Industry of Southeast Asia. Regional characteristics of the world

Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Timor.

The countries of Southeast Asia vary greatly in their level of economic development. Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand belong to the NIS group; Brunei – to the group of oil-producing countries; Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos are among the most backward countries, the rest are developing countries with moderately developed economies.

A common feature is that they all have an export-oriented development model.

GDP per capita ranges from 2 to 10 thousand dollars (only Brunei and Singapore have this figure of 34 and 49 thousand dollars, respectively).

Their role is changing - from suppliers of raw materials to a source of highly qualified and at the same time cheap labor.

Influx of foreign investment

The share of agriculture is characterized by a reduction in the growth of the manufacturing industry, and the service sector is growing.

The fuel and energy complex plays a vital role in the region. It is especially developed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam, where oil and gas are produced.

The largest oil refining center is Singapore.

Factories operate in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Indonesia has the largest liquefied natural gas plant

Coal is mined in Vietnam and Indonesia

The basis of energy is thermal power plants, but hydroelectric power plants predominate in Laos and Vietnam.

Metallurgy

Metallurgy is represented mainly by non-ferrous metallurgy.

The tin industry is developed in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

There are factories for smelting aluminum and copper

Most of the products are exported

Chemical industry

• Based on petroleum products

  Plastics, mineral fertilizers, medicines, cosmetics are produced

  Processing of natural rubber has received significant development

Mechanical engineering

It has been developing rapidly in recent years and defines the “face” of the region. It is characterized by specialization in individual units and components, as well as the assembly of finished products from imported parts

Leading industries – electronics and household electrical appliances, export-oriented

The main centers of electronic engineering are located in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand

The region also produces aircraft, ships, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.

Light and food industry

Traditional industries are developing quite dynamically, but in Singapore and Malaysia their share has decreased due to the growth of modern industries

Developed production of textiles, footwear, clothing

Production of coffee, rice, cane sugar, cotton, tea

Developed in all countries of the region except Singapore and Brunei

Main industry: crop production

The main food crop is rice (leaders in cultivation are Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines)

Also grown are legumes, corn, sweet potatoes, cassava, hevea, oil palm, cotton, sugar cane, coconut palm, tea, coffee, pineapples, tobacco, and spices.

Fishing and shellfish production are of great importance

For reference:

Population: 500 million people

Natural increase – 10/20 ppm (Singapore – 5 ppm)

Population density ~ 100 people/sq. km. (the most densely populated area is the island of Java, ~ 800 people)

Urbanization level is low (20-25%) (Singapore - 100%)

Agglomerations – Jakarta, Manila

The bulk of the population is in agriculture

Employment: in industry - 10-35%, in services - 6-25% (in Singapore 70%)

2.CIS:

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan - "associate member"

Uzbekistan

All countries except Russia are unitary republics, Russia is a federal republic.

Ticket 19.

Features of the economy of the countries of South Asia .

Introduction

1.7 billion people

The region is compact in size

Has access to the Indian Ocean

Important global shipping routes pass through the region

4.5 million km 2

Mountains to the north somewhat separate the region from the rest of the continent

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives

India is a key country, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan are the poorest, the rest are developing.

Natural conditions are contrasting - a variety of minerals

Natural resources:

Coal - India

Iron – India, Sri Lanka

Oil/gas – India Pakistan Sri Lanka Bangladesh

Copper, aluminum, manganese - India

Uranium - Pakistan, India

Chromites – Pakistan

Soli – Pakistan

Low quality resources

Agroclimatic conditions

Subequatorial and tropical climate. Belts

Monsoon climate

Two seasons: wet summer (rice, cotton, jute) and dry winter (wheat, barley)

Sum of active temperatures 8000 degrees

Uneven hydration

Land resources

In Bangladesh, 70% is arable land; in other countries it is approximately 50%

Provision of 0.2 hectares per capita

Desertification and erosion

The soils are highly fertile (alluvial soils)

Forest resources

Forest cover ranges from 5% in Pakistan to 27% in Sri Lanka

Water resources

Insufficient except Nepal and Butane

High hydropower potential of rivers

Population

1.7 billion people (1.1 – India)

33 ethnic groups with more than 1 million people each – 98% of the population

Multinational State

Religions: Hinduism more than 60%, Buddhism, Islam

Literacy – 90% Sri Lanka, 50% Nepal

In general, the peak of the demographic transition has passed

Natural increase 15-25 ppm

290 people\km 2

40 agglomerations - millionaires

Urbanization up to 36%

40% of the world's poorest population

Farm

GDP is less than 2% of GDP with a population of 26% of the world

GDP per capita 1-3 thousand

• A characteristic feature is that crops that require a lot of labor are grown

  9/10 of the world's jute and its products come from Bangladesh and India

  4\10 teas from India and Sri Lanka. 1st place in export

  Important supplier of natural rubber, copra

  They also grow sugar cane, peanuts, cotton, and spices.

  IN Agricultural employs on average 40 to 60% of the economically active population,

  Remnants of pre-capitalist, semi-feudal relations predominate.

  In more developed areas, TNCs have developed (extremely cheap labor).

  Producer of jute, tea, nat. rubber, copra, sah. cane, cotton, peanuts, spices, wheat, rice.

  But the region cannot provide itself with food, especially grain.

  India is the largest. agricultural production (one of the 1st places in the world for S irrigated land).

  The region has a huge livestock population (400 million heads), but these are mainly draft animals.

  1\7 of world grain production

  1/4 of the world's rice harvest

  In Nepal, 90% of the population is engaged in agricultural activities

  The predominance of small-scale production

  Grain import

  Division of land into those that grow export crops and those that grow crops for consumption

  Domestic consumption: rice, corn, wheat, millet, legumes

Industry

Light industry - textile (jute and cotton) products are aimed at domestic consumption. The clothing industry is slightly less developed

Food industry: tea, refined sugar, tobacco, spices, vegetable oils

Industrial traction is poorly developed

Fuel and energy complex - hydroelectric power stations are widespread (south, from India), nuclear power plants and thermal power plants are smaller

Despite the fact that they extract energy resources themselves, they still import them

Mechanical engineering is dominated by assembly from imported parts. 2306 thousand pieces. cars per year. High-tech mechanical engineering: production of machine tools for light industry, transport engineering, computers. Development of software for computers.

Ferrous metallurgy (India produces more than 53 million tons of steel per year) is based on its own raw materials. Production for both export and domestic consumption

Non-ferrous metallurgy using our own raw materials

A characteristic feature of industry is its duality: small-scale handicraft production is adjacent to large factories

Light industry– historically developed. Jute, cotton and clothing production. Other industries began to develop only in the 2nd half of the 20th century. India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. In other countries, industry is much less developed and is limited to small handicraft production. Nepal is famous for its unique production of postage stamps.

2. Monarchy countries of Western Europe (U): UK(PaM), Norway(Km), Sweden(Km), Denmark(Km), Belgium(KmF), Netherlands(Km), Luxembourg(Km), Spain(Km), Vatican(Tm), Liechtenstein(Km), Monaco(Km), Andorra

1. Mining industries

In most developing countries of Foreign Asia, industry is represented primarily by mining industries. The reason for this is their good supply of mineral resources and the general low level of development of processing (upstream) industries.

- mining of coal, iron and manganese ores (India and China),

- tin (Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Thailand),

- bauxite (India),

- chromite ores (Türkiye, Philippines),

Polymetallic, nickel and copper ores (China, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.),

Potassium salt (Jordan)

- table salt (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)

However, the main thing that determines the importance of this region in international division labor, - production and export of oil and natural gas.

- oil and gas are produced by many countries in Foreign Asia, but the main production areas are the countries of Western (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, UAE, etc.) and Southeast (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) Asia.

2. Manufacturing industry

Share of Overseas Asia in manufacturing industry the world, especially the heavy one, is small. Its leading industries (ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical and textile industries) are mainly represented by their enterprises in Japan and China and in a small group of developing countries that have recently achieved significant success in developing their economies (India, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, Iran, Iraq). Large metallurgical plants have been created in India (in Bhilai and Bokaro) and China (Anshan plant, etc.), Japan and Turkey.

a) non-ferrous metallurgy

Tin smelting (China, Malaysia, Thailand)

Copper smelting (Japan, Indonesia, Philippines)

Aluminum smelting (India, Japan, Iraq)

Lead and zinc smelting (Japan, China)

B) mechanical engineering

Japan is the leader in the production of household appliances and radio electronics.

