Key word

Definition

Examples

MEDC

Countries with wealthy economies and a high percentage of people living in urban areas.

Countries such as Japan, England, USA

LEDC

Countries with poor economies and a high percentage of people living in rural areas.

Countries such as Bangladesh, India, Tanzania

Development indicator

Ways of measuring the level of development of a country.

Looking at the infant mortality, the GNP, or the Birth rate of a country.

Stereotype

Suggesting that everywhere or everything in the same category conform or are standardised.

All Scottish people have red hair

Trade

This is the flow of commodities from producers to consumers.

Banana's are exported from Ecuador to countries all over the world.

Gross National Product (GNP)

Is a measure of the wealth of a country. It is the total value of goods and services produced by a country both at home and overseas in a year. It is usually divided by the population of the country, to give a rough idea of the average wage per person.

GNP/ capita/ yr in 1996 for the

USA $28,020

Tanzania $170

Human Development Index

Designed by the United Nations it combines information on average life expectancy, education and purchasing power. The index ranges from 0 to 1; the higher the score the greater the level of development.

Mali 1994 the HDI was 0.229 and the country was ranked number 171 in terms of development.

Greece1994 the HDI was 0.923 and the country was ranked number 20 in terms of development

Quality of Life

The general standard of living conditions and access to services.

MEDC's have access to schools, health services, electricity and clean water. Many people in LEDC's have no or little access to basic services and life is a struggle.

Birth Rate

The number of babies born each year for every 1000 people

UK 12 births/ 1000 population/year 1996

Death Rate

The number of deaths each year for every 1000 people

UK 11death/1000 population/year 1996

Long tem aid

Aid given to support development projects such as improvements in education, farming, water supply etc.

Farm Africa

Debt

Poorer countries borrowed money from the richer nations to develop, however due to an economic crisis that hit these richer nations, the repayment rates have shot up. These nations often struggle to pay the debt and other essential services have to be forgotten.

In 1996 India owed $95/ person. A total of $89827000000

Sub- Saharan Africa paid back the total amount of its foreign debt twice over between 1980-96 and yet it still owes 3 times more than it did 16 years ago!!

Transnational Corporation (TNC)

International companies with factories in several different countries

McDonalds, Nike, Ford, Microsoft

Sustainable development

Using resources at a low. Steady rate so that the environment is not permanently damaged.

Ecotourism in the Amazon rainforest. People pay to visit the rainforest but live in an environmentally friendly way. Thus the rainforest is protected for future generations and money is made.

Life expectancy

The average number of years a person can expect to live.

Average number of years people live (1996)

USA  76 years

Tanzania 51 years

Maternal mortality

The number of women who die in child birth per 100,000 live births

Number of mothers who die for every 100,000 children born

Japan 18

Togo 640

Literacy rate

The estimated percentage of people, male and female, over the age of 15 who can read and write.

The number of people who can read or write

Egypt 51%

Hungary 99%

Infant mortality

The annual number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 population

In Malawi 217 infants die per 1,000; in

France it is 4 infants.

Access to safe water

The % of the population with reasonable access to safe water.

In Mali 66% of the country have access to safe water. In the UK it is 100%.

Economy

The economy of a country is its trade, industry and money.

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Appropriate technology

Tools or machines using a suitable level of technology. In many developing areas this means low tech tools which can easily be repaired and which do not use expensive foreign parts.

A village stand pump to provide water in the Sahel.

A concrete lined well in Mali

Inequality

Where some groups of people have more than their fair share of, for example, wealth of political power.

MEDC's though only having 20% of the worlds population have 80% of the world's wealth.

Favela/ Shanty town/ Squatter settlement

A settlement built by the people who live there on land that does not belong to them.

In Sao Paulo over half a million people join the ever sprawling favela's. Houses are built from any available material: wood, corrugated iron or cardboard.

Dependency

The economic and technological reliance of poor countries on rich countries.

Gabon (1994) was dependent for 32% of its food from other countries

Non Government Organisation (NGO)

Independent organisations, such as charities, which give aid to economically developing countries.

Oxfam, Tear fund, Christian Aid

Short term aid

Aid given to help poor countries experiencing a crisis or emergency eg: famine

After the Indian earthquake blankets, medicine and food was sent out to the victims.

Tied aid

Aid given to a poor country but with certain conditions attached eg: money must be spent on exports from the donor country.

Aswan Dam in Egypt - money was lent by MEDC's on the understanding Egypt would buy its materials from these countries.

Under-nutrition

Insufficient food to maintain body weight and good health. Prolonged under-nutrition leads to starvation.

In Zambia the average Calorie consumption was 87% (1988) of the recommended daily amount

Aid

The giving of resources by one country, or an organisation, to another country. The resource may be in the form of food, money, goods, technology or people.

Tanzania received $875000000 in aid

The USA only donates 1% of its wealth a year to help poor countries.

Social development

This is about providing essential services eg: schools and clinics and improving people's skills through education and training.

Farm Africa an NGO have built schools in Tanzania and have trained local teachers on how to improve agricultural methods.

Economic development

This is about improving farming, industry and transport.

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Development

This is about releasing the natural and human resource potential of an area.

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