The political map and the classification of countries

A country’s level of development is judged by several criteria: total GDP and GDP per person, the sector structure of the economy, the commodity structure of exports, and the standard of living. GDP is the value of all goods and services produced within a country in one year. The UN divides states into three blocs: developed, developing and economies in transition. Developed countries have high GDP per person (the textbook gives a rough threshold of over 25,000 dollars), many finished goods in exports, and high levels of education and healthcare. Among them the Group of Seven (G7) stands out: the USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Developing countries (most of Asia, Africa and Latin America) form the bloc with the most people; they include key states such as China, India, Brazil and Mexico, the oil-exporting Gulf states, and the least developed countries (more than 40, mostly in Africa). The former Soviet republics, Eastern European states, Mongolia and Uzbekistan are counted as economies in transition.