You underdeveloped countries are those that have low economic and social development, marked by inequality, according to the criteria established by the United Nations Organization (UN). They are also known as least developed countries or least developed countries.
It is important to emphasize that the term underdeveloped, emerged after the Second World Warto name nations that needed advances in social and economic aspects, it fell into disuse from the 1990s onwards, being then replaced by the terms "under development" or "emerging". Therefore, it is common to find classifications in which underdeveloped countries are considered developing countries.
Read too:Developed countries
List of underdeveloped countries
The list* from underdeveloped countries, below, follows the UN classification referring to low income, social fragility and economic vulnerability.
Underdeveloped countries are considered, according to the UN:
Niger - HDI: 0.354
Democratic Republic of Congo – HDI: 0.457
Mozambique – HDI: 0.437
Burkina Faso – HDI: 0.423
Mali – HDI: 0.427
Eritrea - HDI: 0.417
Burundi - HDI: 0.417
Sierra Leone – HDI: 0.419
Guinea-Bissau – HDI: 0.455
Afghanistan – HDI: 0.498
*HDI: 2017 data
Classification criteria of an underdeveloped country
The UN considers three criteria to classify a country as underdeveloped. By surpassing these criteria, the country is no longer classified in this way. Are they:
economic vulnerability |
A country that presents instability in agricultural production, exports and has a population that moves due to natural disasters that devastate the country. |
social weakness |
A country with low social indicators that take into account health, education and nutrition. |
low income |
Country that presents GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita below 750 dollars. At over 900 dollars, the country leaves the list of underdeveloped people. |
Characteristics of underdeveloped countries
The characteristics of underdeveloped countries refer mainly to economic and social aspects.
→ Economic aspects
Underdeveloped countries are characterized by having low economic development and low level of industrialization. This means that these countries are economically dependent in relation to developed countries. This dependence is due to the fact that these nations were exploited and colonized, presenting, until today, marks of this exploitation.
In relation to Gross Domestic Product — which represents the monetary value of the goods and services produced by the country over a year — is low. O per capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product divided by the number of inhabitants) does not exceed $750. In these countries, the economy is mainly based on the primary and tertiary sectors.
Another characteristic, related to the economy and investments, is the low scientific development. The lack of investment of capital causes deficiency in the technological field, preventing the country from developing.
→ Social aspects
The main indicator of a country's social development is called HDI (Human Development Index), which compares the development of countries according to criteria such as education, longevity and income indicators.
The HDI has a reference that ranges from 0 to 1. The closer the index is to 1, the better the living conditions, education and income in the country. The closer it is to 0, the worse the quality of life in the country.
Therefore, the underdeveloped countries have low HDI, therefore, are closer to 0, fitting the UN criterion of social fragility. THE Life expectancy in these countries is reduced. The population growth rate is high, as well as the birth and death rates.
Usually, these countries find it difficult to serve the population, lacking public policies aimed at health, education and culture.
Differences between developed and underdeveloped countries
Developed and underdeveloped countries present differences in all aspects. With regard to development, developed countries have a high industrialization level, which does not occur in underdeveloped countries, which present late industrialization.
Between the economic aspects, one of the most relevant in the comparison of these countries is the Gross Domestic Product. Developed countries have high GDP, while underdeveloped countries have low GDP. For example:
Norwegian GDP: 398.8 billion USD (developed country)
Niger GDP: 3.774 billion USD (underdeveloped country)
Also in the economic aspect, there is also the per capita income. In developed countries, per capita income is high and generally evenly distributed. In underdeveloped countries, per capita income is low and heterogeneously distributed. In the latter, there is much concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.
You industrialized countries they are dominant in the economy, presenting a stable economic development and having their income generated by the industrial sector. already the late industrializing countries are economically exploited, showing dependence on developed countries. The economy of underdeveloped countries is mainly based on the agricultural sector. Its revenues are generated by the primary and tertiary sectors.
know more:What are the sectors of the economy?
In relation to social aspects, the HDI it is very relevant to make the comparison between countries. Developed countries present high HDI, as well as high is the life expectancy. In underdeveloped countries, the opposite occurs. HDI is low, as well as life expectancy.
Demographic Indicators, such as the birth rate and death rate, also play an important role. In developed countries, there is greater birth control and more efficient public policies in the health sector. Which is also reflected in the mortality rate. Both are reduced in these countries. In underdeveloped countries, birth and death rates are high, considering that programs aimed at health and education are inefficient. These countries face numerous social problems, such as high rates of violence and high rates of illiteracy.
Underdeveloped countries of America
Haiti is considered, according to UN criteria, an underdeveloped country with high social fragility.
O Haiti is the only country considered underdeveloped on the American continent and, according to the Human Development Index and the criteria established by the UN, it is the poorest country in America. The country is experiencing a dramatic scenario both economically and socially and politically.
Haiti, in addition to facing corruption frames alarming, according to reports by the Corruption Perceptions Index, it has also suffered, throughout its history, 32 coups d'etat. Corruption, related to a large network of diversion of funds, is associated with poverty rates in the country, which is experiencing periods of extremely high inflation.
The country suffers countless social problems mainly with regard to health. Trafficking rates are alarming, people live in poverty and are malnourished, and education in the country is precarious. The country receives help from programs such as UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). UNICEF, together with the government, promotes vaccinations, such as the vaccination program against cholera, a disease that killed around 10,000 Haitians.
All these problems are aggravated by the numerous environmental disasters that plague the country. Haiti has faced several earthquakes and hurricanes of catastrophic proportions. Many people leave the country in search of better living conditions, and according to the World Food Program, around 140,000 people live in temporary shelters in the country.
know more: Haitian Immigration in Brazil
Is Brazil an underdeveloped country?
First, it is important to emphasize that many classifications seek to segment countries according to their levels of development. These classifications are not based on the same criteria, therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the criteria used for each one of them, in order to understand the economic and social development of a country.
about the Brazil, we know that, historically, it was an exploration colony, dominated and exploited for a long period. Such actions left marks of dependence and fragility in the country. Brazil, for a long time, was considered an underdeveloped country and even today presents characteristics that the refer to this underdevelopment, such as social fragility, hunger, inequality and the concentration of income.
Read too:Phases of colonization in Brazil
However, many classifications frame Brazil as a developing country, that is, a country that presents social ascension, improvement of social indicators and growing economic and industrial development, despite slow. You developing countries they present medium levels of social and economic development and also the potential to become large economies over the years, as is the case in Brazil. Thus, despite still showing characteristics of underdevelopment, Brazil is currently considered a developing country.
Summary
Underdeveloped countries are, according to the United Nations, those that:
- have reduced social and economic development;
- have low social indicators;
- its economy is mainly based on agriculture and the service sector;
- present late industrialization.
- they were normally exploration colonies, so they are economically dependent on developed countries.
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*Image credit: naTsumi/ shutterstock
