CONTENT STATEMENT
- The variability in the distribution of productive resources in the various regions of the world contributed to specialization, trade and interdependence.
CONTENT ELABORATION
Productive resources are not distributed equally around the world. Productive resources are the resources used to make goods and services. The abundance or lack of resources in a region contributes to specialization and trade with other regions. Specialization is the concentration of production on fewer kinds of goods and services than are consumed. When regions and/or countries specialize, they trade to obtain goods and services they want but do not or cannot produce. As societies grew and trade expanded, interdependence increased. This standard should be incorporated throughout the year.
Possible examples: The availability of productive resources such as tea and spices in Asia, tobacco, cotton, coffee, gold and silver in the Americas, and ivory, salt and gold in Africa, led these regions to specialize. They traded for goods they did not have and wanted. This exchange promoted global interdependence.
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
Explain how trade leads to specialization and interdependence.
Analyze how distribution of resources leads to specialization and trade.