Studied by 1 personMEDC (More Economically Developed Countries)
Countries which have a high standard of living and a large GDP.
LEDC (Less Economically Developed Countries)
Countries with a low standard of living and a much lower GDP.
The map shows the locations of LEDCs and MEDCs. Most of the southern hemisphere is less developed, while countries in the northern hemisphere are more developed.
SOCIAL INDICATORS
Health
Do the population have access to medical care? What level of healthcare is available? Is it free? One of the most popular social indicators is Life Expectancy. This is the average lifespan for someone born in a particular country. The Life Expectancy can be impacted by a range of situations such as war, disease and natural disasters. If the Life Expectancy for an area is high – this indicates an MEDC and if the Life Expectancy is low this is more likely to be an LEDC.
SOCIAL INDICATORS
Education
Do the population have access to education? Is it free? What level of education is available? Another popular social indicator is Adult Literacy Rate. This is a measure of the percentage of the adult population who are able to both read and write. MEDCs such as the UK will have a very high rate (99%), whereas countries such as Somalia will have a lower rate - Somalia is currently 37.8%
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
GNIpc
This is the main measure of wealth that is used to compare different countries around the world. It measures the total amount of all of the goods and services within a country each year, divided by the number of people who live there. The final figure is always given in US dollars so that an easy comparison can be made between different countries. The higher the GNIpc is, the more developed a country will be.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Industry
What type of industry dominates? LEDCs focus on primary industries, such as farming, fishing and mining. MEDCs focus on secondary industries, such as manufacturing. The most advanced countries tend to focus more on tertiary or service industries, such as banking and information technology.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Vehicles per 1,000 people
A final measure looks at the number of cars that people own. This can help to demonstrate the amount of money that is spread through a country. For example, Germany has 574 cars per 1,000 but China only has per 1,000.
MEDCs
LEDCs
Positives of Using Social Measures
Life expectancy and infant mortality rates are very easy rates to record and work out. They do depend on very good information from hospital records, which are kept in most countries.
Both measures give a measure that allows a direct comparison with other countries and it is easy to see the pattern and how this will impact healthcare.
Negatives of Using Social Measures
Not all countries collect good statistics. In many poor countries, there is no money to collect this sort of information. the information is obtained from a census which is carried out every ten years and is very expensive. So for poorer countries they cannot afford to carry out a detailed census.
Social Indicators are also average figures that hide variation within a country. E.g. Average Literacy Rate figures hide the fact that more boys go than girls go the school in LEDCs.
Positives of Using the GNIpc
It’s easy to use dollars to compare the differences in wealth between countries.
It gives a baseline figure of the amount per head of population that each person in the country is likely to earn on average each year.
Negatives of Using the GNIpc
Actually working out how much money is earned within a country is very difficult. It takes a lot of effort to collect this information. In many countries there are concerns about how accurate the information is.
It may be misleading as it is only an average figure and does not show differences in wealth within a country. So just because it has a high GNI people assume it is rich but not all parts of the country have an equal share in the wealth.
HDI
The HDI was introduced to combine three measures – life expectancy (a social measure), education (average number of years of schooling and expected years of schooling– a social measure) and gross national income per capita (an economic measure). It is the average of each of the three indicators. A country with a very high HDI will score closer to +1 and a country with a low score will be closer to 0.
Advantages of Using the HDI
It does not rely solely on wealth as an indicator, but helps us get a picture of a country’s quality of life by including health and education as well. It is more accurate.
HDI reveals how rich countries use their wealth e.g. an oil-rich country, where little is spent on education for the general population, will have a low HDI despite having a high GNI.
The information is updated annually and collected by a range of people who ensure that the data is as accurate as possible.
Disadvantages of Using the HDI
Some geographers are still concerned that wealth (GNIpc/GDPpc) still has too much importance within the HDI weighting and that this still means that rich countries can be artificially high in the rankings.
Some still raise concerns that the HDI is still too simple and that for a real measure there should be a range of 10 – 15 different measures lumped together into one big composite measure of development.
Historical Factors that Hinder Development in LEDCs
Colonialism hindered a LEDCs level of development.