Automotive industry

Shipbuilding

B) chemical industry

Production of mineral fertilizers (primarily nitrogen) Japan, India,

Household chemicals and pharmaceuticals China, petroleum

Recyclable polymer materials countries

d) textile industry

Cotton

Production of silk fabrics

Agriculture Asia

The leading sector of the economy of the vast majority of foreign Asian countries is Agriculture.

The main food crop of Foreign Asia is rice. Its countries (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, etc.) provide over 90% of world rice production.

The second most important grain crop in Foreign Asia is wheat. In coastal, well-moistened areas, winter wheat is grown, in the arid continental part - spring wheat.

Among other grains, crops are significant corn and millet.

Despite the fact that Foreign Asia produces the vast majority of rice and about 20% of the world's wheat, many of its countries import grain.

- Cotton and sugar cane grown almost everywhere

Plantations Hevea located in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

The vast majority of world production tea given by India, China and Sri Lanka,

- jute- India and Bangladesh.

Export: soybean, copra (dried coconut pulp), coffee, tobacco, tropical and subtropical fruits, grapes, various spices (red and black pepper, ginger, vanilla, cloves), tea, cotton, jute, sugar cane, natural rubber.

State of the art livestock farming in Overseas Asia is lower than in other regions of the world.

The main branches of livestock farming are cattle breeding and sheep breeding

In countries with non-Muslim populations (China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan) - pig farming.

In desert and high mountain areas they breed horses, camels, yaks.

Export: wool, hides and skins.

In coastal countries it is of great importance fisheries.

Transport

Transport system Overseas Asia is underdeveloped. The exception is Japan, which, despite its small territory, occupies one of the leading places in terms of the length of transport routes.

In other countries, road transport is most important, and in South-West Asia - pipeline transport.

For intra-district inter-district transportation great importance have dirt roads, highways, and river routes. The length and density of railway lines is small; some countries (Laos, Yemen, Oman, UAE, etc.) do not have railways at all. International transportation is mainly carried out by sea. Japan has a large naval fleet (ranks first in the world in terms of its tonnage) and oil-producing countries (Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, etc.).

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1.3 Industry NIS of Southeast Asia.

South Korea and Singapore initially focused primarily on heavy industry - metallurgy, mechanical engineering, oil refining, petrochemicals and some others.

In South Korea, the production of cast iron, steel and rolled products has increased significantly in a short time. In terms of steel production, the country has taken second place in Asia after Japan, and from the very beginning, ferrous metallurgy was focused on the most advanced technologies (electric furnaces, oxygen converters). Large iron and steel plants were built in Pohang and Gwangyang. The production of non-ferrous metallurgy (copper, zinc, lead, aluminum) also increased.

On the basis of metallurgy, their own mechanical engineering began to be created. In this industry, machine tool building, associated with industrialization and expansion of the domestic market, and shipbuilding, which is mainly export-oriented, have come to the fore. For the 1980s The tonnage of ships launched has increased more than fivefold. The production of supertankers was mastered, and then bulk carriers, container ships, methane tankers (70% of world production). Basic chemistry (mineral fertilizers) and petrochemistry (plastics and chemical fibers) began to develop rapidly. The energy base was strengthened, primarily through the development of nuclear power; The first nuclear power plant came into operation in 1978.

In Singapore, with the beginning of accelerated industrialization, the port industry began to grow rapidly, focusing on the processing of imported raw materials. First of all, this applies to such “dirty” production as oil refining and petrochemicals, which have become a key industry here since the 70s. The capacity of Singapore's five oil refineries reached almost 60 million tons, and this indicator ranked third in the world after the American Houston and the Dutch Rotterdam.

It is interesting that in Singapore, oil refineries, along with oil storage facilities, were located on seven small islands in the Strait of Malacca, located south of the first and largest industrial core of Singapore - Jurong. These islands were also actually combined into one island, which facilitated the creation of a small industrial zone here. Japanese and German chemical concerns have already begun to develop large-scale modern production based on this zone. The project involves the construction of a dam that will connect the "oil" island of Jurong with the main part of this industrial area.

Shipbuilding should also be included among the sectors of the port industry. Supertankers with a tonnage of up to 500 thousand tons and oil drilling platforms are built here. Ship repair is also of great importance. These industries are closely related to the work of the world's largest port of Singapore, whose annual cargo turnover exceeds 300 million tons.

This optimization of the economic model in turn stimulated investment in R&D. At the same time, the import of advanced foreign technology began to be encouraged. They created their own production and technological parks, where they also developed Newest technologies. In fact, free economic zones have emerged in all newly industrialized countries. different types, but export-oriented.

For example, Massan in South Korea, Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park in Taiwan, located 70 km southwest of the capital Taipei. The scientific support of this park are two universities, and the production support is more than 10 companies working in the field of high technology. Another example is the large scientific and industrial Penang in Malaysia, located on the island of the same name off the west coast of the country. It is no coincidence that this island began to be called “silicon new”, since the park’s enterprises specialize in the production of semiconductor boards or chips. Computers, VCRs or televisions cannot do without them now. Produced in many countries around the world. The third example is the Singapore Research and Production Park, which united 10 state research institutes and 45 industrial corporations.

Transition to economics open type demanded, as economists note, the combination of efforts of three interested parties: the national bourgeoisie, the state and foreign capital. Under the influence of the state, a large public sector of the economy was formed, including energy, transport, and mining.

As a result, a significant structural change occurred in the NIS economy of Southeast Asia. Thus, in Malaysia and Thailand, the share of industry in GDP creation increased from 1980 to 2000, respectively, from 38 to 48% and from 29 to 40%. Approximately the same figures are typical for the Republic of Korea and Singapore, and in Indonesia the share of industry even exceeds 50%. Now in general sizes industrial production The Republic of Korea ranks 11th in the world (before Russia), and 10th in terms of the size of its manufacturing industry. Taiwan is, respectively, in 18th and 14th places, Indonesia in both cases - in 24th, Thailand - in 25th and 23rd. And the share of agriculture in GDP, not to mention Singapore and Hong Kong, where there is virtually none, has dropped to 6% in the Republic of Korea and 10-15% in other countries.

It is equally important that radical structural changes affected not only the sphere of material production, but also the non-productive sphere, the share of which in the GDP of these countries is constantly increasing. Thus, even before reunification with China, Hong Kong turned into one of the world's financial centers. More than 500 banks are located here, most of them foreign. The stock exchange ranks 5th in the world in terms of transaction volumes, and the local gold market is also one of the largest in the world. Hong Kong has become major exporter capital, one of the world's most important centers of offshore business. The number of offshore companies is measured in tens of thousands.

Singapore has also become a very important center financial activities, marketing and services. There are branches of more than 3 thousand national corporations here, some of which are members of the “world's club of billionaires.” Like Hong Kong, Singapore is one of the seven largest offshore centers in the world. The Singapore Currency Exchange is second only to London, New York and Tokyo in terms of annual turnover. The Singapore Stock Exchange serves all of Southeast Asia. The share of financial and business services in Singapore's GDP reaches two fifths. And in the central area of ​​the city, probably half of all high-rise buildings are occupied by the boards of banks and other similar institutions.

Another very promising area of ​​activity for Singapore is international tourism. Already now it is visited by 5-6 million tourists a year. They are attracted here not only by the ultra-fashionable architecture, but also by a very high level of service - excellent hotels, a well-developed entertainment industry, and an abundance of shopping centers. And Singapore Changi Airport, the Singapore metro, the 73rd Shangri-La Hotel are considered the best in the world. It can be added that Singapore has earned the reputation of being the cleanest city, thanks not only to the whole system fines and sanctions, but also a high general level of culture. There is even a National Courtesy Committee. The prospect of turning Singapore, located 127 km north of the equator, into a major resort center is also being seriously discussed. It should be taken into account that industrial zones occupy approximately half of the entire territory of the island. And the rest of it is occupied by forests, agricultural lands (though there are very few of them) and unused lands.

International tourism is becoming an increasingly important industry in other Asian NICs. This is evidenced by the following figures: in the late 1990s, Thailand annually received almost 8 million tourists, Malaysia attracted 5.5 million, Indonesia - 4.6, South Korea - 4.3 million foreign tourists.

Chapter 2. Features of the economic development of Southeast Asian countries in the 80-90s.

Let us turn to a brief consideration of the factors that contributed to the successful socio-economic development of NIS Asia.

