TO developing include countries that have lagged behind in socio-economic development.

Conditions for socio-economic development of developing countries:

Long-term colonial or semi-colonial dependence;

Social backwardness, the preservation of many feudal and semi-feudal remnants - society, as a rule, is divided into castes, the boundaries between which are difficult or insurmountable.

Features of socio-economic development of developing countries:

Incompleteness of market transformations - all the necessary market institutions have already been created, but their role in the national economy is still small, national capital is traditionally weak and, without outside help, can hardly withstand competition in the world market, the structure of the national economy is multi-structured;

Weakness state power- it retains control over a significant part of the property, often actively interferes in the activities of private business, but cannot create a competitive environment and protect the rights of the owner;

Significant wealth stratification of the population and the resulting tension in society;

Territorial disproportions in development - the proximity of highly developed and extremely backward areas.

As a result developing countries play a relatively small role in the world economy and international economic relations. Suffice it to note that, while concentrating about 80% of the world's population, they produce only 17% of the world's manufacturing output. Developing countries are traditionally grouped into 3 regions: Asia (with Oceania), Africa (both regions excluding developed countries) and Latin America. The most economically developed (and let us add, socially mature) region is Latin America, which produces approximately 1/2 industrial products developing countries. Back in the middle of the 20th century. Asia (with Oceania) was significantly (almost 2 times) inferior to it. However, by the end of the 20th century. Thanks to the rapid economic development of many Asian countries, these regions have become equal. Africa continues to remain the most backward region of both the developing world and the whole world.

Of course, developing countries are also heterogeneous. They can be roughly divided into seven groups.

Group I. The leading place is occupied by the so-called key countries of great potential. This group includes only four countries: two “giants of the East” (China and India) and two “leaders of Latin America” (Brazil and Mexico). Their total economic potential is equal to the total economic potential of all other developing countries. These countries have enormous natural and labor resources, and the active implementation of economic reforms (in China since 1978, in Mexico since 1985, and in Brazil and India since 1994) has significantly strengthened their role in the world economy. In China and India, the role of the state has traditionally been great; it was with its assistance that large-scale programs for the development of science and technology began to be implemented in these countries. China has long possessed nuclear weapons; in 2003 (the third in the world after the USSR and the USA) it launched a manned spacecraft. India has one of the most modern atomic programs in the world, created the largest atomic center in Asia (in Trombay), tested 5 nuclear warheads in 1998, one of which was thermonuclear, and ranked second in the world in terms of the number of highly qualified programmers (after USA), launches satellites from its own spaceport in Sriharikota. Brazil and Mexico are also experiencing rapid progress in science and technology. However, it is associated primarily with the activities of transnational corporations. While Brazil has been implementing an import-substituting development model with great success and is establishing itself in the Latin American market, Mexico, using its territorial proximity to the United States, has focused on the development of export-oriented industries and largely serves the domestic market of its northern neighbor.

Group II. A special group is formed by the so-called newly industrialized countries (“Asian tigers” of the “second wave”): Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Until recently, these countries were backward, but in a relatively short time they managed to turn into large producers and exporters of manufacturing products. The impetus for their economic growth was the creation of free (or special) economic zones in order to attract foreign capital and new technologies. Within the framework of free economic zones, the light and food industries developed at the first stage. At the second stage, mechanical engineering (production of component parts, assembly of consumer electronics, communications equipment and automobiles) and chemical industry (production of modern polymer materials and products made from them) were added to them. Of course, all this would be unattainable without the relatively high qualifications and exceptional discipline of local labor resources. Free economic zones are finite, even if there are several of them and, growing and merging, they form entire “development strips” and occupy a relatively small area, while the remaining regions of the country lag significantly behind in development.

III group. Among developing countries, a group of financially surplus oil and natural gas exporting countries stands out. These are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Brunei and Libya. All of them are rich in oil and (or) natural gas and receive excess income from their sale on the world market. By gross production internal product(GDP) per capita, many of them are among the world leaders. However, the possession of excess financial resources does not guarantee a high level of economic development. This is due to the extremely low qualifications of local personnel and the preservation of feudal and even slaveholding remnants. These countries tend to be absolute monarchies (or dictatorial regimes), which leads to a disproportionate distribution of income (resource rent). The state religion here is Islam, so the main regulator of social relations is often not secular laws, but Sharia laws. Of course, these countries are trying to develop other industries - for example, large petrochemical complexes have emerged in most countries, an aluminum smelter operates in the UAE, Kuwait has become a major producer of tomatoes and orchids, and Saudi Arabia is completely self-sufficient in wheat. However, all these industries are “built” on oil and do not provide the required level of production efficiency. An acute and still unresolved problem remains dependence on the purchase of modern equipment, most types of goods, and the influx of foreign labor (in some countries it is 80 - 90%). The most effective way to use a large amount of “free” funds was to invest them in foreign commercial banks, in securities of the largest companies and create a modern higher education system (with the involvement of foreign specialists).

