The NorthSouth divide is broadly considered a socio-economic and political divide.

Generally, definitions of
the Global North include the United States, Canada, Western Europe and developed parts of East Asia.
The Global South is made up of Africa, Latin America, and developing Asia including the Middle East. The
North is home to all the members of the G8 and to four of the five permanent members of the United Nations
Security Council.
The North mostly covers the West and the First World, along with much of the Second World, while the South
largely corresponds with the Third World. While the North may be defined as the richer, more developed
region and the South as the poorer, less developed region, many more factors differentiate between the two
global areas. 95% of the North has enough food and shelter.[1] Similarly, 95% of the North has a functioning
educational system. In the South, on the other hand, only 5% of the population has enough food and shelter. It
lacks appropriate technology, it has no political stability, the economies are disarticulated, and their foreign
exchange earnings depend on primary product exports.[1]
In economic terms, the Northwith one quarter of the world populationcontrols four fifths of the income
earned anywhere in the world. 90% of the manufacturing industries are owned by and located in the North.
[1]

Inversely, the Southwith three quarters of the world populationshas access to one fifth of the world

income. As nations become economically developed, they may become part of the "North", regardless of
geographical location, while any other nations which do not qualify for "developed" status are in effect deemed
to be part of the "South".[2]
Contents
[hide]

1History
2Problems with defining the divide

3Development gap

4Defining development

5Brandt Line

6Digital and technological divide

7Theories explaining the divide

8Future development

9See also

10References

11External links

History[edit]
The idea of categorizing countries by their economic and developmental status began during the Cold
War with the classifications of East and West. The Soviet Union and China represented the East, and the
United States and their allies represented the West. The term "Third World" was coined by states hoping to
navigate between the two poles of the Cold War, and ultimately gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement.

These countries were generally less economically developed than their First- and Second-World counterparts.
As some Second World countries joined the First World, and others joined the Third World, a new and simpler
classification was needed. The First World became the North and the Third World became the South. [3]

Problems with defining the divide[edit]

Following the fall of the Eastern Bloc, which was commonly referred to as the Second World, many of its
constituent countries were reclassified as developing, despite being geographically northern. At the same time,
geographically southern nations previously considered "developing," such as the East Asian Tigers or Turkey,
have joined the modernFirst World, but are classified inconsistently in maps showing the northsouth divide.
[citation

needed]

Similarly, dependencies and former dependencies of developed nations are also classified as

Southern, although they are part of the developed world; [4] most notably Australia and New Zealand, the latter
being the most southern (in terms of its center of overall land mass) of all independent sovereign states.
On an ideological level, some development geographers have argued that current concentration on the north
south divide as the main organizing principle for understanding the world economy has overlooked the role of
inter-imperial conflicts between the United States, Japan, and Europe. [5]

Development gap[edit]

World map by quartiles of Human Development Index in 2014.

Very High
High
Medium

Low
Data unavailable

The northsouth divide has more recently been named the development continuum gap. This places greater
emphasis on closing the evident gap between rich (more economically developed) and poor (less
economically developed) countries. A good measure of on which side of the gap a country is located is
the Human Development Index (HDI). The nearer this is to 1.0, the greater is the country's level of
development and the further the country is on its development pathway (closer towards being well developed),
exemplified well by Walter Rostow's model of development and the Clark Fisher model.[citation needed]

Defining development[edit]

Countries described as high-income and advanced economies by the World Bank and IMF

Being categorized as part of the North implies development as opposed to belonging to the South which
implies a lack thereof. According to N. Oluwafemi Mimiko, The South lacks the right technology, it is politically
unstable, their economies are divided, and their foreign exchange earnings depend on primary product exports
which come from the North, along with the fluctuation of prices. The little control of imports and exports
condemned the South to obey the imperialist system. The lack of the South and the development of the North
further the inequality and end up putting the South as a source of raw material for the developed countries.
[6]

