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Inside Collection (Course): Geography Grade 6
A. Reasons for Wealth / Poverty
1. The Influence of the Spice Trade
2. Colonisation
The settlers from Europe simply appropriated (took for their own use) all the raw materials that were to be found in the colonies without compensating the indigenous people. In this way gold, diamonds, silver, timber and spices were taken to European countries from the colonies. Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, is a very good example of what happened in that era. For 500 years, from 1505 to 1975 when Mozambique was a Portuguese colony, most of its resources were exploited by other countries.
3. The European Renaissance (re-awakening)
4. The Industrial Revolution
5. Climate
Consult physical maps of Africa on which climate zones and average annual rainfall figures are indicated. Try to determine what percentage of Africa is made up of desert and semi-desert areas. Then decide if an aspect of Africa’s problems may be ascribed to low or unreliable rainfall.
Percentage of Africa that is desert or semi-desert:
________%
________ %
The population of Africa, south of the Sahara, is growing too fast. According to one calculation, there will be a ten-fold increase in the continent’s population between the years 1950 and 2050!
It is important to keep in mind that a ten-fold increase in population can produce a ten-fold increase in the continent’s problems!
Remember that it is not only the population that is growing – there is an equal increase in the demand for food, educational opportunities, housing, energy and job opportunities. Many social, political, economic and ecological problems grow at the same rate.
Let us take as an example a country where the population grows faster than its capacity to produce food for its inhabitants. If the country has a strong economy and there is money to buy food, everything is fine, but what happens if this is not so?
Help must come from somewhere to buy food. For many years, help came from the “wealthy countries to the North”. But now we have to consider whether the “rich” countries will always come to the help of the “poor” countries?
In the USA, Canada and Europe, farmers produce more food than can be consumed by the inhabitants of those countries. The surplus food can be purchased and distributed in countries with chronic shortages or where natural disasters occur and cause great pain and suffering. Unfortunately, production costs are increasing to such an extent that it is becoming increasingly expensive to buy and distribute wheat, corn and rice to areas of need.
B. The Result:
. . . THE “RICH” NORTH AND THE “POOR” SOUTH
| The “rich North”Developed countriesControlled population growthHigh standard of living | The “poor South”Developing countriesHigh population growthLow standards of living |
Leaders Steal Billions From African Countries, Says Obasanjo
LAGOS – According to president Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, African leaders have stolen almost $140 billion (about R1 400 billion) from the continent in the past three or four decades.
On Thursday, in Addis Abeba, the capital city of Ethiopia, Obasanjo said that theft was the main cause of poverty in Africa.
He was addressing delegates from African communities at a conference of the Organisation of African Unity.
Obasanjo also called on world leaders to support Africa in its attempts to recover a part of this stolen money that is hoarded in bank accounts in foreign countries.
He said that African leaders were the main culprits but Western countries that held this stolen money, must also accept part of the responsibility.
He said, “We are attempting to organise an international convention, by which we will be able to recover the moneys stolen by corrupt African leaders and invested in foreign countries.”
“It is not enough to merely blame the developing countries,” Obasanjo said.
“Western countries must support the attempts made to recover the money stolen from our treasuries in practice,” he added.
For example, an amount of about $4 billion (about R40 billion) disappeared during the administration of General Sani Abacha of Nigeria. Recently an undertaking to recover part of this money was concluded in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Nigeria simultaneously agreed to stop legal action against the Abacha family and to release more than $100 million (about R1 billion) of what the family will be allowed to keep.
Source: Die Burger, 15 June 2002
Today, the world can be divided into two main groups, based on their material means.
Developed countries: The USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and European countries such as Britain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. These countries are situated mainly in the northern hemisphere and they are commonly known as the “rich North”.
Developing countries: Large parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America (American countries where Spanish, Portuguese and French are spoken). These countries are situated mainly in the southern hemisphere and are collectively known as the “poor South”.
In the rich countries the standard of living is high. Most people earn a relatively high income, eat nourishing food and have access to good health services and education. On the contrary, the standard of living in the poor countries is usually very low, and people earn a meagre income. Many of the inhabitants of these countries are undernourished and do not have basic commodities such as health services and proper educational facilities. Approximately 80% of the total world population live in the poor South, while the other 20% enjoy the comfort, wealth and space of the wealthy countries.
| Learning Outcomes(LOs) |
| LO 1 |
| GEOGRAPHICAL ENQUIRYThe learner will be able to use enquiry skills to investigate geographical and environmental concepts and processes. |
| Assessment standards(ASe) |
| We know this when the learner: |
|
| LO 2 |
| GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDINGThe learner will be able to demonstrate an environmental knowledge and understanding. |
| We know this when the learner: |
| 2.2 identifies how access to different kinds of resources influences development in different places; |
| LO 3 |
| EXPLORING ISSUESThe learner will be able to make informed decisions about social and environmental issues and problems. |
| We know this when the learner: |
|
Activity 1:
Better education – better health – higher life expectancy – higher quality of life – higher production
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Last edited by Siyavula Uploaders on May 1, 2009 1:45 pm -0500.