North-South divide
Categories: Economic geography | Demographics
The North-South divide is the socio-economic and political division which exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as the "The North", and the poorer developing countries, or "The South". Although most nations comprising the "North" are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere, the divide is not primarily defined by geography. The term was coined to differentiate the cultural divide between East and West.
As nations become economically developed, they may become part of the "North", regardless of geographical location, while any other nations which do not qualify for "developed" status are in effect deemed to be part of the "South".
The global digital divide is often characterized as corresponding to the North-South divide, however it is interesting to note that Internet use, and especially broadband access, is now soaring in Asia compared with other continents. This phenomenon is partially explained by the ability of many countries in Asia to bypass older Internet technology and infrastructure, coupled with booming economies which allow vastly more people to get on-line.
Commentators predict that within a few years the Internet will be dominated by users located in Asia. Yet most of Asia would currently be classed as part of the "South". So the North-South divide will be become less clear-cut; many users of the internet in the typically richer "North" may become just as disadvantaged as users in the typically poorer "South".
North-South divide in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the term "North-South divide" is also used to refer to the divide between the wealthy South East of England and the less affluent industrial areas of Scotland, Wales and northern England. It is increasingly used as a term of resentment in the North, directed at politicians they consider to be perpetuating this divide (e.g. by investing heavily in developments in the South).
Amusingly, citizens as far south as Nottingham sometimes include themselves in the "underprivileged North" area, while residents of Newcastle and Northumberland regard the whole coutry from Middlesborough down as deserving of the "arrogant Southerners" label - making the supposedly worse-off North a bizarrely exclusive club. This apparent paranoia on the part of Northumbrian citizens was attacked by David Milliband, an MP from the area, who claimed that (if they really wanted to change the situation) they should drop their "victim mentality" and work to make the North better, instead of merely complaining about a perceived lack of government money to the region.