What factors influence development?

There are significant variations in levels of development across the world. This is known as the development gap. Both physical and human factors have caused uneven development.

What are the historical reasons for varying levels of national development?

Colonialism has had a significant impact on development. Colonialism is the policy or practice of taking full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

During the 1700s and 1800s, a large proportion of the global south was colonised by European countries, including Portugal, Spain, Britain and France. The reason for colonisation was to access raw materials and labour to compete with other global powers at the time. Many countries colonised in South America, Asia and Africa were badly affected. This is especially the case for those who became part of the transatlantic slave trade.

Many colonised countries gained independence in the twentieth century. For example, India gained independence from the UK in 1947. However, independence brought problems to a number of countries. For example, when the Democratic Republic of Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960, it was reported that there were only 14 university graduates in its population.

Many political problems, conflicts and disputes in the world today stem from colonisation. European countries carved up and re-defined many areas in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. However, this resulted in the borders of many countries changing, mixing different ethnic groups. Five million deaths resulted from conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda in the 1990s.

Over 6 million people in Syria have been homeless due to the conflict since 2012. More than 3 million of these people are under 17, and the overwhelming majority are no longer in education.

How is development affected by economic factors?

During the 1800s, European nations took the raw materials they needed from colonised countries. Transnational corporations (TNCs) now buy raw materials from former colonies for relatively low prices. This harms economic development in many LICs. Prices are low because organisations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) have not done enough to ensure fair terms exist in the global trade of raw materials and food. In some LICs, corrupt officials have personally benefitted from selling resources cheaply. Also, food prices fluctuate depending on supply and demand.

Newly emerging economies have benefited from global trade. Countries such as China have benefitted from developing their manufacturing industries. This has led to significant economic growth.

What role do physical factors play in the development process?

Physical factors can hinder development. However, physical factors alone can’t be blamed on physical factors. For example, Japan is one of the world’s most developed countries despite being located in one of the world’s most active tectonic zones, resulting in regular earthquakes. The United States of America frequently experiences hurricanes but is highly developed.

Climate can have a significant impact on development. Countries located in North Africa, in the Sahara and Sahel regions, face significant challenges, including high temperatures, desertification and a lack of fresh water. However, these can be overcome with human ingenuity.

Areas prone to natural disasters also face challenges to development. For example, in the Caribbean, Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake in 2010. Two hundred thirty thousand people died as a result of the Haiti earthquake. As one of the poorest in the world, the country is still recovering. However, although 22000 people died or were missing in the 2011 Japan earthquake, many affected areas have now recovered.

Countries without a coastline also face challenges to development. With only a few exceptions, the world’s 45 land-locked countries are LICs or NEEs. Without a port, trade with other countries is challenging.