All Third World countries suffer from some aspects of economic, social, and political underdevelopment. Many countries may be stronger in one quality than they are in another. Economic, political, and social underdevelopment tends to be closely tied to one another. Poverty is one of the most obvious characteristics of Third World countries (Handelman 3). Poverty is defined as a human condition that consists of despair, grief, pain, and inability to afford schooling and medicine. This is a national problem characterized by low GDP, poor infrastructure, a small use of modern technology, and low consumption of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Underdeveloped countries produce less wealth, and in most cases the wealth is inequitably distributed (Handelman 3). The Third World’s most economically advanced area is East Asia, while the poorest regions are South and Southeast Asia (Handelman 4). Low literacy rates due to limited education are the Third World’s biggest problems in terms of social underdevelopment. Many scholars believe that spreading education increases economic development also (Handelman 5). Political underdevelopment is thought to be due to authoritarian systems. Events in the Third World since the early 1980s have shown that authoritarian regimes may be stable in the short run, but they are fragile in the long run (Handelman 8).

Geography is a major factor in understanding the Third World. National divisions and boundaries have been set on each of the continents of the world. There is one world of development with different states holding different places in the first, second, and third sectors of international political economy. A "modern" world came about out of the industrial revolution at the turn of the last century; when the factory and the workplace symbolized the modern life. When the UN was founded in 1945, 61 percent of its 51 members were described as "developing" states. Their numbers have increased to 70 percent of over 160 members and are still growing. The numerous number of states entering the UN has shifted the balance of influence and voting power in the General Assembly from Western to Non-Western control (Weatherby 7). In most cases, when new states move from colonialism to independence, conflicts and violence occur. Diverse ethnic groups, regional loyalties, and military conflict also cause a great deal of violence in underdeveloped countries (Weatherby 10).

Basically, the North is rich (North America, North Africa, Europe, and Japan), and the South is poor. Most people live in the South. Only 20 percent or less of the people on earth are wealthy. The wealthy of the North are literate, industrial, overfed, and has a life expectancy of over 70 years. The poor of the South are illiterate, agrarian, malnourished, and have a low life expectancy (high infancy death rate). The industrial revolution marks the beginning of the gap between the rich and the poor. The Europeans got ahead by using ideas from the poor nations to their benefit. They also started to take over the rest of the world through colonization. There are several reasons that the North is more developed than the South. One reason is climate; it is too hot in the South for human productivity. Religion is another reason; the South is restrictive while the North is more encouraging. Natural resources are the third reason. The South lacks resources because the North took most of them. Supposedly the North raises children to their full potential and the South raise kids to be lazy bum (Lecture notes 1-27).

Third World countries tend to be characterized by the following generalizations. They depend on Western powers. The countries have delayed modernization. A population explosion has taken place in many Third World countries, and they have unequal distribution of wealth. Third World countries were once colonies of major Western powers. Neocolonialism tends to indirectly shape their economic and political systems (Weatherby 11). The other world’s population is growing at a rate of two or three times that of the industrialized world. Birthrates are linked closely to poverty (Weatherby 12). Over half of the world’s people live on an annual per capita income of $800 or less. The per capita income of the US is $15,000, and 9 out of 10 people are literate (Weatherby 13).

The 1990s have marked a rapid change in the world. The peoples of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe are quickly choosing Western ways of elections and providing choices in who will govern. Western European states are moving closer together into an economic entity called the European Union. Today, many countries around the world claim to follow a democratic (a belief in the equality of political and economic rights possessed by all in the society) and capitalist (assuming private ownership of production and trade combined with an unrestricted marketplace) model in which concepts of individual rights and free-market assumptions have importance (Weatherby 6). Following Western ways and democratic and capitalist ways is a good start for change in Third World countries. Some believe that for a traditional society to become modern, education, urbanization, and the spread of mass media are key agents (Handelman 12).

Change is occurring at a speed never before seen in the Third World. It is occurring with inadequate structures and a lack of resources, while leaders are unsure about development goals and strategies for handling chaos. In the Third World, centuries of change have happened in 30 years or less. A father may plow with oxen, a brother may be using a diesel tractor, and a sister may be learning about world economies. People’s lives are being replaced by new and foreign philosophies. As regional wars rise and military power threaten a region, the world will work together to gain stability, world security, and international trade (Weatherby 17). The Third World is getting better, but they have many obstacles to overcome and they need help.