DRC
influencer | facts | explanation | hinder development | promote development |
relation with neighbours | DRC hosted Rwandan refugees after the genocide | neighbours are LIDCs and volatile so limits trade | volatile neighbours means DRC gets swept into conflicts | n/a |
location | chief port Matadi | not landlocked which allows for some trade which boosts development | small coastline, few ports and it’s still expensive and time consuming to trade | access to global trade |
natural resources | diamonds and cobalt for phones and batteries | DRC is naturally very resource rich however this can lead to the resource curse | most resources far from ports, causes neighbouring countries to raid the DRC resource curse | resource rich exports, rich soils most of the population depends on springs for water |
climate | January 2018, floods killed 51 people 70% employed in agriculture 300,000 children dead every year due to malaria | on equator means hot and wet rainfall is varied because ITCZ moves during the year spread of vector and water borne disease | intense flooding - crops and people droughts and then floods | HEP potential |
landscape/ecosystems | n/a | tropical rainforests such as CRB | CRB not navigable hard to build on | attracts tourism - multiplier effect timber exports |
political development | independence date 1960 from Belgium | corruption is rife in the DRC - clientalism and bribery violence is also widespread | resources extracted conflict with Belgium poorly organised after dictatorship economic leakages to Belgium still | some transport and mining infrastructure 2019 we saw first set of ‘fair’ elections |
trade | 85% exports from mining 7% growth per year | most traded with places are China and the EU over-reliance on mining | dependent on others due to limited tech DRC susceptible to changes in global markets - narrow economic base makes it susceptible to external shocks | multiplier effect caused by exports |
China | built an 80,000 person sports stadium in DRC | have bought leases for natural resources | undermines DRCs sovereignty DRC now ‘owes’ China | constructed farms for DRC, hospital |
Belgium | n/a | were in control of DRC for a long time | held back DRC while stealing resources | schooling system due to Belgium |
USA | n/a | have been training DRC military | n/a | important to protect themselves |
population | 100 million 50% of population is 0 - 18 | may be bad for now but in the future could be beneficial because the young will become the working population | children need to be supported in school and not many workers | positive for the future |
social factors | 70% finish primary school but 20 years ago it was 30% 0.3 doctors / 1000 people | limited educations for many but increasing | gender/urban inequalities 10x less doctors than UK spends significantly less money on healthcare | improvements happening urban areas much better medical |
one aid project | MSFs biggest project - worked in DRC since 1981 2m consultations per year | Medecins Sans Frontieres | aid can increase dependency undermines DRC sovereignty when gov relies on NGOs | healthy children can get better education healthy adults can be productive in the work force and bring home money |
tech developments | 20% internet users | efficient production and promotion more people using mobile banking | inequality of access and rural locations are left behind DRC doesn’t make any phones which increases import reliance | phones opening new possibilities and developments |