Uneven Development

How can we tell if a country is developed?

To show whether a country is developed, there are certain development indicators or Measures of Development. These can also be used to compare countries with each other. Go ahead and read the Changing economic world explanation to understand more about the different types of development indicators and how they are used. Make sure you understand the terms Low Income County (LIC), Newly Emerging Economy (NEE), and High Income Country (HIC), before carrying on with this explanation!

We can also look at development on a scale. The Development Continuum can show a scale of development, showing the least and most developed countries, and those in between. It can show countries that may have rising economies or those which are becoming more industrialised.

Physical, economic and historical causes of uneven development

Uneven development is a global issue. There are stark differences between HICs and LICs. But why is this the case? Let's take a look at some physical, economic, and historical causes of this uneven development.

Physical causes of uneven development

Some of the physical factors that can cause uneven development are based on climate, the production of raw materials, and country placement.

Climate

• Warm climates make diseases like malaria or dengue fever more common, causing sickness, and reducing the workforce, limiting economic growth.
• Natural disasters lcan cause deaths, and are expensive to recover from infrastructurally.
• Water Insecurity can cause sickness, death, and reduced agricultural production.

Natural resource curse theory

The natural resource curse theory, or the paradox of plenty, essentially describes how countries that have vast amounts of a particular resource, are doomed for poor development. This is because the primary objective is to make money from that resource, rather than focusing on ways to improve development.

Coastal vs landlocked countries

Having a coastline can mean that countries have good access to sea trade routes, as well as direct industries, such as fishing, which can improve economic growth. If they are landlocked, there is no coastal access, blocking them off, and limiting opportunities for sea trade. Other modes of transport for trade are often more expensive, wait times are longer, and the country becomes reliant on other countries with access to the sea.

Economic causes of uneven development

Economic growth is vital for understanding development as a whole. This is vastly uneven globally; let's take a look at some of the reasons why.

The cycle of poverty

This describes the way that people become stuck in a vicious cycle of being poor. With a poor economy, there is reduced investment into vital sectors such as healthcare or education, resulting in a depleted workforce (sickness or unskilled workforce), and therefore less money goes into the economy. If these countries are also in debt, the situation will only worsen, as they will be in a constant cycle of owing money.

Global trading systems

Trade happens all over the world. It is the transfer of products and goods between countries. However, most of the trade systems are controlled by HICs or Transnational Corporations (TNCs).

HICs and TNCs tend to source their raw materials from LICs, as it is usually much cheaper. Raw materials are often made into more expensive goods or products in HICs, therefore boosting these economies instead, whilst LICs have to import these expensive goods, so economic growth remains low. LICs typically only export one type of product, such as coffee, which can mean they become reliant on this. Demand and prices can change for these products; if there is an increased supply of the raw materials, then the price will be much lower. Economic gains can then vary, and economic growth is therefore relatively unreliable.

Historical causes of uneven development

Although there are factors that cause uneven development today, historical events are still having an impact on the modern development of countries.

Colonialism

Colonialism has occurred intensely throughout history. Colonialism refers to the control of countries by another country. Countries that have a colonial history have lower development levels today. During colonial times, resources and money would be taken from colonised countries, often for the benefit of the colonising country. In the 1950s, many countries became independent and removed their colonial ties. However, this has resulted in a power struggle for control over the countries, resulting in conflict and political instability, hindering development further.

Consequences of uneven development

Uneven development can result in differences in wealth, and access to healthcare. It can also force people to leave a country. Let's look further into these consequences of uneven development, with some examples, too.

Wealth disparities

Uneven development results in differences in wealth across the world. Some countries are much richer and much more powerful than others. In 2017, the United States had a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $19 trillion, compared to the Central African Republic, with a GDP of $1.95 billion.

Wealth disparities can result in large inequalities in standards of living, where some people have less access to safe water supplies, sufficient food, education, housing, security or even healthcare. Uneven development can cause a larger gap between the rich and poor within countries, too. There is often a huge gap between the very wealthy and the very poor, both in HICs and LICs. In some cases, this can result in conflict or civil unrest.

Fig. 2 - Antilia tower in Mumbai, the second most expensive house in the world

Health disparities

Uneven development can result in large health disparities. Life expectancy is generally much higher in HICs. For example, life expectancy in the UK in 2019 was 81.20 years old. This is because healthcare is typically better, with more access to doctors, and investment into this sector is higher. LICs often have poorer access to safe water and suffer from the Impact of Water Insecurity. This can result in higher disease rates, causing sickness and death. The Central African Republic has a current life expectancy of 54.022. Higher infant mortality rates occur in LICs due to poor sanitation, lack of clean water, and also poor nutrition, caused by the Impacts of Food Insecurity.

International migration

Uneven development can be a direct cause of more people moving away from their home country.

People usually migrate because of push and pull factors. Push factors are reasons why people want to move away from a country. Pull factors are the reasons why another country may be more attractive. People may be pulled to a HIC country, as there are more economic or educational opportunities. However, people can be pushed out of their home country because of war or natural disasters. International migration can also make development worse; more educated people tend to leave LICs searching for better opportunities elsewhere. This causes a brain drain in the LIC, limiting economic development.