The Netherlands vs. Uganda
Background
Week 3 of the Beyond the Bike journey saw Stuart and Claire, our intrepid cycling
explorers, flying from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Kampala in Uganda, with
their bikes.
This resource will help students to understand some of the key differences between
these two countries, and provide a good introduction to development economics
and the characteristics of different countries at different stages in their
development.
Warm-up starter
On the map below, indicate the location of both Amsterdam and Kampala.
Source: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/world.html
Netherlands vs Uganda
Task 1: Complete the following table
You will find useful information at the following weblinks:
http://www.indexmundi.com/netherlands/economy_profile.html
http://www.indexmundi.com/uganda/economy_profile.html
Characteristic / Feature
Latest GDP per capita figure ($, PPP)
National savings ratio (%)
Share of Aggregate Demand (%)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Consumer spending
Investment spending
Government spending
exports
Imports
% of labour force working in agriculture
Youth unemployment rate
Gini coefficient (measure of inequality)
Inflation rate
Top 5 exports
Top 5 export destinations
Top 5 imports
Top 5 import sources
Netherlands
Uganda
Task 2: answer the following questions
1. What is meant by GDP per capita at PPP?
2. What do you notice about the share of each of the components of aggregate
demand between the two countries?
3. Why might a large share of GDP coming from agriculture prevent a country
from developing quickly?
4. What reasons do you think might explain the pattern and nature of
international trade in both countries?
5. Why might governments in developing countries be less concerned about
rates of inflation that seem high compared with developed countries?