Global Systems

Question 1

What are the 4 main types of interdependence

Answer 1

1. Economic
2. Social
3. Political
4. Environmental

Question 2

What does global interdependence mean?

Answer 2

Each country dependent on others to an extent that events that occur in one country affect others

Question 3

Give 3 ways countries are economically interdependent

Answer 3

1. Trade makes countries become reliant on other countries for certain things e.g. the US has become reliant on Taiwan to produce semi-conductors
2. International economic migrants make up more than 20% of the total population of 48 countries e.g. UAE where migrants from the Philippines alone make up around 20% of its total workforce
3. Globalised supply chains

Question 4

Give 4 effects of economic interdependency

Answer 4

1. International competition/cooperation and force/allow companies to increase the quality of their products and services leading to technological advancement
2. Jobs are created in some places and lost in others e.g. manufacturing is moving from HDE’s to LDE’s
3. Investment from TNC’s operating in foreign countries who may invest in local infrastructure e.g. Shell investing in roads in Nigeria
4. Industrialisation in developing economies

Question 5

How are countries politically interdependent

Answer 5

Countries are dependent on international organisations to coordinate to manage globalised systems e.g. the WTO who oversees global trade, the IMF and World Bank who facilitate international capital flows through the GFS, and the UN

Question 6

Give 2 effects of political interdependency

Answer 6

1. Globalisation leads to greater cooperation amongst governments leading to security e.g. NATO
2. Interdependence should lead to less wars as economies and cultures are so integrated

Question 7

Give 3 ways that country’s are socially interdependent

Answer 7

1. Health - globalisation has helped to create greater cooperation when dealing with health issues like pandemics; the WHO helped give global advice and assisted with the distribution of vaccines throughout COVID
2. Education - there are increasing levels of students migrating to other countries to study
3. Culture - migrating populations have incorporated parts of their culture in their new countries

Question 8

How are countries environmentally interdependent

Answer 8

Every country is dependent on the rest of the world to look after the environment due to the global impacts that certain events may have e.g. Climate Change, or large nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl

Question 9

Why are flows of money unequal?

Answer 9

Money generally flows from HDE’s to LDE’s as less developed countries rarely have the capital required to invest in other countries

Question 10

How do unequal flows of money bring benefits

Answer 10

• Aid and loans help LDE’s improve living standards or rebuild infrastructure after a disaster
• FDI from TNC’s provide a symbiotic relationship between HDE’s and LDE’s where TNC’s based in HDE’s can benefit off of low labour costs, and cheap raw materials whilst LDE’s receive foreign capital and expertise
• Income received from remittance payments and FDI can help raise living standards

Question 11

How do unequal flows of money cause inequalities

Answer 11

• Foreign aid can create dependency, which gives governments little incentive to improve their own countries
• FDI’s can force out local businesses, because foreign companies with superior capital and technology can make products more efficiently

Question 12

How do unequal flows of money cause conflict

Answer 12

• Foreign aid can find its way to armed groups to fund conflict
• FDI can cause conflict between foreign companies and local people

Question 13

How do unequal flows of money cause injustice

Answer 13

Companies may pressure governments of less developed countries to pass laws that make it cheaper to invest there e.g. by cutting environmental regulation or weakening laws on working conditions

Question 14

Why are flows of people unequal?

Answer 14

Migrants generally flow from HDE’s to LDE’s as:
- Economic migrants seeking better employment opportunities
- Refugees escaping war, famine or persecution

Question 15

Give 3 benefits that unequal flows of people provide

Answer 15

1. HDE’s can benefit off of highly skilled workforces, that are reasonably wealthy, and can afford visa’s, transport and living expenses
2. These immigrants create economic growth and are willing to perform jobs that a country’s citizens don’t want to
3. In the process, immigrants then earn money which they are able to send home as remittance payments which can significantly increase capital in HDE’s

Question 16

How do unequal flows of people create inequalities

Answer 16

LDE’s suffer from ‘brain drain’ which further reinforces existing inequalities between countries

Question 17

How do unequal flows of people create conflicts

Answer 17

Conflict may arise between locals who are competing against for migrants for jobs, who are willing to recieve less pay, which ultimately depreciates the pay of the locals

Question 18

How do unequal flows of people create injustices

Answer 18

Migrant workers are sometimes made to work in dangerous conditions for low pay e.g. several thousand migrants have died building facilities for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar

Question 19

How are flows of technology unequal?

Answer 19

They generally flow from HDE’s to LDE’s

Question 20

How do unequal flows of technology create inequalities

Answer 20

• Developed countries can afford the latest technology, whereas less developed countries can’t
• Countries that have the latest technology can make products more cheaply and have better access to information and services, due to better communications infrastructure e.g. 97% of the Netherlands have access to the internet compared to 20% in Myanmar in 2016

Question 21

How do unequal flows of technology create conflict and injustice

Answer 21

Repressive governments of less developed countries have used weapons technology sold to them by developed countries to stop protests from their own people