People of the Planet - Geography

When we talk about development, we are referring to the quality of life for the people who live in that region. This can be economic, social, political or cultural development. These factors can interact and affect the growth of the others.

Rostow's Modernisation Theory and and Frank's Dependency Theory are the primary methods used to explain ideas of development. Here we look at the merits and drawbacks of these competing hypotheses.

This Mindmap illustrates a range of variables that can alter and effect development within a region. Some of the factors presented include natural resources, climate, politics, trade routes and foreign investment.

The world is not an even playing field, with resources spread out and other regional instabilities affecting development. Housing, healthcare and food & water supply are the things we take for granted in the developed world.

There are a number of strategies which help countries to develop. A stable political sphere, or access to resources such as materials or education will help investment in a region. Aid and debt relief also help poorer countries.

Top-down schemes are such that a country is given a large fiscal impetus to engage in a big project such as a dam or major road. In Bottom-up schemes, change is instigated at a local level and slowly encouraged nationwide.

This module examines some of the key terms used in this course. This covers physical descriptors such as explanations of mega cities, but also economic, demographic and social terms.

With over 10 million inhabitants, a city becomes a mega-city. There are a growing collection of mega cities as globalisation moves more people toward urban living. These trends have effects, we see repeated all over the world.

What drives urbanisation? For many people, the city provides opportunities that they believe no longer exist in rural environments. This is true in developed countries as well as the under-developed.

Take this quiz to see what you have learned on this course. Your knowledge of urbanisation as well as the factors which it causes/causes it will be tested here.