This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ruhrjung (talk | contribs) at 07:48, 2 June 2003 (Russia hardly a developed country (if Greece, Spain and Portugal doesn't fit)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 07:48, 2 June 2003 by Ruhrjung (talk | contribs) (Russia hardly a developed country (if Greece, Spain and Portugal doesn't fit))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Developed nations refers to those countries that have achieved (currently or historically) a high degree of industrialization, and which enjoy the higher standards of living in the world today. There is a strong correlation between countries having this type of status and them possessing strong democratic institutions.
Countries not belonging in this category are sometimes euphemistically called "developing nations" or underdeveloped nations. Other terms sometimes used are first world/third world (the second world was reserved for Communist countries) or industrialized countries/non-industrialized countries. The term "Western countries" also somewhat refers to developed countries, but not completely.
Countries clearly assigned to this category include: