Geography Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is nuclear power and how it is used to create energy?
It’s a form of energy released from the nucleus (the core of atoms), made up of protons and neutrons.
It generates energy by using the heat released from nuclear fission to boil water and create steam, which them spins turbines connected to generators, producing electricity.
How sustainable is nuclear power?
It doesn’t release greenhouse gases, however, it relies on finite uranium, unlike solar or wind energy.
Also, it’s waste is radioactive and requires long-term storage.
Also, nuclear power plants are expensive to build and take a long time to construct.
What were the causes of Chernobyl?
The accident ocurred during a safety test. There was a flaw in the reactor design, and the staff were not trained properly on the reactor’s behaviour and safety.
What were the impacts of Chernobyl? (social, economic, environmental and political)
- Social - people were evacuated and relocated, which destroyed communities
- Economic - large areas of land could not be used which impacted farming and food production. Facilities closed due to contamination, leading to job losses.
- Environmental - radioactive materials contaminated soil, water (rivers, lakes), forests and some food sources.
4 - Political - people did not trust the government, and it contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
What is a superpower nation?
A superpower is an extremely powerful country,
capable of influencing international
events and the acts and policies of less powerful
countries.
Its power can be felt all over the world.
What are the seven factors that make a country a superpower?
Size, resources, population, military strength, political power, economic strength and soft power.
Why are the seven factors to be a superpower important?
These factors work together to make a country powerful:
1- A strong military helps a country protect itself and show strength around the world.
2- Economic power (lots of money and trade) pays for the military and gives the country influence over other nations who want to trade with them.
3- Political power means the country can help make international rules that benefit them.
4-Good geography gives advantages like natural resources and safe borders and waterways.
5-A large, educated population provides workers and new ideas.
6-Cultural influence (like popular movies, music, and brands) makes other people admire the country’s way of life.
When a country has all these strengths at once, it becomes too powerful for other nations to challenge easily.
Who are the emerging super powers?
Mint nations : Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey
What are the strengths of the emerging superpowers?
1- Growing Economies: Countries like China and India have fast-growing economies, creating more jobs and wealth.
2- Large Populations: More people means more workers, consumers, and potentially soldiers.
3- Technological Progress: Many emerging powers are catching up quickly in technology, especially in areas like mobile phones and renewable energy.
4- Natural Resources: Some have valuable resources like oil (Russia), rare minerals, or agricultural land (Brazil).
5- Regional Influence: They often become leaders in their part of the world first, like India in South Asia and Brazil in South America.
How far did the british empire expand?
It occupied a quarter of the total land of the planet, ruling around 500 million people.
Key areas of the empire included:
- Canada
- Australia and New Zealand
- India and Singapore
- Various countries in Africa such as South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt
- Caribbean and parts of Central and South America
How did the british empire become so powerful?
Thanks to the Royal Navy which was the strongest in the world and helped control shipping routes and cary soldiers.
Britain was the first country to experience the Industrial Revolution, which means they used machines to make goods faster and cheaper to sell to other countries.
Coal mining, iron production and building railways were also contributors.
What caused the british empires decline?
- The second world war, as the USA and Russia were the 2 new superpowers that controlled much of the world. They had more nuclear weapons, money and a larger population.
- The British empire lost a lot of money and human life due to WW2. It borrowed money from the USA and had less to administer its colonies.
- The British could not afford to hold territories
that were not making them profit, and so were
more inclined to grant these territories
independence. - Nationalism
The British never held their love of their
country a secret, with flags and statues of
kings and queens all over the Empire.
Many people learned a love of their own
culture and traditions from this and therefore
wanted independence from the British. - Indian Independence
Although only one part of the Empire, the loss
of India in 1947 was a huge blow.
India was the largest, most profitable British
colony and held around 75% of the population
of the Empire!
India leaving showed the rest of the Empire
that they could too. - Opinion at Home
Post-war Britain was a place that believed in
freedom far more than they had in the previous
century.
Women’s rights, workers’ rights, free education
and healthcare went against the idea of taking
control of other nations and bullying them.
British people seemed to prefer spending money
on the new NHS than on colonies on the other side
of the world.
People in Britain did not want an Empire any more.
What is development?
Development is the economic, social and political progress a country or
people make. For it to be beneficial it must be sustainable (long-term and
experienced by many people across society).
How does globalisation and TNCs increase development?
Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are companies that produce and sell products and are located in
more than one country – e.g. Apple.
TNCs help increase globalisation by linking together countries through the production and sale of
goods – such as Nike employing people in Turkey to make trainers
They also bring the culture from their country of origin to many different countries – e.g McDonalds
brings western culture (fast food and meat) to other countries.
TNCS also promote a culture of consumerism – where
countries in emerging and developing countries start to earn
money and then want to buy the products that they see in
developed countries – this makes lifestyles similar and TNCs
wealthier.
How do governments contribute to globalisation?
International political organisations such as G20 , G7 , European Union etc, have encouraged
governments to increase:
* Investment, and create policies to facilitate international trade
* Movement of people – encourage
freedom of migration
* Movement of products through free
trade (by removing trade barriers like
quotas and tariffs) so it’s now much
easier to move goods, money and
services between countries
What are Inter-governmental organisations (IGOs)?
Intergovernmental Organization = regional or global organization created by a treaty between countries that work together on common issues.
They play a large part in the making of international laws.
How do IGOs impact: security, trade, the environment, economics and health?
- To maintain international peace and security - the Security
Council determines when and where a UN peace operation should be
deployed. - World Trade Organisation (WTO) -helps trade flow as freely as possible — so long as
there are no undesirable side effects
- helps to abolish or reduce trade barrier - The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with
regular scientific assessments on climate change, its
implications and potential future risks. - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an
organization of 189 countries, working to foster global
monetary cooperation, secure financial stability,
facilitate international trade, promote high
employment and sustainable economic growth, and
reduce poverty around the world. - WHO (World Health Organization) is responsible for giving direction on
international health issues, setting standards, and
providing information for governments to make
decisions.
What are the weaknesses of the emerging superpowers?
1- Uneven Development: While cities might be modern, rural areas often remain poor.
2- Environmental Problems: Fast growth often creates pollution and environmental damage that’s expensive to fix later.
3-Political Challenges: Some emerging powers have problems with corruption or unstable governments that can slow their progress.
4-Social Inequality: The gap between rich and poor people is often very wide in these countries.
5- Limited Global Influence: They might not yet have the same level of influence in world organizations as established superpowers.
6-Military Gaps: While they might have large armies, they often don’t have the advanced technology or global reach of countries like the United States.
What is TNC?
Trans-national corporation
Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are companies that produce and sell products and are located in
more than one country – e.g. Apple.
What does the UN do?
The UN carries out a number of roles besides peacekeeping.
- It tries to maintain security across the world.
- To improve relationships between countries.
- To encourage nations to work together to solve international problems.
- To be a forum where countries can meet together and discuss the goals.
Emerging superpowers - How to work out % change in
GDP and population between 1985-
2020
Work out the different between
the two numbers.
Divide the difference by the
original number (the 1985
number)
Multiply your answer by 100.
