Make a diagram of the characteristics of historical geographical regions. Historical and geographical regions of the modern world. Geography teacher
What are regions of the world? By general definition, the concept region implies any territory that has one or more common features. Region- synonym for words district, region, continent. There are regions within every continent, country, city. By what principle the attitude of countries to a particular region is determined, we will consider in more detail.
Why share the world?
The planet we live on is vast and diverse. Its remote parts differ significantly in geographical location, climatic conditions, economic development, historical, religious and cultural characteristics. It is much more convenient for a specialist in any issue that goes beyond one state to combine regions and countries of the world with the same characteristic features in one name. The generally accepted names of the regions are known to the general public, and everyone who is familiar with geography understands what is at stake.
For the study of geography, division into regions is necessary for convenience. There is no need to describe in detail each individual country, if the patterns of its development and geophysical conditions are similar to neighboring ones, especially since the quantitative composition and names of countries change constantly over the course of history. Features of the regions are studied by a separate science - regional studies.
Major regions of the world
The main division is defined by the UN classification system. The division of the world into regions was carried out on a territorial basis, by continents, for the purpose of statistics. It looks like this:
- Europe (Central, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western).
- Asia (Central, Western, Southern, Eastern and South-Eastern, Northern).
- Africa (Central, Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern).
- America (North or Anglo-America; Central or Caribbean, together with North America are combined in some sources into one region - Latin America; South)
- Australia and Oceania (Australia - New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia).
There are 23 regions in total. This division denotes the regions of the world according to the parameters of the physical and geographical position of its territory, the areas of these regions coincide with the areas of the continents and islands, and have a geographical border.
Historical and cultural zoning
The history of the development of peoples, the formation of their cultural heritage, the established groups of languages and dialects are as diverse on the planet as the climatic conditions of life. At the same time, there are countries for which this path was identical, some states broke up into smaller ones, while others merged into one. Historical and cultural regions of the world are areas in which the features of religion, life, cultural heritage, architecture, customs, way of doing business, and even the main set of food products, have similar properties that distinguish this area from others. The boundaries of these regions may coincide with the geographic zoning, but not necessarily.
Examples of regions of the world with common historical and cultural traditions:
- North Africa and the Middle East. The territory of the admirers of Islam, through which the caravans of merchants from all over the world passed.
- North America is an area in which the original culture of the natives is almost completely destroyed, and so are its representatives themselves. A new community of representatives of nationalities of all continents has fully developed.
- Oceania - remote from other civilizations, the peoples of this region have created an original culture that is not similar and incomprehensible to other peoples.
Ecoregions
The ecological regions of the world, or natural zones, are very vast territories that are united by a similar landscape, climatic conditions, representatives of flora and fauna. Ecoregions are located around the planet mainly by latitudes, but have a different location and width, depending on the relief and proximity to the ocean. The boundaries of natural regions for the most part do not coincide with the boundaries of powers or historical regions, they are determined by the distribution of warm and cold air and remoteness from the oceans.
Examples of ecoregions: tropics, equatorial forests, deserts, steppes, taiga, tundra, arctic deserts.
Tourist regions
The tourism business also considers in its activities the division of the world into regions, taking into account the recreational possibilities of the place offered for recreation for tourists: nature; historical and cultural heritage; ecological, social, infrastructural conditions.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) adopted 5 tourist regions, which, in turn, are divided into 14 sub-regions.
Regions of the world by tourist destinations:
- Europe.
- Asia and Pacific countries.
- America.
- Africa.
- Near East.
Economic division
Economists divide the world in their own way. Economically, regions differ from geographic, climatic, or historical regions. The principle of their division is the level of economic development of the state. According to the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, countries are divided according to the degree of development of a market economy, according to the socio-political system, according to the level of development.
Answers to exam tickets for intermediate certification in geography, grade 10
Compiled by: S.M. cook,
Geography teacher
2014, Bender.
Ticket number 1
Historical and geographical regions of the modern world
There are natural, economic, ethnic and other differences among the states and territories of the world. In addition, it is difficult to assess the fullness and versatility of the social and economic life of the planet at a glance. Therefore, to study the economic and social geography of the world, more or less homogeneous historical and geographical regions are distinguished.
The largest regions are parts of the world. Within the parts of the world, smaller regions are distinguished that have a certain geographical unity and a common historical destiny. The most common in geography is the allocation historical and geographical regions. They are groups of countries united by the similarity of historical development and location features.
In Europe, for example, Western, Central and Eastern Europe are traditionally distinguished. The countries of Western Europe in the post-war years formed into a stable political unity. Now, Central Europe is a group of countries in the post-socialist transition economy, covering the former socialist countries of Europe and the young independent states that were previously republics within the USSR (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova). Eastern Europe is the European part of Russia.
Asia is divided into North (Siberia and the Far East), East, Southeast, South, Southwest (or the Middle East) and Central. The territories of Southwest, South and Southeast Asia have long been established and each covers countries that gravitate to their respective geographical regions. North Asia includes the Asian part of Russia. East Asia includes the territories of Japan, North Korea, the Republic of Korea, China, Mongolia, although from the point of view of physical geography and history, Mongolia and Western China are Central Asia. Currently, Central Asia also includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
In America, Anglo-Saxon (North) America (USA and Canada) and Latin America are distinguished, which includes the countries of the mainland South America, Central America and the West Indies.
Africa is the countries of the African continent. Australia and Oceania include mainland Australia and all island states and territories in the Pacific Ocean.
Historical and geographical regions of the world have different levels of internal unity. If Western Europe unites politically and economically quite homogeneous countries, then, for example, Southwestern Asia is still a field of political confrontation today. Africa is a conglomerate of economically little interconnected countries.
The level of internal unity of the regions is extremely dependent on natural features (presence of plains, comfort of climatic conditions, transport accessibility, etc.), and on the common historical fate, but the main thing is the level of formation of regional markets, the active exchange of goods and resources, labor , a variety of services.
Agriculture of the PMR, problems of its development.
The basis of agriculture in Pridnestrovie, which has been greatly reduced since the times of the USSR, is crop production - cereals, grapes, vegetables, sunflowers. In 2007, the region suffered from a severe drought, with losses amounting to about $46 million. The country also experiences a decline in animal husbandry from year to year. In general, the contribution of agriculture to the GDP of Transnistria in 2007 amounted to 0.76% in terms of value.
Factors influencing the agriculture of Transnistria:
1) highly fertile soils and significant agro-climatic potential, favorable for intensive farming and animal husbandry;
2) agricultural traditions of the population and sufficient availability of labor resources, allowing the production of labor-intensive types of products;
3) high concentration of the population, providing a significant market for agricultural products.
A number of factors limit the development of agriculture and reduce the effectiveness of its performance. The territory of Transnistria belongs to the zone of unstable agriculture, due to insufficient rainfall and the spread of adverse climatic phenomena. In the region, the natural forage base of animal husbandry is limited, and the spread of erosion processes reduces soil fertility and the possibility of using them in agricultural production.
The internal market of the region is filled with imported food, for the purchase of which huge foreign exchange funds are spent, which are essential for the development of their own agro-industrial complex. In order to intensify agricultural production, it is necessary to reform agrarian relations in the countryside, aimed at increasing the interest of peasants in the results of their labor, the effectiveness of using land as the main means of production.
Agricultural production in Pridnestrovie is diversified, including grain products, fruits and vegetables, and meat and dairy subcomplexes. A specific feature of Transnistria is the high share of agricultural land in the total structure of the land fund - they constitute
71%. Crop production is represented by the production of grain (winter wheat, corn for grain, silage, green fodder). In the structure of grain production in the PMR, wheat occupies 57%, barley - 32%, corn for grain - 9%. Sunflower production is at a low level. At the same time, the cultivation of potatoes increased significantly. The traditional direction of crop production in the PMR is horticulture and viticulture. Animal husbandry is represented by cattle breeding, pig breeding, poultry farming, and the number of horses has increased. The animal husbandry of the republic is in a difficult situation: insufficient fodder base does not contribute to the development of animal husbandry in the PMR.
Ticket 2
1) Indicators for assessing the level of socio-economic development of the country. Typology of countries according to these indicators.
The most important sign of typology for geography is the level of socio-economic development of the country. At the same time, it is important to choose statistical indicators that most accurately reflect the degree of development of the state - its economy and the standard of living of people. As such a quantitative indicator in socio-economic geography, the gross domestic product (GDP) is used. GDP is the value of goods and services produced in a country in a year and intended for direct consumption, accumulation or export. In the typology of countries, it is important to trace the internal differences in the economy of the state. To do this, analyze the features of the sectoral structure of the economy, which is displayed through the share (%) of individual industries or sectors of the economy in the economically active population (EAP) or the country's GDP. GDP per capita - the value of goods and services produced in a country in a year and intended for direct consumption, accumulation or export per capita (GDP: population)
All states of the world according to the level of socio-economic development are divided into three broad groups - developed, developing and countries with economies in transition.
