World of Regions

I. Global divides: The North and

the South
Prepared By: Mikael Dominik Rolando L. Abad
 The North-South Divide

• (Also known as Rich-Poor Divide) is the socio-economic and political division

that exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as
“the North,” and the poorer developing countries (least developed
countries), or “the South.”

• Although most nations comprising the “North” are in fact located in the
Northern Hemisphere, the divide is not primarily defined by geography.
 The North (First World Countries)
• The North of the Divide is comprised of countries which have developed
economies and account for over 90% of all manufacturing industries in the
world.

• Although these countries account for only one-quarter of the total global
population, they control 80% of the total income earned around the world.

• All the members of the G8 come from the North as well as four permanent
members of the UN Security Council.
 The North (First World Countries)

• About 95% of the population in countries in The North have enough basic
needs and have access to functioning education systems.

• Countries comprising the North include The United States, Canada, all
countries in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand as well as the
developed countries in Asia such as Japan and South Korea.
 The South (Third World Countries)
• The South is comprised of countries with developing economies which were
initially referred to as Third World countries during the Cold War.

• An important characteristic of countries in the South is the relatively low GDP

and the high population.

• The Third World accounts for only a fifth of the globally earned income but
accounts for over three-quarters of the global population.

• Another common characteristic of the countries in the South is the lack of

basic amenities. As little as 5% of the population is able to access basic needs
such as food and shelter.
 The South (Third World Countries)
• The economies of most countries in the South rely on imports from the
North and have low technological penetration.

• The countries making up the South are mainly drawn from Africa, South
America, and Asia with all African and South American countries being from
the South. The only Asian countries not from the South are Japan and South
Korea.
 Human Development Index (HDI)
• The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical tool used to
measure a country's overall achievement in its social and economic
dimensions. The social and economic dimensions of a country are based
on the health of people, their level of education attainment and their
standard of living.

• Every year the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranks

countries based on the HDI report released in their annual report. HDI is
one of the best tools to keep track of the level of development of a
country, as it combines all major social and economic indicators that are
responsible for economic development.
Study well!