AQA A-level Geography · 3.2.1

Globalisation and global systems

50 exam-style questions with answers for 3.2.1 Globalisation and global systems in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official AQA material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Define the term globalisation. [2 marks]
Answer:
The increasing interconnection of countries through flows of trade, capital, people, ideas and information (1); it makes economies, societies and cultures more interdependent (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Distinguish between flows of capital, labour and information in globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
Capital flows are movements of money, such as foreign direct investment and loans (1); labour flows are movements of workers, through migration (1); information flows are the transfer of data, news and ideas, for example through the internet (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Define foreign direct investment (FDI). [2 marks]
Answer:
Money invested by a company or government in business operations in another country (1); for example, building a factory or buying a local firm (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain what is meant by global marketing. [2 marks]
Answer:
Promoting and selling the same products or brands in many countries (1); using global advertising and social media, with some adaptation to local tastes (1).
Question 5 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Distinguish between offshoring and outsourcing. [2 marks]
Answer:
Offshoring is moving a company's operations to another country (1); outsourcing is paying another company to do the work, which may be in the same country or abroad (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain how global production networks are organised. [3 marks]
Answer:
Design, research and head office functions remain in high-income countries (1); manufacturing and assembly take place where labour costs are low, often in Asia (1); parts and services come from many countries and are brought together to make the final product (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Describe the changing pattern of global distribution. [3 marks]
Answer:
Goods are shipped in standard containers through large hub ports such as Shanghai, Singapore and Rotterdam (1); air freight is used for high-value and time-sensitive goods (1); online retailers and warehouses deliver directly to consumers around the world (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Describe the changing pattern of global consumption. [3 marks]
Answer:
Consumers worldwide buy the same global brands such as Coca-Cola, Apple and McDonald's (1); online shopping gives access to goods from other countries (1); rising incomes in emerging economies such as China and India have created large new markets (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain what is meant by the global shift. [3 marks]
Answer:
The movement of manufacturing from high-income countries to newly industrialised countries (1); especially to East Asia, where wages are lower (1); high-income countries have lost manufacturing jobs and grown in services (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how containerisation has helped globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
Goods are packed in standard-sized containers that fit ships, trains and lorries (1); this makes loading quicker and cheaper and reduces damage and theft (1); larger ships have reduced the cost of shipping goods across the world (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how air transport has helped globalisation. [2 marks]
Answer:
Air freight moves high-value and perishable goods quickly, such as flowers and electronics (1); cheaper flights increase business travel, tourism and migration (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how information and communication technology has helped globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
The internet, fibre-optic cables and satellites allow instant communication and data transfer across the world (1); mobile phones and social media connect people and markets (1); companies can manage production and customers in several countries from one head office (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how changes in the financial system have helped globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
Deregulation of financial markets in the 1980s allowed money to move freely across borders (1); electronic trading means that money can be moved instantly (1); stock exchanges and banks around the world operate almost 24 hours a day (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how management and information systems have helped globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
Just-in-time systems keep stock low by delivering parts exactly when needed (1); software tracks stock, orders and shipments across the world (1); cloud computing allows firms to share data and run operations in several countries (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how improved security has helped globalisation. [2 marks]
Answer:
The end of the Cold War and greater political stability reduced barriers between countries (1); better port, airport and border security systems give confidence in trade and travel (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Describe the role of trade agreements in globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
GATT and later the World Trade Organization have cut tariffs and set rules for trade (1); regional blocs such as the EU single market and USMCA allow free movement of goods (1); trade agreements encourage firms to invest and build supply chains across borders (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain how political changes since the 1980s have promoted globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
China opened its economy to foreign investment from 1978 (1); the Cold War ended in 1989–91, and former communist countries joined the market economy (1); India liberalised its economy in 1991 (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain the role of transnational corporations in globalisation. [2 marks]
Answer:
They operate in many countries, moving investment, technology and jobs between them (1); they spread brands and global marketing, and drive trade through their supply chains (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Describe how the growth of outsourcing has affected India. [3 marks]
Answer:
Cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad have grown as centres for IT services and call centres (1); an educated English-speaking workforce and lower wages attract foreign firms (1); it has created jobs and a growing middle class, but regions outside the main cities benefit less (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain why China became known as the workshop of the world. [3 marks]
Answer:
Low labour costs and a large workforce attracted foreign manufacturers (1); government policies, special economic zones and investment in infrastructure supported exports (1); manufacturing expanded to supply consumers in North America and Europe (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Factors
Explain why just-in-time supply chains can be vulnerable. [3 marks]
Answer:
Firms hold very little stock, so any delay stops production (1); the blocking of the Suez Canal in 2021, which carries about 12% of world trade, held up goods for days (1); events such as the COVID-19 pandemic showed that disruption in one country affects firms worldwide (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Measuring globalisation
Describe indicators that could be used to measure globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
Any three from: trade as a percentage of GDP (1); levels of foreign direct investment (1); numbers of migrants (1); internet users or international phone calls (1); the number of transnational corporations (1).
