THE WORLD AFTER 1945

Global Issues  Technology  Has changed life around the world and created a global culture by spreading ideas rapidly across borders  Human Rights  Some countries have been accused of denying basic human rights to their citizens In 1948, the UN issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in 1975, the Helsinki Accords  Terrorism  Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence, especially against civilians, to achieve political goals  Globalization  The world has become more united but some countries fear it has been too westernized

End of Colonial Empires  By the 1930s, nationalist movements had occurred in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East  In most areas, people achieved freedom through peaceful means  Around 90 new countries emerged after WWII  The new nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America became known as the “developing world”  All were determined to modernize: build stable governments and developing the country economically

New Nations Seek Stability  People in new nations struggled to unite because of cultural differences  Many countries struggled to maintain control and military and authoritarian leaders often took control They imposed order by building one-party dictatorships  Despite setbacks, democracy did make some progress.  The most immediate threat to these developing nations is overpopulation  High populations make it difficult to ensure democracy, protect the population, and provide basic necessities

The Global Cold War  The United States and the Soviet Union were the superpowers of the post-war world  Each superpower wanted new countries to adopt its ideology (either capitalism or socialism)  Some countries remained nonaligned (not allied to either side in the Cold War)  Their goal was to reduce world tensions and promote economic policies that would benefit developing nations  In Africa, Latin America, and Asia local conflicts grew out of the Cold War  The United States would often support one side and the Soviets supported the other

Regional and Global Organizations  Since 1945, countries have grown increasingly interdependent (dependence of countries on other parts of the world)  The United Nations was set up at the end of World War II as a peacekeeping organization  Regional organizations like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the European Union (EU) have been formed to lower trade barriers and promote free exchange of goods and services  Global organizations like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization (WTO) also promote global trade policies

THE GLOBAL NORTH AND THE GLOBAL SOUTH

Global North  Location: Industrial nations of Europe and North America, as well as Japan and Australia.  Population: 25% of the world’s population  Other Characteristics: wealthy, industrialized, standard of living is high, high literacy rates, basic health services, capitalist economies, supports economic growth, control much of the world’s capital, trade, and technology  Environmental Concerns: acid rain, global warming, oil spills, nuclear power  Depends on the Global South for: low-paid workers, resources (like oil)

Global South  Location: Most nations lie in Asia, Africa and Latin America  Population: 75% of the world’s population  Other characteristics: The “developing world”, underdeveloped and poor, extreme poverty, migration  Obstacles to Development: geography, huge populations, poverty, economic dependence, political instability  Environmental Concerns: high populations have caused over-cultivation  Depends on the Global North for: new technology, aid, technical advisers, and loans