Name
Date
Comparative Economic Systems
Economic Systems:
The institutional
framework of formal and
informal rules that a
society uses to determine
what to produce, how to
produce and how to
distribute goods and
services.
What would life be like in the North Korean economy?
How would things be different in the economy of Chad?
Why is Liechtenstein so wealthy?
In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to compare these
three economies to the U.S. economy, and you’ll practice using
some tools that can help you to study any economy in the world.
1. Complete the data worksheet by using the CIA World Factbook at
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html


If you copy and paste answers – format text appropriately to ensure readability on final copy
(suggested 8 pt. Arial font)
2. Answer the seven reflection questions after gathering the data.
3. Complete the assignment online and post to your weebly website
Data Worksheet
Geography
Natural Resources –
How many and what
types of natural
resources are
available?
Land Use – What
percentage of the land
is arable (capable of
being farmed)?
United States
North Korea
Chad
Liechtenstein
coal, copper, lead,
molybdenum,
phosphates, uranium,
bauxite, gold, iron,
mercury, nickel, potash,
silver, tungsten, zinc,
petroleum, natural gas,
timber
note: the US has the
world's largest coal
reserves with 491 billion
short tons accounting for
27% of the world's total
arable land: 18.01%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 81.78% (2005)
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc,
graphite, magnesite, iron
ore, copper, gold, pyrites,
salt, fluorspar,
hydropower 19.08%
petroleum, uranium,
natron, kaolin, fish (Lake
Chad), gold, limestone,
sand and gravel, salt
hydroelectric potential,
arable land
19.08% of the land is
arable, 1.7% is
permanent crops, and
79.22% is other.
arable land: 3.82%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 96.16% (2011)
arable land: 21.88%
Name
People
Life Expectancy at
Birth – How long are
children born today
expected to live?
Date
total population: 78.11
years
country comparison to
the world: 49
male: 75.65 years
female: 80.69 years
(2009 est.)
total population: 69.51
years
country comparison to
the world: 155
male: 65.65 years
female: 73.55 years
total population: 49.07
years
country comparison to
the world: 223
male: 47.95 years
female: 50.22 years
(2013 est.)
1.99 children
born/woman
country comparison to
the world: 131
4.8 children born/woman
(2013 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 24
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
French or Arabic
total population: 35.4%
male: 45.6%
female: 25.4% (2011 est
definition: age 10 and
over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Republic
hereditary constitutional
monarchy
$21 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 129
$19.99 billion (2011 est.)
$3.2 billion (2009)
country comparison to
the world: 179
$3.216 billion (2008)
$19.89 billion (2010 est.)
$3.159 billion (2007)
Total Fertility Rate –
How many children
does each woman
have, on average?
2.05 children
born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 126
Literacy Rate – What
% of people over the
age of 15 can read
and write?
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Constitution-based
federal republic; strong
democratic tradition
Communist state oneman dictatorship
GDP (PPP): $14.26
trillion (2009 est.)
Budget: revenues:
$1.914 trillion
expenditures: $3.615
trillion (2009 est.)
$40 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 104
$40 billion (2010 est.)
$40 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US
dollars;
North Korea does not
publish reliable National
Income Accounts data;
the data shown here are
derived from purchasing
power parity (PPP) GDP
estimates for North Korea
that were made by Angus
MADDISON in a study
conducted for the OECD;
his figure for 1999 was
extrapolated to 2011
using estimated real
growth rates for North
Korea's GDP and an
inflation factor based on
the US GDP deflator; the
results were rounded to
the nearest $10 billion.
Government
Government Type –
How are leaders
elected?
Government Spending
as Percent of GDP
(Budget Expenditures
Divided by GDP). Find
in Economy section
$3.615 trillion / $14.26
trillion = .25 (25%)
Military Spending as a
Percentage of GDP.
Find in Military
section
Economy
Economy Overview –
What are the most
serious economic
problems facing each
of these four nations?
Summarize from
Economic Overview
GDP Per Capita –
What is the value of
4.06% of GDP (2005
est.)
country comparison to
the world: 28
Long-term problems
include inadequate
investment in economic
infrastructure, rapidly
rising medical and
pension costs of an aging
population, sizable trade
and budget deficits, and
stagnation of family
income in the lower
economic groups.
$46,400 (2009 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 11
N/A
$1,800 (2011 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 197
total population: 81.59
years
country comparison to
the world: 12
male: 79.45 years
female: 84.29 years
(2013 est.)
1.69 children
born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 171
note: data are in 2012 US
dollars
1.6% of GDP (2011)
N/A
$2,000 (2012 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 194
$89,400 (2009 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 2
Name
Date
$1,800 (2010 est.)
$1,900 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US
dollars
N/A%
$1,900 (2011 est.)
$1,900 (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2012 US
dollars
80% (2001 est.)
$90,600 (2008 est.)
agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 21.9%
services: 76.9% (2009
est.)
industry: 42.9%
industry and services:
20% (2006 est.)
industry: 39.4%
farming, forestry, and
fishing: 0.7%
agriculture: 35%
agriculture: 80% (2006
est.)
agriculture: 0.8%
oil, cotton textiles,
meatpacking, brewing,
natron (sodium
carbonate), soap,
cigarettes, construction
materials
electronics, metal
manufacturing, dental
products, ceramics,
pharmaceuticals, food
products, precision
instruments, tourism,
optical instruments
goods and services
produced per person?
