Global Divides: North vs. South

• Global divides highlight the unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the world

Global North vs. Global South

• The North-South or Rich-Poor Divide highlights the socio-economic and political disparities between wealthy, developed countries and poorer, developing countries.
• The "North" refers to wealthy, developed countries.
• The "South" refers to poorer, developing countries.

Historical Context of the North-South Divide

• After the Civil War ended in 1865, Reconstruction aimed to reunite the North and South without slavery.
• The South's economy was devastated while newly freed slaves entered society.
• The North was more industrialized and grew wealthier due to wartime manufacturing and infrastructure growth, including railroads.
• The South's economy, based on slavery, was left ruined, with its agricultural decline contributing to the North becoming richer and the South poorer.
• Wartime legislation granted land to states for technical colleges that would teach skills for the new economy, and therefore benefit the North.
• The fight for racial equality during Reconstruction changed both Northern and Southern society.
• The Fifteenth Amendment gave American men the right to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
• Only seven Northern states allowed Black people to vote before it was passed.
• Many newly freed slaves migrated from the South to Northern industrial cities like Chicago and New York in search of economic opportunity.
• Increased migration to the North and West after Reconstruction made it clear that newly freed slaves had not gotten the opportunities they hoped for.

Cold War Context

• During the Cold War, countries were categorized based on their alliance with the Russian East or the American West.
• Countries in the East, like the Soviet Union and China, were categorized as Second World countries.
• The United States and its allies were labeled as First World countries.
• Poorer countries not fitting into First or Second World categories were labeled as Third World countries.

The Global North

• Consisted of Allied powers of western Europe and North America.
• Countries with developed economies.
• Accounted for 90% of the world's manufacturing industries.
• Controlled 80% of the total income earned globally.
• Is made of the most affluent and economically stable countries.
• The Group of Eight included France, Germany, Italy, The United Kingdom, The United States, Canada, Russia, and Japan.
• The Permanent Big 5 included included China, Russia, France, The United Kingdom, and The United States
• The 4 Asian Tigers included Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, as well as Australia and New Zealand

First World Characteristics

• First World countries are developed, based on economic progress.
• This is measured through advancements in technology, living standards, life expectancy, education levels, poverty rate, employment rate, and the shift from agriculture to industry.

The Global South

• The term 'Third World' was originally a political term for states not aligned with the capitalist or communist powers during the Cold War.
• It has since morphed to refer to countries with poverty and little economic or industrial development, hoping to navigate between the two poles of the Cold War.
• It needs international aid and is considered as the Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs).
• LEDCs have inferior Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Human Development Index (HDI), and general living standards compared to the North.
• The South is the poorer part of the world with a lack of technology, political stability, fluctuating prices, unyielding economies, and dependence on exporting products to the North.
• High population rate and lack of basic amenities.
• The poor countries mainly drawn from South America, Africa, and Southern Asia are considered Third World, while Japan and South Korea are two exceptions of Asian countries that are not in the South.

Key Differences Between the Global North and South

• The Global North is independent and prosperous (developed), while the Global South faces the beginning of industrialization (developing).
• The Global North has high per capita income and GDP, while the Global South has lower figures.
• The Global North has a high literacy rate, while the Global South has a high illiteracy rate.
• The Global North has good infrastructure, better health, and safety, while the Global South has poor infrastructure and lacks health and safety measures.
• The Global North has an industrial sector, while the Global South has a service sector.
• The Global North has a high standard of living, while the Global South has a moderate standard.
• The Global North has effective and efficient resource utilization, while the Global South has improper utilization,
• The Global North has low birth and death rates, while the Global South has high birth and death rates.

The Original Second World Countries

• The Soviet Union (USSR) was a large and powerful nation, now consisting of Russia with Moscow as its capital.
• The rest of the Soviet Union included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
• The Soviet Union was founded in 1922 and dissolved in 1991.
• Second World countries have a fair degree of development and wealth, though not as much as the richest nations.

Criticisms of the North-South Divide and Other Considerations

• The North-South Divide may segregate people along economic lines and widen the gap between developed and developing economies.
• Measures have been put in place to contract the North-South Divide, including lobbying for international free trade and globalization.
• Terms like First World, Second World, and Third World are seen as outdated, politically incorrect, useless, or too subjective and no longer apply to any specific nation or group of nations.
• No country is considered Second World.