AQA GCSE geography

• Development


  Measures how economically, socially, culturally or technologically advanced a country is
• Development Indicators


  • Gross National Income per Capita
  • Birth/death rate
  • Infant mortality rate
  • Life expectancy
  • People per doctor
  • Literacy rate
  • Access to safe water
  • Human Development Index (HDI)
• Gross National Income per Capita

  The total income of a country, divided by the number of people
• Birth/death rate


  The number of births/deaths per 1000 people per year
• Infant mortality rate


  The number of children (per 1000) per year who die before the age of one
• Life expectancy


  The average number of years a person can be expected to live
• People per doctor


  The number of doctors available per 1000 people
• Literacy rate


  The percentage of adults who can read and write
• Access to safe water

  The percentage of people with access to safe mains water
• Human Development Index (HDI)

  A holistic measure using data on income, life expectancy and education to calculate an index from 0-1

  
• Refers to positive changes in people's quality of life, such as educational opportunities, increased incomes, human rights and healthier living conditions
• Limitations of development indicators

  • Can be hard to measure in LICs due to lack of monitoring
  • War zones and squatter settlements are difficult areas to measure literacy rates
  • Increasingly people are seeking medical help and advice via mobile phone – this is becoming popular in places like India and is not included in the data
  • Data is not always reliable, especially in LICs
  • It can be slightly misleading in countries with very high rates of infant mortality as people surviving infancy may live longer than expected
  • In the poorest countries, not all the deaths of children are reported, especially in remote areas, meaning the true rates may be even higher
  • Data collection in LICs is not likely to be accurate and so official figures may underestimate the problem
  • People may technically have access but high costs may force them to use water that is not safe
  • Pipe leaks and natural disasters may deprive people of mains water
  • Some countries may have low birth rates but are actually quite poor
  • Birth control policies can distort this as a measure of overall development
  • Death rates can be high in some LICs due to poverty but also high in HICs where many people are dying of old age
  • Only takes into account one factor – income
  • As it is an average calculation a few wealthy people could distort the results
  • People working in the informal sector may not be taken into account
  • It is based on average calculations so doesn't take into account the massive disparities (differences) that may exist within a country
• Demographic Transition Model


  Shows population change over time - it studies how birth rate and death rate affect the total population

  
• Natural increase is much higher in LICs, whilst many HICs are beginning to experience population decline
• Causes of uneven development

  • Physical: Poor farming land limits agriculture and food production
  • Physical: Primary products are typically exported by less developed countries - they are low value goods which make little profit
  • Physical: Natural hazards can cost countries huge amounts of money and reduce the quality of life for those affected
  • Physical: A poor climate may reduce the amount of food produced, leading to malnutrition and a loss of profit
  • Physical: Countries with few raw materials (like coal and oil) tend to make less money and therefore put less into development
  • Economic: Poor trade links will seriously influence a country's economy as they struggle to trade goods and services
  • Economic: Debt owed to other countries and international organisations can increase with interest and prevent profits being paid into development
  • Historical: Countries that were colonised are often less developed when they gain independence than they would be if they had not been colonised - European colonies controlled their economies and removed many of their raw materials
  • Historical: Conflict can slow or reduce levels of development (even after the war is over) as money is spent on arms and fighting or repairing infrastructure
• Consequences of uneven development

  • Wealth: The highest levels of wealth are held by developed countries (HICs)
  • Wealth: 35% of total wealth worldwide is held by North America - even though they make up just 5% of the world's population
  • Wealth: Just 1% of global wealth is held by Africa - even though they make up 18% of the world's population
  • Wealth: China is one of the fastest growing countries in terms of wealth
  • Health: Countries with low development levels tend to experience poor healthcare
  • Health: LICs experience high rates of infant mortality and low life expectancies
  • Health: In LICs 40% of deaths are of children
  • Health: In HICs 70% of deaths are of people aged over 70
  • Health: In LICs malaria and tuberculosis account for 1/3 of deaths - these are preventable diseases in HICs
  • International Migration: 2015: 14 million people migrated from poor countries to seek a better life elsewhere
• Strategies to reduce the development gap

  • Investment
  • Industrial development
  • Tourism
  • Intermediate technology
  • Fair Trade
  • Debt reduction
  • Microfinance loans
  • Aid
• Investment


  Many countries and TNCs invest money in LICs or increase their profits through development of infrastructure, construction of dams for HEP, improvements of harbours/ports, development of new industries
• Industrial development


  • Can bring employment, higher incomes and opportunities to invest in housing, infrastructure and education
  • The multiplier effect is the snowballing of economic activity - e.g. jobs are created, people have disposable income to spend in shops, more shop workers are needed, jobs are created..
• Tourism


  • Countries with tropical beaches, spectacular landscapes or abundant wildlife have become tourist destinations
  • This leads to investment and increased income from abroad - this can be used to improve education, infrastructure and housing
• Since 2004 over 1.5 million economic migrants have moved to the UK - 2/3 of these were from Poland where unemployment rates are over 10% and average earnings are five times less than in the UK
• In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people have migrated into Europe from war-torn regions such as Syria - thousands made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean in overcrowded boats, some of which have capsized and resulted in deaths
• Intermediate technology


  • Sustainable technology appropriate to the needs, skills, knowledge and wealth of the local people
  • Increases industrial output and incomes
• Fair Trade


