Article: The Geography of Poverty
Author: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Andrew D. Mellinger, and John L. Gallup
An area's climate can also affect its economic development. The world is divided into 5 climate zones: tropical/subtropical, desert, temperate, highland and polar. The poorest regions in the world are located in desert zone and have two major disadvantages: Distance from sea trade and a dry environment not suitable for farming and harvesting crops. Most of the global production is highly concentrated in coastal regions of temperate climate zones. Temperate zones produce more food; some of the major crops only grow in temperate climates. Farming is not done in tropical zones because of soil fragility: high temperatures cause soil to lose moisture; intense rainfall leaches minerals out of soil; and pests and parasites that destroy crops and livestock. Also, many diseases are endemic to tropical and subtropical zones; cold winters in temperate zones that tropical zones do not have, easily fight off the diseases.
I never thought about the fact that geography and climate can affect the economy of a country until finishing this article. In fact, it makes me kind of sad and sympathetic for the regions that are not near a coast or regions that have tropical weather. Because of their location and climate, they don't have access to the water and can't grow crops. It seems very hard to fix this problem; we can't create a lake in the middle of Africa or change the tropical climate in South America. One way to help the economies of poor countries is that rich countries provide financial support for poorer countries to help them overcome the problems they have for just being in the wrong place. An estimate shows that donating a moderate amount of money could make a difference in reducing disease and increasing food production in the world's poorest countries.
Author: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Andrew D. Mellinger, and John L. Gallup
- Some countries are incredibly rich bur some are horrendously poor.
- The physical geography of a region can influence its economic performance.
- Economies of coastal regions with easy access to sea trade, usually outperform the economies of inland areas.
- Geography plays an important role in shaping the distribution of world income and economic growth.
- Coastal regions and those near navigable waterways are far richer and more densely settled than interior regions.
- An area's climate can also affect its economic development.
- Nations in tropical climate zones face higher rates of infection and disease and lower agricultural productivity than do nations in temperate zones.
- The poorest regions in the world are those located in desert zones and two disadvantages: distance from sea trade and a tropical or desert ecology.
- Majority of poor countries lie in geographic tropics - between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn.
- Many of the richest countries lie in temperate zones.
- World is divided into 5 climate zones: tropical-subtropical, desert, temperate, highland and polar.
- Almost all the temperate-zone countries have either high-income economies (North America, Japan) or middle-income economies (China).
- Access to sea trade is important; regions far from the sea tend to be poorer than their coastal counterparts.
- Global production is highly concentrated in the coastal regions of temperate climate zones.
- Three major ways geography affects economic development.
- First, economies differ in their ease of transporting goods, people and ideas. Sea trade is less expensive than land or air trade; coastline economies have a great advantage.
- Second, many diseases are endemic to tropical and subtropical zones; cold winters in temperate zones easily control the diseases.
- Third, temperate zones produce more food. Some of the major crops only grow in temperate climates.
- Farming in tropical zones are hampered by soil fragility: high temperatures cause soil to lose moisture; intense rainfall leaches minerals out of soil; and pests and parasites that destroy crops and livestock.
An area's climate can also affect its economic development. The world is divided into 5 climate zones: tropical/subtropical, desert, temperate, highland and polar. The poorest regions in the world are located in desert zone and have two major disadvantages: Distance from sea trade and a dry environment not suitable for farming and harvesting crops. Most of the global production is highly concentrated in coastal regions of temperate climate zones. Temperate zones produce more food; some of the major crops only grow in temperate climates. Farming is not done in tropical zones because of soil fragility: high temperatures cause soil to lose moisture; intense rainfall leaches minerals out of soil; and pests and parasites that destroy crops and livestock. Also, many diseases are endemic to tropical and subtropical zones; cold winters in temperate zones that tropical zones do not have, easily fight off the diseases.
I never thought about the fact that geography and climate can affect the economy of a country until finishing this article. In fact, it makes me kind of sad and sympathetic for the regions that are not near a coast or regions that have tropical weather. Because of their location and climate, they don't have access to the water and can't grow crops. It seems very hard to fix this problem; we can't create a lake in the middle of Africa or change the tropical climate in South America. One way to help the economies of poor countries is that rich countries provide financial support for poorer countries to help them overcome the problems they have for just being in the wrong place. An estimate shows that donating a moderate amount of money could make a difference in reducing disease and increasing food production in the world's poorest countries.