Nations develop at very different rates and resources and communications are widely exchanged worldwide. It is clear that some nations are simply better equipped and knowledgeable at managing resources than others. Regardless of present globalization and the ease of communication and exchange, clearly some countries have thrived and others are increasingly falling behind. Nations such as the United States and Japan continue to advance in almost all sectors while others such as Nigeria or Ukraine stagnate. Two countries that are often compared are China and Brazil, respectively the largest nations on their continents. When one looks at the nations of Brazil and China, one can see the variations in development between the two countries. Although the countries are similar in size, both having a large number of natural resources and labor power, one is clearly falling behind and the other is making large leaps forward every year.
Brazil is the fifth largest nation by area in the world and the fifth most populous country. It is one of the ten largest economies and the world’s largest producer of ethanol. They have the natural resources of oil, forests, and sugarcane. They also export aircrafts, coffee, soybean, steel, textiles and footwear. Brazil is also the third largest producer of hydroelectricity. But the growth of Brazil is stagnated by widespread corruption, poor earning power for middle-class citizens, and a poor work ethic. Because of this, many Brazilians leave Brazil to work abroad, returning when they have earned enough money to live comfortably. The corruption is Brazil is so prevalent that there is one of the largest income inequalities worldwide there. The top 10% wealthiest people is Brazil make over 50% of all the money and the poorest 10% get less than 1%. Police forces were set up to alleviate this problem and ease the number of kidnappings, homicides and gang violence, but much has backfired as this police force has also become corrupt. In relation to the emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East, Brazil is not considered a quickly growing economy and its growth is limited when one sees the large number or resources and man power available in Brazil.
In contrast, China is being hailed as the world’s next superpower. It is the third or fourth largest country in the world (tied with the United States) and is the most populated nation in the world. Over 1.3 billion persons live in China which account for almost 20% of all the persons in the world. They are the world’s fourth largest economy with a GDP over 4 times that of Brazil. This economy is growing at a rate of over 9% each year. Industrialization in China grew at a rate of 41.2% in 2005, a number that was unprecedented in all of human history. This is a testament to the sheer developing power in China. Because China is so large both in area and population, they are the world’s largest consumer of steel, concrete and copper, a sign of their quick urban growth and industrial development. The cheap labor in the past decades has also prompted many factories and corporations to set up in China, leading to vast industrialization. The presence of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Shanghai has also forced China to The industrial development of China is quickly growing to support its large numbers of people. Also, because of the political system, there is relatively little corruption and people have a culture of working very hard even for little in return. This has in turn led to China fast becoming the world’s next superpower.
Although only decades before China was behind Brazil in terms of economic development, industrial growth and economic strength, they have grown at a steady rate each year and have far surpassed Brazil in all three aspects. These differences are largely due to the different political systems and economies of both nations. Levels of corruption and population densities also seem to play a large role in the available work force. While Brazil has a large population, widespread crime has rendered working difficult and has made the flow of cash limited.
China on the other hand has seen large changes in economic principle and political ease which has enabled people to a free market. This increases the industrial development. The rapidly growing population also increases the work force which in turn propagates the industrialization. China has all the right elements for prosperity and development that Brazil has not yet harnessed. Although both nations have many opportunities and strengths, China has been more successful in using their available resources to turn them into a strong and developing industry and economy.
| Global Warming | The Importance of Wetlands |