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Developing country
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A developing country is a country that has often low standards of democratic governments, industrialization, social programs, and human rights guarantees for its citizens. It is often a term used to describe a nation with a low level of material wellbeing. Despite this definition, the levels of development may vary, with some developing countries having higher average standards of living.
Countries with more advanced economies than other developing nations, but which have not yet fully demonstrated the signs of a developed country, are grouped under the term newly industrialized countries.
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A developing country is a country that has often low standards of democratic governments, industrialization, social programs, and human rights guarantees for its citizens. It is often a term used to describe a nation with a low level of material wellbeing. Despite this definition, the levels of development may vary, with some developing countries having higher average standards of living.
Countries with more advanced economies than other developing nations, but which have not yet fully demonstrated the signs of a developed country, are grouped under the term newly industrialized countries. The application of the term developing country to any country which is not developed is inappropriate because a number of poor countries have experienced prolonged periods of economic decline. Such countries are classified as either least developed countries or failed states.
Development entails a modern infrastructure (both physical and institutional), and a move away from low value added sectors such as agriculture and natural resource extraction. Developed countries, in comparison, usually have economic systems based on continuous, self-sustaining economic growth in the tertiary and quaternary sectors and high standards of living.
These developing nations undergoing the process of industrialisation will avoid becoming like current industralised carbon intensive nations if the concept of sustainable development is applied. This is the way in which developing countries are mitigating climate change whilst economically developing.
Definition
The United Nations Statistics Division, in its data distinguishes between developed and developing countries but notes that
- The designations "developed" and "developing" are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process.
Also the UN notes that,
- There is no established convention for the designation of "developed" and "developing" countries or areas in the United Nations system. In common practice, Japan in Asia, Canada and the United States in northern America, Australia and New Zealand in Oceania, and Europe are considered "developed" regions or areas. In international trade statistics, the Southern African Customs Union is also treated as a developed region and Israel as a developed country; countries emerging from the former Yugoslavia are treated as developing countries; and countries of eastern Europe and of the Commonwealth of Independent States (code 172) in Europe are not included under either developed or developing regions.
In the 21st century, the original East Asian Tiger countries (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and the Taiwan) are considered "developed" region or areas, along with Cyprus, Israel, Malta, and Slovenia, are considered near developed "developing" region or areas.
Measure and concept of development
The development of a country is measured with statistical indexes such as income per capita (per person) (GDP), life expectancy, the rate of literacy, et cetera. The UN has developed the HDI, a compound indicator of the above statistics, to gauge the level of human development for countries where data is available.
Developing countries are in general countries which have not achieved a significant degree of industrialization relative to their populations, and which have, in most cases a medium to low standard of living. There is a strong correlation between low income and high population growth.
The terms utilized when discussing developing countries refer to the intent and to the constructs of those who utilize these terms. Other terms sometimes used are less developed countries (LDCs), least economically developed countries (LEDCs), "underdeveloped nations" or Third World nations, and "non-industrialized nations". Conversely, the opposite end of the spectrum is termed developed countries, most economically developed countries (MEDCs), First World nations and "industrialized nations".
To moderate the euphemistic aspect of the word developing, international organizations have started to use the term Less economically developed country (LEDCs) for the poorest nations which can in no sense be regarded as developing. That is, LEDCs are the poorest subset of LDCs. This also moderates the wrong tendency to believe that the standard of living in the entire developing world is the same.
The concept of the developing nation is found, under one term or another, in numerous theoretical systems having diverse orientations — for example, theories of decolonization, liberation theology, Marxism, anti-imperialism, and political economy.
Limitations of the term 'developing country'
There is criticism of the use of the term ‘developing country’.
The term implies inferiority of a 'developing country' compared to a 'developed country', which many such countries dislike.
It assumes a desire to ‘develop’ along the traditional 'Western' model of economic development which many countries, such as Cuba, have chosen not to follow. Thus Cuba remains classed as 'developing' due to it's low gross national income but has better health outcomes (as measured by maternal and infant mortality) and better literacy rates than some states of the USA.
The term 'developing' implies mobility and does not acknowledge that development may be in decline or static in some countries, particularly those southern African states worst affected by HIV/AIDS.
The term implies homogeny between such countries which vary wildly. And implies homogeny within such countries when wealth (and health) of the lowest and uppermost groups varies wildly.
List of emerging and developing economies
The following are considered emerging and developing economies according to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Report, April 2008.
Typology and names of countries
Countries are often loosely placed into four categories of development. Each category includes the countries listed in their respective article. The term "developing nation" is not a label to assign a specific, similar type of problem.
- Newly industrialized countries (NICs) are nations with economies more advanced and developed than those in the developing world, but not yet with the full signs of a developed country. NIC is a category between developed and developing countries. It includes Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.
- Big Emerging Market (BEM) economies, a label with various meanings. Jeffrey Garten identified, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Poland, Turkey, India, Indonesia, China, and South Korea as the Big 10 BEMs.
- Countries with long-term civil war or large-scale breakdown of rule of law ("failed states") (e.g. Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iraq, Zimbabwe) or non-development-oriented dictatorship (North Korea).
See also
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