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Text: Ye Weihua
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introduction
Have you ever wondered why countries in the tropics tend to be less developed, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia in Asia, and many countries in Africa, which have more than a quarter of the world's population, but lag behind other countries in terms of economic development?
Do climatic conditions really limit a country's development?
(Bangladesh)
1. There is a huge difference between tropical and temperate regions
The global economy has always been centered around temperate zones, such as Europe, Asia, and North America. Today, these temperate countries are more developed and richer than ever before, creating a huge economic gap between the countries of the northern temperate zone and the countries of the equatorial region.
The countries with the highest GDP in 2022 were the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom (World Bank statistics 2022). The top five countries are all located in temperate climate zones or most of their territories are located in temperate zones. Of the top 10 countries in terms of GDP, only two are located in the tropical climate zone, and the remaining eight are in the temperate climate zone.
(Climatic Zone)
The reason for the economic disparity between countries with temperate and tropical climates can be attributed in part to the impact of climate and geography on a country's agriculture. The climatic and geographical conditions of countries will limit the way they can produce goods and build infrastructure.
The climatic and geographical conditions of the country have greatly influenced the way in which its commodities are produced, especially in agriculture. Agriculture is important to the economy because all over the world, food is a hard currency alongside oil and steel.
The impact of climate and geography on the tropical economy
Many people would think that the frost-free tropics are a lush paradise with rich biodiversity, but too much biodiversity can be a big problem.
(Tropics)
For example, if you grow any kind of annual crop in the tropics, if you grow it in a temperate region, the harvest will definitely be better. Corn, potatoes, wheat, and almost all agricultural crops were first domesticated by humans in temperate regions.
Because the temperate zone has four distinct seasons, winter frosts can dormant insects and microorganisms, allowing organic matter to accumulate in the land, creating fertile soil.
(Wheat)
However, in the tropics, organic matter is broken down very quickly by insects and microorganisms, such as nitrogen and carbon from a dead plant that evaporates into the air or is soaked into the ground by rain before it can provide nutrients to the new plant, while in temperate regions, nitrogen and carbon accumulate and remain in the soil as organic matter.
Temperature variations in temperate zones and seasonal conditions ensure smooth ripening of crops. Because of predictability when dealing with pests and diseases. While both climate zones produce agricultural products, crops grown in temperate climates (e.g., wheat, rape, corn, potatoes) grow faster.
(Crops)
Temperate climate zones also have an advantage on agricultural land, as there is more suitable land for agriculture. For example, the United States can allocate more than 4 million square kilometers of land for agriculture, while Brazil, the largest of the tropical countries, has only about 2.5 million square kilometers of land that can be used for agriculture.
The wealth gained through agriculture will also feed back into agricultural cultivation technology, forming a virtuous circle. For example, in developed countries such as the United States, crops are made more resistant to natural disasters by using chemical fertilizers and cultivating genetically modified organisms. The innate agricultural advantages of countries in temperate climate zones are an important reason for the economic disparity in climate zones.
(American Farms)
Climatic and geographical conditions affect not only agriculture but also other sectors such as manufacturing, mining, and services. The economies of the tropics are heavily dependent on natural resources, and few tropical countries produce high-value manufactured goods such as machinery and electronics.
Because the infrastructure of most tropical countries does not allow them to produce these high value-added goods in large quantities, because these countries are unable to produce high-value-added goods, they have to go back to the old way of selling natural resources.
(Third World Countries)
Of course, there are exceptions, and Saudi Arabia is one of the few tropical countries that relies on natural resources to generate a large amount of GDP. Saudi Arabia generates about $830 billion a year in GDP from the sale of crude oil.
Crude oil exports are the lifeblood of Saudi Arabia, accounting for 40% of annual GDP and 80% of total exports). Economies in tropical countries will not be able to sustain themselves and generate additional sources of income due to the inability to build proper infrastructure or lack adequate resources.
3. The influence of climate and geography on history
The economic gap between tropical and temperate climates dates back to the Age of Discovery, which began in Europe hundreds of years ago, and may seem man-made, but it is also the result of climatic and geographical conditions.
(European Navigation)
When Europe began to expand across the ocean in the late 15th century, their seafaring ability depended on ocean currents. Ocean currents are the result of uneven heating of the Earth's oceans, with warm water spreading northward from the equator and cold water settling back to the equator. The dependence on ocean currents at that time unconsciously determined the destination.
For example, when Columbus tried to go to India, he was unwittingly carried by the ocean currents to the Americas. The influence of ocean currents allows powerful civilizations to exploit weak civilizations on a large scale, and the inhabitants of the tropics are the first to suffer from the influence of ocean currents.
(Current Chart)
After the Native Americans were almost struck out, the European colonists began to carry out bloody primitive accumulation through the slave trade. Slaves were traded in Africa and local tribes using European-made gadgets (such as glass beads, axes, etc.), which were then shipped and sold to American plantation owners, who then shipped the goods to Europe.
This is known as the "triangular trade", but if you carefully compare the triangular trade routes and the distribution of ocean currents, it is easy to see that it is because of the ocean currents that the triangular trade routes are possible.
epilogue
Since then, the economic gap between temperate and tropical climates has only widened as a result of colonial exploitation. For example, in the 19th century, Europe's per capita income was only twice that of Africa, but in the 21st century, Europe's per capita income is more than thirteen times that of Africa.
(Triangular Trade)
Companies in temperate developed countries will also maximize their profits by employing people from less developed countries in the tropics, so that they can make more profits, which is why so many companies around the world are keen to set up factories in underdeveloped countries.
Without technical, material and other assistance, it is unlikely that poor countries in the tropics will be able to survive on their own, unless the United Nations can enact international laws to stop rich countries and corporations from exploiting the governments and peoples of other countries, but the probability of such a thing happening is basically zero, and even if such laws are enacted, they will eventually become a dead letter.