Geography 300: Economic Geography

Fall 1999

Course Instructor: Dr. James C. Saku

Office Phone: 301-687-4724, Secretary: 301-687-4369

Office Location: FA 224

Office Hours: 11:00-12:00 M, 9:00-10:00 WF, 8:30:00-9:30 A.M. TR, or by appointment

Lecture Hours: TR 9:30-10:45, FA 210

The distribution of world economic activities. Agriculture, mining, the manufacturing industries.

Course Objectives

1. Introduce students to basic concepts, theories and methods in economic geography.
2. Examine global inequality in economic development.
3. Examine forces responsible for the demand and supply of commodities.
4. Examine the theory of international trade and regional trading blocks.

Required text: de Souza R. Anthony and Stutz P. Frederick (1998). The World Economy: Resources, Location and Development. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.

Grading: All in-class and final examinations will consist of multiple choice and short questions and answers. Prior approval is required for missing an examination. No make-up examinations will be granted if you fail to seek prior approval.

The final grade will consist of 7 elements.

Points

Class attendance = 20 points

Mock Presentation on Metfab (02/19/98) = 20 points

Term Essay(12/02) = 100 points

In class examination 1 (To be announced) = 100 points

In class examination 2 (To be announced) = 100 points

Final examination (12/14, 11:15-1:45) = 100 points

Field Trip = 10 points

A = 90-100%

B = 80-89%

C = 70-79% No NC grade will be awarded

D = 60-69%

F< 60%

Academic dishonesty:  Note that academic dishonesty including plagiarism and cheating during examination is a serious offence and carries severe penalty. Refer to the Pathfinder for details.

Disruptive Student behavior:  The university will not tolerate disorderly or disruptive conduct which substantially threatens, harms or interferes with university personnel or orderly university processes and function. A faculty member may require a student to leave the classroom when his/her behavior disrupts the learning environment of the class. A student found responsible for disruptive behavior in the classroom may be administratively withdrawn from the course.

Policy:  Students are expected to attend classes regularly and participate actively during class discussions. Attendance will be recorded an d failure to attend classes will result in the loss of marks. Students are responsible for informing the instructor of their presence if they arrive after attendance has been taken. Students will be notified three times during the semester concerning their progress in the course. You are also encouraged to use office hours or set up an appointment to discuss your grades during the semester.

It is expected that all written work will conform to high standards of grammar and style. Bad grammar and style will be penalized. The writing center in Gunter Hall will be willing to review your work before it is submitted to the instructor.

Research Project:  Each student is required to select an essay topic related to economic geography. Your essay should be analytical in scope. Mere description of issues or events will attract low marks. Consult with the instructor if you are in doubt of your essay topic. Essays should not be more than 15 pages (typed double-spaced). You are encouraged to build a strong bibliography from journals and periodicals for your research essays. At least, one journal article should be cited from the list provided in this course outline. Failure will lead to loss of marks. Headings and sub-headings are strongly recommended. Students are strongly encouraged to use MdUSA to search for materials on the Internet.

Term papers are expected to be handed in promptly on the due date. Failure will lead to loss of 20% of your mark daily for a maximum of five days.

Projects will be graded based on the following criteria

1. format - clear, concise and logical
2. grammar and typos
3. presentation - data, charts
4. background of your work - reference to existing literature
5. relevance of topic to course
6. practicality and usefulness
7. strong bibliography (at least five sources required)

1: Introduction (Reading: chapter 1)

economic geography examined: human-environment relations areal differentiation, spatial organization, location theory

2: Theories of Economic Development (Reading: Chapter 12)

underdevelopment and development explained, goals of economic development, factors that affect development measuring development, different perspectives on development

3: Resources and Environment (Reading: Chapter 3)

renewable and nonrenewable, energy resources, alternative sources of energy, food resources

4: Factors of Production (Reading on Reserve)

land, labor, capital, entrepreneur, the role of factors of production in different political economies - capitalists, the command, mixed economies, traditional economy

Examination 1

5: Transportation and Communication in the World Economy (Reading: Chapter 4)

the role of transportation in economic development types of transportation cost -- terminal and line haul spatial interaction -- complementarity, intervening opportunity, transferability, connectivity, accessibility, density African transportation development

6: The Geography of Price Regulation (Reading on Reserve)

basic concepts -- price and scarcity, relationship between price and demand, relationship between price and supply, equilibrium market price, price elasticity, demand and supply, types of elasticity pricing under imperfect market - monopoly, oligopoly, monopsony, oligopsony, other methods of price control (base point and uniform pricing)

the law of diminishing returns, the location rent von Thunen's pattern of agricultural land use, calculating location rent

8: Cities As Retail and Service Centers (Reading: Chapter 7)

types of urban centres, functional classification of cities and trade, the law of retail gravitation, central place theory

Examination 2

9: Industrial Location: Firms (Reading: Chapter 8)

the nature and scope of manufacturing industries, factors that affect the location of industries localization of industries, scales of production growth and expansion of firms, industrial evolution

10: Industrial Location: World Regions (Reading: Chapter 9)

global distribution of industries - North America, Europe, Asia, Japan as a global economic force third world industrial development -- import substitution export based

11: International Business I: Dynamics (Reading: Chapter 10)

factors that affect international trade, classical trade theory - absolute and comparative advantage, the flow of international commodities, international currency market barriers to international trade, trade protectionism

12: International Business II: World Patterns (Reading: Chapter 11)

multinational economic organizations (IMF, International bank for reconstruction) regional economic integration -- The European Union, North American Free Trade Agreement, OPEC

13. Globalization of World Economy

trans-nationalization of capital, multinationals and globalization of production, foreign direct investment

14: Course Review

1. Journal of Geography
2. American Planning Association
3. Geografiska Annaler. Series B: Human Geography
4. Geographical Journal
5. Urban Affairs Review
6. Geography
7. Annals of the Association of American Geographers
8. Focus
9. Population Studies
10. Professional Geographer
11. Economic Geographer
12. Canadian Geographer
13. International Migration Review
14. Institute of British Geographers