Development Continuum

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What is the Development Continuum?

contemporary way of viewing development

uses HDI to rank countries

sliding scale from least developed to most developed

seen to be more reflective of reality

linear representation

moved away from simplistic views

development seen as a continual process

development can occur in a number of different ways

over time

over space

no real ending point

can regress and move forwards

many intermediates

RICs and NICs

patchwork of countries

rich vs poor

Factors which led to its creation

discrete groups

continuum allows for intermediates

greater variation of development between countries

imply that all countries within one group are the same

e.g. first, second and third world

globalisation

trade barriers

geographical location

political instability

resulted in huge levels of growth and interdependence

movement of primary products cheaper

fewer

removal stimulated international trade

exports

availability of resources

natural hazard prone

"Bad Neighbour"

type of natural resource

e.g.Haiti

Groupings of countries

developing countries

NICs

RICs

oil rich countries

developed countries

centrally planned economies

LDCs

countries at a lower stage of economic development

Newly Industrialising Countries

those that have achieve development through industrialisation in last 40 years

e.g. South Korea

Recently Industrialising Countries

countries such as Mexico which have started industrialisation more recently

e.g. Saudi Arabia and Oman

may have high GNP per capita, but wealth not always distributed evenly

countries with the highest standards and levels of economic development

where the total direction an development of a nation's economy is planned and administered by its government, are now rare

e.g. North Korea

Least Developed Countries

extremely low living standards and associated low life expectancy, poor health and education provision

North/South Divide

Brandt Report, 1980

line which divides richer 'north' countries and poorer south countries

only a broad generalisaiton

at this time, the North accounted for 80% of the global GDP but only contained 20% of the world's population

Brandt Line

provides convenient summary of global development

New Zealand and Australia in Southern hemisphere but are high income countries

middle income countries such as Chile and Argentina in south

reminds us that development is a continuum

countries in many different stages in development process

Development Continuum