Economically developed countries of the world- these are states with significant GDP per capita indicators, the predominance of the service sector and manufacturing industries in the structure of the economy, high indicators of the quality and standard of living of the population, and a high life expectancy. This group includes:
The main capitalist countries (G8 countries): USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain
Economically highly developed small countries of Western Europe: Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc.
Countries of resettlement capitalism: Canada, Australia, South Africa
· Countries with an average level of economic development: Spain, Portugal, Greece
Developing countries- these are over 150 states of the world with a colonial past and an unequal position in the world economy. They are home to most of the world's population, agrarian-raw material specialization of the economy, a lower standard of living. Examples are: Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Cyprus, Panama, Afghanistan, Nepal, Haiti.
· Key countries: Brazil, Mexico, India, Argentina
· Outward-oriented development countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Egypt, etc.
· Newly industrialized countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea
Oil-producing monarchies of the Persian Gulf: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE
Plantation countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Jamaica
Landlord countries: Cyprus, Malta, Liberia, Panama
Least developed countries: Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh
Countries with economies in transition- these are the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and Asia, whose economy developed under the conditions of an administrative-command system (a system of organizing the economy based on state ownership of the means and factors of production and on the central management of economic activity by state bodies, imposing their decisions on manufacturers and trade organizations) . For example - Poland, Romania, Vietnam.
2) Industry of the PMR: sectoral composition, development factors. Industry is an important part of the PMR's economy. It concentrates ¼ of those employed in the economy of the region, and most of them are in the branches of specialization - ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, light industry, food industry, electric power industry.
Power industry. The republic does not have its own fuel industry, and the region meets its needs for primary energy sources (coal, oil products, natural gas) exclusively through imports. The main role in the electric power industry of the republic is played by the Moldavskaya GRES.
Ferrous metallurgy represented by the Moldavian Metallurgical Plant (MMZ) in
Rybnitsa, which belongs to the enterprises of conversion metallurgy. It produces steel and small-section rolled products, using metal imported from neighboring countries and regions as raw materials. Over the past years, MMZ has gained considerable authority and experience in working with metal consumers in various countries of the world. Its products are supplied to the CIS countries, Europe, Asia and the USA.
Building materials industry relies on the presence of significant reserves of natural building materials, as well as high domestic demand for building products due to intensive industrial and civil construction. Currently, limestone wall stone is mined in the Grigoriopol mine, and sand and gravel deposits are being developed in Parkany. Cement production has been established in the city of Rybnitsa, brick production in the city of Tiraspol, linoleum and mineral wool are produced in the city of Bendery. Basically, the products of the industry are consumed in the republic. Some of its types, for example, cement, are exported to foreign countries.
Mechanical engineering PMR represented by the electrical industry, the production of technological equipment, hardware and vehicles. The largest enterprises are concentrated in the cities of Tiraspol, Bender, Rybnitsa. The electrical industry is represented by: the Transnistrian machine-building plant "Elektromash" (Tiraspol), the Bendery plant "Moldavkabel", the Bendery plant "Electroapparatura". Rybnitsa pumping plant, plant "Pribor" (Bendery).
Light industry is one of the most important branches of specialization of the PMR. It has a complex structure, represented by textile, clothing, knitwear and footwear enterprises. The most successful in the domestic and foreign markets among the enterprises of light industry is the Tiraspol production cotton association "Tirotex", which includes spinning, weaving finishing, sewing and knitting production. The largest garment production is represented by the Tiraspol enterprises "Odema", Bendery sewing firms "Vestra", "Sportex", "Benderiteks", "Luch". The city of Bender is the center of the shoe industry in Transnistria. Shoe firms "Floare", "Tigina", "Danastr" are located here
food industry represented by a wide range of food producers located in cities and rural areas of the region. Depending on participation in the interstate division of labor, the food industry can be divided into domestic (meat, dairy, bakery, flour and cereals, brewing) and export-oriented
(wine-making, cognac, liquor-vodka, fruit and vegetable canning). The Tiraspol wine and cognac factory "KVINT" and the factory "Bouquet of Moldova" (Dubossary) work most effectively in the domestic and foreign markets.
Ticket number 3
Ticket number 5
Population - 25 million people
Composition - 5 states.
The region occupies the northern part of Europe: from the Jutland peninsula in the south to the Svalbard archipelago in the north, from the Russian border in Karelia in the east to the island of Iceland in the west.
Northern Europe occupies an advantageous maritime geographical position. The seas and surrounding countries connect them with each other and with the outside world, determine the development of such important industries as fishing, shipping, shipbuilding, oil and gas production on the shelf. The deep indentation of the coast (fjords) creates favorable conditions for the placement of ports and shipyards. The bulk of the population and economy of these states gravitate towards the coast.
Northern Europe includes the Scandinavian countries, Finland, the Baltic countries. The Scandinavian countries are Sweden and Norway. Considering the general historical and cultural features of development, Denmark and Iceland are also included in the Nordic countries.
The Baltic states are Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia. Often in popular science literature one can also come across the concept of "Phenoscandia", which has a more physical and geographical origin. It is convenient to use it in the economic - geographical characteristics of the group of countries in Northern Europe, including Finland, Sweden, Norway.
Northern Europe occupies a territory of 1433 thousand km 2, which is 16.8% of the area of Europe - the third place among the economic and geographical macro-regions of Europe, after Eastern and Southern Europe. The largest countries in terms of area are Sweden (449.9 thousand km 2), Finland (338.1 km 2) and Norway (323.9 thousand km 2), which occupy more than three-quarters of the territory of the macroregion. Small countries include Denmark (43.1 thousand km 2), as well as the Baltic countries: Estonia - 45.2, Latvia - 64.6 and Lithuania - 65.3 thousand km 2. Iceland is the smallest country in the first group in terms of area and almost twice the area of any single small country. The territory of Northern Europe consists of two sub-regions: Fenoscandia and the Baltic. The first sub-region includes such states as Finland, a group of Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, together with the islands of the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. In particular, Denmark includes the Faroe Islands and the island of Greenland, which enjoys internal autonomy, and Norway owns the Svalbard archipelago. Most of the northern countries are close by the similarity of languages and are characterized by historical features of development and natural and geographical integrity.
The second sub-region (the Baltic countries) includes Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, which, due to their geographical position, have always been northern. However, in reality, they could be attributed to the Northern macroregion only in the new geopolitical situation that developed in the early 90s of the XX century, that is, after the collapse of the USSR.
The economic and geographical position of Northern Europe is characterized by the following features:
firstly, an advantageous position regarding the crossing of important air and sea routes from Europe to North America, as well as the convenience of access for the countries of the region to the international waters of the oceans,
secondly, the proximity of the location to the highly developed countries of Western Europe (Germany, Holland, Belgium, Great Britain, France),
thirdly, the neighborhood on the southern borders with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, in particular Poland, in which market relations are successfully developing,
fourthly, land neighborhood with the Russian Federation, whose economic contacts contribute to the formation of promising markets for products;
fifth, the presence of territories outside the Arctic Circle (35% of the area of Norway, 38% of Sweden, 47% of Finland). Among other geographical features - 1) the presence of the warm Gulf Stream, which has a direct impact on the climate and economic activity of all countries of the macroregion; 2) a significant length of the coastline running along the Baltic, North, Norwegian and Barents Seas, 3) as well as predominantly platform structure of the earth's surface, the most expressive territory, which is the Baltic Shield. Its crystalline rocks contain minerals of predominantly igneous origin.
According to the state structure, Denmark, Norway and Sweden are constitutional monarchies, the rest of the countries of the region are republics. According to the administrative-territorial structure, the countries of Northern Europe are unitary states.
The region has large deposits of iron ores, non-ferrous metals, coal, uranium ores, oil and gas. The climate of Northern Europe is temperate, maritime with increasing continentality towards the east. Numerous rivers and lakes are used for the development of energy and fisheries. Soils are infertile. With intensive reclamation, they give good yields of grain, industrial and fodder crops. Huge tracts of coniferous forests are the most important natural wealth of the region. The harsh nature attracts numerous tourists - ecological, arctic, agricultural, sports, cultural tourism.
