Page 38 - The World About Us

Rice terraces
1.1.1
2.2.2

What are the causes of under-development?

The reasons for the development gap fig.96 The mul ple cause of under-development.
between the richest and poorest Natural Resource Factors Clima c Factors
countries is not a simple ma er of good
Access to clean water for drinking and Moderate climates without great
luck. There are complex reasons why
sanita on. extremes allow for the development of a
some countries have developed faster se led lifestyle.
and more successfully then others. Available supply of mber for
Regular or prolonged droughts cause
Development is not a simple linear construc on of buildings and fuel. agricultural collapse. Livestock dies and
process by which people’s lives inevitably Fer le and resilient soils which allow must be replaced at great expense.
get be er. Countries can advance along for the development of agriculture.
Reliable clima c condi ons. Annual
the ‘development con nuum’ as well as Metal ores and other minerals for
being pushed back. manufacturing and trade. events such as monsoon flooding may
create hazards but their predictability
A er the collapse of the Soviet Union Produc ve natural ecosystems, such as allows for planning.
in 1991, the economic and social outlook forests or seas, which can be exploited, Desirable clima c condi ons for
for the people of Russia, and the former for example for food or furs. certain ac vi es. Hot and sunny beaches
Soviet Republics, took a sharp step Access to fossil fuels, such as coal or or cold, winter snow slopes allow tourism
backwards. Life expectancy fell by several oil, to help fuel industrial developments industries to develop.
years. and produc on.
Natural Hazard Factors
Greece has witnessed a drama c Landscape & Loca on Factors
decline in many economic and social Some hazards create beneficial
indicators of development since 2010. With no access to shipping routes, resources. Volcanic ash and alluvium
This is the result of the imposi on of landlocked countries experience higher deposited by floodwaters both help
costs of interna onal trade. create rich soils but the erup ons and
harsh austerity measures by the flooding can devastate communi es.
European Union in recent years. Small island na ons may have a
shortage of agricultural land, limited Frequent and repeated hazards
There are a range of factors that may resources and water supplies. damage homes, farms and industry and
affect the success of a region’s impose high costs of recovery.
Loca on close to other popula on
development. While social and economic
centres helps trade and travel, while The poten al risks associated with
facts are important, the physical isola on imposes extra costs. dangerous natural hazards may deter
environment and resources available to a investment as money is drawn to safer
country can also play an important role. Beau ful landscapes can a ract and more predictable loca ons.
visitors and develop a tourism industry.
Bali’s volcanoes: a blessing or a curse? KEY TERMS

The Indonesian island of Bali is famous for its verdant rice terraces (fig.112,
page 44) with their rich, fer le soils. These soils are not just the product of Bali’s Colonialism: the policy or practice of
tropical climate but also of the three volcanoes, Gunung Agung, Gunung Batur and acquiring political control over another
Gunung Bratan, that make up the heart of the island. In recent years tourists have country, occupying it with settlers, and
become frequent visitors to the volcanoes, trekking up in the early morning to exploiting it economically.
watch the Sun rise over the crater rims.
Development continuum: a
In 1963 the erup on of Gunung Agung destroyed many villages and cost over contemporary way of viewing
1,000 lives. Many villages on the northern slope have s ll not recovered from that
development; perceiving it as a
erup on (see page 51). In August 2017, Gunung Agung started to rumble again. continual process and recognising that
Fears of another explosive erup on led to the evacua on of 150,000 Balinese it can occur in a number of different
villagers and threatened to disrupt both farming and the tourism industry. ways.

fig.97 Bali’s Gunung Agung, a stratovolcano, rises 3,031 metres above the island. Imperialism: a policy of extending a
country's power and influence through
colonisation, use of military force and
dominance of trade.
Natural resources: elements of the
physical environment which are useful
to people and society, such as soil,
minerals, water and productive
ecosystems.

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The world is developing unevenly.