ASIA OUTLOOK

By Christine Casati

Regional Developments In The Global South Part 1

Where is “The Global South”?

This term has slowly morphed from referring to post-cold War disadvantaged “Third World” countries not aligned to wealthy capitalist powers or former colonial spheres of influence (mainly in Asia, Africa, and Oceania) into a “meta” category of decolonized and/or peripheral, marginalized nation-states, mostly dense- ly populated, low-income and located south of Europe and North America. Hence, you also hear the term North/ South Divide. It does not just refer to countries in the “hemispheric south.”

The current rise in the use of the term Global South reflects the growing focus on collective economic and geopolitical power rather than local development and cultural differences. Most of humanity resides in The Global South. The largest Southern nation-states are Brazil, India, Indonesia, China (except Hong Kong), Nigeria, and Mexico. Examples of some other important Global South nations located in Asia besides India and China are Bangladesh, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand, and Viet- nam. The term covers Taiwan as well.