The current political map of the world is represented by almost 230 countries and territories, and about 190 are sovereign ones. Among them there are huge areas, such as Russia, the USA, and there are small ones - the Vatican and Liechtenstein. Some countries are rich in nationalities and peoples, while others are rich in natural resources. Huge statistical work is being done to highlight country classifications .
It is hard to imagine what our world would be like if it were one big country. He would have possessed the uniqueness that all the countries of the world bear, their customs, traditions, culture. Indeed, the uniqueness of history, the formation of the economy, politics and social life of citizens is of great interest to everyone. The development of capitalism has also played a role in many ways. Some countries have tried to skip some evolutionary stages, and therefore are now exactly where they are. Countries are very different and can be divided according to different typological characteristics. The diversity of countries in the modern world shows the historical path of human development, so that we have the opportunity to track the main stages of development of society and all its elements. The experience gained during such studies is extremely important for building a successful global economy and providing sufficient income for all people.
Economic classification
Many people remember: school, the theme "The diversity of the countries of the modern world", geography, grade 10. And a teacher who talks about the fact that countries are developed, in transition and developing. And at the heart of this classification is the development of a market economy. It is she who is one of the key factors for the successful functioning of the country.
To determine which category a particular country belongs to, researchers take into account such indicators as the standard of living of the population, gross domestic product, the structure of the economy by industry, and the degree of development of information technology.
Economically developed countries
Let's go back to school. All the same geography lesson "The diversity of the countries of the modern world." The teacher asks Ivanov, but what exactly are economically developed countries? And he can’t answer anything, except that "developed means developed." Indeed, it is necessary to understand who lies behind the concept of "developed country".
G7 countries: USA, UK, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, Italy are typical examples of developed countries. After analyzing their situation, we can say that the signs of the country's development are:
- good standard of living of people;
- manufacturing and services dominate gross domestic product;
- society is highly informative and, in general, information technology is at a high stage of its development.
Due to the different speed of economic development and the characteristics of countries, there are subtypes of economically developed countries:
- the main ones;
- economically developed countries of Europe;
- countries of "resettlement capitalism".
Major countries
As noted above, the countries of the Big Seven belong to the main countries. In world production, they occupy the lion's share: more than 50% of industry and 25% of the entire services sector. Given the fact that the number of major countries is several times smaller than the number of remaining, the scale of their activities can be considered huge, and the economy is powerful. They contribute to the diversity of countries in the modern world. Grade 10, already mentioned, asked an interesting question: where does Russia belong? Researchers are not yet able to give an exact answer and are debating which group it belongs to. But the majority of opinions at the moment - Russia belongs to economically developed countries.
Economically developed countries of Europe
The diversity of the countries of the modern world in this category is represented by Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, the Scandinavian countries, etc. When we pronounce these names, the image immediately comes to mind: political stability, people live well, high gross domestic product, import and export are almost in perfect ratio.
How do they differ from the main countries? The international division of labor matters here. The economically developed countries of Europe are more narrowly specialized, therefore they are more dependent on the income that banking, tourism, trade in the form of mediation give them, etc.
The countries of "resettlement capitalism"
This category includes former colonies of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of South Africa. These countries are characterized by the preservation of their international specialization - they export raw materials and agricultural products. What distinguishes them from developing countries is the fact that specialization in the agricultural and raw materials industries is based on high labor productivity, and a developed domestic economy also contributes to this.
Countries with economies in transition
It was the turn of the teacher’s questions to answer Soloviev. But he is not afraid of anything, because geography is his favorite lesson. The variety of countries in the modern world does not scare him either. Soloviev clearly answers (and correctly) that countries with economies in transition are characterized by the fact that they are currently undergoing various processes to transform economic activity towards the introduction of market mechanisms.
Such countries include the countries of Eastern and Central Europe (formerly socialist), the Baltic states, as well as the CIS. In these world entities, the institution of private property is strengthening in the economy, the centralized economy is being replaced by the "invisible hand of the market", the consumer market is saturated with a variety of goods. Some countries were able to make this transition soft with the help of “velvet” revolutions, that is, they carried out gradual reforms without strong social upheavals. The economic and economic ties that have developed over decades have been "destroyed" in a civilized manner.
Developing countries
The lesson "The Diversity of the Countries of the Modern World" continues. Grade 10 finds it difficult to answer the question of which countries are developing. And how do they differ from countries with economies in transition. Developing countries - this is the vast majority of countries around the world, there are about 132. Asia, Africa and Latin America are places of their concentration. Among them you can see many former dependent and colonial countries. Here 80% of the total population lives.
Developing countries are characterized by the fact that they have already made the transition to a market economy, but they are highly dependent on exports, especially exports of fuel and raw materials. Economic processes in such countries are built on the relationship with the economies of developed countries. Developing countries are characterized by low and medium income levels.
Physical-geographical countries
We consider the diversity of countries in the modern world and move on to another criterion for their typology. Countries are also divided according to physical and geographical characteristics.
The school does not pay much attention to this criterion, since economic classification is considered the most important given the processes of globalization and integration taking place in society. But in order to see the fullest picture of our world, teachers should include this typology in a lesson. The diversity of the countries of the modern world in this case looks like this: the unity of the geostructure and the movement of the earth's crust and the uniformity of the relief are determined by such zone countries as the Arctic, North, East and Middle Europe, the Mediterranean, Central, East, North, Southeast Asia, etc.
Historical and cultural classification
History and culture also contribute to the diversity of the countries of the modern world. Their main types according to these criteria are, for example, Western and Central European, Eastern European, Caucasian, Central Asian-Kazakh, Siberian, Central African, etc. The historical and cultural classification is very extensive and, like no other, reflects the real diversity of the countries of the modern world.
In this typology, countries are distinguished by a common historical destiny, the development of the social and economic sphere, the development of cultural traditions, customs and way of life. Material and spiritual culture (folklore, traditional arts, national rites) is the main manifestation of historical and cultural countries. The historical and cultural classification is a pillar and base for research work in ethnography - the science of the characteristics of any nation.
The variety of countries in the modern world is huge. Each country is unique - its own historical traditions and mentality, economy and politics, social sphere and culture. The typology of countries helps researchers see global trends and patterns in the development of our society. And knowledge of certain laws can help prevent global crises and solve universal global problems. Indeed, international integration, like any phenomenon in our lives, has two sides - the pros and cons. And it remains in the power of people to prevent a large influence of minuses on world well-being, a calm environment and a decent standard of living for each person.