5.2.3

International Influences on Places

Test yourself

Connections - National and Regional Influences

The nature of a place can change as a result of national and regional influences:

Illustrative background for PoliticsIllustrative background for Politics ?? "content

Politics

  • Political attitudes and the decisions resulting from political support can affect a place.
  • The Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher made efforts to rationalise the mining industry in the 1980s and this reduced employment in many mining towns in counties like Yorkshire.
  • Lots of regions 'historically' support only the Labour or Conservative parties and they almost always support the same party in General Elections. The Liverpool Walton constituency has been a Labour seat since 1964.
Illustrative background for Transport and infrastructureIllustrative background for Transport and infrastructure ?? "content

Transport and infrastructure

  • The provision of transport and communication links, including road, rail, air and broadband all affect the economic and social characteristics of places.
  • Communities around Heathrow Airport will be affected by the jobs created and the surrounding noise pollution created by planes.
  • Communities may be affected by the development of HS2, trying to reduce the journey time from Manchester and Leeds to London.
  • Good rail links into London have made places like Sevenoaks attractive to live for professionals who work in London.
Illustrative background for Nearby urban areasIllustrative background for Nearby urban areas ?? "content

Nearby urban areas

  • The location of workplaces, shopping facilities and leisure activities can affect places.
  • Many people may choose to live close to regional shopping destinations like the Trafford Centre, Westfield or Cheshire Oaks.
  • People have to live close enough to their workplace to commute on a daily basis, although the internet enables more people to work remotely.
Illustrative background for Regional governanceIllustrative background for Regional governance ?? "content

Regional governance

  • Initiatives like Local Enterprise Partnerships try to work out what skills and projects a region needs. They will then work with local councils and businesses to solve them. There are 38 LEPs in England.

Connections - International and Global Influences

The nature of a place can change as a result of international and global influences:

Illustrative background for International Trade AgreementsIllustrative background for International Trade Agreements ?? "content

International Trade Agreements

  • International Trade Agreements like the EU's Common Agricultural Policy can affect how farmers can behave. This impacts the profitability of farming, the types of crops that are grown and the rural areas where the farmers live.
  • The Sustainable Fisheries Agreement in the EU will also affect coastal towns and the fishing industry in the UK.
Illustrative background for MNCs and global retailersIllustrative background for MNCs and global retailers ?? "content

MNCs and global retailers

  • MNCs can contribute towards creating 'clone high streets'. Inditex has Zara shops all over the world. Domino's and McDonald's can be found in the UK, the US and many other countries.
  • Companies like Facebook (which owns Instagram) and Google have offices and create jobs in the USA, UK and almost every country globally.
Illustrative background for Global tourism opportunitiesIllustrative background for Global tourism opportunities ?? "content

Global tourism opportunities

  • Some locations attract tourists and have their local economies shaped by tourism.
  • Places that attract lots of tourists usually have lots of hotels, restaurants and bars to cater to what tourists wish to see.
  • In London and Barcelona, there are sightseeing bus tours, which create jobs and may create pollution for local residents.
Illustrative background for The EUIllustrative background for The EU ?? "content

The EU

  • The European Regional Development Fund is a fund supported by the EU, which tries to invest in regional projects across Europe.
  • The ERDF funded Road Crossing Enhancements in Manchester and a project called 'Food Northwest', aiming to improve the restaurant industry in the North.
Illustrative background for Twinning arrangementsIllustrative background for Twinning arrangements ?? "content

Twinning arrangements

  • Twinning arrangements between similar towns began in 1947, after WW2, in an attempt to increase intercultural understanding.
  • Rome and Paris were twinned in 1956.
  • Coventry is twinned with 20 towns, including Belgrade in Serbia and Jinan in China.
Illustrative background for MigrationIllustrative background for Migration ?? "content

Migration

  • International migration into towns and cities, with immigrants integrating into the local population, can change places.
Illustrative background for International airportsIllustrative background for International airports ?? "content

International airports

  • Living close to an international airport could lead to a high volume of tourists or travellers entering an area.
  • This may lead to a lot of Holiday Inns, restaurants or other infrastructure being developed to cater to the tourists and airport.

Jump to other topics

1Tectonic Processes & Hazards

2Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change

3Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change

4Globalisation

5Option 4A: Regenerating Places

6Option 4B: Diverse Places

7The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)

8The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)

9Superpowers (A2 only)

10Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)

11Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)

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