Human Geography- WOrld Development paper help

Assignment 2: World Development

50 Points

Blackboard turn-in (Instructions will be up shortly)

Introduction

The HDI – human development index – is a summary composite index that measures a country's average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: longevity, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. Longevity is measured by life expectancy at birth; knowledge is measured by a combination of the adult literacy rate and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrolment ratio; and standard of living by GDP (gross domestic product) per capita (in US$). This index is designed to examine overall quality of life based on these aspects of human development; something that the GDP cannot measure.

Population pyramids are used to display a country’s population by age and gender groups, with the youngest group at the base of the pyramid and the oldest group at the top. The length of the bar represents the percentage of the total population contained in that group.

The Assignment

For this assignment, you will examine the HDIs of the United States and several countries of your choice, as well as other key statistics like life expectancy and literacy rates. You will also examine each country’s population pyramid to determine current population trends and age structure.

You will need to reference the following websites: (note: you may have to cut and paste these links into your browser window if they don’t work when you click on them.)

· Human Development Report

You can find a ranking of all countries here: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/

· The Population Reference Bureau website (http://www.prb.org) - click on Data by Country

· Hint: download the 2013 World Population Data Sheet

· http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2013/2013-world-population-data-sheet/data-sheet.aspx

· US Census Bureau International Database (http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/)

· CIA World Fact Book (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/)

Use these sites to fill in the table provided. You can add your information directly to the table. You will need data on the United States as well as four other countries of your choosing. Two must be more developed countries (MDCs) and two must be less developed countries (LDCs). You might also try and find a country that has a higher HDI than the US and try to figure out why. Be sure to fill in the names of the countries you choose. Once completed, print out this table and include it with your assignment.

Using the screen-capture function on your computer (i.e., ctrl + Print Screen), paste the population pyramids for the four countries that you have chosen as well as the United States into a blank Word document. Be sure each pyramid is labeled. Print out this document and include it in your assignment.

Once you have completed the table and population pyramids, please write a minimum TWO page summary (typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font) of your findings. Be sure to discuss possible reasons for differences in HDIs, as well as overall patterns you discerned. Also, discuss how you think differences in the age structure or population pyramid of these countries affects their societies (Make sure that you discuss all of these issues).

Your final report will include:

1. Cover Page (no specific format required)

2. World Development Table

3. Population Pyramids

4. Minimum TWO page summary of findings

5. Bibliography

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