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Global North — English
The spatial distribution (see “spatial development”) of the developed (“rich”) countries (see “developing countries”) over the world describes a distinct pattern. Most of the developed countries lie in the northern hemisphere, with two notable exceptions, namely Australia and New Zealand. The developed countries have high per capita gross national products (GNPs), high gross domestic products (GDPs), and high human development indices (HDIs) (see “development” and “developing countries”). From the late 1960s through the 1970s the gap between the developed countries and the developing countries became very pronounced and extremely politicised. A number of international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Union (WTO) intensified investigation into the rich-versus-poor discourse and all its economic and political ramifications. In 1980 the UN published the so-called Brandt Report, named after Dr Willy Brandt, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and respected supporter of the European Economic Community, and then Chairman of the UN’s Brandt Commission. In order to simplify the description of the global spatial distribution patterns of wealth and development, poverty and underdevelopment, the terms “rich North” and “poor South” were created. These two entities are supposed to be separated by the so-called Brandt line (see “development” and “developing countries”). These terms became entrenched in scientific as well as lay literature. When the terms “rich” and “poor” became stigmatised, the use of “global” became habitual. The Brandt line has a very distinguished shape, as it includes Japan and South Korea into the rich North and then dips down south to include Australia and New Zealand into the developed North. Although this line is still being used, it is rapidly becoming obsolete since several developing states are now countries in transition (CITs) and these so-called BRICS countries (see “countries in transition (CITs)”) are not given special recognition by the Brandt line.
