Department of
Earth, Human and
Environmental Sciences
OUTCOMES FOR THIS LESSON
By the end of this lesson, I should
be able to:
• Define development, MEDC and LEDC.
• Understand the differences in
development between MEDC’s and
The line shaping LEDC’s
our views on • Identify level of development from
observing photographs, reading graphs
global and other visual representations.
inequalities. • Define and explain that three different
indicators can be used to measure
The Brandt Line is a way of visualizing the development.
world that highlights the disparities and
inequalities between the wealthy North • Define GDP, GDP per capita, currency
and the poorer global South. and purchasing power parity.
• Calculate GDP per capita
• Define life expectancy, infant mortality
and literacy and understand how these
terms are associated with changes in
development.
• Define HDI and explain how HDI can be
used to assess development
ALSO, TEXTBOOK PAGES 27–34
In 1980 a report known as North-South: A
Programme for Survival, addressed the QUICK GEOGRAPHY QUIZZ
problems of international inequality. Written Use the map showing the Brandt line to
by a committee led by the former German answer the following questions
chancellor, Willy Brandt, the report proposed a
set of policies to address problems of global 1. Name the continents on which the
inequality and poverty, and to overcome the “more developed countries” occur?
North America, Europe, Asia and Australia
political tensions that had emerged between 2. Is central America considered to be
the North and the less economically developed “more developed” or “less developed”?
global South.
Adapted from [Link] 3. Name four countries which occur in
after-forty-years-more-north-south-relations-change-more-they- central America.
stay-same
Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Belize
1
THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT
CLASSWORK
Read the Introduction section on page 27 of the textbook, then complete
the activity at the bottom of the page.
Then read the FACT FILE given below and use the information therein to
complete the crossword puzzle on page 3. The clues are on page 4.
FACT FILE: THE CONCEPT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Terms such as “developed” and “developing” have been used for several decades to indicate the
economic conditions of a group of people or a country. By the 1980’s, the term “developing” had
come to be regarded as a stigma and was replaced by the concept of the “South” in the “Brandt
Report”. The report included a map of the world divided into North and South by the ‘Brandt Line’,
which became one of the most recognisable and influential ways of representing the economic and
political divisions of world politics. The Brandt Report suggests primarily that a great divide in standard
of living exists along the North-South divide and there should therefore be a large transfer of
resources from developed to developing countries. The countries North of the divide are extremely
wealthy due to their successful trade in manufactured goods, whereas the countries South of the
divide suffer poverty due to their trade in intermediate goods (these are partly finished manufactured
goods), where the export incomes are low.
By the 1990’s, with the growing understanding that poverty is relative, the terms more economically
developed countries (MEDCs) or “advanced economies” and less economically developed countries
(LEDCs) or “developing countries” have become increasingly accepted. Even more recently the nations
that had a decade earlier been grouped together as belonging to the “developing economies” had
shown among themselves a widening spread of different levels of wealth and living standards, for
example the growing gap between the newly industrialized countries (NIC), and the emerging
countries (BRIC) with those in sub-Saharan Africa.
A newly industrialized country (NIC) is a term used by political scientists to describe a country whose
level of economic development ranks it somewhere between developing and highly developed
classifications. These countries have moved away from an agriculture-based economy and into a more
industrialized, urban economy.
BRICS refers to certain emerging market countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and
more—that seek to establish deeper ties between member nations and cooperate on economic
expansion, including trade. An emerging market economy is the economy of a developing
nation that is becoming more engaged with global markets as it grows. Countries classified
as emerging market economies are those with some, but not all, of the characteristics of a
developed market. The countries act as a balance to traditional Western influence. They seek to
depend on each other to build growing influence in the world.
Adapted from:
[Link]
[Link]
Waugh, D., 2014. Geography: An integrated approach. Fourth edition, Nelson Thornes.
2
The Concept of Development Crossword Puzzle
L
B R A N D T L I N E
S
N
S
I N T E R M E D I A T E
C C
O
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I
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A
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Y S
O E
D U V
E X P O R T I N C O M E
V H L
E O
M L P
S T A N D A R D F L I V
I N G I
N O
P N N
U G
E D
F I
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A
A
C C
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U
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S
3
ACROSS
2. This was used to divide the world into the wealthy North and the poorer southern countries in
a 1980's report.
