid can be used to improve living standards or rebuild local infrastructure after a disaster
Describe the problems associated with unequal flows of money
Foreign aid can create a dependency which gives governments little incentive to change their own countries
FDI can force out local business
Foreign aid can find its way to armed groups and to help fund conflict
Companies may pressure governments of less developed countries to pass laws that make it easier for companies to invest there
What is neo-liberalism?
Developed countries thinking that economy would work better without state intervention
Maximum economic growth would only occur if barriers to trade were removed and state owned companies were privatised
Benefits of neo-liberalism
Increased free trade
More development within countries
Less conflict between some countries
Problems of neo-liberalism
Started in developed countries and has spread to developing countries- tend to concentrate wealth in hands of few people
Conflict
TNCs and governments may argue that neo-liberalism is the best way to develop despite the poor working conditions and degradation of the environment
Problems of improved technology
Repressive governments have used weapons technology sold to them by developed countries to stop protests from their own people
Developed countries have greater access to technology- increases inequalities between countries
