What Is the Development Gap?

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The development gap is a term used for defining the differences between the most and least advanced countries. It is another way of referring to nations that enjoy first, second and third world statuses. It defines how far apart countries are in terms of development, economy and education. The development gap also refers to the hemispheric divide between the north and south.

The development gap refers to the space between nations demographically, economically and developmentally. This gap is measured based on the industrial progress and infrastructure capabilities of a country and ranks it in comparison to global standards. By putting this sort of ranking system in place, it is easy to determine the countries that are doing best and the countries that are in need of better management and updating.

There is a widening gap between the greatest nations in the world and those that are most impoverished and least developed. Many of these territorial splits are defined by positioning in relation to the equator such that the development gap is also referred to as the north-south split. Differentiating between first world nations and third world nations allows for better recognition of the areas most in need of assistance. This measurement is also useful in showing how some regions are improving while others are on the decline.