Factors causing differences (asked in 2024)

One natural, one cultural, each with a mechanism and a named case study. Exam-style A landlocked country with a colonial single-commodity economy Name ONE factor and explain how it contributes. FACTOR (natural): landlocked location. MECHANISM: every export must cross another country to reach a port, adding freight cost, delay and border risk — so goods arrive at market dearer than a coastal competitor's. CONSEQUENCE: lower export earnings, less foreign exchange for imported machinery and medicines, and less government revenue for schools and clinics. EVIDENCE: name the country, the distance to the nearest port, and the export figure or transport cost share. COMPOUNDING (cultural): a colonial economy built around one commodity means the country is exposed to a single world price, so a price fall hits the whole budget at once. ✓ Factor → mechanism → consequence → evidence. The compounding sentence linking a natural and a cultural factor is the Excellence move.

Other natural and cultural factors worth having ready

Natural: exposure to natural hazards (cyclones, earthquakes) diverting resources into repeated recovery rather than long-term investment; poor soil fertility limiting agricultural productivity and export earnings.
Cultural: high levels of government debt consuming tax revenue that could otherwise fund health and education; gender inequity in education or employment reducing the effective size of the productive workforce.
Any of these fits the same factor → mechanism → consequence → evidence chain used for landlocked position and colonial trade dependency.

Practice for this standard covers the whole topic — flashcards and quiz.