Gloria, Lorrie Jane E.

101I

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NORTH and the SOUTH

Summary : “The North–South divide is a socio-economic and political division

of Earth popularized in the late 20th century and early 21st century. Generally, definitions of
the Global North include the G8 countries, the United States, Canada, all member states of
the European Union, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, as well as Australia and New
Zealand and four of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council,
excluding China. The Global South is made up of Africa, Latin America, and developing Asia,
including the Middle East, and is home to the BRIC countries (excluding Russia): Brazil, India,
and China, which, along with Indonesia, are the largest Southern states.”

The North is mostly correlated with the Western world and the First World, plus much of
the Second World, while the South largely corresponds with the Third World and Eastern
world, although Latin America is often thought of as being neither Eastern nor Western. The
two groups are often defined in terms of their differing levels of wealth, economic
development, income inequality, democracy, and political and economic freedom, as defined
by freedom indices. Nations in the North tend to be wealthier, less unequal and considered
more democratic and to be developed countries who export technologically
advanced manufactured products; Southern states are generally poorer developing
countries with younger, more fragile democracies heavily dependent on primary
sector exports and frequently share a history of past colonialism by Northern
states. Nevertheless, the divide between the North and the South is often challenged and said
to be increasingly incompatible with reality.

Is one causing the other?

Yes, as sometimes the South is blessed with a great amount of natural resources and many
kinds of other necessities by the North, as this is the case most of the time the North mainly
buys these resources and harvests it from the South. By doing these the economic status of
the other will more likely be even more in the lower side as these resources are the ways of
attaining a balance and wealthy economy. As for the lack of economical stability the
Southerners will often move and migrate to the Northern side for high-paying jobs and a more
fluid economic system, while this sounds like a huge benefit for the South it also has a different
cause in the North. Making more services available and easy to access, a richer community
with many people doing blue-collared jobs, and an even more relaxing lifestyle. But these
things also has a cause, a really huge amount of unemployment for the North.
Is one exploiting the other?

Yes, for as the North's wealthy economy and advanced technologies can be used to aid the
south's lack of these things, making the North side even more flourishing in the economy while
also making the South an even more advanced state/country. By affecting the other side the
profit from it would be threefold from normal making it a great investments but, with the South's
lack of great economy and advancements in the world at the start of the transforming process
of a greater country makes it a huge risk to take, as for the North not everything has to be that
bad for a balance budget and clear cooperation with the said country it will be a even greater
reward for both sides. A huge leap for its economy and better living conditions, as it will
continuously grow bigger as time passes by.

Is one interdependent or dependent on the other?

As for the North it would be obvious to assume that the North is very dependent for it is more
advanced in almost everything than the South, from its ever rising economy to its most new
and very advanced technologies, it has the power to be always dependent and it will continue
to do so. While the South is interdependent on the North, for it needs this to be able to develop
into a more advanced and stable country. The vicious circle of underdevelopment, linking high
population growth with poverty and environmental degradation, must be overcome by
integrating the objectives and requirements of economic growth, and by ensuring broader
democratic participation of all people, a more equitable sharing of the benefits of the economic
system, and environmental sustainability. Development cannot be measured only in terms of
economic growth, but must also be judged by progress in satisfying basic human needs,
building democracy, respecting human rights, establishing social justice and the rule of law,
and protecting natural resources.