Every three years, the United Nations compiles an official list of the most backward countries in the world. This paper uses the politically correct term "least developed". The idea of creating such a list originated in 1971. It includes states that demonstrate the lowest rates of social and economic development. The UN classifies on the basis of three fairly clear features. The group of backward countries includes states that meet the following criteria:
- Poverty (gross national income less than $1,035 per capita).
- Weak human resources (poor nutrition, he alth care and education).
- Economic vulnerability (inability to be self-sufficient in agricultural products, unstable exports of goods and services, and a large number of natural disasters).
In the entire history of the formation of the list of backward countries, only four states were able to leave it and move to a higher category: Botswana, Cape Verde, Maldives and Samoa. The UN expects that over the next decade they willmany more will follow.
Currently, 48 states are officially considered the least developed. Two thirds of the backward countries are located on the African continent. The rest are in Asia, Oceania and Latin America. About a tenth of the world's population lives in such states.
Haiti
This is the only Latin American republic included in the official list of backward countries. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The economy is critically dependent on remittances from emigrants, which provide about a quarter of GDP. Most of the roads are unpaved, making it impossible to use them during the rainy season. About half of Haitians live in slums in extremely unsanitary conditions. High crime rates make middle-class homes look like miniature fortresses surrounded by barbed wire.
The average life expectancy is 61 years. Haiti is one of the most backward and starving countries in the world. Every second citizen of the republic suffers from malnutrition. More than two percent of the population is infected with the immunodeficiency virus. In 2010, a cholera epidemic claimed the lives of several thousand people.
Bangladesh
One of the poorest countries in Asia is included in the ranking of economically backward countries in the world. Two thirds of able-bodied citizens work in agriculture. One of the main problems hindering economic development is the numerous natural disasters. Frequent floodsdestroy rice crops and cause famine. Other problems in Bangladesh relate to poor governance, widespread corruption and political instability. These factors hinder the implementation of economic reforms. The high birth rate in Bangladesh leads to an imbalance in supply and demand in the labor market and rising unemployment.
Afghanistan
The Islamic Republic, torn apart by internal armed conflicts over the past forty years, is one of the most disadvantaged and backward countries in Asia. Almost 80 percent of the population works in the agricultural sector. The extreme poverty of Afghanistan creates serious problems for the whole world. Nearly all of the world's opium is produced by this economically backward country. Russia is one of the victims of heroin coming from Afghanistan. According to UN experts, no country in world history, with the exception of China during the Opium Wars, produced such a quantity of drugs as this Islamic Republic. For most farmers, poppy cultivation is the only source of income available. The average life expectancy in Afghanistan is only 44 years. More than half of the citizens are illiterate.
Somalia
This African republic is conditionally included in the list of backward countries, since at present it is not actually a state. As a result of a long civil war, Somalia broke up into several dozen parts,proclaiming their independence. The central government, recognized by the world community, controls only half of the capital. Power in the rest of the country belongs to separatist armed groups, leaders of local tribes and pirate clans.
Due to the lack of official statistics, data on the economic situation in Somalia can only be obtained from the reports of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Two-thirds of the population are engaged in cattle breeding, fishing and agriculture. Half of Somalis live on less than one US dollar a day. The ability to conduct business is to a certain extent provided by the traditional system of Sharia courts, which are heard by all self-proclaimed separatist authorities.
Sierra Leone
Despite the presence of a significant amount of natural resources, this African state is one of the most backward countries in the world. A brutal civil war between the government and the rebels has destroyed the infrastructure and economy of Sierra Leone. About 70 percent of citizens are below the poverty line. Half of the working-age population works in the agricultural sector.
Sierra Leone is one of the ten largest diamond-producing countries, but attempts to establish strict state control over this sector of the economy do not bring much success. Some of the gems are smuggled into the world market, and the proceeds from them are used to finance various illegal activities.
BSierra Leone has a law on compulsory secondary education for all citizens of the republic, but it is impossible to put it into practice due to a lack of schools and teachers. Two-thirds of the adult population is illiterate.
Rwanda
This African republic was first included in the list of the most backward countries back in 1971. The subsequent tragic history of Rwanda did not allow to improve its socio-economic situation. In 1994, one of the most massive genocides of the 20th century took place in the country. Between 500,000 and a million people died as a result of the ethnic massacre.
Rwanda has very few natural resources. The bulk of the population works on farms using primitive tools. At present, the economy is growing steadily, but the republic has not yet fully coped with the consequences of the civil war. Rwanda can be classified as a backward but developing country.
Myanmar
This state is one of the poorest in Southeast Asia. For decades, Myanmar suffered from inefficient administration and economic isolation. International trade sanctions, imposed to put pressure on the military junta that ruled the country, mostly harmed only the civilian population. The development of the economy is hampered by a lack of educated people. During the military dictatorship, all higher educational institutions were closed. As in other backward countries, the majority of the population works in the agricultural sector. Myanmar ranks second in the world after Afghanistan in terms ofillegal opium.
Laos
This country, located in Southeast Asia, is heavily dependent on foreign loans and investment. The communist government of Laos, following the example of Vietnam and China, has long begun to carry out liberal reforms in the economy, but has not been able to achieve significant success. One of the main problems is the underdeveloped infrastructure. There are no railways in the country. About 85 percent of the working population works in the agricultural sector. In recent years, the noticeable growth of the Laos economy has been due to the tourism industry and the production of electricity exported to neighboring countries.
Kiribati
Many objective reasons hinder the development of a dwarf state located in Oceania. Phosphate deposits, the only mineral in Kiribati, are now completely depleted. This tiny republic only exports fish and coconuts. Poor air communication with other states does not allow the development of the tourism and hotel industries. The main obstacles to economic growth are the country's small area (812 square kilometers), remoteness from world markets and fuel suppliers, as well as frequent natural disasters. The population of Kiribati is about 100 thousand people. The state budget is filled at the expense of international programs of financial assistance to the least developed countries. Australia, New Zealand,Taiwan, Britain, France and Japan are investing in areas such as education and he althcare. Kiribati had the highest rate of tuberculosis infection in the Pacific region. The lack of quality drinking water in this island nation is causing frequent poisoning.
