Global North and Global South

Global North and Global South

• The world has been divided differently based on historical factors with categorizations such as first, second, and third world countries.
• Nation states are now identified as either Global North or Global South, largely defined by wealth and development.
• The North-South divide relates to the economic division between richer and poorer countries.
• The Brandt Line, proposed by Willy Brandt in 1980, is an imaginary division of the world into two regions based on GDP per capita.
• The Global North includes The Nations of European Union, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the G8.
• The Global South includes, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Brazil, India, and The Philippines.
• The Global North is more affluent and economically stable including the United States of America, Canada, the member nations of the G8, and the four permanent members of the UN Security Council.
• The Global North includes countries below the equator, like Australia and New Zealand, as well as More Economically Developed Countries(MEDCs) such as Canada, the United States, Greenland, and Russia.
• The Global South includes most nations in Africa, Latin America, and developing parts of Asia, except for Japan.
• The area below the North-South divide is known as the South/developing, or "Poor side" including countries such as Somalia, Vietnam, Haiti, and India.
• The Global Divide that formed the differentiation of The Global North and South was caused by political power, economic dependency and the importation/exportation of resources.
• The Global North has societies in Europe and North America with established wealth, technological advancement, political stability, zero population growth, and dominance in world trade and politics.
• The Global South includes developing countries with mainly agrarian economies in Africa, India, Latin America, and others, which have little economic soundness and political stability.

Pros and Cons of the Global North

• Pros: low poverty, low child mortality, high economic and education development, low gender-related illiteracy, and high industrial development.
• Cons: overconsumption and food wastage, expensive health care, producing the most carbon dioxide and waste.

Pros and Cons of the Global South

• Pros: source of primary products and natural resources and raw materials.
• Cons: opposite of the advantages of the north, high fertility rates, unstable governments, less technological advancement, and economy dependent on developed countries.
• Colonization is a significant reason the South is at a disadvantage; most MEDCs were imperialist powers.

Globalization and Its Effects

• Globalization results in the wealthy becoming wealthier, and the poor becoming poorer.
• Globalization results in technological advancements being an advantage for regions in the Global North, which creates difficulties for the Global South to catch up.
• International institutions often have a bias favoring regions within the Global North.

Closing the Gap

• Lobbying for International Free Trade will help close the gap between the global divide.
• Improving the quality of education and healthcare will help close the gap between the global divide
• Promoting gender equality will help close the gap between the global divide
• Ensuring Environmental Sustainability will help close the gap between the global divide
• Sustainable solutions include, achieving UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) and being a part of the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's).
• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted at the United Nations Summit in New York from September 25 to 27, 2015.
• The Agenda is a broad and universal policy agenda which builds on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• The 2030 Agenda seeks to guide Member States to inclusive, people-centred, sustainable development, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 169 targets integrated and indivisible.
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to transform the world, acting as a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure health and prosperity for all.

Conclusion

• The Global North and South emerged during the 1970s, while the global divide is caused by political power, economic dependency and the importation/exportation of resources.
• The Global North-South divide categorizes nation states based on economic development, political stability, and living standards.
• The Global North and South categorizations are derived from the Cold War era concept of First, Second, and Third World countries.
• The Global North-South divide is based primarily on geographical orientation with some exceptions.
• The perspective and categorization of countries is constantly in flux and changing.
• The impacts of globalization related to this divide include inequality, technological change, and international institutions
• The North exhibits established wealth, technological advancements, political stability, zero population growth, and dominance in global trade and politics, with low poverty and high educational, industrial, and economic development.
• The North exhibits overconsumption and food wastage, expensive healthcare, and produces the most carbon dioxide and waste.
• The South Includes developing countries that serve as a source of natural resources and raw materials.
• The South shows high fertility rates, unstable governments, and less technological advancements, with economies dependent on the regions from the north

Wealth and development now define nation-states as Global North or Global South. The North-South divide reflects economic disparities, with the Brandt Line as a key indicator. The Global North is affluent and stable, while the Global South faces economic challenges.