global inequalities the north-south gap classifying countries our constantly changing world
TRANSCRIPT
One result of the Global Village has been the increasing gap between rich and poor
Both on a local and global scale
Wealthy countries are concentrated in one part of the world, while poor countries seem to be concentrated in another – WHY IS THIS SO?
Some of the poorest countries have not been able to take advantage of new communications technologies to be competitive
According the UN Human Development Report (1996):
The richest 20% of countries controlled 70% of the global income
By 1993, they controlled 85% The shift towards a global world
economy threatens to widen this gap
The North-South Gap
The 20% that owns almost 85% of the world’s wealth live almost entirely in the northern hemisphere.
The poorest 20% are located in the southern hemisphere
North-South Gap (cont’d)
The discrepancy (difference) between rich and poor countries is called the North- South Gap
The Northern countries have the greatest wealth, highest standard of living, and the greatest industrial development – but the lowest population
The southern countries have the bulk of the world’s population, but less of the wealth, low standard of living, and far less industrial development
Classifying Countries
Countries are classified in terms of: social, economic, and political structures
The older system used the terms: first (U.S., Canada, U.K.), second (China, Russia), third, fourth and even fifth (Afghanistan, Ethiopia) world countries
Classifying Countries (cont’d) The current system uses the following terms: 1. more developed countries (MDCs) richest of industrialized nations, high quality of
life, good health care, highly educated population2. less developed countries (LDCs) Little industrial development, little wealth, high
population growth3. least developed countries (LLDCs) Includes 36 extremely poor countries, low
income, low literacy rates, and little industry
Our Constantly Changing world
The most notable change in our world today is the increase in population
Population changes exponentially This constant change strains the global
resources base People need food, shelter, clothing, and land This rapid increase results in environmental
degradation and damage – examples?
Definitions to Know
GNP/GDP- $ a country makes PQLI- Personal Quality of Life (Index) Life Expectancy- how long you are expected to
live Birth Rate- how many babies born in a year Death Rate- how many people die that year Infant Mortality Rate- rate babies that die in the
first year Literacy Rate- how many people can read