geo 1st month study guide 1

1) What critical factor enabled early civilizations to advance technologically?

surplus of food and agriculture

What is the world-system?

core, semi periphery, periphery

What characterizes core,

powerhouse produces the new technology exploites the most

What characterizes periphery

weak economies normally reliant on core countries gets exploited

What characterizes semi-periphery

in the middle, not very weak or strong economy, exploits periphery but is exploited by core

What is having a large portion of the labor force employed in agriculture indicative of?

a periphery country or a weak economy

How/why did Europe end up dominating the World System in the early stages?

good geography and a surplus of food

Did Jared Diamond, from the film "Guns, Germs, and Steel", think this had more to do with the people or the land?

The land

How is competitiveness ensured in the world-system

by everyone competing to become a core country or move out of the class there in now

What was the rationale (driving force) for colonialism

Economic gain

What was the Opium War?

19th-century conflicts between China and Britain (+ later France) caused by the opium trade, sovereignty, and free trade.

What did the Opium War decide?

free opium trade for europeans, land and political privileges

What does the opium war illustrate?

it showed the power of industrialization while also showing that trade is the driving force behind countries’ decisions

How has colonialism impacted the World System?

created the core, semi, and periphery system and made the world euro-centric

How did the colonizers fare and how did the colonized fare?

colonizers ended up wealthy and brought these riches back to their countries while the colonized ended up poor and struggling to develop a strong economy

How does this relate to the status of being core, periphery, semi-periphery?

Most periphery and semi-periphery nations were once colonized, while most core nations were the colonizers. The U.S. is the rare exception that started as a colony but became a core power.

What was the original global division of labor, based on colonialism?

Colonies (periphery) supplied raw materials and cheap labor, while Europe (core) produced manufactured goods and controlled trade.

What are the preconditions for industrialization?

food surpluses, raw materials, investment capital, innovation, and a displaced farming workforce.

How are these preconditions for industrialization difficult to achieve for peripheral countries today?

No wealth (no colonies or hinterland), backwards technologically, undeveloped economy, and poor trade regulations (sell cheap, buy dear) 

What is the link between colonialism and industrialization?

Colonialism supplied raw materials, labor, and wealth that fueled industrialization in core countries while keeping colonies underdeveloped.

How is the US unique in this regard?

Peripheries face export dependency, capital shortages, and unequal trade. Weak infrastructure and colonial underdevelopment compound these issues.

How did Britain's push to abolish slavery relate to its industrialization?

Industrialization made British wage labor more efficient than slavery. Abolishing slavery forced a global shift to free-labor economies, boosting Britain’s influence.

What is the new international divisions of labor that started to emerge in the 1970's? What caused this shift?

New international division of labor: Cores handle high-tech, finance, and services. Peripheries handle manufacturing and resource extraction.

Cause: Globalization, better transit and communication, and cheaper labor or production costs.