Global Transport Networks, Tourism, Trade, and Development Factors

Posted on Dec 12, 2024 in Geography

Global Transport Networks

Global transport networks are created by transport infrastructures. These networks are made up of nodes, which are points of departure and arrival, and by pathways that link the nodes.

Linked Spaces

Developed countries have numerous, dense, and well-built transport networks. Their main nodes are in the capitals of the countries. They have good links to strategic global shipping routes, such as the major straits and canals. In these countries, the latest transport improvements have been introduced. These include the use of new fuels, increased capacity in freight loads, reduced costs, and infrastructure improvements.

Poorly Linked Spaces

  • Less-developed countries are poor regions because there are few transport networks, and they are badly built.
  • Underdeveloped regions have very sparse transport networks. They are hard to access.

Land Transport

  • Road transport
    • Advantages: Direct access between the points of departure and arrival, along with flexible travel times.
    • Disadvantages: Low load capacity, high traffic density, and atmospheric pollution caused by vehicle engines.
  • Rail transport
    • Advantages: High load capacity, safety, speed, and low pollution.
    • Disadvantages: Rigidity of the route and high cost of building and maintaining the lines.

Sea Transport

  • Advantages: High load capacity and low cost.
  • Disadvantages: Slow speeds and risks of polluting the sea along the shipping routes.

Air Transport

  • Advantages: Speed, safety, and independence from the obstacles posed by the terrain.
  • Disadvantages: High cost of setting up and maintaining air companies, high fuel prices, and consumption rates.

Types of Tourism

  1. Waterside tourism is the most widespread. It includes beach holidays that take place on the coast, some lakes, and spas.
  2. Mountain tourism takes advantage of mountain regions and their attractions. It includes skiing, mountain climbing, and canyoning.
  3. Rural tourism provides experiences of traditional agrarian activities and ecosystems of special value, visits to museums, and relaxation.
  4. Other types include:
    • Cultural tourism: Visits to other cities with historical, artistic, or cultural attractions.
    • Business tourism: Linked to conferences and conventions.
    • Religious tourism: Visits to Mecca, Rome, Santiago de Compostela, and Jerusalem.

Effects and Tourism Policies

  • Economic effects: Creates employment, is the main source of income in many countries, and stimulates other economic activities. It also has negative aspects, such as the precarious nature of employment, price increases, and land speculation.
  • Demographic effects and social consequences: Stopped emigration from certain areas. Tourism contributes to the modernization of traditional forms of life but can also lead to the loss of a region’s specific identity and customs.
  • Environmental effects: Has aided in the rehabilitation of certain areas. Tourism infrastructure changes the landscape, gives rise to pollution, increases waste, and overexploits water and land.
  • Tourism policies: Seek to foster the positive effects of mass tourism and avoid the negative ones.

Domestic Trade

Domestic trade is undertaken within a country’s borders. There are two types:

  • Wholesale trader: Buys large quantities of merchandise directly from manufacturers and then sells them.
  • Retail trader: Sells directly to consumers from a range of commercial establishments.
    • Traditional businesses: Operate on a small scale with a limited rotation of products. In urban centers, they are threatened by competition from large retail stores, the decline of historic town centers, and traffic congestion. In rural areas, they are located on the ground floor of houses and sell everyday products.
    • Large retail stores: Operate on a large scale and offer a variety of products. The urban periphery is the site for large-area retail stores. This generates and encourages housebuilding and other tertiary sector activities.

Domestic Causes of Underdevelopment

  • Natural conditions: Very humid or dry climates and a higher frequency of natural catastrophes.
  • Lack of resources: Not having the capacity to exploit natural resources due to a shortage of capital.
  • Imbalance between population and resources: High demographic growth is compounded by the lack of available resources.
  • Political instability: Caused by armed conflicts, which result in deaths and destroy housing, infrastructure, industries, and resources.

International Causes of Underdevelopment

  1. Foreign domination: Colonial economies came to depend on their rulers. This situation grew more intense with the Industrial Revolution and 19th-century colonialism, and it continued afterward in the form of neo-colonialism. Now it persists due to globalization.
  2. Foreign debt: Many underdeveloped countries have built up high levels of foreign debt, which is subject to high-interest payments. Paying off this debt requires the majority of their resources, which has a negative impact on investment in manufacturing activities.