Second World

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The three worlds as they were separated during the Cold War era, each with its respective allies.      First World: the United States and its allies.      Second World: the Soviet Union and its allies.      Third World: Non-aligned and neutral countries.

The term "Second World" is a phrase that was used to describe the Communist states within the Soviet Union's sphere of influence or those countries that had centrally-planned economies.^[1] Along with "First World" and "Third World", the term was used to divide the nations of Earth into three broad categories. In other words, the concept of "Second World" was a construct of the Cold War and the term has largely fallen out of use since the "Autumn of Nations" in 1989. Subsequently, the actual meaning of the terms "First World" and "Third World" changed from being based on political ideology to an economic definition (see the terms developed country and developing country).^[1] Since the 1990s, "Second World" countries situated in Central Europe are considered part of the "First World", while their Asian counterparts (and Cuba) are regarded as "Third World" countries.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• First World
• Third World
• Three Worlds Theory
• Fourth World
• Second Superpower
• Human Development Index
• Cold War

[edit] References