What Is a Third World Country? Educational Resources K12 Learning, World, Geography Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Have you ever used the phrase third-world country in a sentence?

If you have, you have likely been misusing it. But you're not the only one!

Third-world country is one of the most commonly misused geopolitical phrases. Find out its true meaning and origin to outsmart those around you!

When you first saw the term third-world country, what images came to mind?

Was it pictures of impoverished nations and starving children?

In today's society, a third-world country is used to describe its economic status, but the true meaning of a third-world country has little to do with its developmental status.

The world was divided into categories During the Cold War (1947-1991). Democratic, capitalist countries were called first-world countries. First-world countries were those aligned with NATO.

Communist countries were referred to as second-world countries. Any country not aligned with NATO or communism, thereby not fitting into either of those categories, was referred to as a third-world country.

As you can see, the term third-world country has nothing to do with a country's developmental status. Rather, it is all about its geopolitical alliance.

Since the Cold War ended in the 1990s, first-, second-, and third-world countries are no longer relevant terms.

So, what should you call an impoverished nation?

Watch the video below for some clarification and ideas.

What did you learn?
What would be the best way to describe a country based on its developmental or poverty status?
How will you now refer to an impoverished nation?

Continue to the Got It? section for a quick review.