Which countries belong to the Global South. Why are they called that, and which of them supports Russia?
The Global South consists of predominantly poor countries located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is believed that this term, due to political correctness, replaced the expression “Third World countries”. However, these regions are called “south” only formally: for example, countries such as India, Mexico and Oceania are physically located in the northern hemisphere. In fact, the Global South refers to a number of countries whose GDP per capita was less than $15 thousand in 2021.
Global North (red) and Global South (green)
What is the Global South?
The concept of the Global South emerged in 1969. It was first used by the politician Carl Oglesby, who argued that the Vietnam War was the peak of history with the dominance of the North over the Global South. However, in 1991, after the collapse of the USSR, the concept of the death of the “Second World” arose (it included the USSR, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, Poland, etc.), which determined the name for the countries of the “Third World”, that is, states that had not yet reached a high level of industrialization, and, for the most part, were under colonial oppression. It is noteworthy that since 1952, Alfred Sauvy introduced the concept of the “First World”, which meant highly developed capitalist countries (Western Europe, the United States, Japan, etc.) – those that are now called the “Collective West”.
But in terms of geography and finance, the Global South has exceptions. For example, the highly developed “northern” countries include Romania and Bulgaria, which have a GDP of 12.2-14.8 thousand dollars. At the same time, some southern countries with a GDP of more than $15,000 are also considered “northern.” For example, these are Uruguay and Chile. Overall, the Global South accounts for up to 85% of the world’s population and approximately 39% of global GDP. At the same time, Australia, located in the South, is not considered a representative of the Global South, but North Korea, located in the Northern Hemisphere, is still the Global South.
Is the “Global South” and the “Third World” an insult?
The term “Third World” has for some time been the definition of “puppet” states and has been frequently used by the Western media. At some point, the term became almost offensive, although it meant only neutral states that could not or did not want to compete with the countries of the “First” or “Second” World. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, there have been some “shifts” in the redistribution of the world’s wealth. It is believed that by 2030, at least three of the four largest economies in the world will be located in the countries of the Global South. Of the Western countries, only the United States has a chance to maintain its position. In the South, China, Indonesia and India will become flagships.
Before the collapse of the USSR, all countries were conventionally divided into the countries of the First, Second and Third Worlds. After the collapse of the USSR, the Second World ceased to exist, and the “Third World” began to be called the Global South.
There is one more point that determines the ranking among the first, second and third countries: this is the primacy in terms of purchasing power among the BRICS countries. Now these states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and a number of other countries that have recently been added to them) have greater potential than the members of the G7 countries of the Global North. Beijing alone now has more billionaires than New York.
In modern times, South Korea, Israel, and China are excluded from the concept of the Global South, but many countries that are part of the former USSR (former Second World), part of the South Caucasus, and the regions of Central Asia fit the definition of the Global South.
Who does the Global South stand for?
There is an opinion that almost the entire “underdeveloped” Global South has now sided with Russia, supported it, not wanting to take the side of NATO, or remained neutral on the issues of the conflict in Ukraine. This is not entirely true, although in fact Ukraine is supported only by almost the entire West, and the South (also almost all) is only waiting for the right moment to join those who will be more profitable. The fact is that the countries of the Global South mostly immediately ignored the anti-Russian sanctions. From the studies of American analysts, it can be concluded that only the largest economies of the countries of the Global South – China and India – remain neutral on the topic of the special military operation in Ukraine.
But in terms of influencing the fate of the world in general, the states of the Global South may soon find themselves ahead of the rest of the planet, as their political influence is slowly but surely increasing. With the increase in political influence, countries in the Global South are beginning to try to dictate their terms to the world. Among the most notable episodes are China’s mediation in Saudi Arabia’s rapprochement with Iran, as well as Brazil’s attempts to push for a peaceful ceasefire in Ukraine.
At the same time, some geopolitical experts (Kishore Mahbubani, Parag Khanna) express the opinion that the “Asian century” will soon begin. However, political scientists like Oliver Schutenkel report that it is more about the “post-Western world.” There is only one conclusion to be drawn from all this: the influence of the Global South is far stronger today than it has ever been in all the “developing countries” combined.
Is Russia itself the North or the South?
It is worth noting that neither in the past nor in the present, Russia was considered to be part of the South or the North. In general, the entire modern concept of dividing the world is based on the confrontation of Western countries, that is, the United States and Europe, against Russia. Recently, China has joined the major and influential powers on the world stage. This means that, in fact, the struggle for influence on the countries of the Global South is now unfolding between Russia, China and the United States.
But the redivision of the Global South has been going on for a long time, ever since Europeans tried to colonize these countries. In fact, the events that may take place in geopolitics in the coming decades could be as global and all-encompassing as, for example, the Age of Discovery or the Crusades. Time will tell how useful or tragic these events will be for Russia and the world.