Geography Quiz Review

Question 1

• What is development?

- Can you do the above with reference to quality of life/ standard of living?

Answer 1

Development is a degree of how high the quality of life is in a country.
This can be measured through human development indicators. Countries with a higher degree of development are More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) and countries with a lower degree of development are Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs). People residing in MEDCs have a higher quality of life and a standard of living, while residents in LEDCs have a lower quality of life and a standard of living. Pictures and just a single development indicator make is hard to generalize countries. Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) for example.

Question 2

• What do LEDCs, MEDCs and NICs stand for?
• What are the general characteristics of each?
• Can you give examples of countries in each category?

Answer 2

• LEDC: Less economically development country. LEDCs on the other hand, have a lower life expectancy, shorter years of average education, less doctors, and a less income per capita.
  Example: Norway, United States, Japan and South Korea
• MEDC: More economically development country. MEDCs have a higher value in the indicators such as life expectancy, education, healthcare and wealth. They have longer life expectancy, longer years of average education, higher number of doctors and a higher income per capita.
  Example: Angola, Chad, Vietnam and South Sudan are some examples of LEDCs.
• NIC: Newly industrialized country. These countries have a higher value in some indicators while having a lower value in other indicators. Countries may also have great disparities between regions. Some regions may reflect the country as an MEDC while other regions may reflect the country as an LEDC.disparities between regions
  Example: Brazil, Vietnam

Question 3

Where do we generally find MEDCs and LEDCs in the world?

Answer 3

LEDC: The southern hemisphere of the earth
MEDC: The northern hemisphere

Question 4

Can you discuss that there is more to development than just money (looking at both social and economical indicators)?

Answer 4

I would say that development can be measure with other things rather than money. Although money determines the economy standards, sanitation and healthcare can be a factor for development.

Question 5

Why is it sometimes difficult to know the category of a country, why is it blurred?

Answer 5

It is blurred and hard to determine whether a country is LEDCs, MEDC, and NICs, is because a country may have high development in some parts, while a country may have low development in some parts.

Question 6

Should we just have these 3 categories, or should we have a range instead?

Answer 6

Because the countries could even have other factors. Such as North Korea, which all the indicators are not available. Also there might be great or less disparition between the indicators within a country. You cannot just say a country is MEDC LEDC or NIC by these.
Why Not: There is no such thing as great disparition, therefore a country could only be determined through only three categories.

Question 7

• Why do we need to use development indicators?

- What is the purpose of these indicators?

Answer 7

To determine whether a country is an LEDC or MEDC or NICs. Not just that, it is also to show how much a country is developed and how much a country could contribute for its citizens
The purpose is to indicate the standards living or GNI or whatever is it that determines if a country is an LEDC or MEDC. Specifically, it determines the improvement, development of a country. How a country is economically and socially sustained.

Question 8

What are the advantages of indicators?

Answer 8

the advantage is to know like more precise than just guessing since, indicators usually give a specific numerical amount. ( also proven). Also this will help what a country could improve on. What the country might want to do to make the country better.

Question 9

Can you give specific examples for economic and social indicators?

Answer 9

economic– GNI, Population in Multidimensional Poverty, Employment to population ratio
social– GNH, Gender Inequality Index, Carbon Emission

Question 10

What is meant by the HDI (human development index) and why is it used?

Answer 10

HDI– statistical tool used to measure a country’s overall achievement in social and economic dimensions. It is used because they need to measure country’s overall achievements from scale 0-1. It is used to also measure the 3 main factors such as Education, Healthcare and wealth.

Question 11

What is the aim of gross national happiness index?

Answer 11

The aim of this index is that to achieve a happy life of an individual. Happy life of everyone else in the country

Question 12

Why is GNHI possibly a better alternative than GNI?

Answer 12

Because GNH doesn’t only measures on economic growth instead they focuses on an individual happiness in their life, better healthcare, better sanitation, education, and work place etc.

Question 13

How is GNHI measured?