  • Farmers are given a fair price for goods produced in LICs, allowing them to provide for their families
  • Sets minimum standards for pay and working conditions
  • Increases the costs of goods of consumers
• Debt reduction


  • Highly Indebted Poor Countries are 39 countries with the highest debt and poverty
  • In 2015, 36 received debt relief as they demonstrated they could manage their finances, were not corrupt, and were committed to spending on education and health
• Microfinance loans


  • Small scale business support directly from banks
  • Enable families/businesses to start up and become self-sufficient
• Aid


  • When a non-governmental organisation or country donates resources to another country (e.g. money, emergency supplies, food, technology, skills)
  • The UK currently spends 0.7% of its GDP on overseas aid - this target was set by the UN
  • Aid can sometimes be wasted by corrupt governments, or once the money runs out, projects can stop working if there isn't enough local knowledge and support
• EXAMPLE OF HOW THE GROWTH OF TOURISM IN AN LIC/NEE HELPS TO REDUCE THE DEVELOPMENT GAP: KENYA
• Kenya


  • An LIC in East Africa
  • Attracts tourists due to its tribal culture, safari wildlife, warm climate and beautiful unspoilt scenery
  • GNI per capita: US$2,140
  • Population: 55 million
  • 2022: 1.5 million international visitors
  • The largest economy of east Africa and third largest of Sub-Saharan Africa
  • In 2007, the Government announced 'Vision 2030' as its long-term plan for attaining middle-income status by 2030

  
• Advantages of tourism in Kenya

  • Profits go towards projects for local facilities (e.g. schools, health clinics and improved roads)
  • Promotes an understanding and respect for local cultures - tourist trips to visit native Masai villages give reason to preserve their traditional crafts and dancing
  • The large number of tourists has helped local farmers by supplying hotels with food
  • Helps to educate the local people on the importance of protecting their wildlife
  • Prompted the development of many National Parks, 24 of which charge entry fees to tourists
  • Nearly 600,000 people are directly or indirectly by the tourism industry - 11% of paid employment comes from tourism
• Disadvantages of tourism in Kenya

  • Off-road driving in the National Parks is destroying the habitats of animals
  • Less than 2% of the money spent at the Masai Mara National Park benefits the local Masai people - most of the money goes to luxury lodges, transport costs and foreign package tour operators
  • In Mombasa, hotels have forbidden public access to beaches which also stops locals using them
  • Some of the Masai tribes have been forced off their land to make way for tourism facilities
  • 70% of people employed by Kenyan National Park lodges are not local Masai people
• Impacts of tourism in Kenya

  • Economy: Tourism directly contributed 4.8% of Kenya's GDP in 2013
  • Economy: Tourism brings in US$5.3 billion to Kenya's economy
  • Economy: Profits often go to foreign companies rather than to the local community
  • Employment: Nearly 600,000 are directly or indirectly employed by the industry (this accounts for 10% of all employment in Kenya)
  • Employment: Tourism creates jobs for local people, so they can learn new skills in services and construction
  • Employment: Foreign companies may bring foreign workers to do the skilled jobs, so local people only do low skilled, poorly paid work
  • Infrastructure: Local infrastructure is improved as water and sanitation facilities, roads, buses, taxis and airports are provided for tourists
  • Quality of life: Foreign currency spent by tourists can be invested in improving local education, health and other services
  • Quality of life: Important projects for local communities might be side lined as infrastructure developments are focused on tourists
  • Environment: Pollution and disruption to wildlife habitats can occur if tourism isn't sustainable
• AN LIC/NEE EXPERIENCING RAPID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: NIGERIA
• Nigeria


  • A NEE in West Africa
  • Abuja, in central Nigeria, is the capital city, whilst Lagos, in the south west, is Nigeria's largest city
  • Nigeria lies just north of the Equator, with a tropical climate making it hot and wet most of the year
• Importance of Nigeria


  • Regional: Nigeria has the largest number of cattle in Africa (19 million)
  • Regional: The Nigerian military has played a large part in protecting neighbouring states Cameroon, Chad and Niger from Boko Harram
  • Regional: Nigeria has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa
  • Regional: One in every seven Africans are Nigerian (this will rise to one in four by 2100)
  • Regional: Barack Obama said Nigeria is 'critical to the rest of the continent and if Nigeria does not get it right, Africa will really not make more progress'
  • Global: Nigeria supplies 2.5% of the world's oil
  • Global: The centre of Lagos is a thriving global economic hub
  • Global: Nigeria is the fifth biggest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions around the world
• Wider Context


  • Political: Independence from the British Empire was granted in 1960
  • Political: Power struggles, dictatorships and civil wars led to political instability
• Nigeria


  Country in West Africa, with the largest population in Africa
• Nigeria


  • Located just north of the Equator
  • Has a tropical climate, hot and wet most of the year
• Political context of Nigeria

  • Gained independence from the British Empire in 1960
  • Experienced power struggles, dictatorships and civil wars leading to political instability until the late 1990s
  • Estimated to have lost over $400 billion to corruption since independence
  • Has only had a stable government since 1999
  • Elections in 2011 and 2015 were viewed as fair, free and democratic
• Social context of Nigeria

  • Multi-ethnic and multi-faith country
  • Christianity, Islam and traditional African faiths are practiced widely
  • Economic inequality between the rich south and poor north has led to many religious and ethnic tensions
  • Rise of Boko Haram has scared away many foreign investors
  • Boko Haram kidnapped 276 school girls as it opposes education, especially for girls