Third World

The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with
either capitalism and NATO (which along with its allies represented the First World), or communism and
the Soiet !nion (which along with its allies represented the Second World)" This definition proided a
wa# of $roadl# categori%ing the nations of the earth into three groups $ased on social, political, and
economic diisions" &ue to man# of the 'rd and (nd world countries $eing e)tremel# poor, it $ecame a
stereot#pe such that people commonl# refer to undeeloped countries as *third world countries*" Third
world countries included most of Africa, +atin America, and Asia"
French demographer, anthropologist and historian Alfred Sau#, in an article pu$lished in the French
maga%ine +,O$serateur, August -., -/0(, coined the term Third World, referring to countries that were
unaligned with either the Communist Soiet $loc or the Capitalist NATO $loc during the Cold War"
A num$er of Third World countries were former colonies, and with the end of imperialism, man# of these
countries, especiall# the smaller ones, were faced with the challenges of nation- and institution-$uilding
on their own for the first time" &ue to this common $ac1ground, man# of these nations were *deeloping*
in economic terms for most of the (2th centur#, and man# still are toda#" This term, when used toda#,
generall# denotes countries that hae not *deeloped* to the same leels as O3C& countries, and which
are thus in the process of *deeloping*" 4n the -/52s, economist 6eter 7auer offered a competing
definition for the term Third World" 8e claimed that the attachment of Third World status to a particular
countr# was not $ased on an# sta$le economic or political criteria, and was a mostl# ar$itrar# process"
The large diersit# of countries that were considered to $e part of the Third World, from 4ndonesia to
Afghanistan, ranged widel# from economicall# primitie to economicall# adanced and from politicall#
non-aligned to Soiet- or Western-leaning" An argument could also $e made for how parts of the !"S" are
more li1e the Third World" The onl# characteristic that 7auer found common in all Third World countries
was that their goernments *demand and receie Western aid*, the giing of which he strongl# opposed"
Thus, the aggregate term Third World was challenged as misleading een during the Cold War period"
Least developed country
Least developed country (LDC) is the name gien to a countr# which, according to the !nited Nations,
e)hi$its the lowest indicators of socioeconomic deelopment, with the lowest 8uman &eelopment 4nde)
ratings of all countries in the world" The concept of +&Cs originated in the late -/92s and the first group
of +&Cs was listed $# the !N in its resolution (:95 (;;<4) of -5 Noem$er -/:-" A countr# is
classified as a +east &eeloped Countr# if it meets three criteria=
low-income (three-#ear aerage >N4 per capita of less than !S ?/20, which must e)ceed ?-,259
to leae the list)
human resource wea1ness ($ased on indicators of nutrition, health, education and adult literac#)
and
economic ulnera$ilit# ($ased on insta$ilit# of agricultural production, insta$ilit# of e)ports of
goods and serices, economic importance of non-traditional actiities, merchandise e)port
concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced $#
natural disasters)
+&C criteria are reiewed eer# three #ears $# the Committee for &eelopment 6olic# (C&6) of the !N
3conomic and Social Council (3COSOC)" Countries ma# *graduate* out of the +&C classification when
indicators e)ceed these criteria" The !nited Nations Office of the 8igh @epresentatie for the +east
&eeloped Countries, +andloc1ed &eeloping Countries and Small 4sland &eeloping States (!N
O8@++S) coordinates !N support and proides adocac# serices for +east &eeloped Countries" The
classification (as of - Aanuar# (2--) applies to .5 countries"
Since the +&C categor# was initiated, onl# three countries hae graduated to deeloping countr# status"
The first countr# to graduate from +&C status was 7otswana in -//." The second countr# was Cape
<erde, in (22:" Baldies $ecame the third countr# to graduate to deeloping countr# status on - Aanuar#
(2--" 4n (2-- the !N suggested that 3Cuatorial >uinea, Samoa, Tualu, and <anuatu are among the
candidates for promotion from +&C status" At the !N,s fourth conference on +&Cs held in Ba# (2--,
delegates endorsed a goal targeting the promotion of at least half the current +&C countries within the
ne)t ten #ears"
Developing country