At the same time, the factor of labor resources deserves special attention. Not having, in some cases, significant natural resources, these countries have placed their main emphasis on labor resources, which are, moreover, constantly replenished thanks to a fairly high natural population growth. It was the large number and low cost of labor (the cost of labor in the Asian NIS is 3-4 times lower than in economically developed countries) that largely brought Western capital here, especially since labor in these countries turned out to be not only cheap, but also disciplined and also sufficiently qualified.

This last quality is primarily related to the level of education. In fact, all NIS ensured their breakthrough to international positions by introducing general secondary education, making secondary school accessible to everyone, raising the level of general and vocational training up to modern standards. The priority of education among all government problems led to a real “educational explosion” that changed the quality of the labor force. The basis of the “economic miracle” of Asia is precisely the priority of education - in this case, not declarative, but quite real.

These countries allocate from 2.5 to 4.5% of their GDP to education needs, which, taking into account the total volume of their GDP, amounts to quite impressive amounts. As a result, they are already approaching the level of full literacy: in the early 1990s, the enrollment of children in basic education reached 90%. Including complete secondary education in the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, more than 80% of children and adolescents were covered, which is even higher than the level achieved by Japan and most Western European countries. In NIS Asia, up to one third of all high school graduates continue their studies at universities. In addition, these countries widely use the opportunity to send their students to study in the United States and Western Europe. For example, the micro-state of Singapore educates as many of its citizens abroad as a large country like Pakistan. It is also important that students studying abroad, for the most part, return home, although their salaries are lower at home.

A high level of education also has a positive effect on such an important factor as the Human Development Index (HDI). Although, in terms of HDI, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea are still only in the third ten countries in the world, and Thailand and the Philippines are in the sixth.

But we should not forget about the peculiarities of economic development that underlay the intensive economic growth in a number of countries in Southeast Asia:

High level of savings and investments;

Export orientation of the economy;

Highly competitive due to relatively low rates wages;

Significant influx of foreign direct and portfolio investment in force; relative liberalization of capital markets;

Favorable institutional factors in the development of a “market-oriented” economy.

A number of long-term trends in the economic, institutional and political development of the countries of Southeast Asia actually predetermined the crisis in the economy and financial system of these countries in the late 90s. The crisis that broke out was characterized by a complex interweaving of traditional cyclical factors with specific processes of industrialization and financial development of the countries of the region under consideration.

FOREIGN ASIA

Table 10. Demographic, socio-economic indicators of the world, Foreign Asia.

Indicators	The whole world	Zarub. Asia	China	India	Japan
Area, thousand km 2	132850	27710	9597	3288	372
Population in 1998, million people.	5930	3457,6	1255,1	975,8	125,9
Fertility, ‰	24	24	17	29	10
Mortality, ‰	9	8	7	10	7
Natural increase	15	16	10	19	3
Life expectancy, m/f	63/68	65/68	68/72	62/63	77/83
Age structure, under 16 / over 65	62/6	33/5	27/6	36/4	16/14
Proportion of urban population in 1995, %	45	35	30	27	78
GDP per capita in 1995, $	6050	3950	2920	1400	22110

GENERAL ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ASIA

Foreign Asia is the largest region of the world in terms of area and population, and it has maintained this primacy, essentially, throughout the entire existence of human civilization.

The area of ​​Foreign Asia is 27 million km2, it includes more than 40 sovereign states. Many of them are among the oldest in the world.

Foreign Asia is one of the centers of the origin of humanity, the birthplace of agriculture, artificial irrigation, cities, many cultural values and scientific achievements. The region mainly consists of developing countries.

Geographical position. General review.

The region includes countries of different sizes: two of them are giant countries, the rest are mainly quite large countries. The boundaries between them follow well-defined natural boundaries.

The EGP of Asian countries is determined by their neighboring position, the coastal position of most countries, and the inland position of some countries.

The first two features have a beneficial effect on their economy, while the third complicates external economic relations.

The political structure of the countries is very diverse: Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Jordan - constitutional monarchies, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Brunei, Oman - absolute monarchies, the rest of the states are republics.

Natural conditions and resources.

The region is extremely homogeneous in terms of tectonic structure and relief: within its boundaries there is the greatest amplitude of heights on earth, both ancient Precambrian platforms and areas of young Cenozoic folding, grandiose mountainous countries and vast plains are located here. As a result, Asia's mineral resources are very diverse. The main basins are concentrated within the Chinese and Hindustan platforms coal, iron and manganese ores, non-metallic minerals. Within the Alpine-Himalayan and Pacific fold belts, ores predominate. But the main wealth of the region, which also determines its role in the MGRT, is oil. Oil and gas reserves have been explored in most countries of South-West Asia, but the main deposits are located in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran.

The agroclimatic resources of Asia are heterogeneous. Vast tracts of mountainous countries, deserts and semi-deserts are little suitable for economic activity, with the exception of animal husbandry; The supply of arable land is small and continues to decline (as the population grows and soil erosion increases). But on the plains of the east and south, quite favorable conditions for agriculture are created.

Asia contains 3/4 of the world's irrigated land.

Population.

The population of Asia is 3.1 billion people. All countries in the region, with the exception of Japan, belong to the 2nd type of population reproduction, and now they are in a state of the so-called “demographic explosion”. Some countries are fighting this phenomenon by pursuing demographic policies (India, China), but most countries do not pursue such a policy; rapid population growth and rejuvenation continue. At the current rate of population growth, it could double in 30 years. Among Asian subregions, East Asia is the furthest away from the peak of its population explosion.

The ethnic composition of the Asian population is also extremely complex: more than 1 thousand peoples live here - from small ethnic groups numbering several hundred people to the largest peoples in the world. The four peoples of the region (Chinese, Hindustani, Bengalis and Japanese) number more than 100 million each.

The peoples of Asia belong to approximately 15 language families. Such linguistic diversity is not found in any other major region on the planet. The most ethnolinguistically complex countries are: India, Sri Lanka, Cyprus. In East and South-West Asia, with the exception of Iran and Afghanistan, a more homogeneous national composition is characteristic.

The complex composition of the population in many parts of the region (India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, etc.) leads to acute ethnic conflicts.

Foreign Asia is the birthplace of all major religions; all three world religions originated here: Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. Among other national religions, it is necessary to note Confucianism (China), Taoism, and Shintoism. In many countries, interethnic contradictions are based precisely on religious grounds.

The population of foreign Asia is unevenly distributed: population density ranges from 1 to 800 people. per 1 km 2. In some areas it reaches 2000 people. per 1 km 2

The growth rate of the region's urban population is so high (3.3%) that this growth has come to be called the "urban explosion". But, despite this, in terms of urbanization level (34%), Foreign Asia is in penultimate place among the regions of the world.

For rural settlement, the village form is most typical.

Farm

The role of foreign Asia as a whole in the world economy has increased significantly in recent decades. But differences in the levels of development and specialization of individual countries are more pronounced here than in foreign Europe.

There are 6 groups of countries:
1. Japan occupies an isolated position, since it is the “No. 2 power” of the Western world, the only member of the “Big Seven” in this region. For many important indicators occupies a leading position among economically developed Western countries;
2. China and India have also made great strides economically and social development for a short time. But in terms of per capita indicators, their success is still small;
3. the newly industrialized countries of Asia - the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as Thailand and Malaysia, members of ASEAN. The combination of a profitable EGP and cheap labor resources made it possible, with the participation of Western TNCs, to carry out in the 70-80s. restructuring the economy along Japanese lines. But their economy is export-oriented;
4. oil-producing countries - Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries, which, thanks to "petrodollars" for short term managed to go through a development path that would have taken them several centuries. Now not only oil production is developing here, but also petrochemistry, metallurgy and other industries;
5. countries with a predominance of mining or light industry in the industrial structure - Mongolia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Jordan;
6. least developed countries - Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen - modern industry is practically absent in these countries.

Agriculture

In most Asian countries, the bulk of EAN is engaged in agriculture. In general, the region is characterized by a combination of commodity and consumer economy, landownership and peasant land use, and a sharp predominance of food crops in the crops. The food problem in many countries has not yet been resolved; in South and Southeast Asia, tens of millions of people are on the verge of starvation.

In accordance with the distribution of agro-climatic resources, population and traditions, 3 large agricultural regions have emerged: the rice growing region (covering the monsoon sector of East, Southeast and South Asia) combined with tea growing in the higher parts; subtropical farming area (Mediterranean coast); the rest of the territory is dominated by the cultivation of wheat, millet, and pasture animal husbandry.