Question 23 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Measuring globalisation
A country has exports of $300 billion, imports of $340 billion and a GDP of $1,600 billion. Calculate trade as a percentage of GDP. [2 marks]
Answer:
(300 + 340) ÷ 1,600 × 100 (1); = 40% (1).
Question 24 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Measuring globalisation
Foreign direct investment into a country rose from $20 billion to $26 billion. Calculate the percentage increase. [2 marks]
Answer:
(26 − 20) ÷ 20 × 100 (1); = 30% (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain what is meant by time-space compression. [2 marks]
Answer:
Distances seem to shrink as faster transport and communication reduce the time taken to connect places (1); events in one place can have immediate effects elsewhere (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Describe the role of global cities in globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
London, New York and Tokyo are command centres for finance and business (1); they host the head offices of transnational corporations and specialist services (1); they are highly connected by flights, data and migration (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain what is meant by cultural globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
The spread of ideas, language, music, food and brands across the world (1); some places adopt global culture, for example English as a business language and global fast-food chains (1); critics argue that this makes places more alike and weakens local cultures (1).
Question 28 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain how migration is both a cause and consequence of globalisation. [3 marks]
Answer:
Improved transport and communications make it easier to move across the world (1); workers move to where jobs are created by foreign investment (1); migrants send money and ideas home and build links between places (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Interdependence
Explain what is meant by economic interdependence. [2 marks]
Answer:
Countries rely on each other for trade, investment and finance (1); a problem in one economy affects others, for example the 2008 financial crisis (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Interdependence
Explain how the 2008 financial crisis showed economic interdependence. [3 marks]
Answer:
The collapse of the US housing market and banks spread through linked financial markets (1); banks and companies around the world lost money, and credit dried up (1); world trade fell and many countries entered recession (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Interdependence
Describe political interdependence in the contemporary world. [3 marks]
Answer:
Countries co-operate through organisations such as the United Nations, G20 and NATO (1); decisions made by powerful governments affect others, for example sanctions (1); agreements and alliances bind countries to common rules and action (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Interdependence
Describe social interdependence in the contemporary world. [3 marks]
Answer:
Migration creates family and community links between countries (1); ideas, sport, music and news spread quickly through the media (1); the spread of disease, as with COVID-19, shows how health in one place affects others (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Interdependence
Describe environmental interdependence in the contemporary world. [3 marks]
Answer:
Greenhouse gases emitted in one country affect the climate of all (1); pollution crosses borders in air and water (1); the demand for goods in one country can cause deforestation or pollution in another (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Interdependence
Explain how the war in Ukraine from 2022 showed global interdependence. [3 marks]
Answer:
Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of grain, and disruption raised world food prices (1); sanctions and the loss of Russian gas supplies caused an energy crisis in Europe (1); countries across the world were affected through trade, finance and supply chains (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Explain how the migration of skilled workers can affect source and destination countries. [3 marks]
Answer:
The destination gains skilled workers, which fills gaps in labour and boosts the economy (1); the source country suffers a brain drain, losing doctors, teachers and engineers (1); migrants send remittances home, but this does not always replace the lost skills (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Explain how remittances can promote development. [3 marks]
Answer:
Migrants send over $600 billion a year to low and middle-income countries (1); the money pays for food, education, health care and housing (1); it can fund small businesses, although families can come to depend on it (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Describe the unequal flows of money in the global economy. [3 marks]
Answer:
