GS + GG - Content

Cards (75)

  • Explain the concept of the ‘global commons’.
    • The global commons refers to the Earth’s shared resources (1),
    • such as the deep oceans and atmosphere (1) (d).
    • The global commons includes those areas that have no national governance but are used jointly by all people (1).
    • The only land-mass considered to be part of the global commons is Antarctica (1).
  • Explain how trade agreements are a factor in globalisation.
    • Trade agreements are formed by countries joining together to form a trade bloc that encourages trade between themselves and promotes economic co-operation (1),
    • for example NAFTA (1) (d).
    • Trade agreements are a factor in globalisation by encouraging trade across a number of countries. This may lead to increased investment from other countries (1)
    • for example Audi has built a factory in Mexico in order to gain access to other NAFTA countries (1).
  • Explain how differential access to markets can impact on economic well-being.
    • Being in a trading bloc increases the potential for trade (1),
    • for example NAFTA means that trade is enabled between Mexico and the US (1) (d).
    • This improves economic well-being for Mexico where thousands of jobs are generated in the car industry (1).
    • However, being in a trading bloc can also have negative impacts such as a dependence on the economy of countries in the trading bloc (1).
  • Outline the spatial organisation of one transnational corporation(TNC) you have studied.
    • Apple is a global brand which has its main operations based across North America, Europe and Asia (1).
    • Its HQ and research centre is based on its own campus – Apple Campus in Cupertino, California (1)(d).
    • Assembly is mainly outsourced to Foxconn who have bases across China making use of a vast low-cost labour market (1).
    • Foxconn has its main production base in its own purpose-built city, Foxconn City in Guangdong (1)(d).
  • Outline threats to Antarctica from fishing and whaling.
    • Antarctica marine waters are highly productive due to the Antarctic Convergence where the upwelling and mixing creates waters rich in
    • oxygen and nutrients (1).
    • This makes them highly lucrative for fishing businesses and over-fishing has occurred (1) (d).
    • Many species of whales have been over-exploited (1).
    • However, the threat is now less due to the establishment of the IWC which banned commercial whaling globally in 1982 (1).
  • Explain how one transnational corporation (TNC) has contributed to the globalisation of the world’s economy.
    • Nike has become one of the world's largest suppliers of sports equipment (1),
    • employing over 44 000 workers in over 50 countries (1) (d).
    • Manufacturing helps the social and economic development of these countries through the transfer of skills, technology and the rise in wages (1).
    • The company’s headquarters and much research takes place in Oregon in the USA (1)
    • but its products are manufactured in poorer countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, where labour costs are cheaper (1) (d).
  • Globalisation is the process of becoming more globally connected on a variety of scales, involving the movement of people, knowledge, ideas, goods, and money across national borders
  • Globalisation leads to a theoretically 'borderless world'
  • Even environments are globalised, with pollutants from other countries affecting climate and global laws to mitigate climate change
  • Dimensions of Globalisation:
    • Flows occur when countries share things with one another
    • Flows can be physical (people, products) or non-physical (ideas, money, services, information)
    • Flows include capital, labour, products, services, and information
  • Flows of Capital:
    • Movement of money for investment, trade, or business production
    • Major flows occur between core regions (wealthier, developed countries) and periphery regions (less wealthy, developing countries)
    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) fosters global monetary cooperation, financial stability, international trade, employment, economic growth, and poverty reduction
    • The World Bank gives out loans for development or relief, with loan repayments flowing back
  • Flows of Labour:
    • Movement of people who move to work in another country
    • 3-4% of the world's population are international migrants
    • Migration is mainly to high-income countries
    • Highly skilled workers move for higher wages, while unskilled workers move due to high unemployment rates
  • Flows of Products:
    • Physical goods flow from one country to another
    • Products are now traded internationally due to technological advancements
    • Production has relocated internationally (offshoring) to low-income countries for lower costs and enhanced profits
  • Flows of Services:
    • Footloose industries can locate anywhere without constraints
    • High level services require higher skill levels, while low level services require less training
    • Services can be produced in a different country than where they are received
  • Flows of Information:
    • Information can flow via the internet, SMS, phone calls, etc.
    • Fast broadband and connections allow instant transfer of news and financial information
    • Social media facilitates global communication and interconnectedness
  • Global Marketing:
    • Businesses can market their products on an international scale
    • Global marketing strategies include creating brand awareness and keeping the same strategy worldwide
  • Factors Affecting Globalisation:
    • New financial technologies and systems accelerate globalisation by connecting institutions and banks internationally
    • Transport technologies, systems, and relationships have made global connections easier and faster
    • Security technologies and systems have been developed to ensure safety in a globalised world
    • Communication technologies enable the transfer of information, services, and capital globally
  • Patterns of Production, Distribution, and Consumption:
    • Developed markets dominate global exports in manufactured goods, automotive products, steel and iron, and agricultural products
    • Emerging economies contribute to the oil industry and textile and clothing exports
    • HICs consume manufactured products more than LICs, with developing economies demanding fuel and minerals
  • Moving production overseas to low income countries can be beneficial due to quick and easy communication with overseas factories
  • Services can be accessed through the internet or phone, creating thousands or millions of jobs through communication technology alone
  • Global availability of smartphones and apps has added a new dimension to migration, allowing people to move with fewer restraints
  • Relationships can be maintained over great distances, deepening global connections and potentially increasing flows of labor
  • Common systems in global companies aim to make management more efficient
  • Economies of scale involve increasing profits by producing a larger amount of products to lower the average price per product
  • Global supply chains manage product flows from manufacturing to delivery, allowing different production stages in different countries
  • Outsourcing involves hiring other companies for essential tasks, saving money in low income countries due to lower labor costs
  • Offshoring relocates company processes abroad to save money on taxes, materials, and labor costs
  • Trade agreements have accelerated globalization by making international trading less expensive and easier
  • Trade agreements aim to benefit all parties involved by removing or lessening certain restrictions
  • Tariffs, non-tariff barriers like quotas, and bans on products or country import/exports can hinder trade
  • All trade agreements are overseen by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ensure fairness
  • Interdependence theory states that nations depend on each other economically, politically, socially, and environmentally
  • Interdependent countries rely heavily on decisions of other countries and may struggle without them
  • Unequal flows of people, money, ideas, and technology can lead to benefits, inequalities, injustices, or conflicts
  • Migration tends to occur from low income countries to high income countries due to better opportunities
  • Unequal flows of money often benefit low income countries through investments, aid, and remittances
  • Richer, more developed countries tend to have more power and influence in global systems
  • International trade is increasing, with patterns showing investments from HICs to LICs and emerging economies, and trade shifting towards emerging economies
  • Access to markets within international trade is impacted by factors like trade agreements and barriers that limit imports and exports
  • Reduced access to markets due to trade agreements disallowing countries within them to trade as freely with other countries