Our modern world is amazingly diverse. It contains rich and poor, developed and developing countries. How are they different from each other? And which states can be classified as economically developed? Read about this in our article.

Developed and developing countries: the problem of identification

At the very beginning, it should be noted that the UN does not provide clear criteria by which a country can be classified as one or another type. Thus, developed countries (English version of the term: developed countries) are designated as states that currently occupy a leading position in the world economy.

Developing countries are states with low standards of living, lack of free market mechanisms, oligarchic governments, etc. It is interesting that in the modern world there are also countries that do not develop at all. For these states, the UN came up with another class: “least developed states.” The latter include Niger, Somalia, Chad, Bangladesh and a number of other countries in Africa and Asia.

Such countries of the planet as Japan, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, as well as a number of European countries are usually classified as economically developed countries of the world. But the countries of the former USSR are not included at all in any of the above groups, which indicates a certain subjectivity and imperfection of this political-economic classification.

Economically developed countries: the essence of the concept and criteria for selection

Economically developed countries mean countries with a market economy and the highest standard of living for their citizens. There are criteria according to which economists identify developed countries. These include the following:

• market model of the economy;
• high GDP per capita (over $12,000 per year);
• high social standards;
• the predominance of service sector enterprises in the structure of the economy;
• openness and transparency of government;
• active development of science and education;
• technological effectiveness and high productivity of agriculture.

Today, economically developed countries are the main bearers of the world's scientific and technical potential. In many ways, this feature is the main factor in the competitiveness of their economies.

Geography of developed countries

Developed countries today account for about 75% of the world's gross product. At the same time, only 15% of the population of planet Earth lives in these states. It is between developed countries that the bulk of international capital and brains moves.

According to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) classification, 34 modern states are classified as economically developed countries. These are the USA, Canada, all eurozone countries, some East Asian countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The map below gives a general idea of ​​their planetary geography (all developed countries of the world are marked in blue).

The group of developed countries also includes the “seven” most developed countries. These include the USA, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain and Italy.

Industrial states of the planet

Industrial or industrialized countries are a group of states whose economies are based on industry. In English-language literature the term is found: industrial countries.

If an industrial product occupies more than 50% of a country’s GDP and exports, then it is usually classified as a group of industrialized countries. The list of these countries is determined by the IMF. Moreover, it is regularly changed and adjusted.

In addition to industrial ones, the world also distinguishes agrarian countries (whose economies are based primarily on agriculture), as well as agrarian-industrial countries.

Examples of developed countries: Japan

The Japanese economy is one of the most developed in the world. In terms of GDP, Japan ranks third on the planet. High technology is highly developed here, Japanese cars and ships are valued all over the world. The Japanese transport system is known for its high-speed and modernized railways and highways.

The Japanese economic model is quite unusual. It provides for the unity of big capital and state power in solving the country's pressing problems. The government, together with the largest Japanese concerns, clearly coordinate their actions.

Agriculture in Japan manages not only to meet its enormous domestic needs, but also exports about half of all food produced in the country abroad. The basis of the agricultural complex here are small farms and farms.

USA: historical aspects of the state economy

The current successes of the American economy are a consequence of several factors. Which ones?

First of all, this country has at its free disposal vast and sparsely populated spaces with rich natural resource potential. On its basis, both industry and agriculture developed effectively. Another important point: in the United States there have never been so-called pre-capitalist relations, the “traces” of which would have put a spoke in the wheels of the country’s development.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, a huge number of “brains” – highly qualified, active and promising personnel – moved to the United States. All of them found application in a prosperous overseas country, thereby laying a powerful foundation for the development of American science, higher education and technology.

Rapid population growth in the United States has stimulated the development of the service sector. The country's economy became consumer-oriented: already in 1915, the millionth passenger car was produced in the United States. It should be noted that none of the World Wars caused any damage to the US economy and infrastructure (unlike the countries of Europe, Russia or Japan, which took a long time to recover from the hardships of the war).

The role of the state in the modern American economy remains high. It completely controls the activities of individual sectors of the national economy. First of all, we are talking about the military sector, the nuclear industry and some other areas.

Is Russia a developing or developed country?

Is Russia a developed country or not? The International Monetary Fund's answer to this question is clear: no. Although Russia is not on the list of developing countries. But the Russian Federation can safely be considered among the industrialized countries.

The economy of the Russian Federation is the fifth largest on the planet in terms of total GDP. Its share in the world economy is about 3-3.5%. The leading industries in the structure of the Russian national economy are mining, construction, manufacturing, and electric power.

