Ever wondered why your favourite social media is inaccessible in some countries? Places like China, North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Eritrea are some of the strictest guards of the Internet. China even has its own "Great Firewall" blocking websites they don't want their citizens to see!
Let's talk numbers - did you know that China has more than 642 million Internet users, accounting for more than 20% of the world's online users? That's a lot of cat videos (if they weren't blocked).
Looking at Eritrea, it's like stepping back in time, with most people only accessing the internet through slow dial-up connections. Can you imagine your life with less than 1% internet access? Fearing the Arab Spring's potential spread, Eritrea pulled the plug on mobile Internet plans. No TikTok in Eritrea!
The great tech exodus
Only 5.6% of Eritreans own cellphones. To give you some context, that's like if only the entire population of Los Angeles had a cellphone.
Fleeing from the pervasive state control, 320,000 Eritreans, equivalent to the population of Iceland, have taken the dangerous journey to Europe to start a new life. They formed the second-largest group after Syrians to arrive on Italian shores in 2015.
North Korea's information lockdown
Ever thought of a road trip across North Korea? Forget about it. Only the political elite are allowed to own vehicles and free travel is severely restricted.
Less than 10% of North Koreans own cellphones, with some suspected to be smuggled in from China. No Instagram for most North Koreans!
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Geography HL
Unit 5 - Human Development & Diversity
Geopolitical Impact on Internet & Global Trade Practices
Ever wondered why your favourite social media is inaccessible in some countries? Places like China, North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Eritrea are some of the strictest guards of the Internet. China even has its own "Great Firewall" blocking websites they don't want their citizens to see!
Let's talk numbers - did you know that China has more than 642 million Internet users, accounting for more than 20% of the world's online users? That's a lot of cat videos (if they weren't blocked).
Looking at Eritrea, it's like stepping back in time, with most people only accessing the internet through slow dial-up connections. Can you imagine your life with less than 1% internet access? Fearing the Arab Spring's potential spread, Eritrea pulled the plug on mobile Internet plans. No TikTok in Eritrea!
The great tech exodus
Only 5.6% of Eritreans own cellphones. To give you some context, that's like if only the entire population of Los Angeles had a cellphone.
Fleeing from the pervasive state control, 320,000 Eritreans, equivalent to the population of Iceland, have taken the dangerous journey to Europe to start a new life. They formed the second-largest group after Syrians to arrive on Italian shores in 2015.
North Korea's information lockdown
Ever thought of a road trip across North Korea? Forget about it. Only the political elite are allowed to own vehicles and free travel is severely restricted.
Less than 10% of North Koreans own cellphones, with some suspected to be smuggled in from China. No Instagram for most North Koreans!
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Geography HL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