The World After 1945

End of Colonial Empires By the 1930s, nationalist movements had occurred in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East In most areas, people achieved freedom through peaceful means Around 90 new countries emerged after WWII The new nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America became known as the “developing world” All were determined to modernize: build stable governments and developing the country economically

New Nations Seek Stability People in new nations struggled to unite because of cultural differences Many countries struggled to maintain control and military and authoritarian leaders often took control They imposed order by building one-party dictatorships Despite setbacks, democracy did make some progress. The most immediate threat to these developing nations is overpopulation High populations make it difficult to ensure democracy, protect the population, and provide basic necessities

The Global Cold War The United States and the Soviet Union were the superpowers of the post-war world Each superpower wanted new countries to adopt its ideology (either capitalism or socialism) Some countries remained nonaligned (not allied to either side in the Cold War) They wanted to reduce world tensions and promote economic policies that would benefit them In Africa, Latin America, and Asia local conflicts grew out of the Cold War The United States would often support one side and the Soviets supported the other

Regional and Global Organizations Since 1945, countries have grown increasingly interdependent (dependence of countries on other parts of the world) The United Nations was set up at the end of World War II as a peacekeeping organization Regional organizations like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the European Union (EU) have been formed to lower trade barriers and promote free exchange of goods and services Global organizations like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization (WTO) also promote global trade policies

The Global North and the Global South

Global North Location: Industrial nations of Europe and North America, and Australia. Population: 25% of the world’s population Other Characteristics: wealthy, industrialized, high literacy rates, basic health services, capitalist economies, control much of the world’s capital, trade, and technology Environmental Concerns: pollution, nuclear power Depends on the Global South for: low-paid workers, resources (like oil)

Global South Location: Most of Asia, Africa and Latin America Population: 75% of the world’s population Other characteristics: The “developing world”, extreme poverty, high migration Obstacles to Development: geography, huge populations, poverty, economic dependence, political instability Environmental Concerns: over-cultivation Depends on the Global North for: new technology, monetary aid

Global Issues

Global Issues Technology Terrorism Globalization Human Rights Has changed life around the world and created a global culture by spreading ideas rapidly across borders Human Rights The United Nations sought to guarantee human rights for all; in 1948 they passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Terrorism Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence, especially against civilians, to achieve political goals Globalization The world has become more united but some countries fear it has been too westernized