Transcript Government and Economies

Human Systems
Chapter 6
Economic Geography
Objectives
1. Identify the three main types
of economic systems
2. Contrast developed and
developing countries
Economic Activities
• Primary
– Work directly with natural resources
– Located at the resource
– Examples
• Fishing, forestry, farming, hunting &
gathering, herding, mining
Types of Farming
Subsistence
Commercial
Types of Farming
• Subsistence
– Found in underdeveloped/developing
countries
– Only grow enough for family or village
– Motivated by survival
– Low-tech methods, basic tools
– Muscle power from people or animals
– Kids are assets; more hands in the fields
Types of Farming
• Commercial
– Found in developed countries
– Crops grown for sale at markets
– Motivation is profit
– High-tech methods, advanced tools and
machinery
– Machines provide power
– Highly efficient, low % of population are in
agriculture
– Kids are liabilities; they’re expensive to raise
Economic Activities
• Secondary
– Use raw materials to produce or
manufacture new products of greater value
– Located at the resource or near the market
• Raw materials or finished goods cheaper to ship?
• Skilled workers, low labor costs, low energy costs, easy
access to transportation
– Examples
• Cottage industries – local crafts & clothing
• Commercial industries – automobiles, heavy machinery,
household appliances
Economic Activities
• Tertiary
– Service industries; do not produce
items from raw materials, but provide
services
– Located where services are required,
wherever people work and live
– Examples
• Lawyers, doctors, salespersons,
firefighters, police, truck drivers
Economic Activities
• Quaternary
– Focus on the acquisition, processing,
and sharing information
– Located almost any where due to
advanced communications technology
• Tend to be clustered in areas with highly
educated workers and excellent
communications networks
– Examples
• IT jobs, software design, engineering
Economic Geography
System
Motivator Description
Location
Dominant
Econ.
Activity
Economic Geography
• Economic Systems
– Subsistence Economy
• Also called traditional economy
• Motivator: Survival
• Description: Goods made for personal
use, little surplus or exchange of goods
• Location: Usually found in rural, poor
areas
• Dominant Economic Activity – Primary
& simple secondary
Political & Economic Systems
• Types of Economies
–Market Economy
• Motivator – Profit!!! $$$; increase one’s
economic well-being
• Private citizens own means of production,
set prices (free enterprise)
• Law of Supply and Demand & competition
influences production and pricing
• In pure capitalist free market, govt. has no
part in economy
• In actual fact, govts. regulate businesses
Political & Economic Systems
• Types of Economies
–Market Economy
• Examples – U.S.A., Singapore
• Dominant economic activity – Secondary
on up
Political & Economic Systems
• Types of Economies
–Command Economy
• Motivator – social/political goals; quotas
• Control by single, central govt.
–No private ownership, govt. owns all
businesses
–All decisions regarding location and extent
of production, pricing, workers’ wages,
etc.
• Examples – USSR in the past; Cuba &
North Korea (DPRK) today
Political & Economic Systems
• Types of Economies
–Command Economy
• Dominant Economic Activity –
Secondary (Stalinist)
Political & Economic Systems
• Types of Economies
–Mixed Economy
• Motivator – social/political goals
(wealth distribution); some profit
motive
• Socialism
–State owns basic industries such as
transportation, communications, banks,
heavy industry
–Private sector operates other parts of
economy
Political & Economic Systems
• Types of Economies
–Mixed Economy
• Socialism
–Welfare states: housing, health care, child
care, old-age pensions
–Excessively high taxes
–Examples – much of Western & Northern
Europe (Scandinavia in particular)
Economic Patterns,
Resources and Technology
• Economic activities affected
by technology
– Refrigerated compartments
– Communications
improvements
Level of Development
• Measures of development
– GNP, GDP
– GDP per capita
– Industrialized v. Agrarian
countries
• Standard of Living
– Literacy rate
– Health care
– Life expectancy
Developed v. Developing Countries
Developed
GDP per capita
Education
Health care
Literacy
Life Expectancy
Underdeveloped
High
Low
High
High
Low
High
Birth/Death Rates
High
Low
Population Growth
Low
Low
Low
Low
High
High
Developed v. Developing
Countries
• Developed
– Good infrastructure*, global market
economies
– U.S., Canada, most of Europe, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand
• Developing
– Poor infrastructure*, local market
and subsistence economies
– Africa, some of Asia, some of Latin
America
Developed v. Developing
Countries
• Middle-income Countries
– Characteristics of both
developed and developing
countries
– Modern cities; rural poor
– New industries, incomes
rising
Using the Land
• Hunter-gatherer societies
• Domestication of plants and
animals laid foundation for
civilization
– about 10,000 years ago
– first cities in SW Asia 5,000 years
ago
– urbanization, specialization of
labor
Urban Geography
• City Growth
–
–
–
–
–
Near key resources
Near transportation routes
Easily defended
Near freshwater
At fall line
• Patterns in Size and Distribution
of Cities
– Hierarchy of urban places,
– World cities
Urbanization
• Central Place Theory – Walter
Christaller
– Flawed, but useful
• Failed to take into account physical
geography
• Urbanization Today
– Urban growth is slow in
developed countries
– Urban growth is rapid in
developing countries
Urban Land Use and
Problems
• Central Business District
(CBD)
• Edge Cities
• Urban Problems
– Services
– Pollution
The von Thünen Model
Rural Geography
• Subsistence Agriculture
– Sedentary farming
– Shifting cultivation
– Pastoralism
• Market-Oriented Agriculture
– Products grown for market
– Agribusinesses
Political Geography
• Governments
–Good governments
•Protect freedoms and rights
•Provide security and stability
–Bad Governments
•Corruption
•Instability, threatens citizens
Political Geography
• National Boundaries
–Natural Boundaries
• Mountains, rivers, etc
–Cultural Boundaries
• Border based on cultural traits
• Ireland/Northern Ireland
–Geometric Boundaries
• Straight lines
• U.S./ Canada
Political Geography
• Political Conflicts
– Extreme nationalism
• Differing culture traits
– People’s choice for type of govt.
• Totalitarian govt. – one person or a
few people decide what is best for
everyone in the country
• Democracy – citizens have a voice in
government; govt. values individual
freedoms and human rights
Political Geography
• Political Conflicts
–Economic issues
•Tariffs – taxes on imports &
exports
•Quotas – limits on the amounts of
products to be imported
•Can lead to trade disputes
Political Geography
• International Cooperation
– Political and military cooperation
• United Nations (U.N.)
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)
– Economic cooperation
• World Trade Organization
• European Union
• North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)