4. Partly completed goods that are traded by the "developing" countries of the South.
7. Money gained by a country by selling its goods to other countries.
9. One way in which the level of development can be measured within a country.
DOWN
1. A country that depends largely on an agriculturally-based economy.
3. The abbreviation for a country whose economic growth can be described as between that of
an LEDC and MEDC.
5. The term that replaced "developing" in a report written in the 1980's.
6. Another (outdated) term which could be used to describe an LEDC.
8. The type of goods that were traded by the North to grow economically.
10. An emerging market BRICS country.
HOMEWORK
Complete Textbook Page 28 Activity 1.
Also watch the following video:
[Link]
Summarise what you considered the important points from the
video. (Pleare n ote thatyou , on ’thave to learn allthe , evelopm en tin , icer
thatare rhow n in the vi, eop
Defining Development:
Definition: In geography, development refers to the amount of progress a specific part of the world—typically a
country and its people—has made
Simple Perspective: It can be viewed as how far a country has come in becoming richer and improving the lives
of its inhabitants
Influencing Factors: A wide range of factors affect development levels, including environmental, economic,
cultural, and political elements
How Development is Judged
Development Indicators: To avoid guesswork or being misled by photographs, geographers use statistics called
development indicators to provide precise details about a country
Wealth vs. Wellbeing: While wealth often correlates with development, it is not the only factor; some countries
with less money maintain a high standard of living, while some wealthier nations may have a lower one
Economic vs. Social Development
Economic Development: This focuses primarily on wealth, money, and jobs
Social Development: This focuses on a population's standard of living and quality of life
The Link: These two are closely linked because increased wealth usually enables a population to access a better standard of living, though differences
between them always exist
Key Considerations and Challenges
The Labeling Problem: It is inaccurate to assume a whole country fits one label perfectly; for example, even highly developed nations like Germany have
people living in poverty, while the poorest countries still have very wealthy individuals
Negative Development: While rare, development does not always move in a positive direction; countries can become less developed due to conflict,
government corruption, or natural disasters
The Importance of Time: Development can happen at a rapid pace, meaning statistics, maps, and textbooks can become outdated very quickly
Avoiding Stereotypes: Modern development can challenge common assumptions; for instance, the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, often surprises people
who only associate the country with poverty and famine
4
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
Development indicators are a means to make a measure of different living conditions to
determine the level of human development in an area.
There are generally three different indicators in which several different development indicators
can be used to measure the level of human development:
a) Economic
b) Social
c) Environmental
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Economic indicators are considered very important as they influence the amount of
development in other areas such as social and environmental. For example, a social indicator
such as level of education is mainly of a high standard because the country spends a lot of money
on it, so economic development can determine social outcomes.
However, because a country is wealthy does not mean that it has race or gender equality, or
enough supply of basic needs, such as healthcare and education, to supply the entire population.
Economic inequality can mean that social and environmental development are relatively low
even when the economic indicator is high.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
There are several different ways that economic development can be indicated. Economic
development indicators are very important as they can determine the amount of development in
social and environmental areas of a country. For example, a social indicator such as education is
mainly of a high standard if a country invests money into it, so economic development can affect
the social outcomes.
CLASSWORK
Complete the table on page 6 which gives different economic development
indicators which can be used to measure the development of a country.
5
Development Full name Definition Formula Advantage of using Disadvantage of using
indicator this indicator this indicator
The advantage of The
total value in money of all
GDP per capita is disadvantage is
goods and services
GDP that it shows how that it just shows
Gross produced by a country in
divided by much money a the average
GDP Domestic one y ear divided equally
population person would have person and
Product by the population
(per capita) so it gives you the doesn't show
per capita indicating how much
idea how much the the disparity in
money every person
average person in the way the
would have if it was
that space owns. wealth is divided.
divided equally.
GNP measures the
total value of all
the total market value GNP does
goods and services
of all final goods and not capture non-
produced by a
Gross services produced by a monetary
country 's residents,
GNP National country's residents,
including income activities, income
Product both domestically and inequality, and
earned abroad,
abroad, within a providing a more environmental
specific period. complete picture of degradation.
economic activity.
