Global Trade and Resource Flows
- Imagine buying a smartphone.
- The materials come from Africa, it's assembled in Asia, and sold in Europe.
- This interconnectedness defines global trade, where resources flow across borders, linking producers and consumers worldwide.
Global Trade Links Resource Flows Between Producers and Consumers
1. Resource Extraction and Production
- Producers are often located in resource-rich regions:
- Africa: Major exporter of minerals like cobalt and gold.
- Middle East: Dominates global oil production.
- Consumers are mostly located in HICs and more and more often in MICs.
The rising middle class in Asia is reshaping global consumption patterns, increasing demand for energy, food, and consumer goods.
Spatial Variations Highlight Unequal Access and Vulnerabilities
1. Unequal Access to Resources
- High-Income Countries (HICs):
- Greater access to energy, technology, and capital.
- Higher ecological footprints due to consumption-driven lifestyles.
- Middle-Income Countries (MICs):
- Rising demand for energy and resources, technological development and gradual accumulation of capital.
- Dynamically changing ecological footprint due to raising middle class.
- Low-Income Countries (LICs):
