5.1.6

Physical Causes of Uneven Development

Test yourself

Which Physical Factors Cause Uneven Development?

The following physical factors are likely to restrict development:

Illustrative background for Which climates are bad for development?Illustrative background for Which climates are bad for development? ?? "content

Which climates are bad for development?

  • In 'Why Nations Fail', Acemoglu highlights that tropical conditions are usually bad for economic development. Working in the heat of the middle of the day is difficult and air conditioning is a relatively recent invention.
  • If a nation is too hot (like the hot desert biome) or too cold (like the tundra biome), then it can be hard to grow crops, leading to low food production, meaning the land cannot support a large population.
Illustrative background for Which land is bad for development?Illustrative background for Which land is bad for development? ?? "content

Which land is bad for development?

  • Infertile farmland (either because of infertile soil or steep relief), will lead to low food production levels, which constrains a population size.
  • In bad cases, people may die of starvation or famine if the quality of farmland is too low.
  • Land that is vulnerable to flooding is also risky. If floods could destroy a whole season's worth of crops, then a whole generation of people could die.
Illustrative background for Are natural resources bad for development?Illustrative background for Are natural resources bad for development? ?? "content

Are natural resources bad for development?

  • If countries have no natural resources like coal, oil, or gold in the ground, they are not able to sell them to other countries and grow their income.
  • Some historians argue that the UK's economic growth came from its rich coal mines.
  • Paul Collier argues that too many natural resources can be a bad thing because they encourage corruption and corruption is bad for development.
Illustrative background for Frequent natural hazardsIllustrative background for Frequent natural hazards ?? "content

Frequent natural hazards

  • Land on tectonic boundaries or land vulnerable to flooding can mean a nation is frequently trying to rebuild what it had (and was destroyed), instead of growing and building more for people.
  • Floods and earthquakes can destroy towns, which then have to be rebuilt, rather than developed.
Illustrative background for Landlocked countriesIllustrative background for Landlocked countries ?? "content

Landlocked countries

  • If a country is landlocked, then it doesn't have access to the sea.
  • Most of world trade happens by sea in container ships. If a country cannot physically export its goods because it is landlocked, then it is likely to develop more slowly.

Jump to other topics

1The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1Natural Hazards

1.2Tectonic Hazards

1.3Weather Hazards

1.4Climate Change

2The Living World

3Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1The UK Physical Landscape

3.2Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3River Landscapes in the UK

3.4Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4Urban Issues & Challenges

5The Changing Economic World

6The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1Resource Management

6.2Food

6.3Water

6.4Energy

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