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- Introduction
What we today call the "developing world" began as a Cold War concept. "Third World" indicated states that belonged neither to the advanced capitalist West ("First World"), nor to the communist bloc ("Second World"). That this political division was also an economic one, became clear in 1981 with the "Brandt Report." Prepared for the World Bank by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt, this document divided the globe into a wealthy North and an "underdeveloped" South. This info-graphic compares world regions by five social and economic indicators, and also highlights data for Cambodia, the location of this week's WIDE ANGLE program.
Sources: Atlas of World Development (1994); Third World Atlas (1994); World Development Indicators (2002)
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- Average Income
Gross National Income (GNI) is a frequent measure of national well-being. It is defined as the total output of a country's goods and services, measured at market prices for a calendar year. The World Bank has traditionally ranked countries by per capita GNI. By this measure, the developing nations occupy the lower two of four income categories. In its 2001 atlas, the World Bank defined these as "low" ($755 or less) or "lower middle" ($756-$2995). Developed countries fill the "upper-middle" ($2,996-to-$9,265) or "high-income" categories ($9,266 or more).
Source: World Development Indicators (2002)
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- Energy Use
As with land, so with energy. The most productive economies apply the most energy to land, resources and transportation. Directly related to energy use is pollution. With only five percent of the world's population, America produces nearly 40 percent of its greenhouse gases. Sustainable development requires both that the developed world use less non-renewable energy and that the developing world use more.
Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank, 2002)
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- Population
Global population has increased dramatically throughout the modern period. While it took all of human history up to 1800 to reach a population of 1 billion, this figure doubled in a mere 130 years, and doubled again 45 years later (1975). Now at more than 6 billion, the human population is increasing by another billion every 11 years. Much of this growth will take place in Asia and Africa, where populations are doubling every 20 or 30 years (compared to America's 40 to 100 years). One goal of development is to stabilize global population growth through improved education.
Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank, 2002)
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- Land Use
Critics of GNI as a measure of well-being point out that it does not reflect differences in health or environment. Among alternative measures, land use is important, since development implies the transformation of rural farming economies into urban ones based on service and manufacturing. For supporters of globalization, prosperity means putting maximum land to productive use. Critics point out that development, thus defined, endangers the world's remaining forests and wildlife. Sustainable development policies recognize the importance of balancing development and conservation.
Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank, 2002)
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- Infant Mortality
While the death rates of rich and poor countries are similar --around 10 people per 1000 per year -- the average ages of death diverge widely. Among the rich, two-thirds of all deaths strike those 65 or older, while 40 percent of deaths in poor countries strike children under 15. Causes of death are likewise telling. Circulatory diseases cause half of rich-world deaths, while infections and parasites kill the same proportion among the poor. Development may reduce child mortality rates if it results in improved agriculture and transportation, safe water supplies, public health education and improved access to doctors, drugs and treatments.
Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank, 2002)
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- This World
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- This World
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- This World
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- This World