A colony was exploited to supply food and minerals to countries like Britain and France.
There was investment in colonies, but this was focused on things that would help trade between the countries.
In many cases gold, diamonds and other valuable resources were taken back to the home countries leaving the colony with little material wealth.
Land was often taken away from the locals and given as gifts to people involved in the colonisation.
Environmental Factors that Hinder Development in LEDCs
Natural Hazards
Many poor countries have no defences for floods, storms or earthquakes. When a natural hazard hits, people will struggle even more than usual.
Environmental Factors that Hinder Development in LEDCs
Negatives of Using the GNIpc
Actually working out how much money is earned within a country is very difficult. It takes a lot of effort to collect this information. In many countries there are concerns about how accurate the information is.
may be misleading as it is only an average figure and does not show differences in wealth within a country. So just because it has a high GNI people assume it is rich but not all parts of the country have an equal share in the wealth.
Dependence on Primary Activities that Hinder Development in LEDCs
Natural Resources
Often raw materials that people in LEDCs extract to sell to MEDCs for profit have lost their ownership rights. Therefore large multinational companies will profit from the resources.
Resources will often be exported in a raw state so that people in the MEDCs will have jobs processing the materials and turning them into a more useful product.
LEDCs receive a very small amount of the cost of the goods when sold in LEDCs. For example, a coffee producer from Rwanda, will only receive 3 pence for every £1 of coffee sold.
Nepal has 74% of its population engaged in the primary sector whilst the USA has only 1%.
Many LEDCs also rely on only one or two primary products as a source of income. If there is less demand for this product, then these countries will struggle to find the money for development, because not enough of their goods will be sold.
Countries such as Ghana are depended on cocoa bean production to make money for the government (30% of GDP). Meanwhile the Maldives depends on tourism for its income (75.1% of its GDP) which means the global pandemic was devastating for their economic and social development. India’s primary product is cotton.
Dependence on Primary Activities that Hinder Development in LEDCs
Debt
Many LEDCs are in debt to MEDCs. Some of their income has to pay off these debts.
As poor countries develop, they are often keen to borrow money to help them to develop further. Infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and roads all cost money to build.
Countries may run up huge debts with banks and MEDCs and struggle to pay back the debt owed. This is because the loan comes with huge interest repayments. The country can end up owing many times more than the amount it borrowed.
These payments will often mean that there is less money available to the government to help improve the lives of their citizens.
GOAL 13 ⇢ TAKE URGENT ACTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS
Climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization.The effects are already visible and will be catastrophic unless we act now. Through education, innovation and adherence to our climate commitments, we can make the necessary changes to protect the planet. These changes also provide huge opportunities to modernize our infrastructure which will create new jobs and promote greater prosperity across the globe.
KEY TARGETS
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
Implement the UN framework convention on climate change.
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries.
GOAL 14 ⇢ CONSERVE AND SUSTAINABLY USE THE OCEANS, SEAS AND MARINE RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Healthy oceans and seas are essential to our existence.They cover 70 percent of our planet and we rely on them for food, energy and water. Yet, we have managed to do tremendous damage to these precious resources. We must protect them by eliminating pollution and overfishing and immediately start to responsibly manage and protect all marine life around the world.
KEY TARGETS
Reduce marine pollution.
Protest and restore ecosystems.
Reduce oceans acidification.
Sustainable fishing.
Conserve coastal and marine areas.
GOAL 15 ⇢ PROTECT, RESTORE AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE USE OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS, SUSTAINABLY MANAGE FORESTS, COMBAT DESERTIFICATION, AND HALT AND REVERSE LAND DEGRADATION AND HALT BIODIVERSITY LOSS
A flourishing life on land is the foundation for our life on this planet.We are all part of the planet’s ecosystem and we have caused severe damage to it through deforestation, loss of natural habitats and land degradation. Promoting a sustainable use of our ecosystems and preserving biodiversity is not a cause. It is the key to our own survival.
KEY TARGETS
Reduce marine pollution.
Protest and restore ecosystems.
Sustainable fishing.
Conserve coastal and marine areas.
Increase the economical benefits from sustainable use of marine resources.
