geography MCQ #10542

A regional development planner in Pakistan studies why Balochistan contributes the smallest share of provincial GDP despite being the largest province by area and having gold, copper, natural gas and coal deposits. Which combination of geographic and institutional factors is most explanatory?

geography MCQ #10542

  1. Question 1

    Q1. A regional development planner in Pakistan studies why Balochistan contributes the smallest share of provincial GDP despite being the largest province by area and having gold, copper, natural gas and coal deposits. Which combination of geographic and institutional factors is most explanatory?

    • A) Extreme distance from population centres and industrial clusters, sparse and dispersed population limiting labour supply and domestic market demand, inadequate road and rail infrastructure raising transport costs, and historical underinvestment in human capital reducing the workforce capacity to develop resources
    • B) Balochistan's borders with Iran and Afghanistan create tariff barriers that prevent its minerals from accessing international markets at competitive prices
    • C) Federal government policy deliberately suppresses Balochistan's development to keep commodity prices low for industrial consumers in Punjab and Sindh
    • D) The province's arid climate makes agriculture impossible and industry unviable, so GDP can only grow through mineral extraction which faces global commodity price volatility

    Answer: Extreme distance from population centres and industrial clusters, sparse and dispersed population limiting labour supply and domestic market demand, inadequate road and rail infrastructure raising transport costs, and historical underinvestment in human capital reducing the workforce capacity to develop resources

    Explanation: Balochistan's low GDP contribution stems from extreme remoteness from markets, a sparsely dispersed population limiting labour supply and domestic demand, inadequate transport infrastructure inflating costs, and chronic underinvestment in education reducing workforce capacity for resource development.