World Geography Studies-Economics

The student understands the distribution, characteristics, and interactions of the economic systems in the world. The student is expected to:

Describe the forces that determine the distribution of goods and services in free enterprise, socialist, and communist economic systems.

Classify where specific countries fall along the economic spectrum between free enterprise and communism.

Compare the ways people satisfy their basic needs through the production of goods and services such as subsistence agriculture versus commercial agriculture or cottage industries versus commercial industries.

Compare global trade patterns over time and examine the implications of globalization, including outsourcing and free trade zones.

The student understands how geography influences economic activities. The student is expected to:

Understand the connections between levels of development and economic activities (primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary).

Identify the factors affecting the location of different types of economic activities, including subsistence and commercial agriculture, manufacturing, and service industries.

Assess how changes in climate, resources, and infrastructure (technology, transportation, and communication) affect the location and patterns of economic activities.

The student understands the economic importance of, and issues related to, the location and management of resources. The student is expected to:

Analyze how the creation, distribution, and management of key natural resources affects the location and patterns of movement of products, money, and people.

Evaluate the geographic and economic impact of policies related to the development, use, and scarcity of natural resources such as regulations of water.