The document provides guidance for interpreting data collected about an assigned country, covering key factors to consider regarding geography, demographics, politics, and economics. Geography can influence development if a country is landlocked, has difficult terrain or climate, or lacks arable land. Demographic factors like population engaged in agriculture, youth dependency, disease burdens, and fertility rates also provide insights. Political stability may be impacted by ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity. A country's level of development can be analyzed using core-periphery models, comparing roles as provider of raw materials or finished goods. Students are instructed to research data on their assigned country addressing these topics.

1. The following summary provides information to help interpret
the data you collected for the country you were assigned.
GEOGRAPHY
Landlocked countries are at a disadvantage because there is no
direct access to the ocean. Transportation costs are higher and
the countries surrounding them will want to charge money for
the landlocked country to import or export goods.
Climate can pose a problem for agriculture (extensive forms
have low yields per land area):
· Too dry only extensive agriculture can be practiced
· Too cold and or dry – extensive
· Too wet (tropical rainforest) – extensive
· Tropical Climates also have more potential for chronic
diseases
Mountainous Terrain can pose a problem for agriculture (colder
temperatures and terracing) and also make the construction of
transportation facilities (Roads, Railroads, and airports) more
difficult and expensive.
Arable Land: less than 5%; could be a hurdle, 5 – 10% could be
OK, over 10% should not be a problem.
The shape of your country can have an effect on the politics.
Elongated, fragmented, and prorupted shapes can make
communication and effective political control difficult.
Compact states are easier to keep control of and defend from
outside or internal enemies.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Over 50% of people engaged in agriculture indicates a poor
country with a subsistence economy.

2. Over 40% of the population 15 or under = dependents who are
not yet working and need food, medical care, housing, and
education. Money spent that is not available for other
investments is a problem in poor countries. Many countries have
gone into crippling debt to try to provide these services, but had
to cut back because of SAPs.
A high incidence of HIV can be a drag on the economy and the
social structure. People living with HIV (or other endemic
diseases) will not be as productive. The orphans left behind by
HIV victims will need to be taken care of.
Elevated rates of Infant Mortality may indicate a healthcare
system that is underfunded and is not functioning very well.
A primate city is when there is one very large (at least twice or
more, larger than the 2nd largest city) and very important city
in a country.
A TFR over 4 indicates a society engaged in agriculture. A TFR
between 2.5 and 4 indicates a possible transition away from
agriculture. When a poor country has a TFR of below 2.5 it may
indicate disruption (war, famine, political and economic unrest).
It could be a hurdle to further economic development when
there are a large number of different ethnic groups and
languages spoken (religions also). This may cause centrifugal
forces which can lead to political disruption (see below).
Outside investors (banks and global corporations) are reluctant
to invest in countries that have political unrest and this can be a
hurdle to a better economy.
POLITICS
Political disruption may occur when there are a large number of
different ethnic groups and languages spoken. Conflict can also
occur between different religions. This may cause centrifugal
forces and each group will fight for power.
Trying to bring democracy to places like this will be difficult.

3. The presence of a “minority elite”, an ethnic group from outside
the country that has powerful economic influence can also be
disruptive to the political process. In African Countries you
should try to find out if there are any White Europeans (former
colonists), Hindus (from India), Lebanese, and/or Syrians. You
should note the presence or absence of any of these groups in
your country. Their presence may indicate that there is a
minority elite who may control a large percentage of the
economy.
Core-PeripheryOne way to look at development is to look at the
history of a place. Core-periphery models are based on the
observation within many spatial systems sharp territorial
contrasts exist in wealth, economic advancement, and growth
between economic heartlands (urban cores) and outlying
subordinate zones (periphery). The growth of the core is at the
expense of the periphery. There are three stages to the core
periphery model which correspond to the three designations
offered below related to levels of economic development.We
can break the countries of the world down into 3 groups:
· Least Developed = Stage 1
· Developing = Stage 2
· Most Developed = Stage 3
Stage #1On the international scene, core-periphery contrasts are
discerned between prosperous core areas (U.S., Western Europe,
and Japan) and the least developed periphery.
The least developed areas provide the raw materials (at low
prices set by the markets in the core countries) and the core
areas produce the finished goods which have much higher profit
margins.
This is an example of circular and cumulative causation and
describes Stage #1 of the Core-Periphery Model on a global
scale.
In many cases the least developed countries of the world are
former colonies which were used to extract raw materials for
the industrialized countries of the world while under the rule of