Population: Northern Europe is the most sparsely populated region of the continent. All countries and regions are one-national. Most of the population is Protestant. Natural growth in the region averages
4-5%. Average life expectancy is 80 years. The vast majority of women in the country and a high proportion of pensioners. The average GDP per capita exceeds $30,000. The country's population is distributed extremely unevenly. The average density is 35 people per 1 sq. km. km. Northern Europe is a highly urbanized region (more than 80%, excluding Finland).
The economies of the Nordic countries are significantly inferior in scale and diversity of the sectoral structure to the leading economies of Europe. However, they occupy a leading position in the production of a narrow range of high-quality products. The industry is represented by oil and natural gas production on the shelf of the North Sea, iron ore in Lapland, electric power industry (mainly hydropower in Norway and Sweden, geothermal in Iceland); ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy (especially the smelting of high-quality types of steel and aluminum); various mechanical engineering (metalworking, general, transport, electrical engineering); chemical industry; woodworking and pulp and paper industry; light and food (meat, brewing, fish and butter and cheese), printing industry. The main industrial centers are the capitals of countries.
In agriculture, high-commodity farms and cooperatives with an intensive type of production play an important role. The structure of the agrarian sector of the economy is dominated by animal husbandry. Crop production specializes in the cultivation of forage grasses, grain crops, potatoes, sugar and fodder beets.
The transport complex of the northern European countries is well developed, but is less dense than in other parts of Europe. Rail transport is the leader in cargo transportation. They have access to ice-free ports of the North Atlantic. Road transport provides the vast majority of passenger traffic. For external relations, the leading role is played by sea and air transport.
In the international division of labor, Northern Europe is represented by a relatively narrow sector of primary and finished goods. The countries of the region export oil and oil products, gas, iron ore, steel, rolled products, aluminum, various vehicles, machine tools, electronics, weapons and chemicals, as well as food and woodworking products.
Ticket 6
Ticket number 7
Composition - 8 states.
Southern Europe is one of the most distinctive regions of the globe, located in the south of this part of the world. The area of Southern Europe is -1.03 million square meters. km. Southern Europe typically includes:
Countries on the Mediterranean coast - the countries of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain, Andorra), Monaco;
States located on the Apennine Peninsula (Italy, Vatican, San Marino), Greece,
Island states - Malta and Cyprus.
(sometimes Southern Europe also includes Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the southern regions of Ukraine (primarily Crimea, as well as Odessa, Kherson, Nikolaev, and sometimes also Zaporozhye region) and the European part of Turkey). Five of the eight states in the region (Italy, Greece, Portugal, Malta, San Marino) are republics. Spain and Andorra are constitutional monarchies, the Vatican is an absolute theocratic monarchy.
The countries of southern Europe border on France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria. Turkey in the east with Syria, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, Georgia. The relief and coastline are strongly dissected. Most of the region is occupied by mountains separating the southern European countries. The region is the cradle of European civilization.
Nature Southern Europe is almost entirely located in the zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, which has been preserved only on the Mediterranean coast. Southern Europe is known for its hot climate, rich history and warm Mediterranean waters. Fauna: roe deer, servals, markhors, foxes, monitor lizards, wolves, badgers, raccoons. Flora: strawberry trees, holm oaks, myrtles, olives, grapes, citrus fruits, magnolia, cypresses, chestnuts, junipers.. In all countries of Southern Europe, a subtropical Mediterranean climate prevails, so warm temperatures around +24 ° C prevail in summer, and quite cool in winter , about +8C. Precipitation is sufficient, about 1000-1500 mm per year. The region's water resources are scarce. In the southern European countries, the river network is poorly developed, the rivers are shallow, with large seasonal fluctuations and are of exceptional importance for irrigation and water supply to the population and industry.
The natural resources and conditions of Southern Europe are diverse. The only vast lowland is the Padan Plain in Italy. The mountains of Southern Europe are young, so mountain building processes continue and are accompanied by frequent earthquakes and volcanism. Among the minerals, deposits of various ores of non-ferrous metals and building materials stand out. Fuel resources of the region are scarce. Many deposits have been developed for thousands of years and today are practically depleted.
Population. All the peoples of the countries of Southern Europe have come a long way of formation.
High population density, from 100 or more people per 1 km². The predominant religion is Christianity (Catholicism). The narrowed type of population reproduction prevails in the region - the natural decline is up to 1%. Recently, the birth rate has decreased, the cult of large families has weakened, and social egoism has grown. Average life expectancy is high and reaches 78 years. In the countries of Southern Europe, the process of "aging of nations" is growing. The average population density in the largest countries of the region is 150-200 people. per 1 km². The population is unevenly distributed. The most densely populated coastal plains and river valleys. Here the population density exceeds 400 people. per 1 km². Two thirds of the population of the countries of the region live in cities. The largest cities are Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Madrid, Barcelona, Athens.
Economy. Although the countries of Southern Europe belong to the group of highly developed countries, most of them are significantly behind the countries of Western and Northern Europe in many economic indicators. The economy is dominated by manufacturing and service industries.
The economy of the southern European countries is largely dependent on foreign capital, in particular American. Particularly sensitive to the economy of the region is the complete absence of its own oil, but the set of minerals is large enough for the development of the economies of countries. In terms of extraction of mercury ore (cinnabar), asbestos, pyrites, natural corundum, marble, bauxite, polymetals, uranium ore, antimony, Southern Europe is ahead of many regions of the world.
The source of energy in these countries is the turbulent mountain rivers, mainly the Alps and the Pyrenees, geothermal sources, as well as fuel oil and natural gas from African countries. Ferrous metallurgy of the countries of Southern Europe depends on the import of iron ore and coking coal, the industry centers are located in port cities. In most countries, the mining industry, agriculture, mountain pasture animal husbandry, the production of machinery and instruments, fabrics, leather, the cultivation of grapes and citrus fruits are widespread. Tourism is very common. Spain ranks second in the world in terms of tourism (France ranks first). The main branch of specialization, in addition to international tourism, is agriculture, in particular, this area is rich in grapes, olives, quite high rates in the cultivation of cereals and legumes (Spain - 22.6 million tons, Italy - 20.8 million tons), and also vegetables and fruits (Spain - 11.5 million tons, Italy - 14.5 million tons). Despite the predominance of agriculture, there are also industrial areas, in particular, the cities of Genoa, Turin and Milan are the main industrial cities of Italy. It should be noted that they are located mainly in the north, closer to the countries of Western Europe.
Among the branches of specialization of the manufacturing industry, various machine building, chemical, light and food industries stand out. Agriculture in the region is highly intensive. Large commodity farms and cooperatives dominate among land users. The development of animal husbandry is limited by the scarcity of the forage base. Crop production specializes in the cultivation of cereals, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, and vegetables.
Transport not only connects the countries of the region with each other, but provides them with access to other states of Western Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Domestic transportation is served mainly by road and rail, and external - by sea and air. A network of transcontinental pipelines is being developed, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and linking the oil and gas fields of North Africa and the Middle East with the states of the region. In world trade, Southern Europe specializes in engineering, chemical, light, and food industries. Tourism stands out among international services.
Ticket number 8
Composition - 17 states.
Central and Eastern Europe are the former socialist states of Europe.
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe include countries located east of Germany and south of the Baltic Sea to the borders with Greece: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Eastern Germany (former German Democratic Republic) Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia , Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria. The main features of the EGP are the position on the western borders of Russia, the border with the developed states of Europe, the direct access of Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries to the seas. Transport routes connecting Russia with the countries of Western and Southern Europe pass through this region, which favors broad pan-European cooperation. The countries are located compactly in relation to each other.
Central Eastern Europe (CEE) occupies an advantageous economic and geographical position. The region is located at the crossroads of Western and Eastern Europe. In the north it is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea, and in the south by the Mediterranean Sea.
The area is -1.3 million km 2.
The climate is temperate continental. Countries located north of the Carpathians have more humid, but less warm and sunny climatic conditions than the Balkan states. The countries in the northern part of the region are characterized by frequent floods, while the southern part of the region is characterized by droughts.
The region has a dense river network. Of exceptional importance for the life of the peoples of CEE is the largest river, the Danube. Its waters are intensively used for irrigation, industry, municipal water supply, transport, and recreation. In countries south of the Carpathians, highly fertile chernozems predominate, requiring artificial irrigation. Coniferous and beech forests of industrial importance grow in the mountainous regions of the region. Among the recreational resources of CEE are the sea coast, high-mountain resorts of the Carpathians.
Natural conditions and resources.
The natural resource potential, the history of development and formation of the economy led to internal differences in nature management, which was fixed in the specialization of the countries of the region in the world market.
The relief of the region is complex. It has high mountains and vast plains. The diversity of the relief determines the diversity of minerals in the region.
The mineral resource base of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe is represented by fuel and energy resources: coal - Poland (Upper Silesian), Czech Republic (Ostrava-Karvinsky), Ukraine (Donetsk and Lvov-Volynsky basins), Russia (Pechora), brown coal (Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, Hungary), oil and gas, oil shale and peat. The ore resources of this region include the iron ores of Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia; zinc, copper - Poland, Slovakia, bauxite - Hungary, manganese - Ukraine; and non-metallic resources are represented by potash salt - Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus; rock salt - Belarus, Ukraine, Russia; natural sulfur - Poland, Ukraine; phosphorites - Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus; amber - the Baltic countries.
Population: The narrowed type of population reproduction prevails in the countries of the region. The natural decline is up to 1%, which is explained by higher mortality. Life expectancy is significantly less than in other parts of the European continent, averaging 74 years. In some CEE countries, the process of “aging of nations” is on the rise.
The CEE countries are characterized by exceptional ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity. The peoples speak Slavic, Romance, Finno-Ugric languages. The population of the northern part of the region mainly professes Catholicism and Protestantism, and the southern part - Orthodoxy and Islam. The average population density in the largest countries of the region is about 100 people. per 1 km 2. The population is distributed unevenly, the most densely populated are the valleys of large rivers, coastal plains and intermountain basins. Here the density is 400 people. per 1 km 2
In terms of urbanization, CEE lags far behind other regions of Europe - 2/3 of the population lives in cities. Rural settlement is mainly represented by large villages, and in the north of Poland and in the Baltic countries, farms predominate.
The economic and geographical position of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe can be assessed as very favorable. It has a great influence on the location of industries in them, favors the development of economic integration and the creation of border free economic zones.
The CEE countries belong to the group of countries with economies in transition, but in many economic indicators they lag behind most other countries in Europe, although they have completed the transition to market mechanisms. The level of well-being of the inhabitants of the states of the region is comparatively lower than the standard of living of the population of the rest of the continent. Annual per capita GDP ranges from $4,000 to $12,000 a year.
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe are rich in cultural and historical sights. They are famous not only for capitals and large cities, but also for many small towns in the region, declared museum cities.
Industry: various mechanical engineering (production of means of transport, agricultural machinery, machine tools, industrial equipment, household electrical engineering and electronics); chemical industry (production of agrochemicals, explosives, synthetic resins, plastics, dyes, household chemicals, pharmaceuticals, perfumery and cosmetics); light (textiles, ready-to-wear, footwear); food (dairy and meat, canned fruits and vegetables, wines, sugar, tobacco products).
Agriculture in the region is relatively less intensive and marketable than in other regions of Europe. Farms, cooperatives and small peasant farms dominate among land users. Grain crops (wheat, rye, oats), sugar beets, potatoes, flax, and fodder grasses predominate in crop production. The Balkan countries specialize in the cultivation of wheat, corn, sunflower, grapes, vegetables, fruits, tobacco, essential oil crops. Of the branches of animal husbandry, there are: meat and dairy cattle breeding, pig breeding, sheep breeding, and poultry farming.
Transport serves not only regional freight and passenger traffic, but also transit flows from the CIS countries and the Middle East to the countries of Western Europe. Domestic transportation is carried out mainly by road and rail, and external - by sea and air transport. A significant role is played by navigation along the Danube, oil and gas pipelines from Russia to Germany and Italy. Major transport hubs are Budapest, Prague, Belgrade, Bucharest, Warsaw.
In world trade, the region specializes in engineering products, chemical, light, and food industries. Tourism, transport transit, education, science stand out among the international services of the region.
Ticket number 9
Composition - 17 states
The region is located on three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. There are 17 independent states on this territory: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, UAE, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Cyprus. Most of the countries in the region are republics; the countries of the Arabian Peninsula mostly have a monarchical form of government. For all SWEA countries (except for the UAE), a unitary administrative-territorial division is typical.
Southwest Asia includes the peninsula of Asia Minor, the Iranian and Armenian highlands, Mesopotamia, the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Cyprus, as well as a number of small islands in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.
Two climatic zones are pronounced on the plains: tropical and subtropical; in the mountains, with a pronounced altitudinal zonality, the climate is sharply continental.
Region Europe The area of Europe is 9.7 million km2. The population of Europe is 827.3 million people. There are 4 zones: Northern Europe, Central, Southern and Eastern Europe. The regions of Europe are economically homogeneous, with the exception of Eastern Europe, which was part of the zone of influence of the USSR. With the collapse of the USSR, most of the countries of Europe joined the big union, which is known as the EU. The European region is known in the world for stable political unity. Basically, Christianity is widespread in Europe, due to which clothing, food, holidays and rituals of Europeans are almost the same.
Asia- the largest area (more than 44 million km 2) and population (more than 3.6 billion people) part of the world. Asia has 50 states and 1 independent territory. Ancient civilizations arose in Asia, and the main world religions - Buddhism, Christianity, Islam - originated in Asia. The first ancient cities arose in Asia.
Asia is divided into 6 regions. North Asia includes the Asian part of Russia. Southwest Asia - includes all countries on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula, the republics of Transcaucasia, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran and Afghanistan (20 states in total). South Asia - includes 7 states, the largest of which are India and Pakistan. Southeast Asia is 11 states, ten of which are developing (all except Singapore). East Asia - includes only five powers (China, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea). Central Asia consists of five post-Soviet republics (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan). The economies of Asian states differ significantly in terms of their level of competitiveness in the world market. For example: It is impossible to oppose the economy of the DPRK and the economy of Japan.
In America distinguish Anglo-America (USA and Canada) and Latin America, which includes the countries of the mainland South America, Central America and the West Indies. Continents were mastered 500 years ago. During this time, the territory of Anglo-America became the leader. The population of Latin America is a motley picture of the worlds, a variety of economies and religions.
Africa - these are 5 regions that differ sharply from each other in the standard of living, economic orientation and ethnic history. North Africa covers the territories of the Arab Maghreb. The main population is Caucasian. The territories are rich in oil and gas, which contributed to the rapid integration of the economies of these countries into the world economic space. The remaining regions of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa are generally homogeneous in terms of population composition, lifestyle and organization of economic activity. The exception is South Africa. This state is included in the category of developed countries.
To Australia and Oceania include mainland Australia and all island nations and territories in the Pacific Ocean. Australia and New Zealand belong to the world's developed countries, the rest of the states belong to the majority of countries with an average level of income.
Historical and geographical regions of the world have different levels of internal unity. If Western Europe unites politically and economically quite homogeneous countries, then, for example, Southwestern Asia is still a field of political confrontation today. Africa, on the other hand, is a union of economically little connected countries.
The level of internal unity of the regions is extremely dependent on natural features (presence of plains, comfort of climatic conditions, transport accessibility, etc.), and on the common historical fate, but the main thing is the level of formation of regional markets, the active exchange of goods and resources, labor , a variety of services.
What is the best way to study the modern world? What major territorial units can it be "divided" into? What factors determine the degree of internal unity of territories inhabited by different peoples?
What is a region and regional geography. The word "region" is most often used to refer to vast territories covering continents, their integral parts or countries. 1 . This is where the expression comes from. regional geography. It considers all the diversity of the modern world from a regional point of view, that is, taking into account the individuality of its major components.
Divide the globe into regions in different ways. Any such division will be a product of our thinking and will be conditional. Let us recall that even in the recent past the whole world was subdivided simply into the Old and New Worlds. The Old World meant three parts of the world known from antiquity - Europe, Asia and Africa, and the name New World meant unknown until the 16th century. a quarter of the world - America. The same extremely general division of the planet’s territory into regions could today be its “breakdown” into regions developed and inhabited by man (Ecumene), on the one hand, and undeveloped (Neocumene), on the other.
Another related word "district" is usually associated with the territories of a particular country.
As special regions, one can also consider compact territories inhabited by ethnically related peoples, confessional (professing one religion) groups, and even individual countries. Until quite recently, the method of studying the modern world by socio-economic regions, that is, the separate study of socialist and capitalist states, was widely practiced.
It is possible to offer other signs for the allocation of regions.
Historical and geographical regions of the world. Most often in life we are faced with the mention of peculiar historical and geographical regions, such as Tropical Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Indochina, Western Europe, etc. Such regions are either entire continents or their parts, characterized, as a rule, by a certain similarity in the historical destinies of the peoples inhabiting them.
Historical and geographical regions are distinguished by varying degrees of internal unity. Some of them (for example, Western Europe) have long been more or less politically, culturally and economically integral organisms, while others (for example, Africa), due to the huge differences in the paths of cultural and socio-economic development between countries (North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa) are not.
