Study Guide to the Semester Exam

1. Introduction (Excellence)

    a. A Letter to Garcia

    b. Socrates/ancient Greeks

    c. Did You Know?/Shift Happens

    d. Globalization

    e. Infrastructure

2. Population and Migration

    a. population pyramids

    b. crude birth rate, crude death rate) RNI, TFR

    c. immigration/emigration, NMR

    d. push forces, pull forces

    e. developed nations, developing nations

    f. God Grew Tired of Us

3. Cultural Geography
    a. language (bilingual nations, official language)

    b. major religions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism,

    Buddhism)

    c. ethnic heritage

4. Political Geography

    a. country, nation, state, nation/state

    b. World Leaders of the 12 nations we studied (plus the US)

    c. type of government, leader and title, recognize photographs

5. Economic Geography

    a. microfinance

    b. infrastructure

    c. Kiva

    d. Peace Corps

Exam Talk 

We are going over what we have learned in the beginning of the year. I have to look over old test and notes. Making flash cards and writing notes helps me study the most. Exams are only 20% of your grade but it's still a big deal. It's good to get it over with before the winter break. We are in the brown room when we take the test.  

Test Review

Today in class we went over our test about micro finance. I got an 87%. We are also going over our exam for next week.  

Test 

Today in class we took a test on microfinance. I got an 87%. I thought I would have gotten a higher grade but I'm okay with what I got.   

 Microfinance 

Definitions

• Microfinance - a form of financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses lacking access to banking and related services
• Microloan - a small loan given to individuals who might not have access to typical banking services, usually to start or expand small, self-sufficient businesses

Who provides microloans?

• As of November 26, 2013, Kiva has distributed $498,939,550 in loans from 1,015,823 lenders to 1,177,248 borrowers
• A total of 637,003 loans have been funded through Kiva
• The average loan size is $410.89
• The average Kiva user has made 10.06 loans

Kiva's current repayment rate for all its partners is 99.01%

Who receives microloans?

• microentrepreneurs who are trying to start (or kickstart!) a small business
• villagers needing to fund a clinic, hospital, or other health care facility (malaria treatment, drugs, hypos, refrigerators, sanitation)
• teachers trying to run a school (buying anything from books and pencils to desks and chairs)
• students wanting to further their education (college tuition)

Problems with microloans

• high interest rates sometimes as high as 23%
• The cost of providing banking services to those living in

poverty is high.  Being the company that provides tiny

loans can be expensive

• What’s harder and more time-consuming to process:

one $500,000 loan, or five hundred $1000 loans?   

Microloans are a help, not a cure

• banking services are often unavailable to poor people -

microloans fill a gap

• it’s not just loans, but also insurance, legal representation,

and help with financial planning that become available

• these are all important to people who are trying to break

the cycle of poverty

• but poverty is a huge problem with no easy solutions

Challenges

• there are many challenges faced by developing nations
• some of these can be alleviated through microloans
• substandard education ($ can help purchase supplies, buy books, pay teachers)
• poor health care ($ can help buy supplies, construct new/better buildings, deal with malaria)

Malaria

• It’s a mosquito-borne infectious disease
• humans and animals can be infected through the bite of a female mosquito
• no vaccine exists   :(
• it kills around 665,000 people

a year, many of them children

in sub-Saharan Africa

• mosquito nets can be effective

Philanthropy

• philanthropy is the generous donation of money to good causes, and Bill and Melinda Gates are the second greatest philanthropists in history ($28 billion, ⅓ of their wealth)

• they support research and development for a vaccine, diagnostics, and mosquito-control measures  -  like mosquito nets!

Test Questions for Human Geo    

                   Steven Kucther, Hailey Ishak, Ellie Gottschalk, Stephanie Imbierowicz, Carly Schofield.

1. who is microfinance used for ? - it is used for people to start up a business or to keep a business going or just to help people who need a small loan.

2. what is a common use for a micro loan? - starting up new businesses, products, clinics, machinery, furniture, and schools  

3.What is a microloan? Loans people money to help them get a kick start in a small business that they think will be beneficial to their village or town

4.what is mocrofinance? A general term to describe financial services to low-income individuals or those who do not have access to typical banking services.

5. Who has the most supply of mosquitoes nets? Bill and Melinda Gates

6.what is the difference between developing countries and developed countries?- developing usually have lower levels of affluence and higher levels of unemployment, developed countries have the

7. what is malaria?  - malaria is a wide spreading disease that is transmitted by getting from a mosquitos

8.why do poor people pay more for loans? -micro lenders don’t get paid as much so poor people have to pay higher loans

9. What is a microlender? An organization that makes business loans to individuals who arent able to obtain financing from traditional lenders.

10.In developing countries the majority of the population is? Poor

11. How is giving Microloans better than just regular donations to charity? This way you're not just giving them many for no reason but you're giving them a kick start to make a successful business and in the end it’s their responsibility to pay you back for your help.

12.give 3 problems in developing countries that can be solved by microloans: malaria, drought, clean water

Micro-finance Study 

• Microfinance- a general term to  describe financial services to low-income individuals or to those who do not have access to typical banking services
• Microloans- loans people money to help them get a kick start in a small business that they think will be beneficial to their village or town

What's a micro loan?

• A microloan is when a person lends a small amount of money to a developing business. Once the business is running good the lender will receive their money back
• Common use
• Starting up new businesses
• Products
• Clinics
• Machinery
• Furniture
• Schools 

What microfinance does for people

• Helps small businesses start up and keep running 
• An opportunity for people to buy livestock and small businesses
• Allows them to borrow money from somebody
• It can provide micro entrepreneurs with the capital needed to operate and expand their businesses
• Create choice, lets them switch jobs

Developing countries

• Poor people are less likely to be lent money
• Problems in developing countries that can be helped by Microfinance
• Malaria
• Drought
• Clean water
• Famine
• Poor health care
• Pollution
• Weak electricity

Bill Gates has the most mosquito nets in the world 

Micro Lenders

• Poor people pay more for loans then rich people
• Poor people have to pay more money for the same thing
• Maximum loans are $25,000