If You're So Smart...	The Rich Nations Mystery	Which "Wood" You Choose?
Intro	Intro	Intro
Part 1	Part 1	Part 1
Part 2	Part 2	Part 2
Part 3	Part 3

The Rich Nations Mystery - Part 2

Here is some more information about each country or region.


1: Ukraine	Population: 50,447,719 GDP $161 Billion GDP per capita $3,170 Area: 603,700 sq km Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber
2: North Korea	Population: 24,317,000 Area: 120,540 sq km GDP $20.9 Billion GDP per capita $900 Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
3: China	Population: 1,221,591,778 Area : 9,326,410 sq km GDP $3,390 Billion GDP per capita $2,800 Natural resources: coal, iron ore, petroleum, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
4: Hong Kong	Population: 6,547,189 Area: 1,092 sq km GDP $163 Billion GDP per capita $26,000 Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
5: Switzerland	Population: 7,240,463 Area: 41,290 sq km GDP $161 Billion GDP per capita $22,600 Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt
6: South Korea	Population: 45,948,811 Area: 98,480 sq km GDP $647 Billion GDP per capita $14,200 Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

You had to make your choice without all of the information you needed. Now that you have more data, which single figure would you rely on to determine whether a country was rich or poor? Was it GDP (Gross Domestic Product)? GDP is the value of all the goods and services a country produces per year. Which of those above has the highest GDP?

From this group, China has the highest GDP. Most people consider China to be relatively poor. Why?

Consider this: Family A has an income of $80,000 per year. Family B has an income of $ 60,000 per year. Which sounds better? Let's analyze this information: Family A has 2 parents and 8 children. Family B has 2 parents and 1 child. Which family will be able to acquire more goods and services per person? Family A has only $8,000 per person, while Family B has $20,000.

Conclusion: The number of people sharing the income makes a difference.

Likewise, though GDP shows how much output a country produces, the population makes a difference. GDP per capita shows how much output is produced per member of the population. List the countries from the highest GDP per capita to the lowest. GDP per capita shows where people are likely to have the most goods and services per person, and therefore, the highest standard of living.

An Economic Mystery:
How could a country that has fewer resources produce more output per person than a country that has more natural resources? For example, China is rich in natural resources, but has a low per capita GDP (due to its large population). South Korea has fewer natural resources, but still has a higher per capita GDP. How can South Korea have more goods and services than China?

Let's investigate. Read what Peter Drucker and Michael Porter have to say by following the "What is Productivity?" link at: http://www.hkpc.org/html/eng/about_hkpc/about_hkpc.jsp

"What," did Prof. Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School say "is the prime determinant in a nation's standards of living, for it is the root of national per capita income"?

What is the prime determinant of the average standard of living in any nation?
What is productivity?
Why does productivity increase the standard of living in a nation?

Once you've thought about these questions, go on to Part 3.