Chapter 9 – Reasons for Variations in Development in the World

Why Does Uneven Development Exist?

1: Historical Reason

-Colonialism

Is the domination of a more powerful country over another country. Dominated country is colony and powerful country is colonial power. While colonialism is not the main reason why uneven development exists in the world today, it has affected the way in which many countries develop.

Reasons: colonial powers wanted to obtain raw materials which could not be found or grown in their own countries. Raw materials is natural resources used to manufacture products. It is very useful and valuable.

Countries with them: Angola, Indonesia e.t.c.

Strong relationship and sell those crops.

How do the colonial powers become rich? : The products would be sold for higher profits, and from

those profits, they would become richer allowing them to develop their economics.

2: Physical Reasons

-Presence of raw materials

Countries that have plenty of raw materials develop faster than countries that have few or no raw materials, as the money earned can help develop the country for example, improving infrastructure such as roads, housing, water e.t.c.

-Not guaranteed that all countries with plenty of raw materials always develop quickly.

-Climate

Atmospheric conditions such as temperatures, weather, natural disasters (floods, tsunami, typhoon, tornadoes) and many more. [causes damages to infrastructures , crops and people]

However, with advance technology, some countries can overcame limitations of climate. For example, it

is possible to control the physical conditions of greenhouses and nurseries where crops are grown.

Modern technology: Control amount of sunlight crops receive, temperature of the surroundings, as well as the amount of water the crops need in order to grow well.

LDCs not all have.

We also see how technology can help these countries with natural disasters to be overcome.

3:Economic Reason

-Cumulative causation

DCs – Core

LDCs – Periphery

With investments for development of industries, a country is able to have employment which attracts workers from periphery area to core area.

With more people living and working in the core area, it will lead to the expansion of existing industries and the establishment of new businesses.

(More jobs are generated, profits and wages increase as the economy improves, wealth also increase)

Workers from Periphery countries are attracted to jobs in a Core country and this lead the Periphery country to be left out and undeveloped. (backwash effect)

Skills and knowledge can be picked up on jobs. (economy growth)

4: Social Reasons

-Education

DCs: high literacy rate (education)

LDCs: Low literacy rate (education)

With more people in the country being able to read and write, people in DCs are more likely to work in the secondary and tertiary industries and contribute to a higher standard of living within the country.

Reasons for low Literacy Rate: Little money to be spent on education , schools, civil wars, conflicts, this made it nearly impossible for people to go to school.

-Population growth rate

When a country’s population increases quickly due to a higher birth rate than death rate, it’s people tend to face problems of over population such as insufficient food and housing. This effects their standard of living. [Kenya, Nigeria, India]

On the other hand, counties with a low population growth rate are generally DCs.

People in DCs tend to have fewer children due to the higher cost of living, higher standard of living, and changing lifestyle preferences. This may lead to underpopulation and will adversely affect future development of the countries.

-Political Reasons

Conflicts:

Conflicts may occur in the form of wars or political instability.

With conflicts, there will be damages of infrastructures, uneven foods, people killed and it’s country will be avoided by tourists. This also would deters investors from setting up businesses in these countries.

-Leadership

Having a good leadership is important for a country’s development. [Process of setting directions, motivating people into action and working towards a common goal.

Written by,

Faid