Ecology

As a result of poor farming practices, the negative anthropogenic impact in foreign Asia is reaching alarming proportions. As a result of intensive mining without environmental protection measures, extensive agriculture, and an increase in the number of inhabitants, air pollution and depletion occur. water resources, soil erosion, land alienation, deforestation, depletion of natural biocenoses. Frequent conflicts and wars in the region only worsen the situation. For example, the war in the Persian Gulf led to acid rain, dust storms, massive soot and oil pollution of waters and soils, and caused irreparable damage to the fauna and flora of the region. Ecocide during the American aggression in Vietnam is no less notorious, when forests on an area of ​​about 0.5 million km 2 were deliberately destroyed over the course of several years.

Figure 9. Subregions of Overseas Asia.

Notes

1. The Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip) were occupied by Israel in 1967.
2. In May 2002, East Timor gained independence.
3. The territory of Macao, under Portuguese administration, enjoys internal self-government.

CHINA

Territory - 9.6 million km 2.

Population - 1 billion 222 million people since 1995

The capital is Beijing.

Figure 10. Administrative divisions and economic zones of China.

Geographical location, general overview.

The PRC is the third largest country in the world by territory and the first by population - located in central and eastern Asia. The state borders on 16 countries, 1/3 of the borders are in the CIS countries.

The economic and geographical position of the PRC is very favorable, since being located along the Pacific coast (15 thousand km), the country has access to the sea from the most remote inland corners through the Yangtze River. The coastal location of the PRC contributes to the development of its economy and foreign economic relations.

China is one of the oldest states in the world, which emerged in the 14th century BC, and has a very complex history. Due to the obvious benefits of its position, the wealth of natural and agro-climatic resources, throughout its existence China attracted the attention of various conquerors. Even in ancient times, the country protected itself with the partially preserved Great Wall of China. In the last century, China was a pro-colony of England, after defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 - 1895. The country was divided into spheres of influence between England, France, Germany, Japan and Russia.

In 1912, the Republic of China was formed. In 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese invaders with the help of the USSR, the People's Revolution occurred. In 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed.

Natural conditions and resources.

The country lies within the fractured Chinese Precambrian Platform and younger areas. As part of this, the eastern part is mainly lowland, and the reserved upland and mountainous part.

Various mineral deposits are associated with various tectonic structures. In terms of its supply, China is one of the leading countries in the world; it stands out primarily for its reserves of coal, non-ferrous and ferrous metal ores, rare earth elements, and mining and chemical raw materials.

In terms of oil and gas reserves, China is inferior to the leading oil countries of the world, but in terms of oil production the country has reached 5th place in the world. The main oil fields are located in Northern and Northeastern China, the basins of inland China.

Among the ore deposits, the Anshan iron ore basin, located in coal-rich Northeast China, stands out. Non-ferrous metal ores are concentrated mainly in the central and southern provinces.

China is located in temperate, subtropical and tropical climatic zones, and in the west the climate is sharply continental, and in the east it is monsoonal, with a lot of precipitation (in summer). Such climatic and soil differences create conditions for the development of agriculture: in the west, in the arid regions, livestock farming and irrigated agriculture are mainly developed, while in the east, on the especially fertile lands of the Great Chinese Plain, agriculture predominates.

The water resources of the PRC are very large; the eastern, more populated and highly developed part of the country is most endowed with them. River waters are widely used for irrigation. In addition, China ranks first in the world in terms of theoretical hydropower resources, but their use is still very small.

China's forest resources are generally quite large, concentrated mainly in the northeast (taiga coniferous forests) and in the southeast (tropical and subtropical deciduous forests). They are intensively used on the farm.

Population

China is the first country in the world in terms of population (almost 1300 million people or 20% of all inhabitants of the Earth), and it has probably held the palm for many centuries. In the 70s, the country began to implement a demographic policy aimed at reducing the birth rate, because after the formation of the People's Republic of China (in the 50s), due to a decrease in mortality and an increase in living standards, the population growth rate increased very quickly. This policy has borne fruit and now natural growth in China is even below the world average.

China is a young country (1/3 of the population is under 15 years of age). It differs in the intensity of labor migration, both within the country and abroad.

The PRC is a multinational country (there are 56 nationalities), but with a sharp predominance of the Chinese - about 95% of the population. They live mainly in the eastern part of the country; in the west (most of the territory) live representatives of other nationalities (Gzhuans, Hui, Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Koreans, Manjurs, etc.).

Despite the fact that the PRC is a socialist country, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are practiced here (in general, the population is not very religious). The country is home to the world center of Buddhism - Tibet, occupied by China in 1951.

Urbanization is developing rapidly in China.

Farm

The PRC is an industrial-agrarian socialist country that has recently been developing at a very rapid pace.

Economic modernization is proceeding at different rates in different regions of China. Special economic zones (SEZs) have been created in Eastern China to take advantage of their advantageous coastal location. This strip occupies 1/4 of the country's territory, 1/3 of the population lives here and 2/3 of the GNP is produced. The average income per inhabitant is 4 times higher than in the more backward inland provinces. The territorial structure of the country's economy is represented mainly by established large industrial hubs; agriculture plays a major role, in which the majority of the economically active population (EAP) is employed.

In terms of GDP, China has taken second place in the world, although in terms of GNP per capita it has not yet reached the world average (about $500 per year).

Energy. China occupies one of the leading places in the world in energy production and electricity generation. China's energy sector is coal (its share in the fuel balance is 75%), oil and gas (mostly artificial) are also used. Most of the electricity is produced at thermal power plants (3/4), mainly coal-fired. Hydroelectric power stations account for 1/4 of the electricity produced. There are two nuclear power plants, 10 tidal stations, and a geothermal station has been built in Lhasa.

Ferrous metallurgy- is based on its own iron ore, coking coal and alloying metals. China ranks 1st in the world in iron ore mining and 2nd in steel production. The technical level of the industry is low. The largest factories in the country are those in Anshan, Shanghai, Broshen, as well as in Benxi, Beijing, Wuhan, Taiyuan, and Chongqing.

Non-ferrous metallurgy. The country has large reserves of raw materials (1/2 of the produced tin, antimony, and mercury are exported), but aluminum, copper, lead, and zinc are imported. Mining and processing plants are represented in the north, south and west of China, and the final stages of production are in the east. The main centers of non-ferrous metallurgy are located in the provinces of Liaoning, Yunnan, Hunan, and Gansu.

Mechanical engineering and metalworking- occupies 35% in the industry structure. Remains high specific gravity production of equipment for textile industry, Electronics, electrical engineering, and automotive industries are rapidly developing. The structure of production enterprises is diverse: along with modern high-tech enterprises, handicraft factories are widespread.

The leading sub-sectors are heavy engineering, machine tool building, and transport engineering. The automotive industry (6-7th place in the world), electronics and instrument making are developing rapidly. The predominant part of China's engineering products is produced in the coastal zone (over 60%), and mainly in large cities (the main centers are Shanghai, Shenyang, Dalian, Beijing, etc.).

Chemical industry. Relies on coke and petrochemical products, mining chemicals and plant raw materials. There are two groups of production: mineral fertilizers, household chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Light industry- traditional and one of the main industries, uses its own, mainly natural (2/3) raw materials. The leading sub-sector is textile, providing the country with a leading position in the production and export of fabrics (cotton, silk and others). The sewing, knitting, leather and footwear sub-sectors are also developed.

Food industry- for a country with such large population is extremely important, the leaders are the processing of grain and oilseeds, the production and processing of pork (2/3 of the volume of the meat industry), tea, tobacco and other food products is developed.

As before, the country has developed production of traditional sub-sectors: textiles and clothing.

Agriculture- provides food to the population, supplies raw materials for the food and light industries. The leading sub-sector of agriculture is crop production (rice is the basis of the Chinese diet). Wheat, corn, millet, sorghum, barley, peanuts, potatoes, yam, taro, and cassava are also grown; industrial crops - cotton, sugar cane, tea, sugar beets, tobacco, and other vegetables. Livestock farming remains the least developed sector of agriculture. The basis of livestock farming is pig breeding. Vegetable growing, poultry farming, beekeeping, and sericulture are also developed. Fisheries play a significant role.

Transport- provides mainly communication between seaports and inland areas. 3/4 of all cargo transportation is provided by rail. Along with the recently increased importance of sea, road and aviation, the use of traditional modes of transport remains: horse-drawn, pack, transport carts, bicycle and especially river.