Appropriate Technology
Appropriate Technology is one that is suited to the needs, skills, resources, wealth and knowledge of the people who live in a local area, for the environment in which they live.
Many LEDCs find that high-tech and energy-based solutions are not appropriate to the needs of the people as they will have to use unsustainable / non-renewable energy sources or would find it difficult to find replacement parts.
Fair Trade
A recent global movement which tries to make some elements of trade much fairer.
In most cases the emphasis will be on trying to ensure that producers in LEDCs get much better trading conditions, a better wage and will become increasingly sustainable.
The farmers and workers at the bottom of the supply chain, who actually work with the raw materials will be given a guaranteed price and a fair reward for their efforts.
This means their quality of life should improve, as well as the long-term prospects for their children.
Fair trade products sometimes cost more in supermarkets in MEDCs, but many consumers consider this a small price to pay for the benefits they bring.
Benefits of Fair Trade
Stable prices: Most fair trade products will have a fair trade minimum price that should cover the full costs of sustainable production – even if there was a fall in global prices.
Fair trade premium: Producers are paid a premium or an extra amount of money beyond the price of the goods so that the farmer/producer can invest in further machinery, seeds, education, healthcare or farm improvements. This social premium usually benefits the entire community, not just the fair trade farm.
Partnership: Producers will be much more involved in the decision-making processes that affect them. They can be involved in fair trade councils and committees that can make local decisions.
Empowerment: Many fair trade marks and organisations have been set up to help empower the small-scale farmer. Some products, such as coffee, cocoa, cotton and rice will certify farmers to be part of a fair trade council or organisation. This means that the farmers can get better representation and marketing for their product and they will also benefit from better working conditions and support for environmental sustainability.
Environment: Many fair trade organisations have led to massive improvements in environmental standards. Farmers are encouraged to cut down fewer trees and to protect their local environment and soils and they will be supported and paid to achieve this.
Child labour: Fair trade organisations have banned child labour – they are keen to support the education rather than the exploitation of children.
Access to new markets: Fair trade organisations also help farmers to reach new markets with their product.
Globalisation
Globalisation is the process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of massively increased trade and cultural exchange.
Globalisation has increased the production of goods and services. The biggest companies are no longer national firms but transnational or multinational corporations with branches in many countries.
Globalisation has been taking place for hundreds of years, but has sped up enormously over the last half-century.
Globalisation has resulted in:
increased international trade;
a company operating in more than one country;
greater dependence on the global economy;
freer movement of capital, goods, and services;
recognition of companies such as McDonalds and Starbucks in LEDCs.
Although globalisation is probably helping to create more wealth in developing countries - it is not helping to close the gap between the world's poorest countries and the world's richest.
Positive Impacts of Globalisation
Inward investment by Trans National Corporations (TNCs) helps countries by providing new jobs and skills for local people.
TNCs bring wealth and foreign currency to local economies when they buy local resources, products and services. The extra money created by this investment can be spent on education, health and infrastructure.
The sharing of ideas, experiences and lifestyles of people and cultures. People can experience foods and other products not previously available in their countries.
Globalisation increases awareness of events in faraway parts of the world. For example, the UK was quickly made aware of the 2004 tsunami and sent help rapidly in response.
Globalisation may help to make people more aware of global issues such as deforestation and global warming and alert them to the need for sustainable development.
Negative Impacts of Globalisation
Globalisation operates mostly in the interests of the richest countries, which continue to dominate world trade at the expense of developing countries. The role of LEDCs in the world market is mostly to provide the North and West with cheap labour and raw materials.
There are no guarantees that the wealth from inward investment will benefit the local community. Often, profits are sent back to the MEDC where the TNC is based. Transnational companies, with their massive economies of scale, may drive local companies out of business. If it becomes cheaper to operate in another country, the TNC might close down the factory and make local people redundant.
An absence of strictly enforced international laws means that TNCs may operate in LEDCs in a way that would not be allowed in an MEDC. They may pollute the environment, run risks with safety or impose poor working conditions and low wages on local workers.
Industry may begin to thrive in LEDCs at the expense of jobs in manufacturing in the UK and other MEDCs, especially in textiles.
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