Most foreign direct investment goes to a small number of countries, such as the USA, China and the UK (1); poorer countries often send more money out in debt repayments and profits than they receive (1); profits and wealth can be moved to tax havens, reducing government income (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Explain what is meant by the digital divide. [3 marks]
Answer:
The gap between people and places with access to modern ICT and those without (1); poorer, rural and older people are most likely to be excluded (1); the divide limits access to education, jobs, markets and information, which widens inequality (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Explain how unequal flows can promote stability, growth and development. [3 marks]
Answer:
Foreign investment creates jobs, builds infrastructure and increases incomes (1); technology transfer and trade raise productivity (1); co-operation and dependence on each other for trade can reduce the risk of conflict (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Explain how unequal flows can cause inequalities, conflicts and injustices. [4 marks]
Answer:
Profits from investment often go to wealthy countries or shareholders (1); low wages and poor conditions exploit workers in supply chains (1); competition for resources can cause conflict (1); poor places that lose skilled people or industries are left further behind (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Explain what is meant by unequal power relations between states. [3 marks]
Answer:
Some states have greater economic, political or military strength than others (1); they can set the rules of trade and finance and influence global institutions (1); weaker states have fewer options and must usually respond to decisions made elsewhere (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Explain how powerful states can use global systems to their own advantage. [3 marks]
Answer:
The USA uses the dollar's role in world finance, and sanctions, to influence other states (1); wealthy states protect their own industries with subsidies and tariffs while demanding open markets abroad (1); they have more votes and influence in bodies such as the IMF and Security Council (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Distinguish between hard power and soft power. [2 marks]
Answer:
Hard power is the use of military force or economic pressure to influence others (1); soft power is influence through culture, ideas, aid and diplomacy (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Describe how China uses its economic power to increase its global influence. [3 marks]
Answer:
The Belt and Road Initiative funds ports, railways and roads in many countries (1); Chinese firms invest in and buy resources such as minerals and farmland (1); loans and trade create links that give China political influence, with some countries concerned about debt (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Explain how weaker states can resist or respond to the actions of powerful states. [3 marks]
Answer:
They can form groups such as OPEC or regional alliances to increase bargaining power (1); they can take disputes to the World Trade Organization (1); they can build trade links with alternative partners (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Explain what is meant by deglobalisation. [2 marks]
Answer:
A fall in the level of international trade, investment and integration (1); caused by trade wars, protectionism and efforts to bring production closer to home (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Explain why some companies are reshoring or nearshoring production. [3 marks]
Answer:
The COVID-19 pandemic and trade disputes exposed the risks of long supply chains (1); rising labour costs in Asia reduce the advantage of offshoring (1); producing closer to markets can shorten delivery times and reduce carbon emissions (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.2.1.1 · Dimensions of globalisation
Explain how e-commerce platforms have changed global distribution and consumption. [3 marks]
Answer:
Platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba link sellers and buyers across the world (1); online payments and international parcel delivery let consumers buy directly from other countries (1); small firms in developing countries can reach global markets, while high street shops lose trade (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Unequal flows
Describe the issues associated with migrant labour in Gulf states such as Qatar. [3 marks]
Answer:
Many workers from South Asia build roads, stadiums and buildings (1); they have often been tied to their employers under the kafala system, with low pay and poor conditions (1); they send remittances home that support families in countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh (1).
Question 50 · Spec 3.2.1.2 · Power relations
Explain the terms core and periphery in the global economy. [2 marks]
Answer:
The core is the wealthy, powerful regions that control trade, finance and technology (1); the periphery is poorer regions that supply raw materials and labour and have less influence (1).

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