APHG
2013 – 2014
Due: __________________
Gapminder – www.gapminder.org
To begin: The Gapminder website helps you analyze indicators of development: http://tools.google.com/gapminder
Please open up the above link, and you will see the screen from the attached handout (Gapminder World). Explore its
features by reading and trying out the boxed descriptions.
Your assignment to turn in:
Pick ONE country from Asia, ONE country from Africa, ONE from South/Middle America, ONE from Europe
and ONE from North America and do the following using the Gapminder website/software:
Correlating development data
Select Chart and compare FIVE sets of different indicators, for example Life Expectancy and Income. What correlations
can be found? What conclusions regarding levels of development do you come to based on these indicators? You can
choose ANY indicators. One of the FIVE does not have to be Life Expectancy and Income but can be if you are not
creatively inclined
An example could be to try and identify data that gives a positive correlation on comparison (e.g. carbon dioxide
emissions and income) or negative correlation (e.g. fertility rate and phone use)
Analyzing trends
Try choosing Life Expectancy and analyzing changes over time (select Time for the x axis.) Track your selected countries
by selecting them, clicking the Trails box and playing the animation. What conclusions do you come to?
Exploring urbanization trends
Compare Urban Population and Time, and track your countries and you should see different income groups. What
conclusions do you come to? In the screenshot example I changed the circle size to one size and the color to Income
Group.
In conclusion, what do you think are the TWO most significant indicators of human development that can be looked at,
compared and contrasted and why?
Set 1: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What conclusions do you come to?
Set 2: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What conclusions do you come to?
Set 3: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What conclusions do you come to?
Set 4: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What conclusions do you come to?
Set 5: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What conclusions do you come to?
In conclusion, what do you think are the TWO most significant indicators of human development that can be looked at,
compared and contrasted and why?
Video activities:
http://www.gapminder.org/videos/hans-rosling-on-cnn-us-in-a-converging-world/
1. After viewing the above video clip of Hans Rosling, Gapminder founder, on CNN, describe the main reasons as to
how the rest of the world has “caught up” to the United States?
http://www.gapminder.org/videos/hans-rosling-and-the-magic-washing-machine/
2. Watch the above video and then answer TWO of the questions Dr. Rosling poses in his talk. Basically, from a
Human Geographic perspective, his comments relate specifically to the precepts of Rostow’s Development Model
and the Demographic Transition Model.
a. Will people in ALL countries be able to live at a stage of high mass consumption?
b. Does lowering the total fertility rate of women in a country therefore improve the income level of people in that
country or is it the opposite where the economy has to improve first before the TFR is reduced?