{"id":94920,"date":"2023-02-24T08:46:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T08:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/?p=94920"},"modified":"2023-02-24T08:46:03","modified_gmt":"2023-02-24T08:46:03","slug":"third-world-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/education\/third-world-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES: Meaning, List, & History","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The history of the third-world model dates back to the Cold War. The term “third world countries” were created in an attempt to distinguish independent countries that were not supporting NATO or the Soviet Union. However, from its political connotation during the Cold War to its contemporary economic connotation, the concept of “third-world countries” has evolved throughout time. Most third-world countries share a lot of similar characteristics. The definition used today relates to nations that are having financial difficulties and require assistance from other nations in order to maintain their economies, even only temporarily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third World Countries: An Overview <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The term “third-world countries” refers to a group of economically developing countries. It is one of four segments useful for categorizing global economies according to their economic standing. The Third World lags behind the First and Second Worlds but was ahead of the Fourth World, even though the countries of the Fourth World received very little attention. Currently, the terms “developing country,” “undeveloped country,” or “low- and middle-income countries” are synonymous with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, several nations in Africa, Latin America, Oceania, and Asia with colonial histories were considered to be part of the Third World. It was occasionally interpreted as being synonymous with nations belonging to the Non-Aligned Movement. The Third World has also been linked to the world-systemic economic division as “periphery” countries that are controlled by the nations making up the economic “core” in the dependency theory of theorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Third World Countries?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Third world countries was a term used to describe countries that refused to ally with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact during the world war. However, in recent times, it has been given a new meaning, third countries refer to developing countries with poor economic standards. refer to a political rather than an economic region. However, the term “Third World” has been less common after the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Terms like “developing countries, least developed countries,” or the global south are replacing them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics of Third World Countries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Third-world countries share characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the world. They include low GDP, high rate of population growth, and low employment rate. We explain further below<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1. High Rate of Population Growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most developing countries are experiencing rapid population expansion or have a high rate of population growth. Moreover, this occurs frequently due to a lack of family planning alternatives and the perception that having more children will increase the family’s ability to support itself financially. Its growth in recent decades may be attributable to greater birth rates and declining mortality rates as a result of better healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2. Low GDP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most distinguishing features of underdeveloped economies is a low real per capita income. Their low real per capita income level causes them to have fewer investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It indicates that the typical worker doesn’t make enough money to save or invest. They squander all they earn. As a result, the majority of the population struggles to break out of the poverty cycle it fosters. In emerging nations, a large proportion of individuals live in absolute poverty, or the lowest possible income level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3. Continuity with the Main Sector<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In third-world countries, rural areas are home to about 75% of the population. The demand structure changes as income levels rise, which causes a rise in the manufacturing sector first and then the services sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4. Depending on Primary Commodity Exports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Considering that the primary sector accounts for a sizable share of output, the primary sector also accounts for a sizable portion of exports. For instance, two-thirds of Nigeria’s exports are crude oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5. High Unemployment Rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lot of developing nations face high unemployment rates, which means that a significant number of people are left with no income. That is a challenging problem in most third-world countries. Also, unemployment is a more complicated issue that calls for solutions that go beyond conventional solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of the Three-World Model<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The history of the three-world model can be traced back to the Cold War. A French demographer, anthropologist, and historian by the name of Alfred Sauvy coined the phrase “Third World.” Sauvy observed that a collection of nations, many of which were once colonies, did not adhere to the same ideologies as either Western capitalism or Soviet socialism. The idea of classifying nations as First, Second, Third, and Fourth World was developed during and following the Cold War, which lasted roughly from 1945 to the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But later on, the need to partition the world’s economies gives rise to the third-world model. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which works to give international assistance for initiatives that serve to strengthen infrastructure and economic systems completely, regularly monitor developing nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally speaking, economic status and important economic indicators like gross domestic product (GDP), GDP growth, GDP per capita, employment growth, and the unemployment rate are used to describe countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These nations are classified as lower-middle-income or low-income by both organizations. The characteristics of third-world countries or developing countries include<\/p>\n\n\n\n