Internal differences. In the early 1980s, in order to improve planning, China created three economic zones: Eastern, Central and Western. The eastern region is the most developed, with the largest industrial centers and agricultural areas located here. The center is dominated by the production of fuel and energy, chemical products, raw materials and semi-finished products. The western zone is the least developed (livestock farming, mineral processing).

Foreign economic relations have been developing especially widely since the 80-90s, which is associated with the formation of an open economy in the country. The volume of foreign trade is 30% of China's GDP. The leading place in exports is occupied by labor-intensive products (clothing, toys, shoes, sporting goods, machinery and equipment). Imports are dominated by mechanical engineering products and vehicles.

INDIA

Territory - 3.28 million km 2. Population - 935.5 million people. The capital is Delhi.

The Republic of India is located in South Asia on the Hindustan Peninsula. It also includes the Laccadive Islands in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. India borders Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar. The maximum length of India is from north to south - 3200 km, from west to east - 2700 km.

India's EGP is conducive to economic development: India is located on maritime trade routes from the Mediterranean to Indian Ocean, halfway between the Middle and Far East.

Indian civilization arose in the third millennium BC. e. For almost two centuries, India was a colony of England. India gained independence in 1947, and in 1950 it was declared a republic within the British Commonwealth.

India is a federal republic consisting of 25 states. Each of them has its own legislative assembly and government, but while maintaining a strong central government.

Natural conditions and resources.

The main part of the territory is located within the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Deccan Plateau.

India's mineral resources are significant and varied. The main deposits are located in the northeast of the country. Here are the largest iron ore, coal basins, and manganese ore deposits; this creates favorable conditions for the development of heavy industry.

The mineral resources of South India are diverse - bauxite, chromite, magnesite, brown coal, graphite, mica, diamonds, gold, monazite sands, ferrous metal ores, coal; in Gujarat and on the continental shelf - oil.

The climate of the country is mainly monsoonal subtropical and tropical, in the south it is equatorial. The average annual temperature is about 25°C, only in winter in the mountains does it drop below 0°. The distribution of precipitation over the seasons and across the territory is uneven - 80% of it falls in the summer, the eastern and mountainous regions receive the largest amount, and the northwest receives the smallest.

Land resources - natural wealth country, since a significant part of the soil has high fertility.

Forests occupy 22% of India's area, but there is not enough forest for economic needs.

Indian rivers have great energy potential and are also the main source of artificial irrigation.

Population.

India is the second most populous country in the world (after China). The country has a very high population reproduction rate. And although the peak of the “demographic explosion” has generally passed, the demographic problem has not yet lost its urgency.

India is the most multinational country in the world. It is home to representatives of several hundred nations, nationalities and tribal groups, at different stages of socio-economic development and speaking different languages. They belong to the Caucasoid, Negroid, Australoid races and the Dravidian group.

The peoples of the Indo-European family predominate: Hindustani, Marathi, Bengalis, Biharis, etc. The official languages ​​in the country are Hindi and English.

More than 80% of the inhabitants of India are Hindus, 11% are Muslims. The complex ethnic and religious composition of the population often leads to conflicts and increased tension.

The distribution of the population of India is very uneven, since for a long time the fertile lowlands and plains in the valleys and deltas of rivers and on the sea coasts were primarily populated. Average population density is 260 people. per 1 km 2. Despite this high figure, sparsely populated and even deserted territories still exist.

The level of urbanization is quite low - 27%, but the number of large cities and “millionaire” cities is constantly increasing; In terms of the absolute number of city residents (220 million people), India ranks 2nd in the world. But, nevertheless, most of the Indian population lives in crowded villages.

Figure 11. Economic map of India.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)

Industry, energy.

India is a developing agro-industrial country with enormous resources and human potential. Along with India's traditional industries (agriculture, light industry), the mining and manufacturing industries are developing.

Currently, 29% of GDP comes from industry, 32% from agriculture, 30% from the service sector.

Energy. The creation of the energy base in the country began with the creation of hydroelectric power stations, but among the newly built power plants in recent years, thermal power plants predominate. The main source of energy is coal. Nuclear energy is also developing in India - 3 nuclear power plants are operating.

Electricity production per capita is still very low.

Ferrous metallurgy. This is a growing industry. The current level is 16 million tons of steel (1993). The industry is represented by enterprises located mainly in the east of the country (Calcutta-Damodara industrial belt), as well as in the states of Bihar, Adhra Pradesh, etc.

Non-ferrous metallurgy also developed in the east. The aluminum industry, based on local bauxite, stands out.

Mechanical engineering. India produces a variety of machine tool and transport engineering products (TVs, ships, cars, tractors, airplanes and helicopters). The industry is developing rapidly.

The leading centers of mechanical engineering are Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Hyderabad, Bangalore.

In terms of production volume of the radio-electronic industry, India has taken second place in foreign Asia. The country produces a variety of radio equipment, color televisions, tape recorders, and communications equipment.

Chemical industry. In a country with such a role for agriculture, the production of mineral fertilizers is of exceptional importance. The importance of petrochemicals is also growing.

Light industry- a traditional branch of the economy, the main directions are cotton and jute, as well as clothing. There are textile factories in all major cities of the country. 25% of India's exports are made up of textile and clothing products.

Food industry- also traditional, produces products for the domestic and foreign markets. Indian tea is the most widely known in the world.

Transport. Among other developing countries, India's transport is quite developed. In first place in importance are railway transport in internal transportation and sea transport in external transportation.

Services sector. The largest film producer. Second only to the USA. In recent years, the creation of software products for the largest US corporations (1st place in the world) has developed.

Agriculture.

India is a country of ancient agricultural culture, one of the most important agricultural regions in the world.

Agriculture employs 3/5 of India's agricultural sector, but the use of mechanization is still insufficient.

4/5 of the value of agricultural products comes from crop production; agriculture requires irrigation (40% of the sown area is irrigated).

The main part of the arable land is occupied by food crops: rice, wheat, corn, barley, millet, legumes, potatoes.

The main industrial crops of India are cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and oilseeds.

There are two main agricultural seasons in India - summer and winter. Sev most important crops(rice, cotton, jute) is carried out in the summer, during the summer monsoon rains; In winter, wheat, barley, etc. are sown.

As a result of several factors, including the Green Revolution, India is completely self-sufficient in grain.

Livestock farming is much inferior to crop production, although India ranks first in the world in terms of livestock numbers. Only milk and animal skins are used; meat is practically not consumed, since Indians are mostly vegetarians.

In coastal areas, fishing is of considerable importance.

Foreign economic relations.

India is still poorly involved in the MGRT, although foreign trade is of considerable importance to its economy. The main export items are light industry products, jewelry, agricultural goods, medicines, fuel resources; the share of machinery and equipment is growing.

The largest trading partners are the USA, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Hong Kong.

JAPAN

Territory - 377.8 thousand square meters. km. Population - 125.2 million people. (1995). The capital is Tokyo.

Geographical location, general information.

Japan is an archipelago country located on four large and almost four thousand small islands, stretching in an arc of 3.5 thousand km from northeast to southwest along the eastern coast of Asia. The largest islands are Honshu, Hokaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. The shores of the archipelago are heavily indented and form many bays and bays. The seas and oceans surrounding Japan are of exceptional importance for the country as a source of biological, mineral and energy resources.

The economic and geographical position of Japan is determined, first of all, by the fact that it is located in the center of the Asia-Pacific region, this contributes to the country's active participation in the international geographical division labor.

During the feudal period, Japan was isolated from other countries. After the incomplete bourgeois revolution of 1867-1868, it embarked on the path of rapid capitalist development. At the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, it became one of the imperialist powers. In the 20th century, Japan entered and participated in three major wars(Russian-Japanese and two world). After the end of World War II, the armed forces were disbanded and reforms were introduced. In 1947, the emperor lost his powers (according to the constitution); Japan is now a constitutional monarchy. The highest body of state power and the only legislative body is parliament.

Natural conditions and resources.

The geological basis of the archipelago is underwater mountain ranges. About 80% of the territory is occupied by mountains and hills with highly dissected relief with an average height of 1600 - 1700 m. There are about 200 volcanoes, 90 active, including the highest peak - Mount Fuji (3,776 m). Frequent volcanoes also have a significant impact on the Japanese economy. earthquakes and tsunamis.

The country is poor in mineral resources, but coal, lead and zinc ores, oil, sulfur, and limestone are mined. The resources of its own deposits are small, so Japan is the largest importer of raw materials.

Despite the small area, the length of the country in the meridional direction has determined the existence on its territory of a unique set of natural conditions: the island of Hokkaido and the north of Honshu are located in the temperate maritime climate zone, the rest of Honshu, the islands of Shikoku and Yushu are in the humid subtropical climate, and the Ryukyu Island is in the humid subtropical climate. tropical climate. Japan is located in an active monsoon zone. The average annual precipitation ranges from 2 - 4 thousand mm.

The soils of Japan are mainly slightly podzolic and peaty, as well as brown forest and red soils. Approximately 2/3 of the territory, mainly mountainous areas, is covered with forests (more than half of the forests are artificial plantations). Coniferous forests predominate in northern Hokkaido, mixed forests in central Honshu and southern Hokkaido, and subtropical monsoon forests in the south.

Japan has many rivers, deep, fast and rapids, unsuitable for navigation, but a source for hydropower and irrigation.

Abundance of rivers, lakes and groundwater have a beneficial effect on the development of industry and agriculture.

In the post-war period, environmental problems worsened on the Japanese islands. The adoption and implementation of a number of environmental protection laws reduces the level of environmental pollution.

Population.

Japan is one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of population. Japan became the first Asian country to move from the second to the first type of population reproduction. Now the birth rate is 12%, the death rate is 8%. Life expectancy in the country is the highest in the world (76 years for men and 82 years for women).

The population is nationally homogeneous, about 99% are Japanese. Of other nationalities, the Koreans and Chinese are significant in number. The most common religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. The population is distributed unevenly across the area. The average density is 330 people per km 2, but the coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean are among the most densely populated in the world.

About 80% of the population lives in cities. 11 cities have millionaires. The largest urban agglomerations of Keihin. Hanshin and Chuke merge into the Tokyo metropolis (Takaido) with a population of more than 60 million people.

Farming.

The growth rate of the Japanese economy was one of the highest in the second half of the 20th century. The country has largely undergone a qualitative restructuring of the economy. Japan is at a post-industrial stage of development, which is characterized by highly developed industry, but the most growing area is the non-manufacturing sector (services, finance, R&D).

Although Japan is poor in natural resources and imports raw materials for most industries, it ranks 1-2 in the world in the output of many industries. Industry is mainly concentrated within the Pacific industrial belt.

Electric power industry. Mainly uses imported raw materials. In the structure of the raw material base, oil leads, the share of natural gas, hydropower and nuclear energy is growing, and the share of coal is decreasing.

In the electric power industry, 60% of the power comes from thermal power plants and 28% from nuclear power plants, including Fukushima - the most powerful in the world.

Hydroelectric power stations are located in cascades on mountain rivers. Japan ranks fifth in the world in terms of hydroelectric power generation. In resource-poor Japan, alternative energy sources are being actively developed.

Ferrous metallurgy. The country ranks 2nd in the world in terms of steel production. Japan's share in the global ferrous metallurgy market is 23%.

The largest centers, now operating almost entirely on imported raw materials and fuel, are located near Osaka, Tokyo, and Fuji.

Non-ferrous metallurgy. Due to the harmful impact on the environment, primary smelting of non-ferrous metals is being reduced. Conversion plants are located in all major industrial centers.

Mechanical engineering. Provides 40% of industrial production. The main sub-sectors among the many developed in Japan are electronics and electrical engineering, radio industry and transport engineering.

Japan firmly ranks first in the world in shipbuilding, specializing in the construction of large-tonnage tankers and dry cargo ships. The main centers of shipbuilding and ship repair are located in the largest ports (Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe).

In terms of car production (13 million units per year), Japan also ranks first in the world. The main centers are Toyota, Yokohama, Hiroshima.

The main enterprises of general mechanical engineering are located within the Pacific industrial belt - complex machine tool building and industrial robots in the Tokyo region, metal-intensive equipment - in the Osaka region, machine tool building - in the Nagai region.

The country's share in the world output of the radio-electronic and electrical engineering industries is exceptionally large.

By level of development chemical industry Japan ranks one of the first in the world.

Japan also has developed pulp and paper, light and food industries.

Agriculture Japan remains an important industry, although it contributes about 2% of GNP; the industry employs 6.5% of EAN. Agricultural production is focused on food production (the country provides 70% of its needs for food itself).

13% of the territory is cultivated in the structure of crop production (provides 70% of agricultural products). The leading role is played by the cultivation of rice and vegetables, and gardening is developed. Livestock farming (cattle breeding, pig farming, poultry farming) is developing intensively.

Due to the exceptional place of fish and seafood in the Japanese diet, the country fishes in all areas of the World Ocean, has more than three thousand fishing ports and has the largest fishing fleet (over 400 thousand vessels).

Transport.

All types of transport are developed in Japan with the exception of river and pipeline transport. In terms of cargo transportation volume, the first place belongs to road transport (60%), the second place belongs to sea transport. Role railway transport is declining, while air travel is growing. Due to very active foreign economic relations, Japan has the largest merchant fleet in the world.

Territorial structure of the economy

The territorial structure of the economy is characterized by a combination of two completely different parts. The Pacific belt is the socio-economic core of the country (the “front part”). Here are the main industrial areas, ports, transport routes and developed agriculture. The peripheral zone ("back part") includes areas where timber harvesting, livestock raising, mining, hydropower, tourism and recreation are most developed. Despite the implementation of regional policy, the smoothing out of territorial imbalances is proceeding rather slowly.

Figure 12. Territorial structure of the Japanese economy.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)

Foreign economic relations of Japan.

Japan actively participates in the MRT, foreign trade occupies a leading place, and the export of capital, production, scientific, technical and other ties are also developed.

Japan's share in world imports is about 1/10. Mainly raw materials and fuel are imported.

The country's share in world exports is also more than 1/10. Industrial goods account for 98% of exports.

Figure 13. Japan's foreign trade.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)

AFRICA

GENERAL ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICA COUNTRIES

Table 11. Demographic, socio-economic indicators of the world, Africa and South Africa.

General review. Geographical position.

The continent occupies 1/5 of the globe's land mass. In terms of size (30.3 million km 2 - including islands), of all parts of the world it is second only to Asia. It is washed by the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Figure 14. Political map of Africa.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)

The region includes 55 countries.

Almost all African countries are republics (with the exception of Lesotho, Morocco and Swaziland, which are still constitutional monarchies). The administrative-territorial structure of states is unitary, with the exception of Nigeria and South Africa.

There is no other continent in the world that suffered as much from colonial oppression and the slave trade as Africa. The collapse of the colonial system began in the 50s in the north of the continent; the last colony, Namibia, was liquidated in 1990. In 1993, a new state emerged on the political map of Africa - Eritrea (as a result of the collapse of Ethiopia). Western Sahara (Saharan Arab Republic) is under the auspices of the UN.

To assess the EGP of African countries, different criteria can be used. One of the main criteria is dividing countries by the presence or absence of access to the sea. Due to the fact that Africa is the most massive continent, no other continent has so many countries located far from the seas. Most inland countries are the most backward.

Natural conditions and resources.

The continent is crossed almost in the middle by the equator and lies entirely between the subtropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The uniqueness of its shape - the northern part is 2.5 times wider than the southern part - determined the difference in their natural conditions. In general, the mainland is compact: 1 km coastline accounts for 960 km 2 of territory. The topography of Africa is characterized by stepped plateaus, plateaus, and plains. The highest elevations are confined to the outskirts of the continent.

Africa is exceptionally rich minerals, although they have been poorly studied so far. Among other continents, it ranks first in reserves of manganese, chromite, bauxite, gold, platinum, cobalt, diamond, and phosphorite ores. There are also great resources of oil, natural gas, graphite, and asbestos.

Africa's share in the global mining industry is 1/4. Almost all extracted raw materials and fuel are exported from Africa to economically developed countries, which makes its economy more dependent on the world market.

In total, there are seven main mining regions in Africa. Three of them are in North Africa and four are in sub-Saharan Africa.

