Class Discussion Question

What do you want to be when you “grow up”?How much education does that job require? How much does that profession generally pay? How competitive is this field in terms of hiring / advancement?

Here is the plan…• Students will understand the basic

structure of South Asia’s economy.• Students will compare the economy of

South Asia to that of the United States.• Students will predict the economic future

of South Asia.

American Economy• Pros • Cons

Here is your competition…

Bhutan Nepal India Bangladesh Pakistan USA0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

5 42

4962

325 574

16720

2013 Overall GDP (PPP) Billions of Dollars

Source – CIA Factbook

Bhutan Nepal India Bangladesh Pakistan USA0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

2013 GDP per Capita PPP - US Dollars

Bhutan Nepal India Bangladesh Pakistan USA0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2013 - % of Agricultural Workers

Bhutan Nepal India Bangladesh Pakistan USA0

1

2

3

4

5

6

2013 the % of Growth Rate

Summary• Despite our well documented

problems, the USA still has the “largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world”.• USA has a very small % of

agricultural workers.• The primary concern for USA is

a lack of economic growth / stagnant wages in recent years.

BIG problem…

•Many people in South Asia are still engaged in subsistence agriculture.• Subsistence agriculture is

producing only enough crops or livestock for a family’s survival.• Despite HIGH number of

agricultural workers, famine is still a major issue.

Concert for Bangladesh

Did this Band really aid…?• This 1971 concert

and album (yes I said album) from Madison Square Garden has generated millions of dollars for UNICEF.• Has this solved the

underlying issues that caused the problem in the first place?

Misery•NO, not really!•Droughts, floods,

and famine are still far too prevalent in the region of South Asia.

Green Revolution•Write down a

definition for this term.•Who is the

“Father” of this movement?•What are the

PROS / CONS to this movement?

Green Revolution

•Mono (single) crop production in order to produce higher yields.• Use of hybrid / genetically altered seeds to

produce higher yields.• Less resting time between plantings to

produce higher yields.• Heavy doses of H2O / pesticides /

fertilizers in order to produce higher yields.

An inescapable truth…

Dhaka

United Nations

POPULATION• India is growing by 18 million people EVERY year.

(source UN)• Dhaka, Bangladesh is one of the most densely

populated cities in the entire world.• Population growth AND Urbanization are combining to

create severe planning issues for national governments.• Some countries like Nepal and Bhutan are sparsely

populated due mainly to their geography.• The governments of India & Bangladesh are aware of

their population “problem”.

FUTURE•What do you think

the economic future for countries in South Asia will look like?• Overall??•What kind of jobs will

people in South Asia be employed?

English & Educated• Many Indians are

highly educated and speak English.• They are in direct

competition with Americans for software development and Information technology (IT) jobs.• Will work harder (?)

and for less pay (!)

Outsourcing

Help Wanted???

• Unemployment Rates in the USA have dropped to about 6%• Many highly educated

Americans are deep in debt.• IT and engineering jobs ranging

from 75 to 150 k are routinely available on MONSTER.com• India is producing 5X more

engineering students than the USA.

Here is the plan…• Students will understand the basic

structure of South Asia’s economy.• Students will compare the economy of

South Asia to that of the United States.• Students will predict the economic future

of South Asia.