What determines the degree of internal unity of historical and geographical regions? From many factors, and above all from their historical fate and the type of civilization that has developed, the course of ethnic processes, the direction of economic relations, the development of transport routes and even the location of natural barriers (high mountains, seas, etc.).
The domestic market is of particular importance for the internal "cementing" of such regions. Its formation contributes to the activation of the territorial division of labor between the countries of the region and is a vivid example of an economic and geographical process. It is important to know in what territorial framework the domestic market is taking shape, which countries and territories are covered by trade relations. For example, the absence of a common internal market in the same Africa once again confirms the geographical disunity of the peoples of this continent.
It happens that some countries simultaneously belong to two or more regions. Thus, the widely known historical and geographical region of the world is the Middle East, located at the junction of Southwest Asia, North Africa and Europe. Traditionally, it includes Egypt, Sudan, Israel and Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Cyprus, as well as the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and small states in the Persian Gulf. The countries of the Middle East, together with Iran and Afghanistan, are included in the sometimes used broader concept of the "Middle East". From this we can conclude that Egypt is simultaneously a North African, Middle Eastern and Middle Eastern country.
Among other regions widely mentioned in the literature, let us name the Scandinavian region in Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland); the Greater Maghreb (or Arab West) region of Africa, covering Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Mauritania and Western Sahara; Turkestan is a complex historical and geographical formation in the center of Asia, etc.
Many historical and geographical regions are distinguished by a complex multi-stage structure, which is clearly seen in the example of Western Europe.
Which regions are best for studying the world. When studying regional geography, the question inevitably arises: in what regions should the modern world be studied - historical-geographical or socio-economic?
It seems that in our difficult time, when universal human interests have begun to be valued above class interests, the most suitable basis for studying the world is historical and geographical regions. In this case, there are opportunities for a universal characterization of the regions, taking into account their natural, historical, cultural and other specifics.
In foreign Europe, until recently, two large regions were distinguished: Western Europe and Eastern Europe. In connection with the collapse of the USSR, the contours of the Eastern European region underwent a correction: the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) that traditionally gravitated towards it joined, and the rapprochement of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova with it will depend on the nature of their future relations with Russia.
Foreign Asia is most often studied through the prism of its constituent historical and geographical regions, such as Southwest Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. But the disintegration of the Soviet Union naturally led to the "appearance" (in textbooks) and Central Asia - a long-known historical and geographical region, the backbone of which is Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
The states of America are usually studied taking into account the existence here of such more or less integral regions as English-speaking America (USA and Canada) and Latin America (as part of Mexico, Central America and the West Indies, the Andean countries and the states of the Amazon basin and La Plata lowland) .
As for Africa, it clearly distinguishes between the North African region (gravitating towards Islamic Southwest Asia rather than the rest of the continent) and Sub-Saharan Africa (as part of Western, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa).
So, we can represent the whole land of the planet in the form of large historical and geographical regions - those territorial cells, studying which you can get a more detailed idea of the world.
Questions and tasks. one. What is the difference between regional physical geography and regional economic geography? 2. Why can the historical and geographical regions of the world serve as a basis for studying the world? 3. What signs can you offer to identify large historical and geographical regions? 4. Name and show on the map: a) the countries of the Mediterranean region; b) the countries of the Balkan region; c) states of the Caribbean region; d) the states of the Persian Gulf; e) countries of the Gulf of Guinea; e) the countries of Tropical Africa. 5. How do historical-geographical (or cultural-historical) regions correlate with world civilizations?
The developed countries
Is there a clear line between developed and developing countries? Where are the "poles" of poverty and wealth in the modern world? What is the place of the states formed on the territory of the former USSR in the world economy? What are the so-called newly industrialized countries?
Socio-economic contrasts in the modern world. world by
its socio-economic nature is extremely heterogeneous. On the one hand, this is a relatively small group of highly developed states that form, as it were, the “skeleton” of the world economy, on the other hand, this is a large number of developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, the level of socio-economic development of which is in most cases very low.
But it would be a mistake to draw too sharp a line between developed and developing countries. The richest (USA, Japan, Western European countries, Canada, etc.) and the poorest countries (Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, etc.) are just a kind of socio-economic "poles" that are surrounded by " transitional background from dozens of other countries. Already today, a whole group of developing countries (especially Latin American ones) can be logically attributed to the number of industrialized countries of the world in terms of a number of economic indicators. However, due to a number of other important indicators (the depth of social contrasts, uneven regional development, etc.), they are more often referred to as developing countries.
At the same time, some undoubtedly developed states seem to be late with the qualitative transformation of national productive forces, which hinders the growth of social labor productivity (in the countries of Eastern Europe and the republics of the former USSR, it is only about 50% of the level of Western European countries).
In accordance with the UN methodology, among the most important indicators of the level of socio-economic development of any country is the gross domestic product (GDP), and especially on a per capita basis.
The differences between the countries of the world in GDP per capita are very large. Thus, the gap between the United States, which ranks first in the world in terms of absolute GDP, and Burkina Faso reaches almost 80 times. There are other indicators of the level of socio-economic development of states (share in industrial and agricultural production and in world trade, the level of education of the population, etc.).
States formed on the territory of the former USSR in the world economy. In terms of absolute GDP, the USSR was one of the world leaders. However, on a per capita basis, it “left ahead” almost all the major developed countries, as well as countries such as Kuwait, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, etc.
The strength of the USSR for many years was higher than in the West, the rate of economic growth. Unfortunately, they were largely achieved through the extensive involvement in the production of growing volumes of raw materials, materials, land, and labor. This contributed to the lag in the pace of scientific and technological progress and the growth of social labor productivity.
Producing 1/7 of the world industrial output, the USSR at the same time occupied a too modest place in the international division of labor, in world trade (3-4%). Thus, the high share of the country in the world economy did not always indicate a high degree of its influence on global economic processes. The development of centrifugal tendencies in the Union and its subsequent collapse led to the fact that most of the new states, as it were, faded against the world economic background, not going to any comparison with the giants of the modern world. Only discarding obsolete
forms of management, by carrying out technological and structural restructuring of industry, by adopting laws on freedom of enterprise and private property, the new states will be able to take their rightful places in the world economy and raise the living standards of the population.
USA, Western European countries and Japan: ratio in the "triangle of power". USA, the countries of Western Europe and Japan constitute a kind of "triangle" in the modern foreign world. The ratio between these centers in the post-war period was characterized by inconsistency. In the early postwar years, the superiority of the United States over Western Europe and Japan was clear: their share in the industrial production of the capitalist countries in 1946 was 56% (falling to 22% in the late 90s). However, then there was a noticeable strengthening of the position of the Western European and Japanese centers.
And although subsequently the United States managed to somewhat strengthen its positions (by means of a deep restructuring of the
The rational economy, bringing science and technology-intensive industries to the fore), their economic, financial and technological superiority turned out to be shaken. And yet, the US remains the "number one" geographic center of the foreign world (Fig. 65). This state remains a kind of "generator" of new trends in the modern process of internationalization of economic life in the foreign world. Having lost its former positions in world trade, the United States remains the undisputed leader in the export of capital abroad. They occupy advanced positions in many other areas, in particular in the implementation of scientific and technological revolution. Thus, US spending on scientific research accounts for about half of all spending on these purposes in Western countries. In terms of electricity production, they surpass all other countries included in the "big seven", and in terms of the cost of manufactured electronic equipment they are ahead of Japan, Germany, Great Britain,
France combined. This country has no equal in terms of the technical equipment of scientific laboratories and research centers, the variety of forms of combining science with production, etc.
The second geographical center of economic rivalry is Western Europe. Unlike the USA and Japan, the Western European region has a multinational character. Its position in the world economy is twofold. On the one hand, it is the largest center of world trade: its share in world exports is more than 2 times the US level. On the other hand, the positions of Western Europe are weakening in the world industrial export of science and technology-intensive products. It is dominated by products of the "medium-tech" level, while the industry of the USA and Japan dominates the markets of robotics, flexible automated systems, new materials, biotechnology, etc. Along with the countries of the "big seven" Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy, an important role in the West In the European region, small countries play: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, etc. In the competitive struggle in the world market, a special type of their participation in the international division of labor has developed - specialization in a few types of products. A number of these countries, not possessing large mineral resources, were forced to look for free "niches" in the world market, not yet captured by the monopolies of more powerful countries. They created industries that required large expenditures on science, highly qualified personnel, and would produce expensive products. With the narrowness of the domestic market of each of the countries, these industries, of course, had to work for "the whole world." It is no coincidence that the share of exports in some of them reaches 40-50% of the output. Such industries are the pharmaceutical industry in the Netherlands and Switzerland, the production of equipment for the dairy industry and brewing in Denmark (it is the largest exporter of beer in the world), the world-famous production of watches and food concentrates in Switzerland, etc. The specialization of small countries in various kind of services. These are services in the financial sector (famous Swiss banks), transport (one of the largest ports in the world - Rotterdam - serves the external relations of the interior of Europe). This is also the provision of space for international organizations (a number of UN commissions are located in Geneva and international disarmament negotiations are taking place, etc.). The share of Japan, the third center of economic power, is more modest in comparison with the United States and Western Europe. However, Japan's economic leap in the first post-war decades was truly dizzying. She became a global banker, a financial superpower. Japan surpassed the USA in the production of a number of important types of products (steel, cast iron, ships, synthetic fibers, televisions, video recorders, etc.). These successes seem even more striking given its enormous dependence on imported raw materials.