IV, V groups. Small countries form two groups with similar development models: dependent plantation economy and concession development. With the help of transnational corporations, they intensively use one type (rarely several types) of natural resources. Wide supplies of one or two types of products to the world market ensure a relatively high level of income for the population.

The first group includes the countries of Central America and Sri Lanka. They have unique agroclimatic resources suitable for the production of various types of agricultural products. As a result, Central American countries are major suppliers to the world market (but especially the US) of bananas, coffee, cotton, raw sugar, vegetables, flowers and beef, and Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea. The second group includes Gabon, Botswana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and Papua New Guinea. These countries specialize in the extraction and primary processing of one or two types of minerals. Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname are major exporters of bauxite and alumina, Trinidad and Tobago - oil and petroleum products, Gabon - oil and manganese ore concentrate, Botswana - diamonds, Papua New Guinea - copper ore concentrate.

Concession (from Latin concessio - permission, assignment) is an agreement on the transfer into operation for a certain period of natural resources, enterprises and other economic objects owned by the state. In this case, we are talking about concessions granted to transnational corporations to engage in the exploitation of various types of natural resources.

VI group. Small apartment-leasing countries occupy a very significant place in the world economy. This group includes Cyprus, Bahrain, Cape Verde, Liberia, Djibouti, Bermuda (British), Cayman Islands (British), Bahamas, Virgin Islands (US and British), St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Antilles (Nid.), Aruba (Nid.), Panama and Vanuatu. These countries have almost no resources, but have an extremely advantageous economic and geographical position, which allowed them to take the path of creating a “tax paradise” (offshore) regime for foreign capital on the demolished territory. Most of the world's largest banks have opened their branches here. The resulting influx of capital often exceeds tens of billions of dollars per year. Many of these countries have taken on the functions of servicing global transport and communications (especially maritime and air transport), intensively developing the tourism business, and some of them have a powerful manufacturing industry (as a rule, partial processing of imported raw materials in order to supply products to neighboring countries) . For example, there is a large aluminum smelter in Bahrain, one of the world's largest oil refineries and alumina plants in the Virgin Islands (USA), a computer board plant in Barbados (until recently), and the largest ship repair docks in the Western Hemisphere in the Antilles and Aruba. .

VII group. This group consists of the poorest countries in the world. There are about 50 of them in the world, of which over 30 are located in Africa (the vast majority of the countries of Tropical Africa), several in Asia (Yemen, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia and Mongolia) and Oceania ( Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu), only one - in Latin America (Haiti). The internal political situation in these countries, as a rule, is extremely unstable - civil wars have not subsided here for many years, and military coups often occur. Foreign companies do not risk investing here, and financial assistance loses its effectiveness in conditions of high corruption of the local ruling elite and bureaucrats.

A number of countries that are currently considered developing countries are rapidly increasing their economic potential, so in the near future they may be classified as developed countries. These are the so-called “threshold countries”: Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Until the beginning of the 90s. XX century All countries of the world were divided into three types: socialist, developed capitalist and developing. After the actual collapse of the world socialist system, this typology was replaced by others. One of them, also three-membered, divides all countries of the world into economically developed, developing and countries with economies in transition, i.e. making the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. A two-member typology is widely used, dividing all countries into economically developed And developing. The main criterion for this typology is the level of socio-economic development of the state, expressed through the GDP per capita indicator.

Of greatest importance in studying the world economy and its geography is a typology that takes into account the level and nature of the country’s socio-economic development. Level of socio-economic development is determined by a number of indicators, including:

The size of the gross domestic product (GDP) or gross national product (GNP);

GDP per capita;

Share of agricultural, industrial and service sector products in GDP;

Volume of industrial production;

Investments in fixed capital;

- consumer prices;

Share of people employed in certain sectors of the economy;

Structure foreign trade;

Literacy level of the population;

Length and quality of life;

Gold and foreign exchange reserves of the country, etc.

Based on GDP (or GNP) per capita, all countries are usually divided into three groups (types):

1. Economically the developed countries(developed countries), whose GDP per capita is 4 thousand dollars. and higher.

2. Less developed countries (according to UN terminology, developing countries, or emerging economies).

3. Post-socialist and socialist countries, also called countries with reformed, or transition, economies (esopopies t g.gazn:yup).

Each of the three groups is in turn divided into subgroups. In textbooks and manuals on economic geography, the group of countries with transition economies is often included in the group of economically developed countries as a subgroup. In this case, the typology of countries looks like this.

Group 1 - economically developed countries, includes about 60 countries of the world, including post-socialist countries and the CIS countries formed after the collapse of the USSR. It includes four subgroups.

