geo flashcards short
(27 cards)
Ageing population
Japan
- 123 million population
- 20% of the population over 70
- Median age 49 (global average 31)
- 1.3 births per woman (minimum for growth = 2.1)
Effects:
- small workforce
- can’t provide long-term care – only 2-3 months
- dependency ratio
- Economic power
Responses:
- Economic: retirement age (60->65)
better pensions
- Migration: jobs for immigrants e.g. nurses
- Tax: tax incentives: companies to hire older workers
- Ikumen: fathers take care, women can work, population up
Displacement
Rohingya
- ethnic group in Bangladesh
- fled violence + racism in Myanmar
- 750,000 fled in 2018
- 2023: 1 million are in the biggest refugee camp in Bangladesh
- Push: violence, no citizenship, anti-muslim policies, 300+ villages destroyed
- Pull: close, islam, international aid, open borders
- Challenges: overcrowded, water etc. (san., med., food), 55% = children, flooding + landslides, education, economic strain, env. strain, crime
Demographic dividend
Ethiopia
128 million pop.
40% = <15
lack of family planning + regulations for child marriages
+ healthcare and education
65% of children go to primary, 15% go to secondary
(1990-2014):
contraceptive use from 4.2% to 34.2%
fertility from 7.2/woman to 4.1
life expectancy from 47.1 to 64
<5 mortality rate from 90.6/1000 to 43.9/1000
29% unemployment in urban youth
Climate change impacts
Bangladesh
- 175 million, very dense
- low land = vulnerable to floods
- 17% of coastal land submerged by 2050
- 20% of population would be displaced
- floods in south and droughts in north
- agriculture makes up 40% of employment
- storms increasing, infrastructure not adapted
- river paths changing due to glacier melting
- 4% GDP decrease - climate change - less exports
Climate change responses
Paris: air pollution + congestion
- crit air reduces # of cars allowed
- diesel cars + pre-2000 cars banned between 8 and 20:00
- bike lanes + roundabouts, more walking paths
- 20 minutes for 10km driving
255h spent driving every year
- 120h in congestion
1115kg CO2/year
- 334kg in congestions
940€ spent on fuel
Waste management
Agbogbloshie, Ghana: E-waste
40,000 population
45% depend on e-waste
- earns 2/3$ a day
215,000 tons of e-waste to Ghana/year
- cheap labor
- lack of env. regulations
- valuable metals
health issues
environmental degradation
Megacities
Lagos
16.5 million pop., 7000ppl/km^2, 85 births/h
60% live in informal housing
Makoko slum: central city, 300,000 population
commuting takes 3h, up from 20 minutes
65% of jobs are informal
Lekki free trade zone - reduced taxes
30% of Nigerias GDP
Challenges:
- crime
- informal housing
- infrastructure strain
- employment
- pollution
- deforestation
- rising sea levels
Urban deprivation
Detroit
1960s/70s 2 million pop., 4th largest US city
motor city - car businesses - grand motors
GM used to have 16,000 employees, now 1,600
Impacts: crime, lack of education, poverty, unemployment, businesses collapse, property value drop, bankrupt 2013, urban decay
solutions: investments in sports arenas on brown sites, brown sites to green spaces, demolition of unsafe buildings, public transport, central station refurbished, greenlight system: 500 locations, 40% less car theft
Resilient city
Masdar city
22bn$
0 emission/waste city
city planned by a company, Masdar
global hub for business
50,000 permanent residents
offices for 60,000 more
energy/water consumption is 55/54% lower than abu dhabi
88,000 solar panels surrounding
temperature/energy saving techniques
sponge city
resevoirs
Urban stress
Addis Ababa
5.7 million pop., 5000ppl/km^2
investing in slum clearance + redevelopment
displacement of 9000 families in Werengu slum
plans to turn slums into business district for rising middle class
build 700,000 homes to support population growth, immigrants, and slum dwellers
Investments from china:
34km light rail line - poor planning
600km railline to djibouti - access to water
Green city
Stockholm
only 1% of waste ends up in landfills
38% less than 1975
0 waste policies
0 carbon by 2050
incineration plants burn waste for electricity
smoke is filtered with dry filters + water
cities close to recycling centers
vacuum waste pipes transport trash underground
opti bags for waste
125$ per ton of carbon, highest in the world
Leisure comparison
USA vs China
population: 340m vs 1.4b
income: 53.4k/y vs 36.6k/y
leisure: 2.3h/day vs 5.2h/day
Impacts of rural tourism
Mach Picchu
2.1% of GDP in 2019
1 million jobs
5000 -> 2500 tourists/day limit
385 tickets at a time
Choquequirao and others promoted
Impacts of urban tourism
Venice
25-30 million tourists/year pre-covid
50,000 permanent pop.