Population Below
Poverty Line – How
many people live in
poverty?
GDP Composition by
Sector – What % of
GDP is industry and
services?
Labor Force by
Occupation – What
% of workers is in
agriculture?
Industries – What are
the primary
industries?
Are the industries
primarily producing for
consumer or
government
consumption?
Determine this by
assessing the
industries and their
consumers – answer
not found at CIA
WorldFactBook
Agriculture Products –
What are the primary
agricultural goods
produced?
Industrial Production
Growth Rate
Electricity Production
Communications
Telephones – Main
Lines in Use
Internet Users
Transportation
Railways
12% (2004 est.)
leading industrial power
in the world, highly
diversified and
technologically
advanced; petroleum,
steel, motor vehicles,
aerospace,
telecommunications,
chemicals, electronics,
food processing,
consumer goods, lumber,
mining
military products;
machine building, electric
power, chemicals; mining
(coal, iron ore, limestone,
magnesite, graphite,
copper, zinc, lead, and
precious metals),
metallurgy; textiles, food
processing; tourism
$89,700 (2007 est.)
N/A%
Mostly producing for the
consumer (private
citizens)
wheat, corn, other grains,
fruits, vegetables, cotton;
beef, pork, poultry, dairy
products; fish; forest
products
-5.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to
the world: 110
4.11 trillion kWh (2008
est.)
country comparison to
the world: 1
rice, corn, potatoes,
soybeans, pulses; cattle,
pigs, pork, eggs
cotton, sorghum, millet,
peanuts, rice, potatoes,
manioc (tapioca); cattle,
sheep, goats, camels
wheat, barley, corn,
potatoes; livestock, dairy
products
industry: 9.2%
N/A%
20.45 billion kWh (2009
est.)
country comparison to
the world: 72
95 million kWh (2009
est.)
country comparison to
the world: 197
N/A
150 million (2008)
country comparison to
the world: 2
231 million (2008)
country comparison to
the world: 2
1.18 million (2011)
country comparison to
the world: 71
31,200 (2011)
country comparison to
the world: 175
168,100 (2009)
country comparison to
the world: 145
19,600 (2011)
country comparison to
the world: 191
23,000 (2009)
country comparison to
the world: 190
total: 226,427 km
country comparison to
the world: 1
total: 5,242 km
country comparison to
the world: 33
N/A
N/A
total: 9 km
country comparison to
the world: 134
standard gauge: 9 km
1.435-m gauge
(electrified)
Name
Date
Roadways (Paved and
Unpaved Highways
total: 6,465,799 km
country comparison to
the world: 1
paved: 4,209,835 km
(includes 75,040 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 2,255,964 km
(2007)
total: 25,554 km
country comparison to
the world: 101
paved: 724 km
unpaved: 24,830 km
(2006)
Airports with Paved
Runways
total: 5,174
total: 39
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2013)
total: 40,000 km
country comparison to
the world: 88
note: consists of 25,000
km of national and
regional roads and
15,000 km of local roads;
206 km of urban roads
are paved (2011)
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
note: belongs to the
Austrian Railway System
connecting Austria and
Switzerland (2008)
paved: 380 km (2010)
N/A
Reflection:
1. How can the presence or absence of natural resources and arable land affect a nation’s economy,
regardless of the type of economic system?
Presence or abuse of natural resources and arable land affect’s a nation’s economy because it doesn’t allow
then to farm as much or produce as much product as you would be able to if you don’t abuse the land.
2. How can life expectancy and literacy rates affect the quality of labor in the economy?
Life expectancy and literacy rates affect the quality of labor in the economy because the smarter the people,
the more will get done and it will get done more efficiently.
3. How can fertility rates affect the use of scarce resources?
Fertility rates affect the use of scarce resources because the more fertility rate, the scarce resources become
even more scarce.
4. How can GDP per capita and poverty rates indicate standards of living in each system?
GDP per capita and poverty rates indicate standards of living in each system by
5. How can the size of the industrial/service sector and the agriculture employment rate indicate the
level of industrialization?
The size of the industrial/service sector and the agriculture employment rate indicate the level of
Industrialization by
Name
Date
6. How can electricity, communication, and transportation facilities indicate the potential for industrial
growth?
electricity, communication, and transportation facilities indicate the potential for industrial growth because if
You don’t have communications, you cannot contact other business to buy your product.
7. Considering the lack of natural resources, the labor problems, and the lack of capital and little
industrialization of developing countries, how can developing countries develop? (Hint: Look at
Economy - Overview for Chad).
8. Now that you have studied the economic characteristics of these three countries, define the terms
market-oriented, command, and developing economy in your own words. For each term, describe the
specific characteristics of the countries you studied that would help to support your definition.
Market-orientated: Free economy, no government saying what to do or how to do it
Command: Government is in charge of what happens legally and how things are to be done
Developing economy: