Consequences of Uneven Global Development (Edexcel GCSE Geography A): Revision Note

Impact of Uneven Development on Quality of Life

Impact of physical causes

• Landlocked countries are cut-off from seaborne trade routes, which are important to economic growth

  • Africa has some of the most landlocked countries on earth. E.g. Chad

• Small countries develop more slowly due to having fewer human and natural resources

• Climate-related diseases and pests, such as malaria, affect the ability of the population to stay healthy enough to work

  • Locust swarms can decimate crops

• Extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and tropical storms can slow development and incur costly repairs to infrastructure, e.g. Bangladesh

• Limited access to clean water can slow development by making people sick and unable to work. e.g. Angola

• The physical geography also impacts the natural resources available

• Natural resources are those things provided by the physical environment

  • Water, food and energy security are particularly important to support a country's development

Impact of economic causes 

• Poverty

  • A lack of money in a country slows development because it prevents improvements to living standards, education, sanitation and infrastructure

  • Without these, development in agriculture and industry will be slow and the economy cannot get going

• Social 

  • Levels of education affect the skills people have. The more educated a population is, the more a country will develop

  • Healthcare affects how well people are, which affects their ability to work

  • Lack of equality can mean that the overall productivity of a country is affected

• Trade

  • Wealthy regions, such as Asia, Europe and North America, dominate trade because they export secondary (processed) goods, which earn more income

  • As these countries accumulate wealth, they become more powerful

  • Which means they are able to dictate the terms of trade to their advantage, usually at the expense of LICs

• Technology

  • Can help increase water, food and energy security

  • Mechanisation of farming increases yields and improved land surveying may reveal more energy sources

  • Technology can also mean that existing resources are used more efficiently

• Government policies

  • The stability and effectiveness of government can have a significant impact on development and human welfare

  • Development and human welfare are greatest where there is a democratically elected government

  • Corrupt governments do not invest in the country's development or in improving the quality of life for the population

  • A government's economic policy affects development and human welfare through:

    • Open economy - where foreign investment is encouraged, which generates faster development

    • Higher rates of saving and lower spending compared to GDP, results in further development

Impact of historical causes 

• Colonisation: 

  • Many LICs were colonised by powerful trading nations such as France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the UK

  • Much of Africa, South America, and Asia were exploited for their resources and their people: Over 10 million people were transported from Africa to North America as slaves

  • It was during this time that global development became uneven

  • Despite many countries becoming independent in the 20th century, they have been affected by power struggles and civil wars, as a legacy of hundreds of years of exploitation, with many still facing challenges in terms of development

• Conflict:

  • Wars reduce levels of development as men are often fighting instead of working

  • Money is spent buying weapons rather than improving the country’s roads, schools, hospitals, etc.

  • There is damage to infrastructure: including buildings and roads

• Residence:

  • Urban areas generally attract greater levels of investment, leading to increased business and incomes

  • There may also be inequality within the urban area