Along with the rivalry, the three centers of economic power are also making efforts to coordinate actions in the international arena.
A common feature of the economy of the three centers of economic power is the dominance of monopolies in their economy, especially transnational corporations(TNC) - the largest industrial monopolies in the world with branches outside their countries.
Other countries and regions. The industrialized countries include the former British dominions x Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Israel. These states are distinguished by a high level of socio-economic development, a significant role in world trade. The economy of each of them has its own specialization. Canada is the world's largest exporter of minerals. Australia also acts as a major supplier to the world market of mineral raw materials (iron ore, bauxite, coal) and, like New Zealand, wool, meat and grain, South Africa - gold and diamonds, Israel - textiles.
A notable event at the end of the 20th century. China's economy has skyrocketed. Annual growth of its GDP in the 90s. reached 10–12%, i.e., it was higher than that of the new industrial countries that were leading in terms of rates earlier. China has become a major magnet for foreign investment, attracted by its gigantic market size and the favorable conditions of free economic zones along the country's sea coast.
Coming out in the 80s. to the first place in many "ordinary" industries (coal mining, iron smelting, production of mineral fertilizers, cotton fabrics), by the end of the 20th century, the PRC went into space, won leadership in the production of televisions and washing machines, and by 3 times surpassed recent leaders in fisheries are Japan and Peru. At the same time, manufacturing products clearly dominate in the country's exports (80%). In 1997, an important event took place that increased the weight of China in the world economy and finance - the accession of Hong Kong (its GDP is about 150 billion dollars - more than in Finland); in 1999, the Portuguese colony of Macau also became part of the PRC. There is every reason to talk about the transformation of the "triangle of power" (USA - Western Europe - Japan) into a "quadrangle" given the increased power of China.
The world at the beginning of the 21st century complex and multifaceted. More and more actively declare themselves on the world stage the new industrial countries. These include primarily Asian states: the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Almost all of them are former colonial possessions. Until quite recently, they had an economy typical of developing countries, in the structure of which agriculture and the mining industry predominated. These countries have a meager per capita income. undeveloped domestic market, faced acute monetary and financial problems. By the end of the 80s. the picture has changed dramatically.
Dominion a self-governing colony within the British Empire.
The newly industrialized countries of Asia began to outstrip the leading powers of the world in terms of average annual GDP growth rates. Their foreign trade is developing rapidly.
At the same time, about 80% of these countries' exports are manufactured products (especially electronic products).
Taiwan has become one of the first places in the world in the export of shoes, monitors, cameras, sewing machines; Republic of Korea - ships, containers, televisions, magnetic disks; Malaysia - air conditioners, electronic components, etc. In the foreign market, the industrial products of these countries are highly competitive, which is achieved due to high labor productivity and relatively low wages for workers.
In recent years, the term "new industrial countries" is increasingly used in relation to Argentina, Brazil, Mexico.
So, there is no clear line between developed and developing countries. One can only talk about the peculiar "poles" of wealth and poverty in the modern world. Among the most successful in social and economic development are such countries and regions as the USA, Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, China, etc. Developing countries and regions will be discussed below.
Questions and tasks. one. Why is it impossible to draw a clear line between developed and developing countries? 2. By what indicators can one judge the level of socio-economic development of the country in the first place? 3. What characterizes the economies of the G7 countries? 4. What historical factors affected the success of the small countries of Western Europe in their socio-economic development? 5. Are these two points of view compatible: a) US hegemony in the world economy no longer exists; b) is the United States still the "number one" geographical center of modern capitalism? Justify your answer.
Developing countries
What unites this group of countries? What internal and external reasons hinder their socio-economic development? What characterizes the features of the geography of their economy? How can these states be grouped?
Similarity and difference. Most countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are developing countries 1 . They represent a special group of states, distinguished by the originality of their historical development, socio-economic and political specifics.
The expressions “underdeveloped countries”, “liberated countries”, etc. are also used as synonyms for the term “developing countries”.
Speaking about their similarities, scientists most often note them colonial past and the associated multistructural economy, the rapid growth of the population, its poverty, illiteracy. Emphasize also agrarian-mineral-raw material specialization of the economy and, accordingly, the weak development of the manufacturing industry, the narrowness of the domestic market, a subordinate place in the world economy.
However, these countries are very different. So, among them there are giant countries, which account for over 40% of the population of the developing world (India, Pakistan and Indonesia), and small states, numbering at most several tens and hundreds of thousands of inhabitants (Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Lucia and etc.) - States in which the average per capita level of national income is comparable to the size of income in the United States (Kuwait, Qatar, etc.), and countries where the ratio of such levels is approximately 1: 100 (Benin, Chad, Ethiopia, Nepal, etc.) . Countries with large reserves of mineral resources of export value (Indonesia, Zambia, Zaire, etc.) and poor in them (Paraguay, Sudan, Sri Lanka, etc.). Developing countries also differ greatly in their historical destinies, culture and national traditions, language, etc. In general, among the developing countries, Asian states have achieved more tangible success in socio-economic development (Fig. 66). The generally recognized "pole" of poverty remains the African region.
Roots of backwardness. One of the reasons for the socio-economic backwardness of developing countries lies in the historical delay in their development.
Another reason has to do with their colonial past.
Although colonialism accelerated the development of commodity-money relations in these countries, laid the material foundations of capitalist society in them and drew them into the orbit of world economic relations, at the same time it slowed down the development of progressive forms of social organization for many decades, stifled local crafts, and subjected the population to cruel exploitation. depriving them of their traditional means of subsistence. Profits flowed into the pockets of the colonialists, and did not go to the development of the national economy.
The nature and results of the impact of colonization on the development of various countries depended on many factors: the stage of development of capitalism in the mother country, the type of civilization that existed in the occupied territory, and even the natural conditions of a particular colony. But the responsibility of colonialism for the present difficulties of the third world countries is indisputable.
However, having gained political independence several decades ago, many of the developing countries (primarily African)
have made little progress in their development. What prevented this?
There are still many obstacles to the economic and social progress of the liberated countries. Some of them are internal, others are external. The first of them are connected with the lack of funds, the lack of proper experience in managing the economy and the lack of personnel with the necessary qualifications. The latter are due to the strong economic dependence of these countries on the West, the main elements of which are unequal trade, their debt loop, involvement in the arms race, etc.
Population. Developing countries account for about 3/4 of the world's population (see Population section) and continue to grow rapidly. In conditions of underdevelopment, this situation entails a number of adverse consequences. First, the social situation of large families is deteriorating due to an increase in the number of dependents and a lack of consumer goods, schools and hospitals. Secondly, there is an excess of labor resources, which leads to chronic unemployment and underutilization of the labor force. Thirdly, the food problem is getting worse.
Most developing countries are still poorly urbanized: the rural population prevails here. At the same time, the urban population is growing faster than industry. Capital cities and ports, which are unable to provide the growing population with either housing or work, are especially “swelling”. As a rule, half of the increase in the urban population is accounted for by immigrants from the countryside.
For the social class structure of the population of developing
countries are characterized by a high proportion of the peasantry (60% or more), which consists of owners of subsistence farms, small commodity producers, capitalist farmers, cooperative peasants.
Developing countries (in particular, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Cameroon, etc.) are very complex ethnic composition population.
Economy. The developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America have enormous labor and natural resources. Thus, they account for at least 50% of the world's mineral reserves. But, despite such a high production potential, they are characterized by: 1) a low level of development of productive forces, in the structure of which agriculture and mining sharply predominate, while the manufacturing industry is represented mainly by light and food industries; 2) the coexistence of several socio-economic structures (that is, social forms of production), often related to different socio-economic formations; 3) a typical exchange of goods on the world market - agricultural and mineral raw materials for industrial products; 4) an acute lack of financial resources.
