Asia, Africa and Latin America: paths of development
Lessons 15 · 1 lessons · Sh. Ergashev, B. Xodjayev, J. Abdullayev. World History (1991–2017): textbook for Grade 11 of secondary schools and for students of secondary specialised and vocational institutions. 1st edition. “Turon-Iqbol”, Tashkent, 2018
15
Main trends in the political and socio-economic development of Asia, Africa and Latin America
Textbook: pp. 68–71
GoalExplain the main paths of modernization in Asian, African and Latin American countries and their common problems.
New words
developing countries · rivojlanayotgan mamlakatlarneoliberal reforms, which reduce the state’s role and open markets · neoliberal islohotlarthe “left turn” (“pink tide”), the election of left-leaning governments in Latin America · «so‘l burilish»urbanization, the growth of cities and of the urban population · urbanizatsiya
Explanation
At the end of the 20th century the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America faced fast-growing populations, poverty, inequality and technological backwardness. After the Cold War the states that had relied on Soviet help (Cuba, Vietnam, Angola) had to look for new development paths. In East Asia South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong became the “Asian tigers” with export-oriented economies, and later China and India grew fast. In Muslim-majority states forms of government are very diverse (monarchies, secular republics, and since 1979 the Islamic Republic of Iran); in some countries political movements built on religious ideas appeared, and sometimes violent extremist groups, whose violence is rejected by Muslim scholars and most states. In Latin America neoliberal reforms were carried out in the 1990s, and in the 2000s discontent with inequality led to a “left turn”. The African Union was founded in 2002, and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with new members from 2024) strengthens the voice of developing economies.
Worked examples
The “Asian tigers”: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong grew by several per cent a year in 1960–1990 and moved from low-income agrarian economies to high-tech industry and services.
The “left turn”: left-leaning forces won elections in Venezuela (1998), Brazil (2002), Argentina (2003), Bolivia (2005) and Ecuador (2006), promising social programmes and redistribution of resource income.
Class activity
Three groups take the three regions (Asia, Africa, Latin America). Each group draws a chain “main problem – attempted solution – result” and presents it briefly.
Practice
1
What do you understand by “developing countries” and what common problems do they face?
Countries with relatively low income whose industry and technology lag behind developed states; they often have fast population growth, and high poverty and inequality.
2
Which four economies were called the “Asian tigers”?
South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
3
From the initials of which countries is the abbreviation BRICS formed?
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
4
Why did the dissolution of the USSR hit states such as Cuba and Vietnam hard?
They had relied on Soviet aid, cheap energy and a ready market; when these were lost, economic hardship grew and new partners had to be found.