Every country in the world has a different climate. Countries in the north and south tend to have colder weather and more changeable seasons. Nearer to the equator, countries have warmer climates and less variations in temperature. However, looking at countries and their climates one thing becomes clear… almost all the countries with hot climates are also poor. Why is this? Why is there more poverty in countries with hotter weather?
Hot countries are poor because of their harsher climates, often poor agricultural conditions, frequent extreme weather events and the way their societies have historically been organised.
…but that’s just an overview. If order to really understand why hot countries are poor, we need to go into a bit more detail.
Why Is There More Poverty In Countries With Hot Climates?
Right, so we’ve had an overview of why hotter countries are often poorer, now let’s look at the four main factors that contribute to poverty in countries with hotter climates. These are:
- Hotter climates created less organised societies
- It’s harder for people to work in hotter weather
- Hotter climates have more diseases
- Hot countries often experience extreme weather
Let’s take a quick look at each of these…
Hotter Climates Created Less Organised Societies
A first reason why hot countries are poor is because hot climates, historically, created less organised societies.
It is generally believed that colder weather, and changeable seasons, made societies group together and become organised to avoid famine during the leaner months. In hotter climates this was less necessary as food was abundant all year round. As societies in hotter climates developed, they were less organised and coherent than those with colder weather. This is seen as one reason why hotter countries are still poorer today.
It’s Harder For People To Work In Hotter Weather
A second reason why hot countries are poorer is because it is more difficult to work in hot weather.
Throughout almost all of history the vast majority of work was manual labour done outside. In very hot countries this is extremely difficult. People can often only do manual work in the evening or at night in very hot climates. This limits the amount of work that can be done, which in-turn held back the development of many hotter countries.
Hotter Climates Have More Diseases
A third reason why hot countries are poor is because they have more diseases.
Countries with hot climates are almost all in the tropical region near the equator. There are a range of diseases in the tropics, including malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever, that are not found in other parts of the world. Historically diseases such as these have killed huge numbers of people, and many still do, even with advances in modern medicine. The toll diseases take on societies in the tropics is a major reason why they have struggled to develop, and many remain poor.
Hot Countries Often Experience Extreme Weather
Another reason why hot countries are poor is because many experience frequent extreme weather events.
Extreme weather – from typhoons and cyclones, to flooding and droughts, can cause major damage to people’s homes, businesses and to agriculture. Communities can often struggle to recover from extreme weather events. Many hot countries regularly experience humanitarian crises because of extreme weather, and this has stunted their economic development. It’s a key reason why many countries with hot climates remain poor.
Are All Hot Countries Poor?
So, we’ve established that many countries with hot climates suffer from widespread poverty. We’ve also looked at the main factors for why this is. But does that mean that every country with hot weather is poor? Are there any countries that have overcome these obstacles and become rich?
Not all countries with hot climates are poor. Singapore, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are examples of very rich countries that have hot climates. However, although there are rich countries that experience year-round high temperatures, many of the poorest countries in the world also have hot climates.
Although many hot countries are poor, it is not true that every country with a hot climate has widespread poverty. Some of the richest countries in the world have hot climates, including:
- Singapore
- Qatar
- Brunei
- Macao
- Bermuda
- Saudi Arabia
All of these countries have year-round hot weather. Many are in the tropics. These countries have faced the same issues as all hot countries have. However, they have successfully been able to overcome the issues hotter climates can pose for developing countries and have created a good standard of living for their citizens. These nations are proof that not all hot countries are poor.
Can Hot Countries Become Rich?
Now we know that some hot countries are not poor, and a few have been able to become highly developed and wealthy, let’s look at if more poor countries with hot climates can become rich, and how they can do this…
It is possible for hot countries to become rich. Although climate is one factor that can hold back a country’s economic development, through good governance, sound economic policies and the creation of strong institutions, any country can become wealthy, even if it has a hot climate.
As we’ve discussed already, there are a number of countries with hot climates among the richest nations in the world. All of these nations have been able to develop despite their tough climates. They clearly show that hot countries can become prosperous.
Why Tropical Countries Are Poor?
Many hot countries are located in the tropics – this is the area of the globe near to the equator. If you look at where most of the poorest countries in the world are, they are almost all in the tropics. On the other hand, almost all the rich countries in the world are far from the equator. So why are tropical countries poor?
Factors including poor soil conditions, prevalence of diseases, limited water supplies, and frequent extreme weather events are some of the reason why tropical countries are poor. The inability of many nations in the tropics to overcomes these obstacles has meant many remain underdeveloped.
Tropical countries face many issues that make it harder for them to develop.
Nations in the tropics often find that issues caused by their climate exacerbate other factors that hinder their development. Poverty in these countries’ fuels conflict, corruption and limited economic opportunities for these people. Although the root cause of poverty in the tropics can often be traced back to climatic factors, many tropical countries remain poor because these factors compound to create further issues that keep these nations poor.
Are Hot Countries Less Productive?
Another factor we need to consider in order to understand why hot countries are often poor is if hot climates make people less productive? Could hot weather reduce people’s productivity, and this be a reason why many countries with warmer climates are poor?
Generally hot countries are less economically productive. Hot weather has shown to make it harder for people to work. Although many of the poorest and least productive countries in the world have hot climates, not every hot country is entirely economically unproductive.
For much of history, hot countries were less productive because most work was manual labour, and this is harder to do in high temperatures. However, over the last half century most work has moved into to offices or factories. Air conditioning has also become cheap and widely available. Cars have become easy for people to buy – making getting to work in a hot climate easier, quicker, and more comfortable. These factors have meant that hot countries are now able to be much more productive. As a result, many countries hot climates are becoming as productive as nations with colder weather.