Geography and Globalization Concept - Essay Example

The one essential thing about globalization is that it is based on the premise that no single nation happens to be self-sufficient. Nations tend to differ in the context of the raw material-sufficient sources at their disposal and the goods and services they prefer to trade in. When one considers the role transportation plays in the global dissemination of goods and services, it is but natural to conclude that those nations that constitute the hub of international shipping and road routes are poised to benefit much owing to their geographical location. According to Warf, globalization signifies “… unprecedented growth in interconnectedness, of flows of capital, goods, people and information across those borders… (Warf 271).

” Being geographically located at important points on the international trade routes makes a nation access to the global goods and services and the commensurate influence bring in their wake (Warf 284). Thereby, being exposed to global trading activities, such nations naturally tend to accrue economic efficiency that is the hallmark of globalization owing to having ready access to a wide range of goods and services at a low cost, the economies of scale, and the competitive advantage that goes with them.

Such nations are also more exposed to diverse ideas, philosophies, and cultures (Warf 284). Geographically speaking, being the primary producer of a specific resource also makes nations accrue the fruits of globalization. For instance, considering the concentration of the petroleum industry in the Middle East, the nations in this region are bound to be influenced by global trends and ideas and are relatively more susceptible to globalization. However, the thing that needs to be kept in mind is that many a time geography may also impede globalization.

For instance, the regions where the transportation routes and communications technology,gies are not well developed like say the sub-Saharan nations, owing to economic, political, cultural, or climatic reasons, may not cull out the benefits of globalization. This is because such regions are not conducive to the free flow of goods and services, people, and ideas for globalization are about, “… extending the innermost circles outwards, to encompass ever-larger domains of humanity (Warf 276).” Globalization is primarily about a large-scale cultural and economic exchange and any geographic factor, natural, political, cultural, or technological that impedes this exchange is bound to dilute the progress of globalization in a region (Warf 286).

The harsh climate in a place may also restrict the free flow of ideas and commodities and may impede globalization. For instance, considering the harsh climate at the North Pole, this region is least impacted by economic and people-oriented activities and is thus least impacted by globalization. Globalization is quite a gargantuan concept that is largely dependent on a conducive excite of goods, ideas, and people. Any geographic factor that facilitates or inhibits this exchange is bound to impact the scale of globalization in a region.