It assumes that goods and
services are priced equally
Compare the absolute
provides a more across countries, but in
purchasing power of
accurate evaluation of reality, prices vary due to
different countries'
Power economic productivity differences in labor costs,
currencies by
PPP Purchasing and living standards by taxes, transportation, and
measuring the price of a
Parity considering price level local market conditions. This
standard basket of
differences across can lead to inaccurate
goods and services in
nations comparisons of living
each country
standards and economic
productivity between nations
6
CLASSWORK
Then read the FACT FILE given below and then go to the following website
to see how the rand (and other currencies) compared to the US$.
EXTENSION: In what countries is the ubiquitous meal cheapest—
and dearest? Our Big Mac index shows how burger prices are
changing.
The big mac index was invented by The Economist in 1986 as a light-hearted guide to
whether currencies are at their “correct” level. It is based on the theory of purchasing-
power parity (PPP), the notion that in the long run exchange rates should move towards
the rate that would equalise the prices of an identical basket of goods and services (in this
case, a burger) in any two countries. Burgernomics was never intended as a precise gauge
of currency misalignment, merely a tool to make exchange-rate theory more digestible.
Yet the Big Mac index has become a global standard, included in several economic
textbooks and the subject of dozens of academic studies. For those who take their fast
food more seriously, we also calculate a gourmet version of the index.
The GDP-adjusted index addresses the criticism that you would expect average burger
prices to be cheaper in poor countries than in rich ones because labour costs are lower.
PPP signals where exchange rates should be heading in the long run, as a country like
China gets richer, but it says little about today's equilibrium rate. The relationship
between prices and GDP per person may be a better guide to the current fair value of a
currency. In July 2022 we updated the Big Mac index to use a McDonalds-provided price
for the United States. We also changed our methodology for how we calculate the GDP-
adjusted index, the full history of which will now be adjusted whenever the IMF’s
historical GDP series are updated. The previously published versions of both indices are
available in our archive. Taken from: [Link]
7
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
Social indicators are about issues such as education, healthcare, education, structure of the
population, and food availability. These indicators have a direct impact on a person’s health and
overall well-being. These indicators focus on the basic needs of people. These indicators are
generally expressed as a ratio of the total population.
CLASSWORK
Complete the table below which gives different social development
indicators which can be used to measure the development of a country.
Development Definition Advantage of using Disadvantage of using
indicator this development this indicator
indicator
Adult literacy
Infant
mortality rate
Life
expectancy at
birth
8
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
(adapted from: [Link]
indicators/themes/[Link]#:~:text=The%20environment%2Drelated%20indicators%20illuminate,production%20and
%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions)
The environment-related indicators show phenomena such as urbanization and the loss of
biological diversity; agricultural output and declining forest area; freshwater withdrawals and
freshwater growing scarcity; electricity production and greenhouse gas emissions. The indicators
also reveal the progress that countries have made on many of the environment targets set by the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For example, environment indicators help to monitor
progress on promoting sustainable food production systems, ensuring sustainable withdrawals
and supply of fresh water, ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy
services, reducing the adverse environmental impact of cities, conserving coastal and marine
areas, and protecting and preventing the extinction of threatened species.
Every year relevant new environment indicators are added to the existing environmental
indicators. This year, new interim target estimates of the proportion of people exposed to
ambient air pollution by particulate matter based on World Health Organization air quality
guidelines, were provided by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
Multiple component indicators
The most important multiple component indicator is the Human Development Index (HDI),
which has been part of the United Nations Development Programme’s annual Human
Development Report since 1990. This development indicator measures three different aspects of
human development — standard of living, education, and health, and how these three aspects
relate to the amount of money spent by the government per year on these.
The HDI therefore includes economic (GNI per capita and (PPP compared to US$)), education
(mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling) and health (life expectancy at birth) in
its calculation.
The calculated
values vary
between 0
and 1, with 1,
(and values
closer to 1),
indicating
higher
development.
[Link]
9
Taken from: [Link]
Write down three observations from the global HDI shown on the map above.
HOMEWORK
Complete Textbook
• Page 31 Activity 2
• Page 32 Activity 3
• Read page 33-34
• Page 34 Activity 4
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