Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
GREENLAND
U.S.
(Alaska)
60°
CANADA
40°
40°
UNITED STATES
ATLANTIC
BERMUDA
OCEAN
BAHAMAS
CUBA
MEXICO
Tropic of Cancer
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
PUERTO
RICO
20°
20°
20°
JAMAICA
U.S.
(Hawaii)
BELIZE
HAITI
HONDURAS
NICARAGUA
GUATEMALA
BARBADOS
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
EL SALVADOR
PACIFIC
COSTA RICA
PANAMA
VENEZUELA
COLOMBIA
SURINAME
FRENCH GUIANA
GUYANA
Equator
0°
ECUADOR
OCEAN
PERU
BRAZIL
BOLIVIA
20°
20°
20°
WORLD - PER CAPITA
GROSS NATIONAL
INCOME, 2009
PARAGUAY
Tropic of Capricorn
ARGENTINA
CHILE
URUGUAY
High
Over 10,000
40°
40°
40°
40°
Adequate
3,000-10,000
Low
1,000-2,999
Very low
Below 1,000
160°
140°
120°
80°
60°
40°
60°
60°
60°
60°
SOUTHERN
OCEAN
Data not available
2000
0
1000
3000 Kilometers
0
1000
2000 Miles
Figure 1.3
Per Capita Gross National Income (in U.S. dollars) (GNI), 2009.
Data from
: World Bank,
World Development Indicators, 2011.
land (Fig. 1.4). Despite this disparity, Norway is wealthy and well fed, whereas
Bangladesh is poor and malnourished. Fortunately for the Norwegians, they are
able to overcome their inadequate food production by importing food.
Unfortunately for the Bangladeshis, two-thirds of their country is fl ooded each
year during monsoon season. The monsoon rains are good for rice production, but
they make survival a daily challenge in Bangladesh.
If a poor country has a small proportion of arable land, does that destine its
population to a lifetime of malnourishment? It depends on the place. Of all the
land classifi ed as arable, some is much more productive than others. For example,
only 8 percent of Kenya's land is arable, but the land in the western highlands is
