Development Dynamics

• Development is the advancement of a country which can be measured by social, economic, political and environmental indicators.
• A single indicator measures the level of development through one factor. Shows how developed a country is in one aspect.
• A composite indicator measures the level of development through multiple factors. Gives a broader view on the level of development. For example, the Human Development Index.
• The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite indicator that looks at: life expectancy, quality of education and income.
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita measures the total number of goods and services produced in one year.
• GDP per capita = population / average wealth
• Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is the amount of money needed to buy the same amount of products in each country.
• The Gini Coefficient measures the extent to which a society is unequal.
• The Indices of Political Corruption (CPI) scores countries on their perceived levels of government corruption.
• A developing country is a country with a low level of development. A poor country.
• An emerging country is a country with a medium level of development, and has developed rapidly recently.
• A developed country is a country with a very high level of development, a rich country.
• The population structure of a country is the composition of its population.
• The population is ageing due to increasing life expectancy, falling fertility rates and the recent increase in birth rates.
• The population's life expectancy may increase due to more access to healthcare, care homes and change in lifestyle (exercise)
• Fertility rates are falling globally because women are no longer stay at home moms, meaning they spend more time working. Greater wealth, means less demand for child wages.
• Landlocked countries like Chad, may suffer from inequality as they have less access to trade as they arent by the sea, making it more expensive.
• History, specifically colonialism and neo-colonialism, can lead to countries like Africa, having inequalities as their resources and people may have been taken.
• Political and economic policies can cause inequality. For example the World Trade Organisation has tried to encourage developed countries by reducing tariffs and trade barriers.
• Water shortages and droughts can cause inequality as the amount of crops grown reduces as the temperature rises. (climate change)
• Neo-colonialism is the control of less developed countries by developed countries through indirect means.
• The Rostow model has 5 stages:

  1. Traditional society - technology is limited & most people work in the primary sector.
  2. Pre-conditions for Take Off - development of infrastructure (railways, canals), few low technology manufacturers.
  3. Take Off - rapid growth of manufacturing industries and infrastructure. Administrative systems, such as banks, are developed.
  4. Drive to Maturity - economic growth extends to all parts of the economy, new industries develop to replace outdated ones.
  5. High Mass Consumption - welfare systems are fully developed, trade expands, economic system is almost self-sustaining.
• The Brandt Report split the world into the Global North and the Global South. However, it was decided untrue and based on stereotypical beliefs.
• The Rostow Model can be used to explain the development of a country.
• Frank's Dependency Model shows how rich countries keep poor countries poor, by only buying resources so that they can make them into consumer goods and sell them back to the poor countries for more money. Shows neo-colonialism.
• In geography, a country's site is the actual location of a settlement on Earth. The physical characteristics of a landscape specific to an area.
• In geography, a country's situation is the location of a place relative to its surroundings and other places.
• A country's connectivity is its connections with other places.
• The primary sector is a sector of the economy where people collect things from the earth, for example, agriculture.
• The secondary sector is the sector of the economy that makes things. For example, people working in factories.
• The tertiary sector is the sector of the economy that gives a service to others. For example, teachers.
• The quaternary sector is the sector of the economy that has highly skilled people that help other sectors. Research. For example, computing and robots.
• Globalisation is the way people and places are becoming increasingly connected all over the world.
• Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are companies that operate in more than one country.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is when a country or company invests in another country.
• Containerisation has allowed more amounts of product to be transferred quicker, increasing the amounts of trade.
• Economic liberalisation is the lessening of government regulations and restrictions in an economy to encourage more private companies and investments.
• Demographics are the classifiable characteristics of a given population.
• The multiplier effect is the introduction of a new industry or expansion of an existing one, that encourages growth in other industry sectors. The 'snowballing' of economic activity.
• Top Down Development is where decisions about development are made by governments or private companies. For example, the Sardar Sarovar Dam.