A World of Regions

Section 1: The Global Divides: The North and The South

Section 2: Asian Regionalism
 SECTION 1
The Global Divides:
The North and The South
The Global North
The North and South Divide (Rich-Poor Divide) – is the socio-economic political division that
exists between the wealthy developed countries known as the “North” and the Developing countries
(least developed countries) or the “South.”

The Global North

The Global North lay the More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCS) in the world.
Some countries which lay in the North part of the divide are Canada, United States, Greenland, and
Russia. They are considered the “Richer” and more stable countries.

 Comprised of only one quarter (25%) of the total global population

 Richer and more economically developed region
 Accounts for over 90% of all manufacturing industries.
 About 95% of the population have enough basic needs and have access to functioning education
systems.

Yvann Neo Capitan

The Global South
The Global South
The area below the North-South Divide is what is known as the South or the “Poor side”.
These countries are known as developing countries, meaning the GDP, HDI and general standard of
living within these countries are considered inferior to that of countries in the “North”. Some
examples of these countries include Somalia, Vietnam, Haiti, and India.

 Accounts for the three-quarters (75%) of the global population but only accounts a fifth (20%) of
the globally earned income.
 Poor and less developed region
 Relatively low GDP and the high population
 Only 5% of country’s population has enough food and shelter
 Source of raw materials and labor for the “North”
 The economies of most countries in the South rely on imports from the North and have low
technological penetration.

Zarhanna Abdulharid
The Global South
The brandt Line is a visual depiction of the north-south divide. It encircles the world at a
latitude of approximately 30˚ North, passing between North of Africa and the Middle East,
climbing north over China and Mongolia, but dipping south so as to include Australia an New
Zealand in the “Rich North”

It was proposed by Willy Brandt in the 1980s as a way of showing how the world was
geographically split into relatively richer and poorer nations.

Zarhanna Abdulharid
The Third World

The Concept of The Third World and the Global South are the
same – they both refer to the conditions usually found in developing
countries, the Third World is the antecedent of Global South
(Claudio, 2014)

Brylle Umipig
The Third World
Historically, the world was once categorized based on the economic ideology of
Western capitalism against the Soviet Union’s socialism.

Western Capitalism – sustains consumer choice, private property, and economic freedom.
(First World)

Soveit Union’s Socialism – characterized by the state control of means of production,

distribution, and exchange. (Second World)

Nation that did not belong to either types of economies or economic ideology. (Third
World)

Brylle Umipig
The Third World
Third World
• Initially used to refer to the former colonies of European countries.

• The category was expanded to represent countries that were either capitalist
nor socialist.

• Refers to the poor world. (Non-industrialized and Newly Industrialized /

Lack the standard system of banking, finance, and trade.

Brylle Umipig
The Third World

Southeast Asian Countries historically labelled as the Third World, the

term has ended its usage after the Cold War. These countries may be classified
as the Global South though some of their citizens experience the Global North
within their territories.

Brylle Umipig
SECTION 2
Asian
Regionalism
Definition of Regionalism
Regionalism in Asian regionalism refers to the processes and mechanisms through which
countries in Asia come together to promote cooperation, integration, and shared interests within the
region.

Asian regionalism is a new concept among the continental communities. New to cooperation
and collaboration goals, it has the 50-year-old ASEAN group and the failed East Asia Economic
Group (EAEG).

The ASEAN community is comprised of three pillars: political security community,

economic community, and socio-cultural community. Regionalism refers to regional concentration of
economic flows and also pertains to the process of intergovernmental collaborations between two or
more states.

Gene Vincent Padilla

Regionalization vs Globalization
Regionalization – is the "growth of societal integration within a region
and to the often undirected process of social and economic interaction"
(Hurrel, 1995). A process of creating and strengthening economic, political,
and cultural connections within a specific geographical region.

Globalization - It is borderless because globalization promotes

integration of economies across the state border all around the world.

Lady Melodiluz Galope

How Regionalism can Benefit Asia and the World

Regionalism in Asia can benefit both the region and the world in several
ways. Firstly, it can promote regional economic integration, leading to
increased trade and investment. This can also lead to the creation of new jobs
and industries, boosting economic growth. Secondly, regionalism can help to
address common challenges faced by countries in the region, such as climate
change, natural disasters, and security threats. Thirdly, it can enhance
cooperation and understanding between countries, promoting peace and stability
in the region and beyond. Finally, regionalism can also provide a platform for
countries to work together on global issues, such as poverty reduction and
sustainable development.

Ashraf Intimani