Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Geography B (1GB0) · Spec 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3
Development and global inequality
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- Development is measured with indicators such as GNI per head, life expectancy, infant mortality and the Human Development Index (HDI).
- HDI combines income, education and life expectancy. GNI per head is an average, so it hides inequality within a country.
- Edexcel groups countries by HDI. Developing countries have low human development. Emerging countries have medium or high. Developed countries have very high.
- Causes of uneven development can be physical, economic or historical. Examples include being landlocked, relying on primary products, poor terms of trade and colonialism.
- Strategies to reduce the gap include debt relief, microfinance and intermediate technology (simple, affordable equipment).
Key terms
- GNI per head
- A country's total income divided by its population.
- Infant mortality rate
- Deaths of babies under one year old per 1,000 live births.
- Fertility rate
- The average number of children born to each woman.
- HDI
- The Human Development Index. It combines income, education and life expectancy.
- Microfinance
- Small loans to people who are too poor to get a normal bank loan.
Common mistakes
- Thinking infant mortality is the total number of babies who die. It is a rate per 1,000 live births.
- Treating GNI per head as how income is shared. It is an average and says nothing about sharing.
- Saying a country has spent more money on health or schools without saying what the money buys. Say what changes, such as more hospitals or more children in school.
Exam tip
For a 2-mark calculation, one mark is for the method and one for the answer rounded as asked. For a percentage change, divide the change by the original value, then multiply by 100. Compare means similarities and differences, and each point must refer to both places.
Free practice questions
7 questions, 16 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement defines infant mortality rate?
- Question 2 · True or false[3 marks]
Decide whether each statement about measuring development is true or false.
1. HDI combines life expectancy, education and income.
2. Infant mortality is the total number of babies who die.
3. GNI per head shows how income is shared between people.
- Question 3 · Matching[3 marks]
Match each development measure to its meaning.
- Question 4 · Sort into groups[3 marks]
Sort each cause of uneven development into the correct group.
Being landlocked
Colonialism
Debt
- Question 5 · Choose more than one[2 marks]
Which TWO are economic causes of uneven development?
Choose 2.
- Question 6 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which is a limitation of using GNI per head as a measure of development?
- Question 7 · Matching[3 marks]
Match each development strategy to what it does.