The geography of the economy of the developing countries was formed in the process of an unequal international division of labor determined by the interests of the colonial powers. Branches of the colonial economy were more connected with the world capitalist market than with the national economy.
Therefore, the isolated centers of the mining industry and commercial agriculture that arose often formed, as it were, foreign bodies in the economic organism of the colonial countries.
A typical manifestation of colonial geography is the excessive growth of one port in countries with access to the sea (Fig. 67). Most often, such a port was the capital of the country (Dakar in Senegal, Lagos in Nigeria, etc.). The vast inland territories of many young sovereign states remain extremely backward or undeveloped to this day. This is evidenced by the configuration of the road and especially the rail network, which is characterized by roads linking the areas of mining and plantation agriculture with ports of export.
Today, developing countries are going through a difficult stage of their development. Some of them managed to consolidate their political and economic independence, achieve tangible success in the social security of their citizens. Others have not yet overcome the difficulties, because the burden of backwardness is too heavy.
Typology of developing countries. Usually, developing countries are divided into historical and geographical regions, for example, the countries of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, etc. This approach makes it possible to study the socio-economic development of large arrays of developing countries. However, this classification often gives a distorted picture of the real contrasts in the developing world. Take, for example, such pairs of states in these regions as India and Bhutan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, Singapore and Myanmar. Is there really much in common between them? A close acquaintance with these countries reveals that, despite the geographical proximity, there is really little socio-economic similarity between them.
That's why in typology, it is important to take into account the level of development and the structure of productive forces young states and those features of socio-economic reality that most accurately reflect both the current situation and the immediate prospects of countries. Using these indicators, four groups can be distinguished among developing countries.
The first group is formed mainly by oil-exporting countries that have unique resources and, figuratively speaking, have “filled their pockets” with petrodollars (Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, etc.). Their characteristic features: an exceptionally high per capita income, a solid natural resource potential for development, a major role in the Western market of energy raw materials and financial resources, an advantageous economic and geographical position. The same group can
include small (with a population of 0.5 million people) states that are also distinguished by a high per capita income (Bahamas, Fiji, etc.). In terms of the type of social development, many of them gravitate toward the countries of medium-developed capitalism. They managed to get deeply “built into” the international division of labor thanks to the development of the plantation economy, tourism, transit, etc. Paying tribute to the success of these countries in the growth of their well-being, we note the social backwardness of some of them and the presence of feudal remnants, especially in agriculture. The second group, the most numerous, includes countries with an average level of general economic development for the developing world and an average GDP per capita (Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Tunisia, etc.). The agriculture of these countries is dominated by industrial forms of labor, while manufacturing enterprises, although they exist, are few in number and technically very poorly equipped. Socially, the countries that make up this group are very heterogeneous.
In a special, third group, it is worth highlighting India, Pakistan and Indonesia - countries with vast territories and populations, natural resource potential and economic development opportunities. These states occupied a prominent place in the system of international economic relations and caused a powerful influx of external resources in the form of investments of foreign capital. But low levels of production and consumption per capita noticeably hamper their socio-economic progress.
And finally, the last, fourth group - the least developed countries of the world (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Niger, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, etc.). Some of them are landlocked and have little connection with the outside world. These countries have extremely low per capita incomes, pre-industrial forms of work predominate everywhere, and agriculture dominates the economy. It is the countries of this group that form the basis of the UN-approved list of the least developed countries in the world.
So, developing countries are the largest group of countries in the world; it is distinguished by geographical originality and pronounced tendencies towards polarization; the well-being of all mankind largely depends on the pace and results of socio-economic progress in developing countries.
Questions and tasks. one. Which of the characteristics of developing countries are, in your opinion, the most important? 2. Remember the material § 10 "Population and its reproduction." What features characterize the process of population reproduction in developing countries? How can they be explained? 3. What graphic and cartographic sources can be used to reveal the features of the geography of the population of developing countries highlighted in the text? 4. What features are inherent in the geography of the economy of most developing countries? Make a logic diagram of the answer. 5. Describe the four most pronounced groups of developing countries in terms of the level of development and the structure of productive forces. If there was a need for training purposes to simplify this typology of countries, what scheme would you suggest?
USA
What is the role of this country in the world? How can you explain its power? How and why is the US weight in the world economy changing?
Geographical position. natural resources. The United States of America is the world's leading power in many economic indicators. This, as you know, is a federal republic, consisting of 50 states and the Federal District of Columbia (the territory of the capital Washington). 48 states are located compactly, two are separate from the main territory: Alaska (bought from the tsarist government of Russia in 1867) and the Hawaiian Islands (Fig. 68).
The "overseas" position and remoteness from the outbreaks of war in Europe and Asia guaranteed this country in the past reliable security, facilitated extensive trade relations with states located both in the zone of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
An important role in the current prosperity of the United States has been played by the development of its vast natural resources. Today, the United States ranks first in the Western world in terms of hard and brown coal reserves, second in copper, zinc, sixth in oil, iron ore, etc. At the same time, many developed deposits are depleted (especially gas, iron ore ). Not enough (or not at all) nickel, manganese, chromites, cobalt, etc.
Water resources are plentiful and varied. But they are concentrated mainly in the East of the country. Here flows the main river artery of the United States - the Mississippi, which, together with its tributaries, is of great economic importance (transport, energy, irrigation). On the border with Canada is the largest lake system in the world - the Great American Lakes.
The soils of the United States have great natural fertility, especially the chernozem-like soils of the prairies and the chernozems of the central parts of the country, which have been plowed up and turned into the main granary of the country. Forests are heavily logged and today cover about a quarter of the US, and these are mostly secondary forests. Alaska and the Cordillera are the richest in forests.
Detailed solution paragraph 28 in geography for students in grade 10, authors E.M. Domogatskikh, N.I. Alekseevsky Baseline 2016
Page ten
Remember
Question 1. What is a region?
Answer. Region (lat. regio country, region) is a term used to refer to a land or water area that can be separated from another area (for example, the one inside which it is located) according to a number of criteria.
Region, like country, is an ambiguous term. It can denote different entities in different industries, and within the same industry it can be interpreted differently.
Accordingly, if we talk about the classification of regions, we can distinguish "geographical, political, socio-economic, environmental, informational, civilizational and other approaches." In general, scientists divide regions into two large groups: homogeneous and functional.
Also, "region" is used in the sense of the territorial unit of the state. In Russia - as the general name of the subject of the Federation. Each region has a unique geographic location.
Question 2. What are the types of regions?
Answer. In the economic literature, regulatory documents, regions are divided into groups according to the homogeneity of distinctive features.
1. Regions of the world. They are determined by geographical (Europe, Asia, etc.), economic (unions or other forms of cooperation between states located on one or more continents of the world) and other principles and approaches.
2. Parts of the surface of the globe, continent or state, distinguished by climatic or relief-landscape features (north, south, flat or mountainous terrain, with a large or small amount of precipitation, wooded or steppe territory, a small or large number of swamps, etc. .).
3. Administrative-territorial units of the country (region, district, county, flax, voivodeship, etc.).
4. Regions identified based on the degree of development of the productive forces and their structure (with a developed industry or other sector of the national economy, with a large proportion of state or private property, etc.).
5. Regions identified taking into account the socio-demographic situation, with a higher human development index, with better provision with social infrastructure facilities, with a large proportion of elderly residents, etc.
6. Regions allocated in connection with special, as a rule, less favorable, living conditions and industrial and economic activities.
7. Special administrative and economic formations to ensure more efficient operation of the national economy of the country and individual territorial entities in the conditions of market relations.
What do you think
Question. Why was it necessary to create the United Nations?
Answer. The United Nations is an international organization created to maintain and strengthen international peace and security and develop cooperation between states. The foundations of its activities and structure were developed during the Second World War by the leading members of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The forerunner of the UN was the League of Nations, an organization conceived under similar circumstances during the First World War and established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles "to promote co-operation among peoples and to secure them peace and security." With the outbreak of World War II, the League of Nations effectively ceased to function.
There was a need to create a new international organization aimed at ensuring "world order".
The name United Nations, proposed by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the Declaration of the United Nations on January 1, 1942, when, during World War II, representatives of 26 states pledged on behalf of their governments to continue the common struggle against the Axis.
When the United Nations was created, the very first line of the preamble to the UN Charter stated that "We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lives has brought unspeakable grief to mankind, strive to reaffirm faith in fundamental rights and human freedom."
CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Question 1. What is a region?
Answer. In geography, a region (from the English region) is called a territory that stands out on some basis - a certain territory that has the integrity and interconnection of its constituent elements. Also used in the sense of a territorial unit of a state; in Russia as a common name for a subject of the Federation.