The country exports mainly oil, natural gas, petroleum products, non-ferrous metals, timber, as well as various military equipment. Among the main import items, it is worth highlighting rolled steel, cars, instruments and equipment, pharmaceuticals and others. Russia's main foreign trade partners: China, Germany, Belarus, Poland, Kazakhstan, France and Italy.

Finally…

Developed countries are states that occupy a leading place in the modern world economy and politics. All of them are distinguished by common features: high living standards, openness of power, rapid development of science, active introduction of high technologies into production, agriculture and other spheres of people’s lives and activities.

According to the IMF classification, there are 34 developed countries in the modern world. Almost all of them are located in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly within Europe.

Foreign Asia is a region that leads the world not only in area, but also in population. Moreover, he has held this championship for more than one millennium. The countries of foreign Asia, despite their many differences, also have a number of common features. They will be discussed in this article.

General characteristics of foreign Asian countries

Foreign Asia is the cradle of many civilizations and the birthplace of agriculture. The world's first cities were built here and a number of great scientific discoveries were made.

All countries of foreign Asia (and there are 48 of them in total) occupy an area of ​​32 million square kilometers. Large states predominate among them. There are also giant countries, the area of ​​each of which exceeds 3 million km2 (India, China).

Experts classify most states in this region as developing. Only four countries out of 48 can be called economically developed. These are Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Israel.

There are 13 monarchies on the political map of foreign Asia (and half of them are located in the Middle East). The remaining countries in the region are republics.

According to the characteristics of their geographical location, all countries of foreign Asia are divided into:

• island (Japan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, etc.);
• coastal (India, South Korea, Israel, etc.);
• inland (Nepal, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, etc.).

It is obvious that countries from the latter group are experiencing great difficulties in terms of introducing their goods to world markets.

Regions and countries of foreign Asia

Geographers divide overseas Asia into five subregions:

• South-West Asia - includes all countries on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula, the Transcaucasian republics, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran and Afghanistan (20 states in total);
• South Asia - includes 7 states, the largest of which are India and Pakistan;
• Southeast Asia is made up of 11 countries, ten of which are developing (all except Singapore);
• East Asia - includes only five powers (China, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea);
• Central Asia consists of five post-Soviet republics (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan).

How do the countries of foreign Asia border? The map below will help you navigate this issue.

Population and natural resources

This region, due to its tectonic structure, is distinguished by its enormous diversity. Thus, India and China can boast of significant reserves of coal, iron and iron. However, the most important wealth here is black gold. The largest oil fields are concentrated in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Kuwait.

As for the conditions for the development of agriculture, in this regard, some states are more fortunate, others much less fortunate. Many of the countries in South and Southeast Asia have excellent conditions. But states such as Syria or Mongolia are an almost continuous lifeless desert, where only certain branches of livestock farming can be developed.

According to various estimates, from 3.5 to 3.8 billion people live within the region. This is more than half of the entire population of the Earth. Almost all countries of Foreign Asia are characterized by high birth rates (the so-called second type of reproduction). Many countries in the region are experiencing today, which entails food and other problems.

The ethnic structure of the population in this region is also very complex. At least a thousand different nationalities live here, the most numerous of which are the Chinese, Japanese and Bengalis. In terms of linguistic diversity, this region also has no equal on the entire planet.

Most of the population of foreign Asia (about 66%) lives in rural areas. Nevertheless, the pace and nature of urbanization processes in this region are so great that the situation has already begun to be called an “urban explosion.”

Foreign Asia: economic features

What is the role of modern countries in the region in the global economy? All states of foreign Asia can be collected into several groups. There are so-called ones (Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and others) who, in a short period of time, were able to rebuild their national economy and achieve certain successes in development. A separate group in the region are oil-producing countries (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, etc.), whose economies are completely based on this natural wealth.

Japan (the most developed country in Asia), China and India cannot be classified into any of these categories. All other states remain underdeveloped, and in some of them there is no industry at all.

Conclusion

Foreign Asia is the largest historical and geographical region of the planet, within which more than one civilization arose. Today there are 48 independent states. They differ in size, population, and government structure, but they also have several common features.

Most of the countries of Foreign Asia are developing countries with rather backward economies. Only four of them can be classified as economically developed powers.

