The physical, historical, economic and political factors that cause uneven development between countries (AO1, AO2).

What this dot point is asking

CCEA wants you to explain why development is uneven, why some countries are far less developed than others. The causes fall into four groups: physical, historical, economic and political. You need to explain each group with examples and to see how the factors combine and trap a country in poverty. The highest marks come from an extended evaluation that weighs the factors and judges which matter most.

Physical factors

Historical factors

Economic factors

Economic disadvantages keep poorer countries poor even today.

• Unfair trade. Poorer countries often export cheap raw materials (such as crops or minerals) but import expensive manufactured goods, so they earn little and pay much, widening the gap.
• Dependence on primary products. Relying on one or two exports is risky, because world prices can fall suddenly.
• Debt. Many poorer countries borrowed money and now spend a large share of their income repaying debt rather than developing.

Political factors

Political problems waste resources and deter investment.

• War and conflict destroy infrastructure, kill people and stop development.
• Corruption means money meant for schools, hospitals and roads is stolen or wasted.
• Unstable government deters businesses and foreign investors, who avoid risky countries.

How the factors combine

The key AO2 idea is that these factors reinforce each other. A country held back by a harsh climate and a colonial legacy may earn little from unfair trade, fall into debt, and suffer conflict, each problem deepening the others in a cycle of poverty. This is why development is so hard to achieve and why no single factor explains the gap.

Worked example: weighing the factors

Common mistakes

Examples in context

Example 1. The trade trap. A country that depends on exporting a single crop such as cocoa earns little because raw materials are cheap, and must buy expensive manufactured goods like machinery and medicines from richer countries. If the world price of cocoa falls, its income collapses. This unfair trade relationship keeps the country poor no matter how hard its farmers work, which is why economic factors are central to the development gap.

Example 2. When conflict undoes progress. A country making slow gains in schooling and health can be set back years by a civil war that destroys hospitals, closes schools and drives away investors and skilled workers. Political instability does not just slow development; it can reverse it. Using conflict as an example shows the examiner that political factors belong alongside physical, historical and economic causes.

Try this

Q1. Give one physical factor that can slow a country's development. [1 mark]

• Cue. Harsh climate, frequent natural disasters, being landlocked, mountainous terrain, poor soils or few resources.

Q2. How can unfair trade keep a country poor? [2 marks]

• Cue. It exports cheap raw materials but imports expensive manufactured goods, so it earns little and pays much.

Q3. Give one political factor that holds back development. [1 mark]

• Cue. War, corruption or unstable government.