---I-------14 Global ",rqua'" ;,,~as a geographic behemoth, larger than China (Map 1.1), wlwn, in fact,China is much bigger than Greenland (Map 1.2).TI\e world's milpmakNshave always been from Europe and North America. leading them to acc('n-tuate the size and importance of U\eirown re,;ion!;over the poorN re,;ion!;of Africa and Asia.Finally, we might ask why th('!;etwo map!; arc so different. It is he-cause the first map is based on projections made in 1569-more than 425years ago! Yet, this old map has shaped the views of millions of peopleabout the size, shape, and location of different areas of the world. Imag-ine basing other facets of our life on 400-year-old technology and view!;'Wehope this book informs you about important issues around the worldand in your own country. No one can afford to be out of dale in today'schanging world.How This Book Is OrganizedChapter 2 examines different types of inequality throughout the world. Italso discusses several trends that influence many of us in the global sys-tem. Chapter 3 discusses two popular (and competing) explanations ofglobal inequality and then proposes a new way to look at internationalphenomena. We do not propose a new theory, but we do try to improveupon and integrate earlier views. Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 look at differentregions of the world, including Africa. Asia, Europe. and the Americas,from a substantive and theoretical perspective. This survey does not ex-haust every region of the world. but it dues examine most major areas ofthe globe. Finally, Chapter 8 summarizes the book and discusses how tomake positive changes in the world.The Swahiliword safarimeansjourney;we envisionthis projectas asafari to different areas and countries of the world. We hope you enjoythe trip.... -~,' .------ ------",'.2~~An Unequal WorldThe Death of ChildrenImagine that you turn on the news one evening and hear the lollowingh('adline: "Thirty-five thousand people died today as a series of torna-dill'SSWl'ptacrus!;the United States This calamitous news would doml-nale the nllention of the country for weeks and months to come. Night af-tl'r night the n('ws media would revisit the devastated areas, showingfun('rals and interviewing relatives, friends, and neighbors of the victims.Ni8l,lIi/lrand other news programs would provide unceasing coverage 01such an incredible natural disaster.Although it does not receive much allention, each day around theworld more than 35,000children die, not from tornadoes or other naturaldisasters but from preve/ltableor easily treatablediseases. In Just two days,more children die around the world lrom these causes than the total num-ber of Americans who died over a decade 01combat in Vietnam (58,000).Figure 2.1 shows the six leading causes of child death around the worldfor 1983and 1992.Although increases in medication and Immunizationdecreased the number 01deaths during this decade, the numbers are stillextremely high.The biggest killer is now pneumonia, an acute respiratory disease thatcan be treated easily with medication and proper shelter. Second is diar-rhea, caused by bacteria contained in water,lood, and the general environ-ment. Most life-threatening diarrhea in the developing world could beeliminated H people had access to clean water and proper sanitation.Measles, the third biggest killer,can be prevented with immunization. Thenext, malaria, is transmitted by the lemale anopheles mosquito. Alter en-gorging itself with the blood of an infected person, the mosquito spreadsthe disease by biting another person. Malaria can be prevented throughthe use of medication. mosquito nets, and clothing that covers all skin.Tetanus, fHthon the list, is a viral disease that can be prevented throughimmunization or treated with medication. Whooping cough is an acuterespiratory disease that can be prevented and treated.16 GloballnrqllalllirsFICURE 1.1The Six Leading Diseases Th.,t Kill Children, 1983, 199240o 1983 n 1992 I292511lnl008 ~ 07. -l.1 1061.n~'"::>cIIOJ....'"!:.<:Q",0"00.<:u~IIII:itoIICIIii~Olsen..Sourer: UNICEF 19'14a.The most dramatic improvement!\ in Figure 2.1 have bel'n for diseasesthat can be prevented through a !\erie!\of vaccinations. Measles deaths, forinstance, have bel'n substantially reducl'd becau!\eof Ihe high percenlageof young children now vaccinated around thl' world. Fi!;ure2.2 shows theincredible increase in thl' pl'rcentage of childrl'n vaccinated since 1984,afigure that is almost 80 percent today. Byconlra!\t, althou!;h there is an oralprophylaxis (tablet) to prevent malaria, iI is effective for only two weeksat a time and is also much too expensive for thl' vast majority of poorpeople in developing countries. Until there is a real vaccine for malaria, itwill rema~ one of the most intractable killers across underdeveloped re-gions. For.Africans, in fact, the most dangerous "animal" on the continentis not the'buffalo, rhinoceros, or lion, but the mighty mosquito.History was made on Sunday, Septl'mber 30,1990, whl'n the desperateplight of children finally attracted the attention of world leaders..Seventy-one presidents and prime ministers met.in New York at the first UnitedNations World Summit for Children. This meeting, at that time the largestsingle gathering of intemationalleaders in history, produced a documentthat promised the world's children a better and brighter future. The prom-ise included a."10-point program to protect the rights of children and to:..:'.~FICURE 1.1Percent Immunized Against Measles, Worldwide, 1984-1993An Unt,/ual World 17improve their lives" (UNICEF 1991,55-56), including better health care,availability ofcll'an water, morl'educational opportunities, increased statusfor women, stronger families, freedom from war, and other laudable objec-tiv('s. The ronference slressed that children represent the most vulnerableand innocent s('gment of society, requiring special attention by govern-ment!\, intemiltional organizations, and other institutions. Although someof the conferl'nce's objectives arc currently unrealistic, this gathering ofglo-billleaders helped to raise the consciousness of the world about itschildren.Pcrhap!\ there is no better indicator of global inequality than the difler-ent levels of child survival in poor and rich countries. Because 01the dis-eases and conditions previously discussed, children in developing coun-tries have poor "life chances." Look at the rather startling statisticsdisplayed in Figure 2.3, which show the number of children who die