Answer 13

By one’s satisfaction of life. It is measured through the practice, thoughts, daily lives, psychological well being, spiritual well being, etc.

Question 14

Can you discuss whether you think it is a good idea or not and whether it should be used elsewhere?

Answer 14

Why Not: I think it’s not quite effective because if a person filled in a response for a satisfaction of life, an individual might lie about it. Also, the Gross National Happiness may lack or neglect citizens’ basic needs, such as electricity and transportation.

Question 15

How can trade be unfair towards some countries?

Answer 15

Because a country might take the advantages but then it doesn’t pays back the amount as how hard the workers work. Trade could also be unfair because of change in economical value. If there are too many certain product, a country might make the product cheaper. Also MEDCs have good technology so they could modify and package their products better and faster.

Question 16

Why does trade benefit MEDCs to a greater extent?

Answer 16

Because usually MEDCs is the supplier so, they can just favor any amount of money they needed to the trade country. Usually, MEDCs are the buyer during the trade and the unfair trade happen because some country does not pay right amount of money. Also MEDCs have good technology so they could modify and package their products better and faster.

Question 17

How does a country with raw materials but a lack of technology find it harder to trade successfully? Why?

Answer 17

Because without technology it is hard to produce a product faster and more convenient. Also, the without technology, you cannot make proper products and some country may not agree to trade with the product.

Question 18

Which other factors can interfere with trade and make it harder for a country to develop?

Answer 18

Poverty and environment. Partly that, but also natural disaster, epidemic, debt, and war (maybe) could contribute negativity to a country.

Question 19

How does fair trade offer a better solution to workers than conventional trade?

Answer 19

Because it pays back the amount of hard work they’ve been producing for months or even years. They are trying to reach all the trades to the “fair trade” standards. Improving the relationship and service of the workers. Support workers to involve in pricing and standard.

Question 20

Can you explain a range of factors which can cause or contribute to a country being in poverty?

Answer 20

• Dept: a country owes money from another country, very hard to pay off because the country has to support their citizens and they do not have enough money to pay off and support the citizens,
  Natural Disaster: it could also be one form of poverty because natural disaster could destroy technology, buildings, and resources. Also the government need to pay to reconstruct the buildings.
  Disease is something that could be dangerous. People need to pay for sanitation and healthcare to be able to fight off disease. It might refuse some people to work in office and places. Also it will make people harder to work because they are sick. Might contribute to loss of population.
  War:

Question 21

Can you evaluate which factors are more significant than others?

Answer 21

• Dept: It is the most significant cause that contribute to the poverty because dept could be a circle. Meaning that if a country has dept and cannot pay back because they are poor. If war, disease, and natural disaster happens, these will add on to the dept.
• Natural Disaster: You cannot tell whether a natural disaster may happen or not, because they are unpredictable. You could always prepare for the other factors.
• Wars: could be avoided if two countries make proper peace
• Disease: could also be avoided if scientists look for vaccine. For the dept, others could just try to lessen the amount of dept

Question 22

How specifically do the factors of debt, natural disasters, war and diseases influence poverty? Can you give specific examples? Can you identify and possible improvements that can be made to reduce the impacts of these factors?

Answer 22

War: The money that was raised until billions or perhaps trillion of dollars was used for manufacturing bullets and buying weapons. Instead, we can actually help a lot. Also war destroys buildings which they need to repair. Death of citizens may decrease certain amount of population.
Disease:
Natural Disaster: Nepal’s Earthquake recently happened Thousands of people died. Because Nepal was already in poverty before the earthquake, they did not have enough fund to reconstruct the buildings. Nepal still needs huge amount of money and they need to use four times more than the current amount of income that the country could earn. It will take 5 years for Nepal to attract investment.
Dept: Jamaica is one of the dept countries. They use money to repay off debt twice more than the amount that they use for the citizens’ healthcare and education. Because of this Jamaica’s economy hasn’t grown since 1990.