Generally, most more economically developed countries (MEDCs) are in the northern hemisphere and most less economically developed countries (LEDCs) are in the southern hemisphere. There are exceptions such as Australia and New Zealand. The Brandt Line is an imaginary division that has provided a rough way of dividing all of the countries in the world in to the rich north and poor south.

Many countries in the poor south have become more developed since the 1980s and so many people now think that the Brandt line is no longer useful.

For example, some countries that are considered to be ‘developing’ have experienced rapid growth (especially in manufacturing and tertiary industries) in recent years. We call these countries the newly industrialised countries (NICs) eg China, Brazil and Mexico.

The Concept of Development

Source(s):

BBC