The UN currently classifies approximately 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, Australia and Oceania as economically developed countries. All of them are distinguished by a higher level of economic and social development and, accordingly, gross domestic product per capita. However, this group of countries is characterized by quite significant internal heterogeneity and four subgroups can be distinguished within its composition.

The first of them is formed by the “Big Seven Western countries”, which includes the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Canada. These are the leading countries of the Western world, distinguished by the largest scale of economic and political activity.

The G7 countries account for about 50% of the world's gross national product and industrial production, and over 25% of agricultural production. Their per capita GDP ranges from 20 to 30 thousand dollars.

The second subgroup includes the smaller countries of Western Europe. Although the political and economic power of each of them is not so great, as a whole they play a large, ever-increasing role in world affairs. Most of them have the same GDP per capita as the G7 countries.

The third subgroup is formed by non-European countries - Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of South Africa (SA). These are former settler colonies of Great Britain, which actually did not know feudalism, and even today they are distinguished by some originality of political and economic development. Israel is usually included in this group.

The fourth subgroup is still in its formation stage. It was formed in 1997, after such countries and territories of Asia as the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were transferred to the category of economically developed ones. These states have come very close to other economically developed countries in terms of GDP per capita. They have a broad and diverse economic structure, including a rapidly growing service sector, and actively participate in global trade.

Developing countries include about 150 countries and territories, which together occupy more than half of the earth's land area and concentrate about 3/5 of the world's population. On the political map of the world, these countries cover a vast belt stretching across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania north and especially south of the equator. Some of them (Iran, Thailand, Ethiopia, Egypt, Latin American countries and others) had independence long before the Second World War. But the majority won it in the post-war period.

The world of developing countries (when there was a division into the world socialist and capitalist systems, it was usually called the “third world”) is internally very heterogeneous, and this complicates the typology of the countries included in it. However, at least as a first approximation, developing countries can be divided into the following six subgroups.

The first of them is formed by the so-called key countries - India, Brazil and Mexico, which have very large natural, human and economic potential and in many respects are leaders of the developing world.

These three countries produce almost as much industrial output as all other developing countries combined. But their per capita GDP is significantly lower than in economically developed countries, and in India, for example, it is $350.

The second group includes some developing countries that have also achieved a relatively high level of socio-economic development and have a per capita GDP indicator exceeding 1 thousand dollars. Most of these countries are in Latin America (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, etc.), but they are also in Asia and North Africa.

The third subgroup includes the so-called newly industrialized countries. In the 80s and 90s. they achieved such a leap in their development that they received the nickname “Asian tigers” or “Asian dragons”. The “first echelon” or “first wave” of such countries included the already mentioned Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. And the “second echelon” usually includes Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. World economy. Bulatov A.S. - M.: BEK, 2010

The fourth subgroup is formed by oil-exporting countries, in which, thanks to the influx of “petrodollars,” per capita GDP reaches 10, or even 20 thousand dollars. These are, first of all, the countries of the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iran), also Libya, Brunei and some other countries.

The fifth and largest subgroup includes most of the “classical” developing countries. These are countries lagging behind in their development, with a per capita GDP of less than 1 thousand dollars per year. They are dominated by a rather backward mixed economy with strong feudal remnants. Most of these countries are in Africa, but they also exist in Asia and Latin America.

The sixth subgroup consists of approximately 48 countries (with a total population of more than 600 million people), which, according to the UN classification, belong to the least developed countries (sometimes called the “fourth world”). They are dominated by consumer agriculture, there is almost no manufacturing industry, 2/3 of the adult population is illiterate, and the average per capita GDP is only $100-300 per year. Even among them, the last place is occupied by Mozambique with a per capita GDP of $80 per year (or a little more than 20 cents per day) (see Table 1).

Table 1

Least developed countries of the world

		Latin America
Afghanistan					Tanzania
Bangladesh	Kiribati	Botswana	Mauritania
	Zap. Samoa	Burkina Faso
		Mozambique
Maldives			Eq. Guinea
	Guinea-Bissau
		Sao Tome and Principe	Sierra Leone
Cape Verde

Inclusion of post-socialist countries with transition economies into this two-part typology presents certain difficulties. In terms of their socio-economic indicators, most countries of Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc.), as well as the Baltic countries, certainly belong to the economically developed ones. Among the CIS countries there are both economically developed (Russia, which together with the leading Western countries forms the “Big Eight” countries of the world, Ukraine, etc.), and countries that occupy an intermediate position between developed and developing.

