A large number of previously poor nations are now relatively wealthy, in terms of national annual income
Economic groupings
LDCs
Sudan
Ethiopia
Afghanistan
World's poorest low-income nations
This group of around 50
states has sometimes been
described as 'Forth World'
NICs
China
India
Indonesia
South Korea
Mexico
Brazil
Argentina
Middle income nations
Exports and average
earnings have risen at
unprecedented rates since
the 1970s
Asian Tigers
Hong Kong
Singapore
Taiwan
Countries recently joining are
called RICs (recently industrialised
countries)
OECD
Sweden
Spain
Australia
UK
France
USA
Germany
Italy
Japan
Canada
South Korea
Mexico
Organisation of 30 nations
High levels of wealth
are far more evenly
distributed
Standard of living is good
OPEC
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Indonesia
Nigeria
Libya
Venezuela
Iran
Angola
Dubai
Petrodollars
Since the 1960s, many of the
world's major oil producers have
belonged to this organisation
Saudi Arabia
has a GDP of
around $350
billion (2007)
Display well
above average
levels of wealth
Wealth is
unevenly
distributed
G8
UK
France
USA
Germany
Italy
Japan
Canada
Russia
Ex-Soviet States
Russia
Ukraine
Estonia
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan
The break up of the soviet union in
1989 (re)created 15 ex-Soviet
states
Many of which
score poorly in
HDI and GDP
Described as middle to low income
Political groupings
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
Canada, USA and Mexico
Mexico has cheap
labour force, while
the USA has
management and
research expertise
Spatial division of labour
Covers environmental
and labour issues as
well as trade and
investment
US unions argue that the
safeguards are too weak
The USA hopes to expand the area to the rest of Latin
America, creating a free trade area
Countries like Brazil are
sceptical of its benefits
Remains the largest
trade bloc in the world in
terms of combined GDP
EU
Considered the most powerful trading bloc in the world
Economic and political
grouping of 27
European countries
Members contribute to a central European parliament
Can trade and move freely
Have a single currency to strengthen the economic links within the bloc
UK, Austria, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain etc...
CARICOM
Belize, Barbados,
Jamaica, Grenada
MERCOSUR
Argentina, Brazil,
Paraguay,Uruguay
(South America)
COMESA
Angola, Malawi, Zambia,
Kenya (AFRICA)
ASEAN
A geo-political and
economic
organisation
10 countries in Southeast Asia
Aims to include acceleration of economic growth, Social progress, Cultural
development, Protection of the peace, Stability and to provide opportunities
Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand,
Vietnam, Myanmar