Gapminder Assignment

2/6/15

Somalia: Somalia is a country that has been plagued by conflict stemming from the long-existing issues of poverty, inequality, and the ever-expanding youth demographic, conflict which only
serves to perpetuate these same problems. Somali youth under age 30, which make up over
70% of the population, face massive barriers to education and employment as a result of the
nations instability. Cultural traditions of prejudice also hamper the nations development, as
women and members of various clans are not freely allowed the opportunity for education and
advancement, and often face violence if they do not act as expected.
India: India, as a nation situated on a peninsula, should be a hub for trade and manufacturing,
but unfortunately it is not, and that is a major cause of its lower place on the development graph.

India is a hub for service jobs, mostly existing in call-centers which require a comparatively high
level of education compared to jobs in manufacturing or agriculture, and this sector is not growing nearly fast enough to employ the rapidly growing Indian population, while also not being feasible for the nations massive less-educated populace. The better paying jobs are also centralized in the states of the peninsula, leaving few options for the residents of the hinterland states,
who have not implemented policies allowing for better education and increased skilled employment.
China: China is currently the worlds second largest economy, resulting in dramatic development in recent years. However, with the centralization of jobs, mostly in technology and manufacturing, in the nations massive cities, it is expected that by 2025 70% of Chinese citizens will
live in cities with populations over 1 million people. With such a concentrated population, complications including pollution and low living standards take a toll on the health of the citizens of
the country. The economic and social development of China is also stunted by its Communist
government, which plays a heavy hand in all of Chinas formal affairs and does not allow the
progression made possible by competition in enterprise, nor the social advancement that would
see it among the worlds most developed countries.
The United States: The US ranks high on the graph of total development, mainly as a result of
our widespread relative wealth compared to the citizens of many nations, and the higher standard of living that comes with it, made possible by the number of jobs available to its citizens in
areas from finance to manufacturing to agriculture in nearly every area of the country. With government-mandated and funded public education, youth are able to secure jobs which will support them comfortably through life in the majority of cases, and our healthcare systems, while
expensive, are also incredibly successful in their objectives. The democratically elected government allows for changes to be made in the public interest, and for both economic and social
development to continue into the future.
Norway: Norway ranks first on the Legatum index for national development, ranking high in all
eight criteria, from education to governance to economic freedom, all qualities stemming from
common sources. Norway has a small population, with a high degree of political efficacy, and
high taxes which lead to a greater redistribution of wealth and economic equality than can be
seen in other nations. With government-controlled oil and natural gas production, which constitute the majority of the nations GDP, the government as the economic resources to provide an
incredible standard in education and healthcare, resulting in a populace both prosperous and
healthy, as well as happy, ranking a strong eighth in average happiness of the population.

200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes: 1) Countries whose populations were controlled by
colonists in the early 1900s didi not develop as quickly as those not controlled by colonists.
2) Countries with the resources to develop industry early on developed at a much more rapid
pace than countries who developed industry later on.
3) While the dichotomy between developed and undeveloped is today much less than it was in
the past, there is still massive inequality in quality of life, and one that will take years of economic and social development to reduce.