States that have received the status of “least developed” receive special attention from the world community. They are given certain advantages - preferential conditions for receiving financial assistance for development needs, preferential access to markets, technical assistance under UN programs, as well as a number of other benefits. UNCTAD operates a special program for LDCs and publishes an annual report on the economic situation of this group of countries. In the WTO, the least developed countries enjoy a number of benefits and advantages, in particular, they are given longer terms for the implementation of certain WTO agreements.

The category of “least developed countries” is allocated by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and is reviewed every three years. In 1971 there were 24 of them, by 1992 their number increased to 41, and by 2007 to 50; in 2011, 48 states were included in the LDC category. http://www.un.org/ru/development/ldc/

Despite a slight increase in real GDP growth in 2010, the group as a whole posted lower growth in 2011, a sign of difficulties ahead. Indeed, while everyone's attention is focused on Europe, there is a danger that the international community will lose sight of the fact that in recent years, LDCs have been hit hardest by financial crises caused by other countries. As less diversified economies, LDCs do not have the reserves or resources needed to cushion their economies and easily adapt to negative shocks. Moreover, if the next global slowdown undermines the growth prospects of emerging markets, LDCs, as large commodity exporters, will be most directly affected. LDCs therefore need increased external assistance to improve the resilience of their economies to external shocks and help them cope with instability.

The diversity of countries in the modern world.

Number and grouping of countries.
The total number of countries is constantly increasing. Thus, if in 1900 there were only 57 sovereign states in the world, and before the Second World War - 71, then by 2002 there were already 192. The rest falls on the so-called non-self-governing territories - mainly “fragments” of the former colonial empires of Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, USA.
Most common grouping of countries by the size of their territory and population.

Typology of countries:
1) economically developed
2) developing
3) countries with economies in transition

Economically developed countries.
The UN currently classifies approximately 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, Australia and Oceania as economically developed countries. All of them are distinguished by a high level of economic development and, accordingly, GDP per capita. All these countries can be divided into 4 groups.

The first of them is " big seven"Western countries: USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Canada.

The second group consists of smaller countries in Western Europe.

The third group is formed non-European countries- Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (RSA)

The fourth subgroup is still in its formation stage. It was formed in 1997 after such Asian countries and territories as the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were transferred to the category of economically developed ones.

Developing countries.
These include about 150 countries and territories. They are divided into 6 subgroups.

The first is formed by the so-called key countries- India, Brazil, Mexico, and also China. They have great natural, human and economic potential.

The second subgroup includes some developing countries that have also reached a relatively high level of social and economic development and have a per capita GDP indicator exceeding 1-2, and sometimes even 5 thousand dollars. Most of these countries are in Latin America (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, etc.), but they are also in Asia and North Africa.

The third subgroup includes new industrial countries. This includes countries that in the 80s and 90s, thanks to a huge leap in their development, received the name " Asian Tigers": Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

The fourth is formed oil exporting countries, in which, thanks to the influx of “petrodollars,” per capita GDP reaches 6-10, or even 20 thousand dollars. These are primarily the Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates), as well as Libya and Brunei.

The fifth, largest subgroup includes most of the “classical” developing countries. The GDP in these countries is less than 1 thousand dollars. Most of these countries are in Africa, but they are also in Asia and Latin America.

The sixth subgroup is formed by about 50 countries that, according to the UN classification, belong to the least developed countries ("Fourth World"). GDP ranges from $50 to $300 per year. In Asia, this group includes Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Yemen, in Africa - Mali, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique, in Latin America - Haiti.

Countries with economies in transition. Including post-socialist countries with transition economies into this two-part typology presents certain difficulties, because among the countries of Central-Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries there are economically developed ones. The CIS countries are also divided into developed and countries that occupy an intermediate position between developed and developing.
Recently, China, developing at a very high pace, has become a truly great power both in world politics and in the world economy. But the per capita GDP in this country is only $850.

