Geography

Question 1

Under what key assumption does conditional convergence occur in the Solow growth model?

Answer 1

If countries have the same:
1. saving rate
2. population growth
3. depreciation rate
4. technology

but differ in initial capital—so they converge to their own steady states.

Question 2

What did Montesquieu (1753–94) argue about the effects of climate on people and political systems?

Answer 2

• hot climates weaken the body and spirit, leading to passivity, laziness, and a lack of ambition
• while cold climates produce vigorous, brave individuals

Question 3

What are the key findings of Somanathan et al. (2021) regarding the impact of temperature on productivity and labour supply in Indian manufacturing?

Answer 3

• higher temperatures significantly reduce worker productivity and increase absenteeism in Indian manufacturing
• annual plant output falls by about 2% for each 1°C increase in temperature

Question 4

What does Burke, Hsiang, and Miguel (2015) find about the economic impact of rising temperatures?

Answer 4

They estimate a 23% reduction in average per capita income by 2100, with large economic losses for developing countries.

Question 5

What does Diamond (2002) identify as the key features and limitations of plant and animal domestication?

Required Reading

Answer 5

14 of 148 large mammal species

• slow reproduction, aggressive behavior, and reluctance to breed in captivity (e.g., zebras vs. horses).

~100 of 200,000 plant species:

• Must have high yield (seeds, fruit, tubers), Must be edible and nutritious, Must be easy to grow and harvest, Preferably easy to store (e.g. grains)

Question 6

How did the domestication of plants and animals promote the development of human societies?

Required Reading

Answer 6

• Domestication enabled food surpluses, allowing people to settle, increase population, and support technology growth.

Question 7

How did domestication and agriculture lead to the evolution of epidemic diseases, and why were Eurasians more immune than other populations?

Diamond 2002

Required Reading

Answer 7

• Domestication and agriculture created dense human populations and close contact with animals, allowing “crowd diseases” (e.g. measles, tuberculosis, influenza) to evolve from animals like cattle, pigs, and ducks.
• Eurasians developed immunity through childhood exposure and genetic resistance (13 of the 14 major domesticated mammals came from Eurasia).
• Used disease as a weapon of conquest — indigenous peoples (e.g., in the Americas or Australia) had no immunity and suffered massive population losses.

Question 8

What are key limitations of Jared Diamond’s (2002) theory on domestication and development?

Required Reading

Answer 8

Struggles to explain variations within continents. It cannot fully account for:

• reversal of fortune (North and South America)
• the historical rise and fall of the Middle East despite unchanged geography
• Intra-Asian shifts in power (China and Japan)

Question 9

According to Sachs at al. (2001), what is the most important geographic factor influencing economic development?

Answer 9

Tropical regions face greater burdens of infectious disease and lower agricultural productivity, leading to poor health, low productivity, low income, low savings, and low investment—creating a cycle of underdevelopment.

Question 10

What does Sachs et al. (2001) say about the economic impact of being landlocked?

Answer 10

Landlocked countries are generally poorer because they lack access to cheap sea trade, face higher transport costs, and are less connected to global markets.

For example, shipping a container overland within Africa can cost more than shipping it across continents by sea.

Question 11

What are some policy responses to mitigate geographic and environmental disadvantages in development?

Answer 11

• air conditioning
• trade integration (e.g. EU)
• investment in public health and agriculture