What is development?

Question 1

What is the definition of geographic development?

Answer 1

Economic, demographic, social, political and cultural changes associated with development; the development continuum.

Question 2

What is the geography of development about?

Answer 2

How standard of living, wealth and the quality of life of people living on our planet vary from place to place.
It may involve an improvement OR a reduction in the quality of life.

Question 3

How is the quality of life used in geography?

Answer 3

Qualitative measure.
Tied in with the United Nations Universal rights.
Includes built environment, mental/physical health, education, recreation and social belonging.

Question 4

How is the standard of living used in geography?

Answer 4

Based on income and what that level of income will allow a person to buy in the way of necessities/luxury goods. Refers to the level of wealth, comfort, material goods and necessities available to a certain group of people in a certain geographic area.
ECONOMIC measure.
Varies from country to country.

Question 5

What is economic development?

Answer 5

An increase in the country’s wealth.
Could be accompanied with a decrease in agricultural numbers and an increase in manufacturing numbers.
Could be a greater access to natural resources - more energy used per head of population.
The environment is exploited in an increasing sustainable fashion.

Question 6

What is demographic development?

Answer 6

An increase in LE and an overall fall in the DR (including infant mortality) combined with falling BR.

Question 7

What is social development?

Answer 7

Range of changes affecting the quality of life of the population.
E.g. improved education and literacy levels, access to modern facilities (decrease in the number of people per doctor), sanitation levels, housing and increase in personal freedom.

Question 8

What is political development?

Answer 8

Freedom - people can say who forms the government.

This can impact their lives.

Question 9

What is cultural development?

Answer 9

Greater equality for women and better race relations in multicultural societies.

Question 10

What is GDP?

Answer 10

The total value of all finished goods/services produced by a country in a year.
Amount per head of population.

Question 11

What is GNP?

Answer 11

The total value of all finished goods/services produced nu a country in a year, plus all net income earned by that country and its population from overseas sources.

Question 12

What were the different sections of early classification of development?

Answer 12

First World (developed).
Second World - state-controlled communist countries e.g. former USSR and countries of Eastern Europe.
Third World (developing).

Question 13

What is the present day classification system? 7

Answer 13

1. Developed countries - high living standards, most developed.
2. Developing - lower stage of development.
3. Least developed countries (LDCs) - low living standards, LE etc.
4. NICS - begun to develop through industrialisation in the last 40 years e.g. Singapore.
5. RICS - recently industrialising countries.
6. Centrally planned economies - communist countries e.g. North Korea.
7. Oil-rich countries - high GNP per head e.g. Saudi Arabia.

Question 14

What is the development continuum?

Answer 14

Developing countries pass from one condition to another.
Gradual change.
Development process - countries at various stages of development and are developing in different ways.

Question 15

What is the development gap?

Answer 15

The difference in affluence between rich and poor countries.
Gap has increased over time.
Most developed countries - northern hemisphere.
Poorer countries - south.

Question 16

What is the North-South divide?

Answer 16

Brandt line.
Report that demanded South countries to be integrated into the global economic system.
Argued that poorer countries’ conditions would improve.
Richer North countries were called to share their wealth.

Question 17

What is Third World Debt, what caused it, and what is being done about it?

Answer 17

The interest on the debt exceeds the amount that the country produces - can never be repaid.
Falling commodity prices and rising interest rates.
G8 summit 2005 - proposed cancellation of $40bn+ debt from the poorest countries.

Question 18

Why is using GNP or GDP flawed as a measurement of development?

Answer 18

May be wealth differences between regions of the country/various groups.
Fails to take into the account the local cost of living/purchasing power of people’s incomes.

Question 19

What does the human development index measure?

Answer 19

LE at birth.
Adult literacy.
Enrollment in education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
Real GDP per capita (based on PPP).

Question 20

Why has the HDI been criticised?

Answer 20

Some countries traditionally placed in the developing world have the same HDI as some countries in Europe.
Occurs as countries can promote human development, despite low income.