4. the colonial power.
While almost all of these former colonies are now self ruled
they still provide the raw materials to the developed part of the
world – thus the term neocolonialism.Stage #2Stage 2 is called
the trickle-down or spread effect stage.
As regions reach higher levels of economic development the
benefits (innovations, capital) of the core spread out (trickle-
down) or diffuse into the periphery.
The spread of benefits (investments) is based on locational
decisions that will earn more money for the core. It may be to
save costs based on transportation of raw materials, but in most
current situations it is to take advantage of low cost labor found
in least developed and developing countries. Once industry is
established it allows some countries to move to Stage #2 and
become a developing country.
Stage #3
Once the spread effects have taken hold wages rise and more
people can afford more consumer goods until a point is reached
when you have a fully functional and prosperous economy.
Places like the U.S., Canada, Japan, Western Europe, and
Australia have reached stage 3 and are now the global core.
Most of these countries were able to move to fully integrated
economies after massive government investments in
infrastructure (electricity, water, sewage), transportation
(highways and airports) and military (bases, science and
technology). In the U.S. these huge investments started during
the 1930s depression.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT - WORLD REGIONAL
GEOGRAPHY
The purpose for this assignment is to become familiar with a
place (country) you were assigned by using the data that you
collect. The first part of the assignment is to collect the
following data from the web site www.cia.gov (The World

5. Factbook)
LOCATION (LANDLOCKED?)
SIZE (SQUARE KILOMETERS – SIZE RELATIVE TO)
ARABLE LAND (%)
CLIMATE
TERRAIN (MOUNTAINOUS, FLAT)
TOTAL POPULATION
% OF POPULATION ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURE
% OF POPULATION 14 AND UNDER
FERTILITY RATE
PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS:
LANGUAGES (% of each language))
ETHNIC GROUPS (% of each one)
RELIGIONS (% of each one)
GDP - per capita (compare to the United States)
TOTAL INFANT MORTALITY RATE (compare to the United
States)
Find the information below by searching other websites on the
internet.
PRINT-OUT A RECENT (2010) POPULATION PYRAMID (US
CENSUS OR NATIONMASTER WEBSITE)
NAMES AND POPULATIONS OF CAPITAL CITY, LARGEST
CITY, AND SECOND LARGEST CITY
FIND AND PRINT-OUT TWO MAPS OF YOUR COUNTRY;
ONE SHOWING PHYICAL GEOGRAPHY (Mountains and
Rivers) AND ONE SHOWING THE LOCATION OF CITIES
Answer the following seven questions after summarizing your
data and reading about your country from website sources. Cite
all sources used. Answer the questions in order and number

6. each one.
1. Write a brief history of your country. Include in your
discussion the people native to the place and the colonial
history (who and when it started) of your country. When was
independence achieved? How is the country governed now?
2. Analyze your population statistics, pyramid, and fertility
rate. What stage of the Demographic transition model are they
in? Is there any evidence of transition to another stage? Explain
your conclusion. What does the infant mortality rate say about
the health care system? What is the HIV rate and how does it
affect a population (socially and economically)? Include a
discussion of other noteworthy diseases found in your country?
3. What is the capital city of your country and what is its
population? Is the capital a primate city? If the capital is not a
primate city is there another city that is? Explain your answer
using the definition of a primate city provided.
4. Based on the number of ethnic groups, languages, and
religions found describe and explain the political forces
(centripetal and centrifugal) found in your country. Which
forces are stronger? Is there an outside minority group that
can be found in your country? Can this cause disruption?
Describe the shape of your country and if it has a potential
effect on the politics.
5. How would you describe the level of economic development
in your country (compare the GDP with the U.S.)? What are the
major exports (is your country dependent on one)? Using all the
geographic and demographic information collected assess which
ones may be or not be hurdles to further development. Identify
the biggest problem your country faces in regards to further
economic development. What category would you place your
country in (least developed, developing, or most developed)
using the core-periphery model and explain why.
6. Briefly describe an issue that faces your country as it relates
to economics, politics, geography, or the characteristics of the
population. Attach and summarize a recent news article that
relates to your discussion. The BBC world news website is a

7. good source for articles on your country.
7. Write a brief overall summary with suggestions that would
help your country improve its economic situation. Use ideas and
concepts that you have learned from the course.
This assignment must be typed! An informative and well done
assignment should take about 4 to 5 pages typed (not counting
the data and map pages). Do not put the question in your text;
number each answer.