Socio-Economic Inequality from a Geographical Perspective

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-509-6_71How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Geography; Inequality; Communities

Abstract

This essay explores the structural and natural determinants of economic development across countries through a comparative analysis of Botswana and Switzerland, focusing on two major theoretical frameworks: the geography hypothesis and the colonial legacy hypothesis (with the inclusion of the dependency theory). While both theories offer persuasive explanations regarding the fundamental causes of global inequality, this research argues that neither geography nor colonial history shape a country’s developmental trajectory by its own. Instead, these natural disadvantages could be mediated. Botswana, a landlocked country in sub-Saharan Africa, has several geographic disadvantages as well as histories of being a colonial territory. However, it achieved sustained economic growth and political stability post-independence. Similarly, Switzerland, despite its mountainous terrain and lack of natural resources, has been perceived as one of the most prosperous nations across the globe. These cases challenge modern views of geography and colonialism by demonstrating how effective governance can overcome structural constraints. By delving into economic development theories and empirical data, the essay utilizes theoretical and practical perspectives in order to depict effective acts of countries as they responded to natural constraints. By evaluating the relationship between economics and geography, this essay contributes to a deeper understanding of global inequality and demonstrates understanding on such topics.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Aimee Tongjin Zheng
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/15
TI  - Socio-Economic Inequality from a Geographical Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Mental Growth and Human Resilience (MGHR 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 646
EP  - 652
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-509-6_71
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-509-6_71
ID  - Zheng2025
ER  -