Global Inequalities & Quality of Life Vocabulary

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to global inequality, quality of life indicators, and types of international aid based on lecture notes.

Global inequalities

The unequal distribution of wealth, resources, and quality of life between different places on Earth.

Quality of life

A country's overall status of income, access to drinking water, and resources; it refers to how good and comfortable people's lives are.

Universal declaration of rights

An agreement that sets out basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world.

Gross domestic product (GDP)

The value of all goods and services produced in a country in one year.

Gross national product (GNP)

The value of goods and services produced by a country in one year, including those produced outside the country.

GDP per capita

The gross domestic product of a country divided per person.

Malnutrition

An often fatal condition caused by an inadequate diet.

AIDS Epidemic

A pandemic involving HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, which affects populations worldwide.

Appropriate technology

Technology that is suited to the environmental, cultural, or economic situation it is intended for.

Foreign aid

Economic help provided to countries as a response to disaster or to achieve a larger goal.

HDI (Human Development Index)

A comparison of wealth of each nation's citizens where health, education, life expectancy, literacy, and standard of living are measured.

Bilateral aid

Aid given by the government of one country directly to another, such as Canada sending money and supplies to Haiti after an earthquake.

Multilateral aid

Aid provided by many countries through international organizations like the UN or World Bank.

Tied aid

Economic aid that has conditions on where and how the money must be used, such as requiring the receiving country to buy medicine from the donor.

World Bank

An international banking organization with a mandate to reduce world poverty.

Life Expectancy

How old someone is expected to live, which is often influenced by a country's quality of life.

Literacy Rate

The percentage of the population over the age of 15 that can read and write.

Standard of Living

A measure of the average purchasing power a person has based on where they live and if they can easily satisfy their basic needs.

Factors contributing to low literacy

Shortages of money, building materials, school supplies, or trained teachers, and a lack of infrastructure like roads or power.

Factors contributing to low life expectancy

Lack of clean drinking water, shortages of hospitals, medicine, and doctors, and a poor healthcare system.