Levels of development (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography): Revision Note

What is the development gap?

• The development gap is the difference in levels of development between the least developed and most developed countries in the world

• The development gap shows how different these countries are in terms of their wealth, health, and general quality of life

• The development gap affects how well millions of people live, with high-income countries usually having better living standards and more resources

• The development gap can cause problems like

  • poverty

  • inequality

  • harm to the environment

  • social unrest

• The development gap affects global stability and security because problems in poorer countries can impact the wider world

Reasons for the differences in development

• The development gap is a complex problem with many social, economic and environmental reasons

• These reasons can become less or more important over time

Environmental factors

• Landlocked countries find trade more difficult and often develop more slowly

  • Nine of the twelve most undeveloped countries in the world are landlocked and struggle to trade with other countries

• Countries with extreme climates develop more slowly, as climate impacts agricultural productivity and infrastructure

• Natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods occur more frequently in some countries, which diverts money from development to recovery

• 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

• Some countries can meet all their needs from the natural resources they have

• Many countries have to import some natural resources that are not available within their borders

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

Social factors

• Demography

  • The birth and death rates, as well as immigration, affect the available workforce

  • Some countries have a large, youthful population but lack education and employment opportunities

• Technology

  • Can help to increase water, food and energy security

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

• Conflict and instability can disrupt economic development, hinder investment, and displace populations 

• 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

• Some countries' colonial past has caused uneven growth and inequality

  • Colonial nations took their resources and created systems that benefited them

  • Many African and American countries were impacted due to the transatlantic slave trade

Economic factors

• Corruption can take money away from important projects and make it hard to put good policies into action

• LICs usually trade primary products for less money to HICs

  • The HIC then produces a final, high profit product

• HICs have good road, railway, and electricity infrastructure

  • This helps attract foreign investment because companies can quickly produce and transport goods

  • This boosts a country's development by bringing in money