1. The Atlas Mountains region is distinguished by reserves of iron, manganese, polymetallic ores, and phosphorites (the world's largest phosphorite belt).
2. The Egyptian mining region is rich in oil, natural gas, iron, titanium ores, phosphorites, etc.
3. The region of the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara is distinguished by the largest oil and gas fields.
4. The Western Guinea region is characterized by a combination of gold, diamonds, iron ores, and graphites.
5. The East Guinea region is rich in oil, gas, and metal ores.
6. Zaire-Zambian region. On its territory there is a unique “Copper Belt” with deposits of high-quality copper ores, as well as cobalt, zinc, lead, cadmium, germanium, gold, and silver. Congo (formerly Zaire) is the world's main producer and exporter of cobalt.
7. Africa's largest mining region is located within Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Almost all types of fuel, ore and non-metallic minerals are mined here, with the exception of oil, gas and bauxite.

Africa's mineral resources are unevenly distributed. There are countries where the lack of raw materials hinders their development.

Significant land resources Africa. There is more arable land per inhabitant than in Southeast Asia or Latin America. In total, 20% of the land suitable for agriculture is cultivated. However, extensive farming and rapid population growth have led to catastrophic soil erosion, which reduces crop yields. This, in turn, aggravates the problem of hunger, which is very relevant in Africa.

Agroclimatic resources Africa is determined by the fact that it is the hottest continent and lies entirely within the average annual isotherm of +20°C. But at the same time, the main factor determining the differences in climatic conditions, are precipitation. 30% of the territory is arid regions occupied by deserts, 30% receives 200-600 mm of precipitation, but is subject to droughts; equatorial regions suffer from excess moisture. Therefore, on 2/3 of Africa, sustainable agriculture is possible only through reclamation work.

Water resources Africa. In terms of their volume, Africa is significantly inferior to Asia and South America. The hydrographic network is distributed extremely unevenly. The extent of utilization of the huge hydropower potential of rivers (780 million kW) is small.

Forest resources Africa's reserves are second only to those of Latin America and Russia. But its average forest cover is much lower, and as a result of deforestation, deforestation has reached alarming proportions.

Population.

Africa stands out worldwide for having the highest population reproduction rates. In 1960, 275 million people lived on the continent, in 1980 - 475 million people, in 1990 - 648 million, and in 2000, according to forecasts, there will be 872 million. Kenya stands out especially in terms of growth rates - 4, 1% (first place in the world), Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda. This high birth rate is explained by the centuries-old traditions of early marriage and large families, religious traditions, as well as the increased level of healthcare. Most countries on the continent do not pursue an active demographic policy.

The change in the age structure of the population as a result of the demographic explosion also entails great consequences: in Africa the proportion of children is high and is still growing (40-50%). This increases the “demographic burden” on the working population.

The population explosion in Africa is exacerbating many problems in the regions, the most important of which is the food problem. Despite the fact that 2/3 of Africa's population is employed in agriculture, the average annual population growth (3%) significantly outpaces the average annual increase in food production (1.9%).

Many problems are associated with the ethnic composition of the African population, which differs great diversity. There are 300-500 ethnic groups. Some of them have already formed into large nations, but most are still at the level of nationalities, and vestiges of the tribal system remain.

Linguistically, 1/2 of the population belongs to the Niger-Kordofanian family, 1/3 to the Afro-Asian family and only 1% are residents of European origin.

An important feature of African countries is the discrepancy between political and ethnic boundaries as a consequence of the colonial era of the development of the continent. As a result, many united peoples found themselves on different sides of the border. This leads to interethnic conflicts and territorial disputes. The latter concern 20% of the territory. Moreover, 40% of the territory is not demarcated at all, and only 26% of the length of the borders run along natural boundaries that partially coincide with ethnic boundaries.

A legacy of the past is that the official languages ​​of most African countries are still the languages ​​of the former metropolises - English, French, Portuguese.

The average population density of Africa (24 people/km 2) is less than in foreign Europe and Asia. Africa is characterized by very sharp contrasts in settlement. For example, the Sahara contains the largest uninhabited areas in the world. Rarely populated in tropical rain forests. But there are also quite significant population clusters, especially on the coasts. The population density in the Nile Delta reaches 1000 people/km 2 .

In terms of urbanization, Africa still lags far behind other regions. However, the rate of urbanization here is the highest in the world. Like many other developing countries, Africa is experiencing “false urbanization.”

General characteristics of the farm.

After gaining independence, African countries began to make efforts to overcome centuries-old backwardness. Special meaning had the nationalization of natural resources, the implementation of agrarian reform, economic planning, and the training of national personnel. As a result, the pace of development in the region has accelerated. The restructuring of the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy began.

The greatest successes along this path have been achieved in the mining industry, which now accounts for 1/4 of the world's production volume. In the extraction of many types of minerals, Africa has an important and sometimes monopoly place in the foreign world. The bulk of the extracted fuel and raw materials is exported to the world market and accounts for 9/10 of the region’s exports. It is the extractive industry that primarily determines Africa’s place in the MGRT.

The manufacturing industry is poorly developed or absent altogether. But some countries in the region have a higher level of manufacturing industry - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

The second branch of the economy that determines Africa's place in the world economy is tropical and subtropical agriculture. It also has a pronounced export orientation.

But overall, Africa is still far behind in its development. It ranks last among the regions of the world in terms of industrialization and agricultural productivity.

Most countries are characterized by a colonial type of sectoral economic structure.

It is defined:
• the predominance of small-scale extensive agriculture;
• underdeveloped manufacturing industry;
• a strong lag in transport - transport does not provide connections between internal regions, and sometimes - foreign economic relations of states;
• the non-productive sphere is also limited and is usually represented by trade and services.

The territorial structure of the economy is also characterized by general underdevelopment and strong imbalances that remain from the colonial past. On economic map In the region, only isolated centers of industry (mainly metropolitan areas) and highly commercial agriculture are distinguished.

The one-sided agricultural and raw material direction of economic development in most countries is a brake on the growth of their socio-economic indicators. In many countries, one-sidedness has reached the level of monoculture. Monocultural specialization- narrow specialization of the country’s economy in the production of one, usually raw material or food product intended mainly for export. The emergence of such specialization is associated with the colonial past of countries.

Figure 15. Monoculture countries in Africa.
(to enlarge the image, click on the picture)

External economic relations.

Monocultural specialization and the low level of economic development of African states are manifested in an insignificant share in world trade and in the enormous importance that foreign trade has for the continent itself. Thus, more than 1/4 of Africa’s GDP goes to foreign markets, foreign trade provides up to 4/5 of government revenues to the budget of African countries.

About 80% of the continent's trade is with developed Western countries.

Despite its enormous natural and human potential, Africa continues to remain the most backward part of the world economy.

SUBREGIONS OF AFRICA

The economic regionalization of Africa has not yet taken shape. In educational and scientific literature, it is usually divided into two large natural and cultural-historical subregions: North Africa and Tropical Africa (or “Sub-Saharan Africa”). Tropical Africa, in turn, is divided into Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa.

North Africa. total area North Africa - about 10 million km 2, population - 170 million people. The position of the subregion is primarily determined by its Mediterranean “façade”, thanks to which North Africa actually neighbors Southern Europe and South-West Asia and has access to the main sea route from Europe to Asia. The “rear” of the region is formed by the sparsely populated areas of the Sahara.

North Africa is the cradle of ancient Egyptian civilization, whose contribution to world culture is already known to you. In ancient times, Mediterranean Africa was considered the granary of Rome; traces of underground drainage galleries and other structures can still be found among the lifeless sea of ​​sand and stone. Many coastal cities trace their origins to ancient Roman and Carthaginian settlements. The Arab colonization of the 7th-12th centuries had a huge impact on the ethnic composition of the population, its culture, religion and way of life. North Africa is still called Arab today: almost its entire population speaks Arabic and professes Islam.

The economic life of North Africa is concentrated in the coastal zone. Here are the main centers of manufacturing industry, the main areas of subtropical agriculture, including on irrigated lands. Naturally, almost the entire population of the region is concentrated in this zone. In rural areas, adobe houses with flat roofs and earthen floors predominate. The cities also have a very characteristic appearance. Therefore, geographers and ethnographers identify a special, Arab type of city, which, like other eastern cities, is characterized by a division into two parts - old and new.

The core of the old part of the city is usually the kasbah - located on elevated place fortification (citadel). The Kasbah is surrounded in a tight ring by other quarters of the old city, built up with low houses with flat roofs and blank courtyard fences. Their main attraction is the colorful oriental bazaars. This entire old city, often surrounded by protective walls, is called the medina, which means "city" in Arabic. Already outside the medina there is a new, modern part of the city.

