What does "Third world" mean?

Uriel   Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:01 pm GMT
No, Jessica -- The first world includes the rich capitalist, developed countries of the "west" (like the US, western Europe, Australia, plus Japan), the second world included the developed communist nations (The USSR, eastern Europe, China), and the third world involved the poorer, developing nations of Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Jessica   Thu Jul 27, 2006 3:01 am GMT
Hi Uriel, Thank you for posting. :)
Your right. I've searched the Internet and found some Info about the First, Second and Third World.
Thank you again for correcting me. :)

Jessica
Thomas   Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:28 pm GMT
I was surfing the net trying to find some answerers for an assignment on the different classes of countries "first. second and third world countries" And this was extremely helpful just want to say thanks. and also Uriel USSR "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" no longer exists, it collapsed shortly after the second world war.

I realize that this posting must have ended a long time ago but thanks any way for all the help.

Sincearly - Thomas
JM   Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:41 pm GMT
I think Jessica was confusing the "old world" (Europe) vs the "new world" (The Americas) During the cold world the terms "first world" and "second world" where rarely used except in the context of defining the third world.

When referring to the "first" or "second" worlds back then one pretty much only spoke of "communist countries" vs the "free world". (I am speaking from memory here)
Skippy   Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:36 am GMT
Seriously... This is not that complicated and Jessica hasn't said anything offensive...

According to the "western" viewpoint, the First World was developed capitalist countries (US, UK, France, West Germany, etc.). The Second World was the Communist bloc countries (USSR, etc.) and the Third World are underdeveloped nations like the majority in sub-Saharan Africa and several SE Asian nations.

Referring to the "First" "Second" or "Third" World is considered outdated within the International Relations realm, but the terms are still in common use.
Guest   Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:44 am GMT
<<And this was extremely helpful just want to say thanks. and also Uriel USSR "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" no longer exists, it collapsed shortly after the second world war. >>

The USSR collapsed about 45 years after World War 2, which isn't exactly a short amount of time.
Skippy   Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:25 pm GMT
Which I guess can be considered shortly in the grand scheme of things... lol
Thomas   Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:56 am GMT
My mistake...
Guest   Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:39 am GMT
Just read the following links:

Developed Country:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developed_country

Developing Country:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_country

Newly Industrialized Country:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_country
Guest   Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:41 am GMT
opps my mistake, the last link to Newly Industrialized Country was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newly-industrialized_country
Skippy   Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:00 am GMT
"Developing countries" are typically referred to as LDC's (Less developed countries) in international relations...
Guest   Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:18 pm GMT
obviously they don't wanna be rude about it.
rick   Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:38 am GMT
underdeveloped countries like south east asia, has a great potential to become a second or first country, but i confused what is the category of this first, second, and third. because even this first country that you mean was still looking for more.
Guest   Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:54 am GMT
Dividing one world into other subcatagories isn't a form of racism?
Gues   Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:33 am GMT
No, it's intended for a better sociological analysis. There is even the 4th world comprised by poor coutries with are not developing nor are expected to do that in the future: Afghanistan, and some african countries for example. These terms describe social and economic realities, that's all.