50% of appartments airBNB
5€ entry fee (2024)
50% of economy from tourism
50% of waste from tourism
Sporting event host
Qatar
2.9 million pop.
60,000USD/capita
220 billion invested in 2022 WC
90% of work force undocumented migrants
1.5 million visitors in peak season
Eco-tourism
Rancho Margot, Costa Rica
Eco-resort in rainforest
carbon neutral 2012
167 hectares, 60% reforestation 40% lodges
Super powers comparison
Economic Influence
USA
- USD is the world’s primary reserve currency.
- Central to global trade and financial systems.
- Influences global markets and policies
China
- Recognized as an emerging superpower.
- Considered a leading global economy by the EU.
- Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) += global economic links.
Geopolitical Influence
USA
- $820 billion military spending in 2023.
- Holds UN veto power.
- 2.8 million soldiers
China
- $300 billion military spending (1.78 trillion yuan).
- UN veto power.
- 3.2 million soldiers
Cultural Influence
USA
- Global soft power (Hollywood, Silicon Valley, etc.)
Iconic brands (Nike, Levi’s), tech (Apple, Google), fast food (McDonald’s), and education (Harvard, MIT).
China
- Mandarin is the most spoken language.
- Global influence via cuisine, TV dramas, social media (TikTok, WeChat), and cultural events (Chinese New Year).
TNCs and tax repatriation
Apple
3 trillion $
Based in California, more than 50 countries in the supply chain
570 stores, 261 of them overseas
HQ in Cork, Ireland for taxes
manufacturing in developing countries for cheap labor
Reshoring pros:
- steady labor cost, cost savings, product quality, skilled labor
cons:
- carbon footprint, long delivery, unethical, exploitation, national economy
Glocalization
McDonalds, India
1996 came to india
300+ outlets
doesnt sell beef or pork
tikki burger: potato patty
veggie options, lots of chicken
75% of items are unique to India
competition with street food
half as expensive, more accessible
2.5 million street vendors
60% of national meals come from them
Diasporas
40 million chinese overseas
Chinatown
600,000 chinese americans in NYC
90,000 in Chinatown, Manhattan
push factors for chinese overseas: poverty, little jobs, resources, climate, political stability
pull factors: jobs, existing diasporas (since 1870), education, safety
culture: festivals, food, businesses
35,000 chinese-owned businesses (50% restaurants)
Technology and surveillance
China
china firewall - internet censorship
10,000 websites blocked (famous)
chinese alternatives
600 million cctv cameras
facial recognition + live tracking
75% has access to the internet
Volcano comparison
Anak Krakatau
2018 indonesia
285million pop.
72 life expectancy
437 deaths, 14k injured
island growing 7m/year, collapsed and went from 400m-100m, landslide = tsunami
1000 homes destroyed
10% live in extreme poverty
0.02doctors/1000
Eyjafjallajökull
2010 Iceland
400,000 pop.
82 years life expectancy
no deaths/direct injuries, some respiratory complaints
glacier melted, river rose
halted air traffic
water pollution - fluoride + sulfur
1.2doctors/1000
Earthquake comparison
Alaska
2018, magnitude 7
300,000 pop.
no casualties/ major damage
150 aftershocks
pipeline shut down for fear
usually 20,000 earthquakes/year
Haiti
2010, magnitude 7
12 million pop.
220,000 deaths, 300,000 injured, 1.3million homeless
still recovering from 2008 hurricane
Natural population management
China one child policy
1979-2015
prevented 400 million births
ratio imbalance: peak at 120:100 (boys to girls)
4-2-1: 4 grandparents, 2 parents, 1 child - finance issue
stricter in urban areas
forced abortions 80s + 90s
