The economic development phase that relies on the export of raw materials is the

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Abstract

Export-oriented manufacturing is often viewed as an important element of economic development. In recent decades, many states across the southern United States have made concerted efforts to attract exporters and promote this type of industrial policy. This paper uses an evolutionary economic geography perspective to examine recent export trends for several Southern states, across several measures, since the implementation of NAFTA. Overall, the analyses suggest that most Southern states have export intensities that are above the national average, yet positive relationships with state-level incomes are unclear. Additionally, Southern states were found to be remarkably heterogeneous in terms of state-level export performance, dominant export composition, and destination markets, but also point to an overreliance on traditional economic development perspectives which may lead to future difficulties in adapting to inevitable shifts in the global economic system.

Journal Information

A quarterly publication of the Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers, Southeastern Geographer has published the academic work of geographers and other social and physical scientists since 1961. Building on its history as a regional publication, the journal publishes geographic research that engages with conditions and events in “the south,” broadly construed, as they relate to conditions and events that extend over broader geographical reaches. The journal invites scholarship highlighting the social, cultural, economic, and political diversity and broad climate and ecosystem variability that links “the south” to processes, flows, and conditions that extend across the country, continent, and globe. Southeastern Geographer is available both in print and digital formats.

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The University of North Carolina Press is the oldest university press in the South and one of the oldest in the country. Founded in 1922, the Press is the creation of that same distinguished group of educators and civic leaders who were instrumental in transforming the University of North Carolina from a struggling college with a few associated professional schools into a major university. The purpose of the Press, as stated in its charter, is "to promote generally, by publishing deserving works, the advancement of the arts and sciences and the development of literature." The Press achieved this goal early on, and the excellence of its publishing program has been recognized for more than eight decades by scholars throughout the world. UNC Press is also the proud publisher for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture in Williamsburg, Virginia.  More information can be found about the Omohundro Institute and its books at the Institute's website.  For a full listing of Institute books on Books@JSTOR, click here. UNC Press publishes journals in a variety of fields including Early American Literature, education, southern studies, and more.  Many of our journal issues are also available as ebooks.  UNC Press publishes over 100 new books annually, in a variety of disciplines, in a variety of formats, both print and electronic. To learn more about our books and journals programs, please visit us at our website.

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Development is the process of growth, or changing from one condition to another. In economics, development is change from a traditional economy to one based on technology.

A traditional economy usually centers on individual survival. Families and small communities often make their own food, clothing, housing, and household goods. The economies of developing countries, which have largely traditional economies, often rely on agriculture. Developing countries also rely on raw materials, which can be traded to developed countries for finished goods. These raw materials include oil, coal, and timber.

Developed countries, which have modern economies, are more diverse. Their economies rely on many different people and organizations performing specialized tasks. Agriculture and raw materials represent only part of the economy of a developed country. Other sectors include manufacturing, banking and finance, and services such as hairdressing or plumbing. This vast economy results in a great variety of goods and services.

There is no single test to determine what is a developing country. One way to rate a country’s level of development is by the total value of goods and services the country produces, divided by the number of people in the country. This is called the gross national income (GNI) per capita.

Developed nations have much higher GNI per capita. For example, Luxembourg has a GNI per capita of $69,390. The United States has a GNI per capita of about $48,000. Singapore has a GNI per capita of $34,760.

Signs of a high level of development include industrialization and the everyday use of advanced technology.

Levels of education are also related to development. Developed countries usually have higher literacy rates, meaning most of their population can read and write.

Measuring Development

Developed countries have a high life expectancy, or the average number of years a person can expect to live. Japan, a highly developed nation, has the highest life expectancy of any country, at 82.7 years.

The age structure in developed countries usually has its largest population group between 15 and 64 years old. Countries whose age structure is very young (a large population under 15 years old) may have to spend more on education. People under the age of 14 typically cannot maintain steady, full-time work to support the economy. Half of the population (50 percent) of the developing country of Uganda is under the age of 14, with only 48 percent between the working ages of 15 and 64.

The unemployment rate can also be an indicator of the level of economic development. In developed countries, most adults usually work. The unemployment rate, or able adults who cannot find work, is often below ten percent. In developing countries, such as Zimbabwe, the unemployment rate can be as high as 95 percent.

Developed countries usually have a large middle class. Middle-class incomes fall between poverty and great wealth. Some developing countries have large populations living in poverty. In Haiti, 59 percent of the people live in poverty.

As countries begin to develop, their agricultural output usually increases. Improved technology allows fewer farmers to harvest more food. This raises the income of people in rural areas, as well as allowing more people to work in jobs outside agriculture.

Another sign of development is a growth in exports, or products grown or made in one country that are sent to another country for sale or use. A country can export raw materials, such as oil or corn. A country can also export finished goods, such as computer software.

The amount of electricity used by a country can also indicate its level of development. Electricity is used in homes, schools, and businesses. Factories use huge amounts of electricity. Electrification, especially in rural areas, is an important process for a developing economy.

Electrification is often expensive. The high cost of oil, natural gas, and coal may slow the electrification process. Constructing facilities that run on hydroelectricity or nuclear energy often requires technology and money that developing countries do not have. Some developing countries, such as Bangladesh, are trying to use renewable energy, such as solar or wind, to bring electricity to their rural population.

Countries that are switching from agricultural to industrial economies, and are experiencing rapid economic growth are sometimes called newly industrialized countries. They usually have lower poverty rates than less developed nations, but they have not yet reached the income and education levels of developed countries. Newly industrialized countries include India, Brazil, and Thailand.

Fast Fact

Another BRIC in the Wall
The economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China are sometimes grouped together as "BRIC." These countries are not part of a political or trade alliance. However, they are all large countries with large economies that are growing very quickly. Some economists believe that by 2050, the economies of BRIC countries will be larger than the United States or the European Union. South Korea and Mexico are sometimes compared to BRIC countries.

Fast Fact

The Good Life
The United Nations rates the development of nations using the Human Development Index (HDI). In addition to GNI per capita, the HDI takes into account literacy rates, school enrollment, and life expectancy. According to the HDI, in 2010 Norway was the most developed nation in the world. The United States was fourth.

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