1. “Big Seven”: USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada. These are the leading countries of the Western world, distinguished by the largest scale of economic and political activity. The G7 accounts for more than 2/5 of world GDP (25 trillion dollars in 2006), and per capita GDP ranges from 28 thousand dollars. and higher.

2. Smaller countries of Western Europe (conventionally also called small countries of Western Europe): the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg and some others. The political role and economic power of each of the listed countries is not as great as that of large countries, but overall they play a significant role in the global economy. The national economy of each of them is characterized by high international specialization, and GDP per capita is in some cases even higher than that of the G7 countries.

3. Countries of “settler capitalism”, formed by immigrants from European countries. These include mainly the former dominions of Great Britain: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada (also classified as a subgroup of the G7) and, with some reservations, Israel.

4. Post-socialist countries of Eastern Europe, including Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, etc.; CIS countries; socialist countries carrying out economic reforms: People's Republic of China (PRC), Vietnam, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Cuba. The PRC occupies a special position here, since in terms of GDP per capita it is classified as a developing country, although in terms of GDP in 2006 it was in second place in the world (about $10 trillion).

IN group 2 includes all other countries that are classified as developing countries. They occupy more than half of the earth's total land area and account for almost 80% of the world's population (including China). The countries are located in a vast geographical belt stretching across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania north and south of the equator. Most of the countries in this group became independent after the Second World War, when about 100 new states were formed, which during the times of active confrontation between capitalist and socialist countries (1950-1990) were called third world countries. Common features for all developing countries are:

Colonial past and associated poverty;

An acute contradiction between political independence and economic dependence;

Preservation of pre-capitalist forms of economy;

Agrarian-raw materials and mineral-raw materials nature of the economy;

Huge debt to economically developed countries (according to the World Bank, it amounts to $2.6 trillion).

Despite the common features, there are differences between the countries of the second group in the standard of living and industrial development, which raises the question of separating some of them into a special group or joining the group of economically developed countries. Among developing countries, the following five subgroups are distinguished:

1) key countries: India, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico. All of them have great natural, human and economic potential and, in many socio-economic parameters, are undisputed leaders developing world;

2) newly industrialized countries (NICs): South Korea(Republic of Korea), Singapore, until recently Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia (conditionally), Philippines (conditionally).. Sometimes Argentina, Mexico) and Brazil are also included in this subgroup;

3) a small group of oil exporting countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Brunei. Due to the significant influx of dollars from oil sales, these countries managed to increase their GDP per capita to levels comparable to the level of GDP of some developed countries;

4) countries lagging behind in their development are the largest subgroup. It is dominated by countries with backward, multi-structured economies and significant feudal remnants;

5) least developed countries - a group that includes 42 countries with a total population of more than 400 million people. The economy of these countries is dominated by the consumer economy, there is almost no manufacturing industry, 2/3 of the adult population is illiterate (in some countries - up to 80%), GDP per capita is about 500-1000 dollars. in year. This subgroup includes: Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Yemen, Mali, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, Haiti, etc.

Inclusion of post-socialist countries with transition economies into this two-member typology presents certain difficulties. In terms of their socio-economic indicators, most countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries, of course, are economically developed. Among the CIS countries there are both economically developed and countries occupying an intermediate position between developed and developing. China occupies the same contradictory position, which has its own characteristics both in its political system and in its socio-economic development.

In a certain sense, the typology of countries is a historical category. Until the beginning of the 90s. 20th century It was customary to divide all countries of the world into three main types: socialist, capitalist and developing. After the collapse of the world socialist system, a different, less politicized typology of countries emerged. The UN has adopted two classifications of countries.

In the first, all countries of the world are divided into three types:

1) economically developed countries;

2) developing countries;

3) countries with economies in transition.

According to the second UN classification, there are two large groups of countries:

1) economically developed;

2) developing.

As a generalizing, synthetic indicator, the gross domestic product (GDP) indicator is usually used - the cost of all final products of material production and non-production spheres produced in the territory of a given country in one year per capita. This important indicator is not only used to classify countries into these two types, but also gives a clear picture of the huge gap between the most and least developed countries in the world (Table 2).

Table 2.

Countries in the world with the highest and lowest GDP per capita

Countries in the world with the highest rates	GDP, dollars	Countries in the world with the lowest rates	GDP, dollars
Luxembourg		Democratic Republic of the Congo
Switzerland		Sudan
Norway		Guinea-Bissau
Japan		Mozambique
Denmark		Madagascar
Singapore		Burundi
USA		Chad
Sweden		Burkina Faso
Germany		Cambodia
Austria		Somalia

Source: V. P. Maksakovsky, 2003.

The UN classifies about 60 states as economically developed countries: all of Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel. These countries, as a rule, are characterized by a high level of economic development, the predominance of manufacturing and service sectors in GDP, and a high standard of living of the population. But this same group includes Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, countries of Eastern Europe and some other former socialist state entities. Due to heterogeneity, economically developed countries are divided into several subtypes:

1. Economically highly developed countries:

a) the main countries are the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain. They provide more than 50% of all industrial production and more than 25% of agricultural production in the world. These countries form three main centers of the world economy - Western European with its center in Germany, American with its center in the USA and Asian with its center in Japan. Recent decades suggest a trend of the center of the world economy moving from the United States to Japan, which is constantly expanding its influence not only in East and Southeast Asia, but also in Latin America and the Middle East. The major countries and Canada are often referred to as the “G7 countries.” In 1997, Russia was admitted to big seven, which became the G8.

b) economically highly developed countries of Western Europe - Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, Iceland, Scandinavian countries, etc. these countries are characterized by political stability, a high standard of living of the population, high GDP and the highest rates of export and import per capita population. Unlike the main countries, they have a much narrower specialization in the international division of labor. Their economy is largely dependent on income generated from banking, tourism, intermediary trade, etc.

c) countries of “settler capitalism” - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa - former colonies of Great Britain - and the state of Israel, formed in 1948 by decision of the UN General Assembly. The characteristic features of these countries (except Israel) are their focus on the economy of the former metropolis or other more developed countries and the preservation of international specialization in the export of raw materials and agricultural products. Unlike developing countries, this agricultural and raw materials specialization is based on high national labor productivity and is combined with a developed domestic economy.

2. Countries with an average level of development:

a) moderately developed countries of Western Europe: Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland. In terms of the level of development of productive forces, they lag somewhat behind modern world technical progress. Spain and Portugal were the largest colonial empires in the past and played a big role in world history. But the loss of the colonies led to the loss of political influence and the weakening of the economy, which had previously been based on the wealth of the colonies;

b) countries with economies in transition - 12 CIS countries, 15 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Mongolia, China. They make the transition from the previous administrative-command (socialist) economy to a market economy, which is why they are also called post-socialist. Some sources, including statistical ones, also include Vietnam in this type of country, although this state has not officially abandoned its previous, socialist path of development.

The UN classification includes all other countries in the world as developing countries. Almost all of them are located in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They are home to more than ¾ of the world's population, occupy more than ½ of the land area, but account for less than 20% of the manufacturing industry and only 30% of the agricultural output of the foreign world. Developing countries are characterized by an export-oriented economy, which makes the national economy of the countries dependent on the world market; diversity of the economy; special territorial structure economy, scientific and technological dependence on developed countries, sharp social contrasts. Developing countries are very diverse. There are several approaches for identifying subtypes within this group of countries.

According to one of them, six subgroups are considered among developing countries:

a) key countries: India, Brazil, Mexico (some authors include China in this group). Each of these countries has rich and diverse Natural resources, abundant and cheap labor, a capacious and promising domestic market. Each country in its region is of key importance. These countries produce almost as much industrial output as all other developing countries combined. The sectoral structure of the economy is similar to the structure of developed countries (for example, the share of mechanical engineering exceeds 20%);

b) developing countries with per capita GDP above 1 thousand dollars (Argentina, Chile, etc.);

c) newly industrialized countries: Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia. In these countries, the economy has developed at an exceptionally high rate over the past 20 years due to foreign investment, implementation latest technologies and the availability of cheap and skilled local labor.

d) oil-exporting countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Bahrain, Oman, Libya, Brunei and some others. These countries have very high GDP per capita due to oil sales. The rapid development of countries - the emergence of powerful banks, companies, modern cities, water and energy supply systems; improving the standard of living of the population - often combined in these countries with the previous social life, which is primarily defined by Islam;

e) “classical” developing countries with a GDP per capita of less than 1 thousand dollars per year. The characteristic features of these countries are their backward, multi-structured economies.

f) least developed countries. These, according to the UN classification, include countries in which per capita income is 100-300 dollars per year; The country's literate population makes up 20% of the total; the share of the manufacturing industry in GDP is less than 10%, the consumer industry predominates Agriculture. These countries are characterized by a low level and pace of socio-economic development; high birth and death rates, economic dependence on agriculture. These countries receive special attention from the world community; the global problems of humanity are most clearly manifested in them.

The UN included 32 African countries among them (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Zambia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia), 9 Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Yemen, Laos, Cambodia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal), 5 Oceania countries (Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu) and Haiti in Latin America.

The per capita GDP indicator does not allow us to absolutely clearly define the line between developed and developing countries. For example, some international organizations use $6,000 per capita as such a quantitative threshold. But if we take it as the basis of a two-part typology, it turns out that virtually all post-socialist countries with transition economies, including Russia, fall into the category of developing countries, while Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Brunei. Bahrain, Barbados, Bahamas - in the group of economically developed ones.

Geographers have long been working to create more advanced typologies of countries in the world, which would also take into account the nature of development of each country and the structure of its GDP, its share in world production, the degree of involvement in the international geographical division of labor, and some indicators characterizing its population. Representatives of the economic-geographical school of Moscow State University have worked and are working especially hard to create such typologies. M. V. Lomonosov, first of all V. V. Volsky, L. V. Smirnyagin, V. S. Tikunov, A. S. Fetisov.

V.V. Volsky’s typology has widely entered scientific use (Appendix 1). This applies, for example, to the identification of the main economically developed countries, key developing countries, rich oil-exporting countries, as well as the least developed countries. However, this typology also raises some questions. The lack of a generally accepted subtype of industrialized countries (IECs) raises doubts. The typology seems to have dissolved the largest group of “classical” developing countries, which are far behind in their development.

Abstract on the topic:

“Types of countries in the world according to the level of their economic development”

Content

Introduction p.3

1. Typology of countries of the world p.4

2. Economically highly developed countries p.5

3. Developing countries p.7

4. Countries with economies in transition p.9

Conclusion p.11

References p.13

Introduction

Today there are more than two hundred countries on the globe. They differ in territory, location, climatic conditions, cultural traditions, political regimes and many other characteristics, including the level and pace of socio-economic development.The modern development of the world is characterized by the need for close cooperation between countries, both in the economy and in terms of joint solutions to global problems of our time through the common efforts of all countries and the growing need for global regulation of international life. Along with the integrity and unity inherent in the global economy, there are also internal contradictions in it. Basically, these are contradictions between groups of countries. Therefore, the study of the diversity and patterns of development is of great importance modern world. Since studying each country separately on the scale of the world economy is impractical, the typology of countries by level of economic development is of great importance. Most full view about groups of countries in the international economy is provided by data from universal international organizations. The assessment by these organizations of the role and place of individual countries in the world economy is somewhat different, since the number of member countries of these organizations is different and the goals and objectives of these organizations are different. Modern world economy, its features and development trends are associated with the transition to a new, post-industrial structure of social production, seeking to combine the achievements of modern scientific and technological revolution with an increasingly socially oriented market mechanism.

The purpose of the work is to consider the classification based on indicators of the level of economic development, various groups countries

1.Typology of countries of the world

Until the early 90s, all countries of the world were usually divided into three types: socialist, developed capitalist and developing. After the collapse of the world socialist system, this typology was replaced by others. One of them, also three-membered, divides all countries of the world into economically highly developed, developing and countries with economies in transition, i.e. making the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy (these are primarily post-socialist countries of Eastern Europe and the CIS).

Along with this, a two-part typology is widely used with the division of all countries into economically developed and developing. The main criterion for this typology is the level of socio-economic development of a particular state, expressed through the GDP (gross domestic product) per capita indicator .world economy classificationThe UN (United Nations) and other international organizations began to use a new synthetic indicator of the level of socio-economic development of countries around the world - the index human development(HDI). It takes into account not only the level of per capita income of people, but also their average life expectancy, as well as their level of education. Canada, the USA, the Nordic countries and Japan have the highest HDI scores, while the African countries of Burundi, Sierra Leone and Niger have the lowest.(4)world economy classification country

To group countries in the world economy, they are used various classifications. The most well-known is the classification according to the level of economic development and socio-economic indicators (otherwise the UN classification).The UN classification of countries around the world into “developed countries”, “developing countries” and “countries with economies in transition” brings together extremely diverse countries into one group.(2)

2. Economically highly developed countries

The group includes about 40 countries - these are the countries of North America, Western Europe and the Pacific (USA, Canada, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark...)

The criteria for inclusion in the group of developed countries are the following indicators:

High level of socio-economic development;

Openness of the economy;

Market economic system;

The predominance of the service sector over industry and agriculture in the GDP production process;

The transition of industry from extractive and material-intensive industries to new high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries;

High level of mechanization and productivity of agricultural production.

Developed countries account for more than half of the world's industrial output and the majority of foreign direct investment. They form the three main economic “poles” of the world - Western European with its center in Germany, American with its center in the USA and Asian with its center in Japan.

Over the past decades, the role of these states in the global economy has changed significantly. Thus, Japan's share in the world's GDP has almost doubled, while the US share has decreased slightly.

Economically highly developed countries of Western Europe - This Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, etc. These countries are characterized by high per capita income and high quality life, political stability. The high-tech industry operates mainly on imported raw materials, and most of its products are exported. In the GDP of these countries, the share of income received from the service sector is large - banking and tourism.

Another typological group consists ofcountries“migrant” capitalism. These are Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa - former colonies of Great Britain. The ethnic composition of the population in these countries was formed with the determining role of migration, primarily from the metropolis (Great Britain) and other countries of the world. In the economy of these countries, companies from the former metropolis or other economic giants play a leading role. Compared to other economically developed countries, the mining industry, as well as the export of raw materials and agricultural products, are very important in their economy. Israel belongs to the same type of country; its population was formed due to the return of Jews to their historical homeland - the land of Palestine.(1)

Among economically developed countries there are alsocountries“mid-level” development. This group includes: Greece and Ireland (for a long time they were dependent on Great Britain), as well as Spain and Portugal (the loss of colonies led to a weakening of their economic power). The entry into the European Economic Community (EEC - now the EU) of Spain, Portugal, and Greece contributed to an increase in the rate of economic growth in the 1980s and 90s, an increase in the rate of economic development, and a rise in the standard of living of the population.

One of the main features of developed countries is a relatively uniform distribution of income, as well as a relatively uniform economic development of the territory. They are characterized by a socially oriented economy, in particular support for low-income segments of the population (pensioners, students, disabled people, etc.). Large investments in science and the introduction of its achievements into production determine the high intellectual level of labor, high percent expenses for medicine, education, culture. The costs of environmental protection are also significant. In industrialized countries, the role of the “lower” floors of the industry (traditionally extractive industries) is declining and, at the same time, production is increasing in the “upper floors” due to the development of high-tech industries.

3. Developing countries

Most countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are developing countries, or third world countries. They represent a special group of states, distinguished by their unique historical development, socio-economic and political specifics. The group unites about 150 states. Speaking about their similarities, it is necessary to note the colonial past and the associated signs of inclusion in this group are:

The presence of a mixed economy with various forms property;

Relatively low level of development of productive forces;

Dependent position in the world economy;

Predominantly agricultural and raw material orientation in economic development and monoculture exports;

Poverty and misery of a large part of the population.

However, these countries are different, so this group is divided into subgroups:

a) Newly industrialized countries (NICs) are South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, etc.

Newly industrializing countries are playing an increasingly important role in the export of manufactured goods to developed countries. The rapid development of NIS in recent decades, high rates of GDP growth and the high competitiveness of their products lead to the fact that US customs authorities are beginning to deny them the preferential treatment that is provided to developing countries.

b) Energy exporting countries included in OPEC are Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.

Their characteristic features: high per capita income, solid natural resource development potential, an important role in the energy raw materials market and financial resources, favorable economic and geographical location. The relationship between oil revenues and population creates specific conditions that allow the accumulation of gigantic wealth.

c) Countries with an average level of development are Egypt, Tunisia, India, Kenya, Sinegal, etc. These countries, mainly with vast territories and populations, natural resource potential and economic development opportunities. They have taken a prominent place in the system of international economic ties, caused a powerful influx of external resources in the form of foreign capital investments. But low levels of production and consumption per capita significantly hamper their socio-economic development.

d) Third world countries (least developed countries) are countries in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Afghanistan, Haiti, Zambia, Laos, Nepal, etc. Some of them are landlocked and poorly connected with the outside world. These countries have extremely low per capita income, pre-industrial forms of labor prevail everywhere, and agriculture dominates the economy. It is these countries that form the basis of the UN list of least developed countries. States that have received the status of “least developed” receive special attention from the world community. They have the opportunity to receive credits, loans and humanitarian aid on preferential terms.(1)

4. Countries with economies in transition

The group includes about 30 states, most of them are countries of the so-called former socialist camp - these are republics former USSR(Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia...) countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania...).

All of them are in the late 80s - early 90s. The last century began the transition from an authoritarian political system to a truly democratic system based on a multi-party system and respect for human rights. No less revolutionary transformations began to be carried out in the economy, where there was a transition from the previous administrative-command system and centralized planning to a market economy. This transition has been completed or is close to completion.(4)

In terms of socio-economic development, these countries are classified as moderately developed. These are mainly industrial and industrial-agrarian countries.

Despite the abundance of concepts of a transition economy, today we can highlight the common and most important thing that they have, namely the definition of a transition economy.

A transition economy is an economy where the most important thing is not the simple functioning of existing connections and elements, but the “withering away” of old ones and the formation of new connections and elements. A transition economy characterizes an intermediate state of society, when the previous system of socio-economic relations and institutions is destroyed and reformed, and a new one is just being formed. The changes taking place in a transition economy are primarily changes in development, rather than in functioning, as is typical for the existing system.

The transition economy in a number of former socialist countries is a mixture of elements (relations, connections, institutions) of centralized and modern market systems. Elements of a market economy of free competition and a traditional economic system are sometimes added here.

The criteria for inclusion in the group of countries with economies in transition are:

Refusal of centralized planning and regulation of economic development;

Increasing the degree of openness of the economy (liberalization);

Privatization of state property;

Using such factors of economic growth as expansion of the private sector, attracting foreign investment, structural restructuring of the economy and monetary system, fight against inflation;

Reduction in national production volumes;

Reorientation of foreign economic relations.

Thus, Russia is also a country with a transition economy, which has its own characteristics. Features of Russia's transition economy can be briefly described as follows:

Firstly, this is the historical unprecedentedness of the transition, which acts as a transition to a modern market economy not from a traditional one, but from a special one that existed in a relatively small number of planned economies;

Secondly, Russian society today, on the path of reformist development, should carry out a kind of “return” movement towards effective use market relations with all their attributes, diversity of forms of ownership, development of entrepreneurial activity, etc.;

Thirdly, the transition process in Russia occurs at the end of the 20th century. in special historical conditions - the conditions of unfolding global transition processes. Global transition processes in the world cannot but influence the Russian economy, the content of transition processes, and their final guidelines. In this sense, transitional Russian economy represents an interweaving of unique local and certain universal tendencies.

Fourthly, Russia occupies a special place in the territorial-geographical and socio-economic aspects: it serves as a kind of bridge connecting Eastern and Western civilizations, embodying the well-known unity of their cultures. The Russian mentality was imbued with this “bifurcation”.

Creating a new type of economic system that overcomes the shortcomings of the previous one and ensures increased economic efficiency is quite difficult process. The complexity is due not only to the enormity of the tasks of reforming the existing economic system, but also to the need to simultaneously overcome crisis phenomena that have worsened as a result of society's entry into a transition economy. The main feature of all these transformations is to minimize state intervention in the economy in order to give room for its independent development.

Conclusion

The world is extremely heterogeneous in its socio-economic nature.Currently, three groups of countries can be distinguished: - industrialized countries with market economies, forming, as it were, the framework of the world economy; - developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania (or third world countries); - countries with economies in transition, represented mainly by the states of Eastern Europe, as well as Russia, which are on the path to developing new forms of economic management. But it would be a mistake to draw too sharp a line between these groups. For example, today a whole group of developing countries - the countries of Southeast Asia, in particular South Korea, Hong Kong (since 1997 - a province of China, Hong Kong), Taiwan, Brazil and Argentina, and some others - in a number of economic indicators It is logical to classify it as one of the industrialized countries of the world. However, in terms of other important indicators (the depth of social contrasts, uneven regional development etc.) they traditionally still belong to the group of developing countries. At the same time, some undoubtedly developed states seem to be late with qualitative transformations of national productive forces, which slows down the growth of social labor productivity. Thus, in the countries of Eastern Europe and Russia, it alone is only about 50% of the level of Western European countries.Consequently, there is no strict framework for dividing countries according to the level and pace of socio-economic development, regardless of the criteria by which these countries are classified. However, there is a significant need to reduce the lag in the socio-economic development of some countries in order to effectively solve the global problems of our time, since they (global problems) do not recognize state borders, therefore their solution is possible only on a global scale.

Bibliography

1. Zheltikov V.P., Kuznetsov N.G., Tyaglov S.G. Economic geography: series “Textbooks and teaching aids”. - Rostov n/d: Phoenix, 2005 - 425 p.

2. Zhizhina E.A., Nikitina N.A. Lesson developments in geography, M.: “Vako”, 2016. – 320 s.

3.Capitalist and developing countries on the threshold of the 90s (territorial and structural shifts in the economy in the 70–80s) / Ed. V.V. Volsky, L.I. Bonifatieva, L.V. Smirnyagina. - M.: Moscow State University Publishing House, 1990 - 320 p.

4.Maksakovsky V.P. Geography. Economic and social geography Mira, M.: “Enlightenment”, 2014 - 397 p.

5. Plisetsky E.L. Russia and countries with economies in transition: geography of foreign economic relations, 2003 - 380 p.

Within the framework of the world economy, a country is considered not only territorial units that are a state, but also some territorial units that are not states, but are independent and autonomous. economic policy and maintain separate statistical records of their economic development. This applies to some island dependent territories of Great Britain, the Netherlands and France, which, although not independent states, are nevertheless considered by the international economy as separate countries.

The most complete picture of groups of countries in the world economy is provided by data from universal international organizations, of which most countries in the world are members - the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The assessment of groups of countries in the international economy by these organizations is somewhat different, since the number of member countries of these organizations varies (UN - 185, IMF - 181, WB - 180), and international organizations monitor the economies of only their member countries. For example, Cuba, North Korea and some other small countries that are not its members are excluded from the IMF classification. Some countries that are members of international organizations do not provide complete data on their economies or do not provide them up to date, as a result of which assessments of the development of their economies fall outside the general assessments international economy. These are San Marino among the developed countries and Eritrea among the developing countries.

Finally, any classification is made from the objectives of each organization. For example, the World Bank pays attention to assessing the level of economic development of each country, the UN - to social and demographic aspects, etc.

In total, in modern literature several main features can be identified for classifying countries of the world:

1. According to the type of socio-economic system in the second half of the twentieth century, countries were divided into capitalist, socialist and developing, or “third world” countries. In turn, developing countries were divided into countries with a socialist or capitalist orientation. Decay Soviet Union and the world socialist system led to the abandonment of such a classification of the world economy.

2. According to the level of development, countries are divided into developed and developing. Post-socialist states and countries that still officially proclaim the construction of socialism as the goal of their development are among the developing ones.

3. According to the degree of development of the market economy in international practice All countries of the world are most often divided into three main groups: developed countries with market economies, countries with transition economies and developing countries.

This breakdown into groups was chosen for ease of analysis by ECOSOC (UN Economic and Social Council). Currently, the IMF has introduced the term “advanced economies” (or “advanced countries”) to designate groups of countries and territories traditionally classified as developed (these are 23 countries). The world's leading economies also include the four East Asian “dragons” (South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong as a special administrative region of China, and Taiwan), Israel and Cyprus.

Among the leaders of the world economy are the countries of North America (USA and Canada), Western Europe (primarily Great Britain, Germany, Italy and France), and East Asia, led by Japan. They are followed by a noticeably progressing group of newly industrialized economies, including the Asian Tigers. A number of states in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as states in the territory of the former USSR, are still at the reform stage as part of the transition to a market economy. Some of them have been admitted to the European Union in recent years, and the group of developed countries has grown to 30. The vast array of countries - the developing zone - numbers over 100 countries around the world.
To characterize the economies of countries around the world, already known indicators are used: GDP per capita, sectoral structure of the economy and knowledge-intensive industries, and the level and quality of life of the population.

The developed countries

Developed countries are characterized by a high standard of living of the population. Developed countries tend to have a large stock of produced capital and a population that is largely engaged in highly specialized activities. This group of countries is home to about 15% of the world's population. Developed countries are also called industrialized countries or industrialized countries.
Developed countries generally include the 24 high-income industrialized countries of North America, Western Europe, and the Pacific. Among industrial countries, the most significant role is played by the countries of the so-called Group of 7 (G-7), providing 47% of world GDP and 51% of international trade. These states coordinate their economic and financial policy at annual summits held since 1975. On the European continent, where 4 of the 7 largest developed countries are located, the most significant association is the European Union, consisting of 15 countries, providing 21% of world GNP and 41% of exports.

The International Monetary Fund identifies the following states as economically developed countries:

1. Countries qualifying for the WB and IMF like countries with developed economies at the end of XX - beginning of XXI centuries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal , Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA.
2. More complete group of developed countries also included are Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Vatican City, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Liechtenstein, Monaco and San Marino.

Among the main features of developed countries It is advisable to highlight the following:

1. GDP per capita averages approximately 20 thousand dollars and is constantly growing. This determines the high level of consumption and investment and the standard of living of the population as a whole. Social support – “ middle class”, sharing the values ​​and basic foundations of society.

2. The sectoral structure of the economy of developed countries is evolving towards the dominance of industry and a pronounced tendency to transform the industrial economy into a post-industrial one. The service sector is developing rapidly, and in terms of the share of the population employed in it, it is the leader. Scientific and technological progress has a significant impact on economic growth and economic structure.

3. The business structure of developed countries is heterogeneous. The leading role in the economy belongs to powerful concerns - TNCs (transnational corporations). The exception is a group of some small European countries where there are no world-class TNCs. However, the economies of developed countries are also characterized by the widespread prevalence of medium and small businesses as a factor of economic and social stability. This business employs up to 2/3 of the economically active population. In many countries, small businesses provide up to 80% of new jobs and impact industry structure economy.

Economic mechanism developed countries includes three levels: spontaneous market, corporate and state. It corresponds to a developed system of market relations and diversified methods government regulation. Their combination provides flexibility, rapid adaptability to changing conditions of reproduction and, in general, high efficiency of economic activity.

4. The state of developed countries is an active participant in economic activity. The goals of state regulation are to create the most favorable conditions for the self-expansion of capital and maintain the socio-economic stability of society. The most important means of state regulation are administrative and legal ( developed systems economic law), tax and budgetary (state budget funds and funds social insurance), monetary and state ownership. The general trend since the beginning of the 60s has been a decrease in the role of state property from an average of 9 to 7% in GDP. Moreover, it is concentrated mainly in the field of infrastructure. Differences between countries in the degree of state regulation are determined by the intensity of the redistributive functions of the state through its finances: most intensively in Western Europe, to a lesser extent in USA And Japan.

5. The economies of developed countries are characterized by openness to the world economy and a liberal organization of the foreign trade regime. Leadership in world production determines their leading role in world trade, international capital flows, and international currency and settlement relations. In the field of international labor migration, developed countries act as the receiving party.