The period after the Second World War.
After the Second World War, such important processes as the formation of a number of socialist states, the collapse of the colonial system and the emergence of dozens of liberated countries, and the growth of the non-aligned movement were reflected on the political map of the world. The emergence of military-political alliances due to the Cold War. The two most important were: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and Warsaw Pact Organization (Warsaw Pact Organization). Regional conflicts also arose.
nuclear mushroomVNagasaki August 9, 1945

The modern stage of international relations.
The political map of the world reflects such important processes and phenomena as the unification of Germany, the formation of the CIS, the beginning of real disarmament, the dissolution of the Internal Affairs Directorate, and the proclamation by NATO countries of the Partnership for Peace program, in which Russia also participates. In 2002, its new relations with NATO were formalized; relations with the United States also became largely partnerships, which had a positive impact on the entire world situation.
But there are also issues of international relations that are still waiting to be resolved.
International terrorism, the outbreak of numerous regional and local conflicts, the fight for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Forms of government: republican and monarchical.
Republican - a form of government in which the highest legislative power belongs to the elected representative body - the parliament, and the executive power - to the government. The birthplace of the republican system is Europe.
Monarchy - a form of government in which the head of the state is considered to be an emperor, king, duke, prince, sultan, etc. This supreme power is inherited. Among them prevail constitutional monarchies, where the real legislative power belongs to parliament, and the executive power to the government, while the monarch himself, one might say, “reigns, but does not rule.” The monarchical system is preserved in them as a kind of tradition, reminiscent of the former greatness of the “crown”.
There is also a rare type of absolute monarchy. Theocratic monarchy. In it, the monarch is both a secular sovereign and the main church. An example of such a monarchy is the Vatican City State in Rome, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Sultanate of Brunei in Southeast Asia.

Forms of administrative-territorial structure: unitary and federal.
Unitary state (from Latin unitas - unity) has a form of administrative-territorial structure in which there is a single legislative and executive power in the country.
Federal state (from Latin foederatio - union, association) has a form of administrative-territorial structure in which, along with unified (federal) laws and authorities, there are separate self-governing territorial units (republics, provinces, lands, states, etc.) that have their own legislative, executive and judicial authorities.

Political geography - a scientific discipline that studies the formation of the political map of the world, geopolitical structures, the location and territorial combinations of political forces, their relationship with the spatial organization of political life within the planet, its large regions, and individual countries.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Information about the metropolis

Megapolis- connection of at least two agglomerations.

Urban agglomeration (from Latin agglomero - I add)- a compact cluster of settlements, mainly urban, merging in places, united into a complex multi-component dynamic system with intensive production, transport and cultural connections.
There are monocentric (formed around one large core city, for example, the Moscow agglomeration) and polycentric agglomerations (having several core cities, for example, clusters of cities in the Ruhr Basin of Germany).

There are many megacities in the world: Chicago, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, London, Sydney, etc.

Let's take a closer look at Paris.

The city was founded in the middle of the 3rd century BC. e. from the Celtic settlement of Lutetia of the Parisian tribe on the site of the modern island of Cité. The modern name of the city comes from the name of this tribe. The first written mention of Lutetia is found in the 6th book of Julius Caesar about the war with Gaul in 53 BC. e. At the moment, Paris is a magnificent city, which is the capital of France.

The population in 2009 was 2,203,817 people. Of these, about 310,000 are foreigners. Most of them are immigrants from Portugal, Algeria, Morocco and other countries in Europe and Africa.

Paris is the most important economic center of France. The bulk (85%) of jobs in Paris are in the service sector. The tourism business is developed: in 2007, Chinese tourists spent 79 million euros in Parisian tax-free shops, the Japanese - 87 million euros, Russians - 72 million euros, and Americans - 71 million euros. Most of the French banks, insurance companies and other financial enterprises are located in Paris. The main French telecommunications companies are also located mainly in Paris. Thanks to the concentration of French and international firms in the city, it contributes approximately a third of the country's GDP.

Paris is the largest transport hub. Historically, the country's main roads radiated radii from the capital, and to this day these radii are clearly visible on the driving map of France.

Paris has a huge number of attractions, which include not only architectural buildings, but also streets, bridges and squares. The three most famous Parisian landmarks are the ancient Notre Dame Cathedral, built on the Ile de la Cité back in the 12th century, and the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, both constructions from the 19th century. The openwork metal tower, designed by engineer Eiffel, was intended as a temporary structure to serve as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. But she not only survived the event itself, but has since become a true symbol of the city.

Triumphal Arch

Thus, Paris is the largest business center in the world, supported by its global economy, developed international tourism infrastructure and a large extensive transport network.

Metropolitan area of ​​Paris.

Geographer E.N. Pertsik predicts that by 2015, the world's 5 largest agglomerations will remain among the developed countries (Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Osaka and Paris). The Paris agglomeration will close this chain, pushing the London and Moscow agglomerations into the background. This will be primarily due to the slow growth of the cities themselves, changing demographic policies and the very high level of urbanization already achieved.