El término división Norte-Sur se utiliza para hacer referencia a la división social, económica y política que existe entre los países desarrollados, también conocidos como países del "Norte" y los países menos desarrollados "Sur". Aunque muchos países que componen este "Norte" se localizan en el hemisferio norte, la división no es totalmente fiel a la división geográfica. En el norte hay cuatro de los cinco miembros permanentes del Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas y todos los miembros del G8. El "Norte" coincide con casi toda la geografía denominada como Occidente y el llamado Primer mundo, con algunos del Segundo mundo. El "Sur" coincide imprecisamente con el llamado Tercer mundo. El término es impreciso, porque cuando las naciones del "Sur" consiguen un cierto desarrollo económico, se convierten en "Norte", independientemente de su posición geográfica. La división se realiza principalmente a partir de factores económicos de los países, aunque combinado con análisis más complejos del nivel de desarrollo y la calidad de vida de la población en cada país, como los que indica el Índice de Desarrollo Humano que, incluyen factores como la longevidad, el analfabetismo, etc. Las causas de la División Norte Sur son complejas y objeto de debate. Algunos analistas la atribuyen principalmente a razones políticas de dominación y desigualdad globales, originadas en el colonialismo europeo, mientras que otros la atribuyen principalmente a deficiencias internas de cada país.

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The North–South divide is broadly considered a socio-economic and political divide. Generally, definitions of the Global North include the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and developed parts of Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand, which are not actually located in the geographical North but share similar economic and cultural characteristics as other northern countries. The Global South is made up of Africa, Latin America, and developing Asia including the Middle East. The North is home to all the members of the G8 and to four of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The North mostly covers the West and the First World, along with much of the Second World, while the South largely corresponds with the Third World. While the North may be defined as the richer, more developed region and the South as the poorer, less developed region, many more factors differentiate between the two global areas. 95% of the North has enough food and shelter. Similarly, 95% of the North has a functioning educational system. In the South, on the other hand, only 5% of the population has enough food and shelter. "It lacks appropriate technology, it has no political stability, the economies are disarticulated, and their foreign exchange earnings depend on primary product exports." Nevertheless the divide between the North and the South increasingly "corresponds less and less to reality and is increasingly challenged." In economic terms, the North—with one quarter of the world population—controls four-fifths of the income earned anywhere in the world. 90% of the manufacturing industries are owned by and located in the North. Inversely, the South—with three quarters of the world populations—has access to one-fifth of the world income. As nations become economically developed, they may become part of the "North", regardless of geographical location; similarly, any nations that do not qualify for "developed" status are in effect deemed to be part of the "South".

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