A developing country, also 1nown as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low leel of material
well-$eing" Since no single definition of the term deeloping countr# is recogni%ed internationall#, the
leels of deelopment ma# ar# widel# within so-called deeloping countries" Some deeloping countries
hae high aerage standards of liing"
Countries with more adanced economies than other deeloping nations, $ut which hae not #et full#
demonstrated the signs of a deeloped countr#, are categori%ed under the term newl# industriali%ed
countries"
Dofi Annan, former Secretar# >eneral of the !nited Nations, defined a deeloped countr# as follows" *A
deeloped countr# is one that allows all its citi%ens to enEo# a free and health# life in a safe enironment"*
7ut according to the !nited Nations Statistics &iision,
There is no esta$lished conention for the designation of *deeloped* and *deeloping* countries or areas
in the !nited Nations s#stem"
And it notes that The designations *deeloped* and *deeloping* are intended for statistical conenience
and do not necessaril# e)press a Eudgment a$out the stage reached $# a particular countr# or area in the
deelopment process"
The !N also notes= 4n common practice, Aapan in Asia, Canada and the !nited States in northern
America, Australia and New Fealand in Oceania, and Western 3urope, are considered *deeloped*
regions or areas" 4n international trade statistics, the Southern African Customs !nion is also treated as a
deeloped region and 4srael as a deeloped countr#G countries emerging from the former Hugoslaia are
treated as deeloping countriesG and countries of eastern 3urope and of the Commonwealth of
4ndependent States (code -:() in 3urope are not included under either deeloped or deeloping regions"
On the other hand, according to the classification from 4nternational Bonetar# Fund (4BF) $efore April
(22., all the countries of 3astern 3urope (including Central 3uropean countries which still $elongs to
*3astern 3urope >roup* in the !N institutions) as well as the former Soiet !nion (!SS@) countries in
Central Asia (Da%a1hstan, !%$e1istan, D#rg#%stan, TaEi1istan and Tur1menistan) and Bongolia, were not
included under either deeloped or deeloping regions, $ut rather were referred to as *countries in
transition*G howeer the# are now widel# regarded (in the international reports) as *deeloping
countries*"
The 4BF uses a fle)i$le classification s#stem that considers *(-) per capita income leel, (() e)port
diersificationIso oil e)porters that hae high per capita >&6 would not ma1e the adanced
classification $ecause around :2J of its e)ports are oil, and (') degree of integration into the glo$al
financial s#stem"*
The World 7an1 classifies countries into four income groups" These are set each #ear on Aul# -"
3conomies were diided according to (225 >N4 per capita using the following ranges of income=
+ow income countries had >N4 per capita of !S?-220 or less"
+ower middle income countries had >N4 per capita $etween !S?-229 and !S?',/:0"
!pper middle income countries had >N4 per capita $etween !S?',/:9 and !S?-(,(:0"
8igh income countries had >N4 a$oe !S?-(,(:9"
The World 7an1 classifies all low- and middle-income countries as deeloping $ut notes, *The use of the
term is conenientG it is not intended to impl# that all economies in the group are e)periencing similar
deelopment or that other economies hae reached a preferred or final stage of deelopment"
Classification $# income does not necessaril# reflect deelopment status
Developed country
A developed country is a countr# that has a high leel of deelopment according to some criteria" Which
criteria, and which countries are classified as $eing deeloped, is a contentious issue"
Terms similar to deeloped countr# include *adanced countr#*, *industriali%ed countr#*, *,more
deeloped countr#* (B&C), more economically developed country" (MEDC), "lo!al "orth
country", "#irst $orld country", and "post-industrial country" The term industriali%ed countr# ma#
$e somewhat am$iguous, as industriali%ation is an ongoing process that is hard to define" The term
B3&C is one used $# modern geographers to specificall# descri$e the status of the countries referred to=
more economicall# deeloped" The first industriali%ed countr# was the !nited Dingdom, followed $#
7elgium, >erman#, !nited States, France and other Western 3uropean countries" According to some
economists such as Aeffre# Sachs, howeer, the current diide $etween the deeloped and deeloping
world is largel# a phenomenon of the (2th centur#"
