1. Classifying Countries
Measuring Development

3. Grouping Countries
Why? To help you organize your knowledge of the more than 190 countries in the world
What? Measuring the degree to which a country actively participates in the globalized world
Three major areas for consideration:
1) Economic Development
– a country’s material wealth and trade, which is determined by its GDP/capita, ratios of cars to people, and per capita electrical power capacity.

4. 2) Social Development – level of education, healthcare, life expectancy, and rate of infant mortality in society. 3) Political Maturity – measured by considering factors such as whether a country is democratic, has a low level of corruption, a functioning and established electoral system and rule of law.
What problems can you see with these indicators?

5. Core/Periphery Model
Video: World Systems Theory: Core vs. Peripheral Societies (youtube ~5:30mins)

9. Developed vs Underdeveloped Worlds
Economically developed and underdeveloped nations.
Does not take into account cultural development.
Eg. India and China are not as economically developed as other nations, however they are quite culturally advanced.

10. North/South Grouping
Most advanced countries are located above the equator (with some exceptions)

11. Three World Model 1st, 2nd, 3rd World Countries
Based on political alignments
First World = capitalist nations
Second World = communist
Third World = other, non-aligned

13. Developed/Newly Industrialized/Developing
Based on economics
Assumes that countries can transition up through the various stages.

14. Measuring Social and Economic Development
The UN Human Development Index (HDI)
Identify the top 10 countries with the highest HDI and the bottom 10 with the lowest
What patterns do you observe on the HDI ranking list?

15. Other Indicators
At your table, choose 3 other indicators from the list of examples on page 42 of your textbook. Discuss the following:
What the indicator might reveal about the social and economic development of the country and how/why;
What the indicator does NOT tell us about the country’s level of development

16. Canadian Geographic ASSIGNMENT – On-Line
Go to our class website and down load the work sheet entitled:
“A Developing World_HDI numbers analysis assignment”
Complete the on-line investigation. Record your answers electronically and SAVE YOUR WORK to your school file.
Print your work when complete and hand in.