All these contrasts are most pronounced in the largest cities, the appearance of which acquires not only national, but also cosmopolitan features. Probably, first of all, this applies to Cairo - the capital and largest city of Egypt, an important political, cultural and religious center of the entire Arab world. Cairo is uniquely located where the narrow Nile Valley meets the fertile Delta, a major cotton-growing region where the world's best long-staple cotton is grown. This region was also called delta by Herodotus, who noted that its configuration resembles the ancient Greek letter delta. In 1969, Cairo celebrated its 1000th anniversary.

The southern part of the subregion is very sparsely populated. The agricultural population is concentrated in oases, where the main consumer and cash crop is the date palm. The rest of the territory, and even then not all of it, is inhabited only by nomadic camel breeders, and in the Algerian and Libyan parts of the Sahara there are oil and gas fields.

Only along the Nile Valley does a narrow “strip of life” wedge itself into the desert kingdom far to the south. The construction of the Aswan hydroelectric complex on the Nile, with the economic and technical assistance of the USSR, was of great importance for the development of the entire Upper Egypt.

Tropical Africa. The total area of ​​Tropical Africa is more than 20 million km 2, the population is 650 million people. It is also called “black Africa”, since the population of the subregion overwhelmingly belongs to the equatorial (Negroid) race. But the ethnic composition of individual parts of Tropical Africa differs quite greatly. It is most complex in Western and East Africa, where at the junction different races and linguistic families, the greatest “multiple stripes” of ethnic and political boundaries arose. Population of Central and South Africa speaks numerous (with up to 600 dialects) but closely related languages ​​of the Bantu family (the word means “people”). The Swahili language is especially widespread. And the population of Madagascar speaks languages ​​of the Austronesian family.

There is also a lot in common in the economy and population settlement of the countries of Tropical Africa. Tropical Africa is the most backward part of the entire developing world, with 29 least developed countries within its borders. Nowadays, this is the only large region of the world where agriculture remains the main sphere of material production.

About half of the rural residents practice subsistence agriculture, the rest engage in subsistence farming. Hoe tillage predominates with the almost complete absence of a plow; It is no coincidence that the hoe, as a symbol of agricultural labor, is included in the image of the state emblems of a number of African countries. All major agricultural work is performed by women and children. They cultivate root and tuber crops (cassava or cassava, yam, sweet potato), from which they make flour, cereals, cereals, flatbreads, as well as millet, sorghum, rice, corn, bananas, and vegetables. Livestock farming is much less developed, including due to the tsetse fly, and if it plays a significant role (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia), it is carried out extremely extensively. In the equatorial forests there are tribes, and even nationalities, that still live by hunting, fishing and gathering. In the savannah and tropical rainforest zones, the basis of consumer agriculture is the fallow-type slash-and-burn system.

Areas of commercial crop production with a predominance of perennial plantings - cocoa, coffee, peanuts, hevea, oil palm, tea, sisal, and spices - stand out sharply against the general background. Some of these crops are cultivated on plantations, and some on peasant farms. They primarily determine the monocultural specialization of a number of countries.

According to their main occupation, the majority of the population of Tropical Africa lives in rural areas. Savannas are dominated by large villages near rivers, while tropical forests are dominated by small villages.

The life of the villagers is closely connected with the subsistence farming they lead. Among them, local traditional beliefs are widespread: the cult of ancestors, fetishism, belief in nature spirits, magic, witchcraft, and various talismans. Africans believe that the spirits of the dead remain on earth, that the spirits of ancestors strictly monitor the actions of the living and can harm them if any traditional commandment is violated. Christianity and Islam, introduced from Europe and Asia, also became quite widespread in Tropical Africa.

Tropical Africa is the least industrialized region of the world (not counting Oceania). There is only one fairly large mining area that has developed here - the Copper Belt in Congo (formerly Zaire) and Zambia.

Tropical Africa is the least urbanized region of the world. Only eight of its countries have “millionaire” cities, which usually tower over numerous provincial towns like lonely giants. Examples of this kind include Dakar in Senegal, Kinshasa in Democratic Republic Congo, Nairobi in Kenya, Luanda in Angola.

Tropical Africa also lags behind in the development of its transport network. Its pattern is determined by “penetration lines” isolated from each other, leading from the ports to the hinterland. In many countries there are no railways at all. It is customary to carry small loads on the head, and over a distance of up to 30-40 km.

Finally, environmental quality is rapidly deteriorating in sub-Saharan Africa. It was here that desertification, deforestation, and depletion of flora and fauna assumed the most alarming proportions. Example. The main area of ​​drought and desertification is the Sahel zone, which stretches along the southern borders of the Sahara from Mauritania to Ethiopia across ten countries. In 1968-1974. Not a single rain fell here, and the Sahel turned into a scorched earth zone. In the first half and mid-80s. catastrophic droughts recurred. They claimed millions of human lives. The number of livestock has decreased greatly.

What happened in this area began to be called the “Sahel tragedy.” But it is not only nature that is to blame. The onset of the Sahara is facilitated by overgrazing of livestock and destruction of forests, primarily for firewood.

In some countries of Tropical Africa, measures are being taken to protect flora and fauna, creating National parks. This primarily applies to Kenya, where international tourism income is second only to coffee exports.

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICAN.

South Africa is a dual economy country. Among sub-Saharan African countries, special place occupied by South Africa. Firstly, by its position it no longer belongs to Tropical Africa. Secondly, it does not apply to developing countries. It is the only economically developed country on the continent. In terms of all indicators of economic development, it ranks first in Africa.

South Africa accounts for only 5.5% of the territory and 7% of the population of Africa, but 2/3 of its GDP, more than 1/2 of manufacturing products and the automobile fleet.
Lessons:
Basic concepts: Western European (North American) type of transport system, port-industrial complex, "development axis", metropolitan region, industrial belt, "false urbanization", latifundia, ship stations, megalopolis, "technopolis", "growth pole", "growth corridors"; colonial type of industrial structure, monoculture, apartheid, subregion.

Skills and abilities: be able to assess the influence of EGP and GGP, the history of settlement and development, characteristics of the population and labor resources of the region, country on the sectoral and territorial structure of the economy, the level of economic development, the role in the MGRT of the region, country; identify problems and forecast development prospects for the region and country; highlight specific, defining features of individual countries and explain them; find similarities and differences in the population and economy of individual countries and explain them, draw up and analyze maps and cartograms.

Agriculture in the region is insufficiently provided with land resources due to high population density. Agriculture predominates in it over livestock raising, and costs are high self made per unit of land area and low marketability of farms. Techniques and technology are mostly very primitive.

Plant growing. Subtropical and tropical agriculture forms the basis of the economy of all countries. Southeast Asia is the world's largest region for growing rice, the main agricultural crop. It is harvested 2-3 times a year, the total volume is 126.5 million tons (1/4 of world production). In Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, rice fields occupy 4/5 of the sown area of ​​the valley and delta lands of the Irawada and Menem rivers.

The main agricultural crops in the region are also:

Coconut palm - produces nuts and coper (coconut kernel from which oil is obtained). The region accounts for 70% of their world production, Malaysia - up to 49%;

Hevea - up to 90% of the world production of natural rubber occurs in the countries of the region (Malaysia - 20% of world production, Indonesia, Vietnam);

Sugarcane (especially the Philippines and Thailand);

Tea (Indonesia, Vietnam);

Spices (everywhere);

Orchids (Singapore is the world leader in their cultivation);

Cotton, tobacco (grown in the dry season by countries located in the north of the region);

Coffee (Laos);

Opium poppy (grown in the Golden Triangle area - a hard-to-reach region on the border of Thailand and Laos).

Notable producers and exporters of pineapples are Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Peppers are grown in Indonesia and Malaysia. Sago, cassava, cocoa, peanuts, vegetables and fruits, jute, etc. are also cultivated in the countries of the region.

Animal husbandry. It is very poorly developed due to a shortage of pastures and the spread of tropical animal diseases. Cattle are used primarily as draft power. The total population is 45 million pigs, 42 million cattle, 26 million goats and sheep and almost 15 million buffalo. Muslim peoples do not raise pigs.

Sea and river fishing is widespread. Every year, countries catch up to 13.7 million tons of fish. Fish from fresh reservoirs is fully used in the domestic market, and a significant amount of sea fish is exported. Thailand also exports a variety of tropical fish for aquariums.

The basis of agricultural production in the region is the plantation economy, which employs the majority of the population, and the export of plantation crops provides the majority of budget revenues.