The Changing Economic WorldTopic Summary
Topic Summary: The Development Gap
Part of Development Gap and Global Development — GCSE Geography
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: The Development Gap within Development Gap and Global Development for GCSE Geography. Revise Development Gap and Global Development in The Changing Economic World for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 22 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 14 of 14 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 14 of 14
Practice
15 questions
Recall
22 flashcards
Topic Summary: The Development Gap
Key Terms
- Development gap — difference in quality of life between richest and poorest countries
- HDI — composite measure: income + life expectancy + education (0–1)
- GNI per capita — average income; hides inequality
- IMR — infant mortality rate; deaths per 1,000 live births
- LIDC — Low-Income Developing Country (Ethiopia)
- NEE — Newly Emerging Economy (Nigeria)
- Cycle of poverty — self-reinforcing trap: low income → low education → low productivity
- Tied aid — aid requiring spending on donor country goods
- Fair trade — guaranteed minimum price + social premium
- FDI — foreign direct investment; e.g. Chinese investment in Ethiopia
- HIPC — debt cancellation programme; $1.9bn cancelled for Ethiopia, 2004
Ethiopia Key Facts (LIDC)
- East Africa, landlocked, 120 million people, capital Addis Ababa
- HDI: 0.498; GNI per capita: ~$1,000; Life expectancy: 67
- Infant mortality: 38 per 1,000; ~68% below $3.20/day; literacy ~51%
- Birthplace of coffee; 12 million depend on coffee farming
- Never colonised — rare exception in Africa
- Addis Ababa Light Rail opened 2015 (first sub-Saharan metro)
- GDP grew 9–10%/year 2004–2019; Chinese investment ~$12bn
- Tigray conflict 2020–2022: 300,000–500,000 deaths; reversed years of progress
- HIPC debt relief: $1.9 billion cancelled, 2004
- Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — 5,150 MW, largest in Africa when complete
LIDC vs NEE vs HIC
- Ethiopia (LIDC): HDI 0.498 | GNI $1,000 | LE 67 | IMR 38
- Nigeria (NEE): HDI 0.539 | GNI $2,000 | LE 54 | IMR 55
- Brazil (NEE): HDI 0.760 | GNI $14,000 | LE 76 | IMR 13
- UK (HIC): HDI 0.929 | GNI $46,000 | LE 81 | IMR 4
LE = life expectancy; IMR = infant mortality per 1,000
Strategies — Evidence and Limitations
- Aid: saves lives in emergencies; tied aid reduces effectiveness; dependency risk
- Fair trade: Fairtrade minimum $1.40/lb; protects from crashes; tiny % of farmers
- FDI (China): Addis Ababa light rail, Djibouti railway; increases debt, profits leave
- Debt relief (HIPC): $1.9bn cancelled for Ethiopia (2004); frees spending; doesn't fix trade patterns
- CHILD causes: Conflict, History, Infrastructure, Low prices, Disease
- Level 3 answers: Name strategy + evidence + limitation + comparative judgement