There are several interpretations of the definition of a region. Moreover, the region does not always act as a territorial unit of the state.
Within the framework of a geographical interpretation, a region is defined as a region, a large piece of land, a part of the earth's surface with special physical and geographical parameters, a geographical unit defined by geographical boundaries.
The economic interpretation implies a region as a part of the territory where there is a communication system between economic entities, a subsystem of the entire socio-economic complex of the country, a complex territorial-economic complex with its own structure of communication with the external and internal environment.
The socio-political interpretation of the region shows the region as a socio-territorial community, that is, a combination of social, economic, political factors in the development of the territory. This includes a whole set of characteristics such as: the ethnic composition of the population, labor resources, social infrastructure, socio-psychological climate, political aspects of the development of the region, cultural factors, etc.
Question 2. What are the historical and geographical regions of the world?
Answer. Historical and geographical regions are territories formed as a result of the common historical development of the peoples living within them. The commonality of geographical location leads to the emergence of common features of historical development, the national and religious composition of the population of the countries that form this region. It is important to remember that historical-geographical regions are not created, they are formed historically.
The names of the two regions of the planet have been known to everyone since childhood: Europe and Asia, which make up the continent of Eurasia. Thus, the largest regions are parts of the world. Within the parts of the world, smaller regions are distinguished that have a certain geographical unity and a common historical destiny.
So, foreign Europe is traditionally divided into Western, Central and Eastern. The countries of Western Europe in the post-war years formed into a stable political unity. At the same time, in Western Europe itself, one can distinguish Northern, Middle and Southern Europe. Central, or Eastern, Europe is a group of former socialist countries, according to the modern classification, classified as countries with economies in transition.
Foreign Asia is usually divided into South-West, South, South-East, East and Central. Southwest Asia is located between the Arabian and Mediterranean seas. South Asia is formed by India and the countries adjacent to it. Southeast Asia covers countries gravitating towards the Indochina peninsula. Central Asia includes countries that do not have access to any of the oceans washing the mainland: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. East Asia includes the territories of Japan, North Korea, the Republic of Korea, China, and Mongolia.
In America, Anglo-America (USA and Canada) and Latin America are distinguished. In turn, Latin America includes the mainland countries of South America, Central America and the West Indies. Africa is divided into North, West, Central, East and South.
And the last region is Australia and Oceania, which includes mainland Australia and all island states and territories in the Pacific Ocean.
Question 3. What are the types of international organizations?
Answer. When classifying international organizations, various criteria can be applied.
1. By the nature of the members, they can be distinguished:
1.1. interstate (intergovernmental) - participants are states
1.2. non-governmental organizations - unite public and professional national organizations, individuals, for example, the International Red Cross, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the International Law Association, etc.
2. According to the circle of members, international organizations are divided into:
2.1. universal (worldwide), open to the participation of all states of the world (the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations of the UN system (its specialized agencies), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Civil Defense Organization, etc.),
2.2. regional, whose members can be states of one region (Organization of African Unity, European Union, Commonwealth of Independent States).
3. According to the objects of activity, we can say:
3.1. on organizations of general competence (UN, Organization of African Unity, Commonwealth of Independent States, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)
3.2. special (International Labor Organization, Universal Postal Union). Political, economic, social, cultural, scientific and other organizations also differ.
Question 4. What is the name of an international organization that unites about 200 sovereign countries of the world?
Answer. The world's largest international association of states is the United Nations (UN), whose members are almost all independent states of the world (about 200). Created immediately after the end of World War II, this organization declared its goal to maintain and strengthen international peace and security, and develop cooperation between states.
Question 5. What is the name of the environmental non-governmental organization?
Answer. Greenpeace (Green World) is an international non-governmental organization established in 1971 with the aim of preserving the Earth's natural environment from destruction. Main goals: involvement of the general public in environmental protection issues. It is supported by funds from private sources, has a branch in Moscow.
AND NOW THE MORE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
Question 1. What is the difference between non-governmental organizations and government?
Answer. The difference between governmental and non-governmental organizations lies in their legal basis. Intergovernmental organizations are established by subjects of international law, non-governmental - by subjects of national law.
Non-Governmental Organizations - an organization established by private individuals and/or other public (non-profit) organizations without the participation of official (governmental) institutions and operating on the basis of the charter and at its own expense.
Question 2. Is the Commonwealth of Independent States a region or an international organization? Why?
Answer. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional international organization (international treaty) designed to regulate cooperation relations between countries that were formerly part of the USSR. The CIS is not a supranational entity and operates on a voluntary basis.
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Question 3. Why the number of regions in different parts of the world is not the same?
Answer. This is caused by a number of interrelated factors: natural, historical, demographic and socio-economic.
Natural. They were decisive in the resettlement of people before the transition of mankind to agriculture and animal husbandry. Of the most important here, one can single out the absolute height, relief, climate, the presence of water bodies, and natural zonality as a complex factor.
Historical. Historically, most of the population lives in Asia. Currently, in this part of the world there are more than 3.8 billion people (2003), which is over 60.6% of the population of our planet. Almost equal in population America and Africa (approximately 860 million people, or 13.7%), Australia and Oceania are significantly behind the rest (32 million people, 0.5% of the world population.
Demographic. Asia hosts most of the countries with the largest populations. Among them, according to this indicator, China has long been the leader (1289 million people, 2003), followed by India (1069 million people), the USA (291.5 million people), Indonesia (220.5 million people). .). Seven more states have a population of over 100 million people: Brazil (176.5 million people), Pakistan (149.1 million people), Bangladesh (146.7 million people), Russia (144.5 million . people), Nigeria (133.8 million people), Japan (127.5 million people) and Mexico (104.9 million people). At the same time, the population of Grenada, Dominica, Tonga, Kiribati, Marshall Islands was only 0.1 million people.
Socio-economic. These factors are directly related to the development of human civilization and their influence on the distribution of the population increased with the development of productive forces. Despite the fact that human society will never fully acquire independence from nature, at present, it is the factors belonging to this group that are decisive in shaping the system of the Earth's settlement. These include the development of new territories, the development of natural resources, the construction of various economic facilities, population migration, etc.
Question 4. What is the purpose of creating economic international organizations?
Answer. International economic organizations are associations of states or their separate governing bodies aimed at cooperation in the field of trade, finance and economic activity. These structures can be classified based on various features of their activities. By territorial coverage, international economic organizations are divided into global and regional. An example of a world organization is the International Chamber of Commerce, and a regional one is ASEAN (Southeast Asia).
The main goals of international economic organizations are to promote the development of the economy of their members, as well as the unification of general norms for regulating relations. The decisions of some of them are binding for members, while others are advisory. Currently, there is a fairly extensive system of international economic organizations. These structures actively interact with each other, influencing both the global economy and politics.
Question 5. Why can one and the same country be a member of different international organizations?
Answer. One country can be a member of different organizations because the goals of the organizations are different. Joining the organizations expands integration ties with other states. This allows you to solve security issues, access to international markets, provides transport corridors, etc.
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
Question 1. Make a classification scheme for the historical and geographical regions of the world.
Question 2. Designate on the contour map the historical and geographical regions of the world listed in the text of the paragraph.
Question 3. Using additional sources of information, make a list of countries that are members of the EU, NATO. Write down those states that are simultaneously members of both international organizations.
Question 4. Determine the cities in which the headquarters of the international organizations listed in the text of the paragraph are located. To complete the work, use the official websites of these organizations. Present the results of your work in the form of a table.
Final tasks on the topic of the section (tasks are performed in a notebook)
1. Territorial waters are
A - 12-mile zone
2. The second name of the colonial stage in the formation of the political map is
B - medieval
3. What stage in the formation of the political map does the formation and collapse of the USSR belong to?
G - the newest
4. Which of the following countries is part of Western Europe?
A - the Netherlands
5. The UN Headquarters is located in
In New York
6. Select the countries of the world that appeared on the political map in the 21st century. Write your answer as a sequence of letters in alphabetical order.
B, E, F - East Timor, South Sudan, Abkhazia
7. Which of the following countries are part of Latin America? Write your answer as a sequence of letters in alphabetical order.
A, B, D - Argentina, Paraguay, Chile
8. Arrange the regions of the world in ascending order of the number of countries included in them, starting with the region with the lowest value of the specified indicator.
B, C, D, A, D - Africa, Asia, America, Europe, Australia and Oceania
9. Establish a correspondence between the region and the state that is part of it.
1-B, 2-D, 3-C, 4-A
10. Establish a correspondence between the abbreviation of the international governmental organization and its full name.
