A phase that a nation goes through at some point in its development. Triggered by increases in food production and improvements in
medicine it is described as having three phases:
- 1st Phase - High birth rate and high death rate. underdeveloped but has a stable populace.
- 2nd Phase - High birth rate but low death rate. Conditions are improving so more children are surviving but the population is growing exponentially.
- 3rd Phase - Low birth rate and low death rate. Fully developed and the populace is stable once more.
This period is also characterised by an increase in industry (supported by slave labour), a general
migration of
farmers to the cities (with dreams of becoming rich but actually to become
slave labour) and an eventual improvement in education and working conditions
The first world went through this change during the 18th/19th century (the industrial revolution) and the third world is at present in stage 2 of the transition.
Unfortunately for the third world, its transition did not happen naturally and has been marred by interference from the first world. Multinational companies moved to the third world to exploit the cheap labour and the third world received all of the first world's medical advances instantly. These factors have lead to an extremely sharp decrease in the death rate and the migration has also been much more remarkable than normal. Also, the agrarian revolution hasn't happened yet (mainly because of the barren landscapes) causing mass starvation which is only being eased by food aid from the first world (although, ironically, this 'aid' is exacerbating the nation's poverty and overpopulation problems).
It is possible to look at the third world today and see Europe as it was in the 19th century: Spiralling population, poverty, shanty towns on the edge of cities, slave labour and poor working conditions so hopefully by the 22nd century every country on earth will have reached the 3rd phase of the transition.