Measuring World Development Essay

All the countries of the world fall into either one of these categories: developing or developed countries. Brazil is known as a developing country while Canada is known as a developed country. A developed country is a nation that has a high developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure with a high GDP per capita. On the other hand, a developing country is one that has a less developed industrial base, low human development index with a high population growth.

Development indicators measure different aspects of a countries development. For example, life expectancy gives an idea of how long a person is expected to live in a particular country. The higher the life expectancy, the longer a person is expected to live and therefore you can make conclusions about the countries level of development can such as the country is likely to have good medical provision and public health. However, a high value does not necessarily indicate a high level of development. For example, a low number of people per doctor actually indicates a more developed country as does a low value for birth rate and death rate.

By definition development means ‘the act or process of developing; growth; or progression’. The world’s nation-states are commonly categorized based on their state of development; nations who have reached the end-state, that being developed, are colloquially termed as ‘developed nations’ or ‘first world nations’. In contrast, nations working towards this end-state are referred to as ‘developing nations’ or ‘third world nations’. However obvious or apparent these designations may seem, the constituents affecting the status of a respective nation’s development is quite convoluted. What qualifications do developed nations hold over developing nations; what does it mean exactly to be developed or developing. The process of development is dynamic, and so is the system by which nations received their designation. A series of indicators, institutions and measures are used to assess the state of a nation’s development; historically, these indicators have varied throughout time and space.

Why is it that some countries are classified as developed and others not? What is the criteria used to determine this? Some people believe that within the criteria to evaluate a country’s development, democracy and economic development must be taken into consideration, and that a link exists between them. Democracy can be defined as a form of government in which people choose their leaders by voting, it also implies equal rights and treatment. (Merriam Webster n.d.) By the other hand, economic development can be defined as the progress in an economy referring to an improvement of living standards, the adoption of new technologies and the transition form an agricultural to an industrial based economy. (Business Dictionary n.d.)

Geographers like to differentiate countries by grouping them into developed and developing countries. A developed country is a country that has progressed relatively far during time and has a highly developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure. Some examples of developed countries are the U.S.A, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Netherlands and many others. They are normally the more profound countries that we hear about more often than developing countries. A developing country is a country that is at an early stage in economic development and has a less developed industrial base, and a low Human Development Index (HDI). The Human Development Index is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and income per capita indicators and is used to rank countries into tiers of human development. Having a low HDI means the country has a low life expectancy, a shorter length of education and the income per capita is lower. Some examples of developing countries are Brazil, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, India, Afghanistan, and many others. I plan to bring you into an in depth explanation about the many differences in population studies between Japan and Brazil.

A developed country is a state that has a highly cultivated economy and advanced technological framework as compare to other under-developed nations. The extent of economic development can be assessed by observing the GDP (Gross domestic product), GNP (Gross national product) and Per Capita Income of a country. Few examples of developed countries are include England, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan. Simultaneously, a developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a state that has GDP per Capita less than or equal to $11,905 dollars. It has low standard of living, less developed economy and security. For example, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Peru, Zimbabwe.

Various indicators have been developed to compensate for the limitations of economic growth measurements. Rather than just measuring the economic living standards in a country, development indicators measure the welfare of individuals in that country. The main development indicator used is the Human Development Index (HDI). It was devised by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to measure the economic achievements of a nation in combining economic growth as well as social welfare. The HDI takes into account three major factors:

A developing country, also called a less-developed country (LDC), is a nation with a low living standard, undeveloped industrial base, and low Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. Meanwhile, an industrial country also known as developed country or "more developed country" (MDC), is a sovereign state that has a highly developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less developed nations. Most commonly the criteria for evaluating the degree of economic development are gross domestic product (GDP), the per capita income, level of industrialization, amount of widespread

This paper will discuss the anomally of Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In this discussion I will argue for HDI as a fairer comparison of a country’s overall economic wealth health and social well-being rather than the generally accepted method used by most countries of GDP. HDI allows for a more comprehensive understanding of well-being than purely economic measurements like GDP, and better identifies areas of need within countries. GDP is basicially a measure of a country’s overall economic output. It does not consider GDP per capita. If a country

A developed country is a state that has a highly cultivated economy and advanced technological framework as compare to other under-developed nations. The extent of economic development can be assessed by observing the GDP (Gross domestic product), GNP (Gross national product) and Per Capita Income of a country. Few examples of developed countries are following: England, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan ecectra. Whereas, a developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a state that has GDP per Capita less than or equal to $11,905 dollars. It has low standard of living, less developed economy and security for example, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Peru, Zimbabwe ecectra.

Nowadays, the various economic growth patterns are very common in both emerging and developed economy. The countries that are having most advanced economy and highly developed capital markets with high levels of liquidity is called developed country. Developed countries are mostly located in North America and Western Europe, including nations like the U.S, Germany, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Emerging countries can be identifying with rapid growth rate and development but lower per capita than developed countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, and China, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain. The economic growth of countries can be measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

There have been many discussions to determine development as one of the terms that creates the use of categories, such as developing world, global south, and Third World. Furthermore, the use of the terms also has been questioned and criticised, weather in academic or political and economical term. The article "Geographies of Development: New Maps, New Vision?" describes the terms developing, Third World, or global south as an explanation about the level of development, which has been argued and discussed about the actual means. The question mark reminds the reader about how exactly development shapes new geographical maps, vision, and its consequences. Examination of geopolitics also has been used to comprehend development, since politics and economies are the fields that contribute in shaping the term "development". The article means to deeply discuss about definition of the term Third World, global south, or developing countries, and furthermore gives information in how development as a term evolve throughout the decades, and if the term still relevant today or not. Although with the assumption that development is always for better, it has too be created negative output, depending on its conception and implementation (Potter et al, 2008).

The term "Development" have been intermittently used to describe the effort to lift up the developing nations out of poverty and improve their livelihood. Development is a fondness for big goals and the big plans, however at the same time too rigid to predict what will work in the messy real world. The problem is, many development initiatives have gone wrong, and continue to. In fact, people who work in the various sectors of ‘development’ admit that on a whole development is not working. The reasons for their failure are numerous, ranging from, history, cultural, colonialists, religion, instability, corruption, racism, poor leadership, etc.

There is a distinction between “ends” and “means” of development. “Wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else” (Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics). While economic indicators, that

According to an economist the idea of development is a situation whereby there is an increase in a nations GNP and GDP, leading to an increase in growth .but to a sociologist this is a surface definition as development or rather a country is regarded as developed when such increase is affecting the living condition of its people even to the smallest group in the society. Where we don’t only calculate numbers and figures and structures but can see the positive change of things in the life of the people, both the rich, average and poor. Then such a society would be regarded as developed. For example the living conditions of the USA.