The north becomes synonymous with economic development and industrialization while the South

represents the previously colonized countries which are in need of help in the form of international aid
agendas [7] In order to understand how this divide occurs, a definition of development itself is needed.
Northern countries are using most of the earth resources and most of them are high entropic fossil fuels.
Reducing emission rates of toxic substances is central to debate on sustainable development but this can
negatively affect economic growth.
The Dictionary of Human Geography defines development as [p]rocesses of social change or [a change] to
class and state projects to transform national economies". [8] This definition entails an understanding of
economic development which is imperative when trying to understand the northsouth divide.
Economic Development is a measure of progress in a specific economy. It refers to advancements in
technology, a transition from an economy based largely on agriculture to one based on industry and an
improvement in living standards.[9][10]
Other factors that are included in the conceptualization of what a developed country is include life expectancy
and the levels of education, poverty and employment in that country.

Brandt Line[edit]
The Brandt Line is a visual depiction of the northsouth divide, proposed by West German Chancellor Willy
Brandt in

the

1980s.

It

encircles

between North and Central

America,

the

world

north

at

a latitude of

of Africa and

approximately

the Middle

30

East,

North,
climbing

passing
north

over China and Mongolia, but dipping south so as to include Australia and New Zealand in the "Rich North".

Digital and technological divide[edit]

The global

digital

divide is

often

characterised

as

corresponding

to

the

northsouth

divide;

however, Internet use, and especially broadband access, is now soaring in Asia compared with other

continents. This phenomenon is partially explained by the ability of many countries in Asia to bypass older
Internet technology and infrastructure, coupled with booming economies which allow vastly more people to get
online.

Theories explaining the divide[edit]

Uneven immigration patterns lead to inequality: in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries immigration
was very common into areas previously less populated (North America, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New
Zealand) from already technologically advanced areas (United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal). This
facilitated an uneven diffusion of technological practices since only areas with high immigration levels
benefited. Immigration patterns in the twenty-first century continue to feed this uneven distribution of
technological innovation. People are eager to leave countries in the South to improve the quality of their lives
by sharing in the perceived prosperity of the North. South and Central Americans want to live and work in
North America. Africans and Southwest Asians want to live and work in Europe. Southeast Asians want to live
and work in North America and Europe.[3]

Future development[edit]
Some economists have argued that international free trade and unhindered capital flows across countries
could lead to a contraction in the NorthSouth divide. In this case more equal trade and flow of capital would
allow the possibility for developing countries to further develop economically.[3]
However, policymakers in the South are often skeptical of capitalism and have proposed alternative solutions.
In 1974, Southern nations called for a New International Economic Order (NIEO) to restructure the global
economy.[11] Their demands included linking prices of commodity exports to manufactured imports, transferring
technology from North to South, cancelling or rescheduling debts of the Third World, improving the quality of
their representation within institutions such as the World Bank, UN Security Council, standardizing prices for
raw materials, solving food crises, and "opening up of the Norths market for manufactured or semi-processed
goods of the South." [11]
As some countries in the South experience rapid development, there is evidence that those states are
developing high levels of SouthSouth aid. [12] Brazil, in particular, has been noted for its high levels of aid ($1
billion annuallyahead of many traditional donors) and the ability to use its own experiences to provide high
levels of expertise and knowledge transfer.[12] This has been described as a "global model in waiting". [13]
The United Nations has also established its role in diminishing the divide between North and South through
the Millennium Development Goals, all of which were to be achieved by 2015. These goals seek to eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower
women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;
ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development. [14]

See also[edit]
International NorthSouth divide

SouthSouth cooperation

Third World

Non-Aligned Movement

North-South Summit, the only North-South summit ever held, with 22 heads of state and government
taking part

BRICS, CIVETS, MINT, VISTA

Golden billion

United Nations statistical divisions

Sunshine countries

Global South Development Magazine

National NorthSouth divides

Economy of Belgium#Regional differences

Northern and southern China

Economy of Italy#NorthSouth divide

Division of Korea

MasonDixon line (US)

NorthSouth divide in the United Kingdom