Country Classification and Systems

Country Classification

• Developed countries: high-income economies with high Human Development Index (HDI) scores, e.g. USA, UK, Canada
• Developing countries: low- or middle-income economies with lower HDI scores, e.g. India, Brazil, South Africa
• Least Developed Countries (LDCs): poorest countries with low HDI scores, e.g. Nepal, Bangladesh, Mozambique

Country Systems

• Federal systems: power divided between central government and regional governments, e.g. USA, Germany, Australia
• Unitary systems: power held by central government, e.g. UK, France, Japan
• Confederations: loose alliances of states, e.g. European Union, African Union

Country Borders

• Natural borders: formed by geographical features, e.g. rivers, mountains, deserts
• Political borders: established by human agreement, e.g. treaties, colonization
• Border disputes: conflicts over border demarcations, e.g. Israel-Palestine, India-Pakistan

Country Capitals

• Administrative capitals: seat of government, e.g. Washington D.C. (USA), Ottawa (Canada)
• Legislative capitals: location of national legislature, e.g. Canberra (Australia)
• Symbolic capitals: cultural or historical significance, e.g. Paris (France), Rome (Italy)

Country Measurement

• Land area: total square kilometers of a country
• Population: total number of citizens
• GDP (Gross Domestic Product): total economic output of a country
• HDI (Human Development Index): measures life expectancy, education, and income

Country Classification

• Developed countries have high-income economies and high Human Development Index (HDI) scores, examples include the USA, UK, and Canada
• Developing countries have low- or middle-income economies and lower HDI scores, examples include India, Brazil, and South Africa
• Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are the poorest countries with low HDI scores, examples include Nepal, Bangladesh, and Mozambique

Country Systems

• Federal systems divide power between the central government and regional governments, examples include the USA, Germany, and Australia
• Unitary systems hold power in the central government, examples include the UK, France, and Japan
• Confederations are loose alliances of states, examples include the European Union and the African Union

Country Borders

• Natural borders are formed by geographical features such as rivers, mountains, and deserts
• Political borders are established by human agreement through treaties, colonization, and other means
• Border disputes occur when there are conflicts over border demarcations, examples include the Israel-Palestine and India-Pakistan disputes

Country Capitals

• Administrative capitals are the seat of government, examples include Washington D.C. (USA) and Ottawa (Canada)
• Legislative capitals are the location of the national legislature, Canberra (Australia) is an example
• Symbolic capitals hold cultural or historical significance, examples include Paris (France) and Rome (Italy)

Country Measurement

• Land area is the total square kilometers of a country
• Population is the total number of citizens in a country
• GDP (Gross Domestic Product) measures the total economic output of a country
• HDI (Human Development Index) measures life expectancy, education, and income in a country