Geography · Lesson 12

Transport, communication & world trade

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: Human Geography C(iv–v): transport and communication; world trade: factors, major exports and imports, trade routes and problems

WAEC: Economic and Human Geography: transport and communication (modes, importance, problems; with reference to West Africa); world trade (factors, major commodities, routes, problems)

NECO: Economic and Human Geography: transport and communication (modes, importance, problems; with reference to West Africa); world trade (factors, major commodities, routes, problems)

What you will learn

Define transport and communication and explain their importance.
Describe the modes of transport, with advantages and disadvantages.
Explain the factors that influence the development of transport.
Describe transport in West Africa and its problems.
Describe modern means of communication and their importance and problems.
Explain the bases and factors of international trade.
Describe the major commodities of world trade.
Identify and describe the major world trade routes.
Distinguish between balance of trade and balance of payments, and calculate them.
Explain the problems of trade in West Africa and the role of trade organisations.

Key points

Transport moves goods and people; communication moves information.
Modes: road, rail, water, air, pipeline.
Physical factors: relief, drainage, climate, vegetation; human: economy, population, capital, policy, history.
Road: flexible, door-to-door; congestion and accidents.
Rail: cheap for bulky goods; fixed routes, costly to build.
Water: cheapest for heavy cargo; slow, needs ports; inland rivers seasonal.
Air: fastest, costly; pipeline: continuous, for fluids, vulnerable to vandalism.
West African networks run from interior to coast, with weak cross-border links.
Communication: postal, telephone, internet, radio, TV, satellite.
Trade arises from differences in resources, climate, technology and comparative advantage.
Visible = goods; invisible = services.
West Africa exports primary products and imports manufactures.
Routes: North Atlantic, Suez, Cape, Panama, North Pacific, South Atlantic.
Balance of trade = visible exports − visible imports.
Problems: primary dependence, price swings, barriers, poor infrastructure; solutions include diversification and regional integration.

Start here: Transport and communication: meaning and importance

A yam harvested in Benue State reaches a market in Lagos in a day or two by lorry. A container of machinery from China arrives at Lekki Deep Sea Port weeks after leaving Asia. A WhatsApp message from Kano reaches London in seconds. These show transport (moving people and goods) and communication (moving information).

Importance of transport

Moves raw materials to factories and finished goods to markets.
Makes trade possible, locally and internationally.
Encourages specialisation: areas produce what they are best suited to.
Promotes national unity and integration by linking regions.
Creates employment (drivers, mechanics, port workers).
Opens up rural areas, so farmers can sell their produce.
Supports tourism, administration and defence.
Helps in emergencies (relief supplies, ambulances).
Encourages the growth of towns at route centres and ports.

Transport networks

A transport network is made of nodes (towns, junctions, ports) and links (roads, railways, routes). The more links between nodes, the better connected the network. A simple measure is the beta index = number of links ÷ number of nodes.

Worked example 12.1 (illustrative)

A road network has 12 towns (nodes) and 15 roads (links). Find the beta index and comment.

β = 15 ÷ 12 = 1.25.
Values above 1 suggest a connected network with some alternative routes; values below 1 suggest a simple, tree-like network typical of less-developed areas.

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Practice questions

1. The cheapest mode of transport for bulky goods over long distances is

water transport
air transport
road transport
pipeline for passengers

Show answer

A: water transport
Ships carry very large loads at low cost per tonne.

2. The fastest mode of transport over long distances is

rail transport
water transport
road transport
air transport

Show answer

D: air transport
It is also the most expensive per tonne.

3. The most flexible mode for door-to-door delivery is

pipeline
ocean shipping
road transport
rail transport

Show answer

C: road transport
Roads reach most places.

4. Pipelines are mainly used to transport

cattle
crude oil, gas and water
passengers
timber

Show answer

B: crude oil, gas and water
Nigeria has many oil and gas pipelines.

5. Most colonial railways in Nigeria were built on

narrow (1,067 mm) gauge
standard (1,435 mm) gauge
broad gauge
monorail

Show answer

A: narrow (1,067 mm) gauge
New lines such as Lagos–Ibadan use standard gauge.

Key words

Transport: The movement of people and goods from one place to another.
Communication: The transfer of information, ideas and messages between people and places.
Transport network: The system of routes (lines) linking places (nodes).
Terminal cost: Cost of loading and unloading goods at ports, stations or airports.
Containerisation: Moving goods in standard-sized steel boxes that transfer easily between ships, trains and lorries.
Break-of-bulk point: A place where goods are transferred from one mode to another, e.g. a port.
Inland waterway: A navigable river, lake or canal used for transport.
Entrepôt: A port where goods are imported and re-exported without much processing.
Hinterland: The area served by a port.
Trade: The exchange of goods and services.
Visible trade: Trade in physical goods.
Invisible trade: Trade in services, e.g. shipping, insurance, tourism, banking.

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