Cultural and Natural Factors of
Development
Different Cultural Factors Important to
Tanzania vs. USA
• Effects of colonialism
– Cash Cropping
• The process where a less developed country farms
products that they aren’t able to eat
• This can leach the soil leaving it useless as well as force
the less developed country into trading for food to eat
– Value Added
• The process where a more developed country exploits a
less developed country’s natural resources for
manufacturing
Tanzanian Political History
• Originally Tanganyika and a colony of Germany
from 1885 to 1916
• Controlled by Britain from 191 until it’s
independence in 1961
• United with Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania
Cultural Factors Continued
• Religious Groups
– Can lead to separate parts of society and violence
– In Tanzania many different tribes lead to discrimination
– In USA religion not allowed in government
• Health Factors
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–
–
–
Decrease in workforce and ability to grow a population
Measured by Infant Mortality Rate
USA IMR 6.8
Tanzania IMR 68.4
Cultural Factors Continued
• Education
– Leads to society moving from Primary based to Secondary or
Tertiary Based
– Measured by Literacy Rates
– USA 99%
– Tanzania 78%
• Government Systems
– Inefficient Government systems can make development
impossible
– Corrupt Government systems can also make development
impossible
– USA has always been a democratic capitalist country
– Tanzania ruled by socialist from 1975-1985
Natural Factors
• Environment
– Determines what types of crops can be developed
– Can lead to inefficiency of workers
– USA highly diverse so can capitalize on lots of
different climates
– Tanzania near equator so very hot, not much
diversity and cash cropping has lead to
desertification
Natural Factors
• Location
– How close to important resources such as
mineable minerals, farm/grazing land and coasts
– USA lots of coast line and navigable rivers,
mineable minerals, and open plains
– Tanzania considerably smaller coast line, less
mineable minerals and forests make slash and
burn only sustainable type of farming
Exercise
• Write 3 SEXX paragraphs on cultural factors
comparing Tanzania and USA, be sure to
compare the two
• Write 3 SEXX paragraphs on natural factors
comparing Tanzania and USA, be sure to
compare the two