Development Disparities and Food Resources Quiz

Poverty Worldwide

• Over 700 million people (9.2% of global population) live on less than $1.90-$2.15 per day (€64 per month)
• Extreme poverty is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, accounting for 90% of the population.

Geographical Factors in Development

• Jared Diamond: Geographical factors influence development differences.
• Hunter-gatherers: Simple food sources; limited population growth.
• Food production: food surpluses and domestic animals lead to population growth and technological development.
• Farming society: Allows for non-food producers (intellectuals, technocrats), larger, denser populations, and social stratification.
• Fertile Crescent: Decline of wild resources and rise of domesticated animals and crops (wheat, barley, peas) led to agricultural surpluses in modern-day Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine.
• Geographical factors: East-West axis of continents allows faster spread of agricultural practices. Similar latitude locations share similar day lengths and seasonal variations. Plant's genetic programming (germination, growth) is adapted to specific climates.
• Eurasian advantage: horizontal axis allowed for easier agricultural diffusion and societal development.

Germs' Role in Development

• European conquest of the Americas (1492) led to devastating disease outbreaks, killing indigenous populations.
• The Black Death (bubonic plague) killed approximately one-quarter of Europe's population in the 14th century.
• Crowding and contact with domestic animals facilitated disease transmission and evolution.
• Dense populations in farming societies fostered disease spread.

Birth of State

• Stages of societal development:

  • Bands: Small groups
  • Tribes: Larger groups
  • Chiefdoms: Larger groups
  • States: Complex societies with centralized governance (emerged ~8,000 years ago; over 50,000 people)

• Defining characteristics of a state:

  • Imposing rules over a defined territory and population.
  • Exercises a monopoly on legitimate force (e.g., policing, military).

Institutional Factors

• Douglas North: Institutions shape economic outcomes.
• Extractive institutions (limited access order): Elites control political and economic systems, extract benefits through monopolies and privileges, limit broader participation and economic growth.
• Inclusive institutions (open access order): Broad access to political and economic opportunities, foster broad participation in governance and economic activities.
• Institutional factors influence societal development and economic prosperity.

Amartya Sen: Individual Capability and Freedom

• Emphasis on individual capability and freedom as crucial for development.
• Development as addressing the root causes of "unfreedom": poverty, hunger, lack of healthcare, sanitation, clean water, poor economic opportunities, social deprivation, and negligence of public services such as education and electricity.
• Five sources of freedom: political freedom, economic opportunities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protection from security threats.

The Meiji Restoration

• Political revolution in Japan (1868) that ended the Tokugawa shogunate.
• Ended the Edo period (1603-1868) and returned power to the Emperor.
• Meiji Restoration supported a program "Five Charter Oath": deliberative assembly, all classes to unite in running administration, allow people to pursue their own callings, eliminate evil customs, and gain knowledge to strengthen imperial rule.
• Japanese government aimed for modern, industrialized nation. Western scientific, technological, legal and political ideas influenced modernization.
• The Meiji government sent thousands of students overseas to learn Western ideas, industrialized rapidly.
• Development from feudal society to industrialized nation.

Demographic Factors

• Malthus: population growth exceeds resource availability; leads to unsustainable growth.
• Desertification: climate change and population growth depletes resources.
• Population structure: Age-dependent population structures affect economic development. Rapid growth can lead to many dependents and fewer workers, impacting development and savings.
• Demographic window: Periods in a country's demographic transition characterized by a larger working-age population than dependent population.
• Demographic dividend: Economic growth potential arising from a higher working-age population compared to dependent population.

Test your knowledge on extreme poverty concentrations and the historical factors influencing the shift towards alternative food sources in the Fertile Crescent. This quiz addresses geographical and economic themes relevant to development disparities and resource management.