3conomic criteria hae tended to dominate discussions" One such criterion is income per capitaG countries
with high gross domestic product (>&6) per capita would thus $e descri$ed as deeloped countries"
Another economic criterion is industriali%ationG countries in which the tertiar# and Cuaternar# sectors of
industr# dominate would thus $e descri$ed as deeloped" Bore recentl# another measure, the 8uman
&eelopment 4nde) (8&4), which com$ines an economic measure, national income, with other measures,
indices for life e)pectanc# and education has $ecome prominent" This criterion would define deeloped
countries as those with a er# high (8&4) rating" 8oweer, man# anomalies e)ist when determining
*deeloped* status $# whicheer measure is used"
Dofi Annan, former Secretar# >eneral of the !nited Nations, defined a deeloped countr# as follows= *A
deeloped countr# is one that allows all its citi%ens to enEo# a free and health# life in a safe enironment"*
7ut according to the !nited Nations Statistics &iision,
There is no esta$lished conention for the designation of *deeloped* and *deeloping* countries or areas
in the !nited Nations s#stem"
And it notes that The designations *deeloped* and *deeloping* are intended for statistical conenience
and do not necessaril# e)press a Eudgement a$out the stage reached $# a particular countr# or area in the
deelopment process"
The !N also notes *4n common practice, Aapan in Asia, Canada and the !nited States in northern
America, Australia and New Fealand in Oceania, and 3urope are considered *deeloped* regions or
areas" 4n international trade statistics, the Southern African Customs !nion is also treated as a deeloped
region and 4srael as a deeloped countr#G countries emerging from the former Hugoslaia are treated as
deeloping countriesG and countries of eastern 3urope and of the Commonwealth of 4ndependent States
(code -:() in 3urope are not included under either deeloped or deeloping regions"*
Concept o# Development
The deelopment of a countr# is measured with statistical inde)es such as income per capita (per person)
(gross domestic product), life e)pectanc#, the rate of literac#, et cetera" The !N has deeloped the 8uman
&eelopment 4nde) (8&4), a compound indicator of the a$oe statistics, to gauge the leel of human
deelopment for countries where data is aaila$le"
&eeloping countries are in general countries which hae not achieed a significant degree of
industriali%ation relatie to their populations, and which hae, in most cases a medium to low standard of
liing" There is a strong correlation $etween low income and high population growth"
The terms utili%ed when discussing deeloping countries refer to the intent and to the constructs of those
who utili%e these terms" Other terms sometimes used are less deeloped countries (+&Cs), least
economicall# deeloped countries (+3&Cs), *underdeeloped nations* or Third World nations, and *non-
industriali%ed nations*" Conersel#, deeloped countries, most economicall# deeloped countries
(B3&Cs), First World nations and *industriali%ed nations* are the opposite end of the spectrum"
To moderate the euphemistic aspect of the word deeloping, international organi%ations hae started to
use the term +ess economicall# deeloped countr# (+3&Cs) for the poorest nations which can in no sense
$e regarded as deeloping" That is, +3&Cs are the poorest su$set of +&Cs" This ma# moderate against a
$elief that the standard of liing across the entire deeloping world is the same"
The concept of the deeloping nation is found, under one term or another, in numerous theoretical
s#stems haing dierse orientations I for e)ample, theories of decoloni%ation, li$eration theolog#,
Bar)ism, anti-imperialism, and political econom#"
%uman Development &nde'
The !N 8&4 is a statistical measure that gauges a countr#,s leel of human deelopment" While there is a
strong correlation $etween haing a high 8&4 score and a prosperous econom#, the !N points out that the
8&4 accounts for more than income or productiit#" !nli1e >&6 per capita or per capita income, the 8&4
ta1es into account how income is turned *into education and health opportunities and therefore into higher
leels of human deelopment"*
(an)
Country
%D&
Estimates #or *+,, Change Estimates #or *+,, Change
- Norwa# 2"/.' 2"22(
( Australia 2"/(/ 2"22(
' Netherlands 2"/-2 2"22-
. !nited States 2"/-2 2"22(
0 New Fealand 2"/25
9 Canada 2"/25 2"22-
: 4reland 2"/25 2"22-
5 +iechtenstein 2"/20 2"22-
/ >erman# 2"/20 2"22(
-2 Sweden 2"/2. 2"22'