Developed nation

The neutrality of this article is disputed.

Developed nations are countries that have achieved (currently or historically) a high degree of industrialization, and which enjoy the higher standards of living which wealth and technology make possible. There is a strong correlation between countries having this type of status and their possessing robust democratic institutions.

Countries not belonging in this category are sometimes euphemistically called developing nations, underdeveloped nations, or, in extreme cases least developed countries. Other terms sometimes used to describe the dichotomy are first world/third world (the second world was once reserved for Communist countries), North/South, or industrialized countries/non-industrialized countries. The term Western countries has similar, though not identical, connotations.

According to the CIA World Factbook, the following countries are considered developed nations:

And according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s list of advanced economies, the following are also considered developed nations:

• Hong Kong
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Taiwan

But not:

• Malta
• South Africa
• Turkey

Additionally, the following East European countries are also commonly considered to be developed due to levels of industrial and infrastructural development, membership of the OECD or the European Union or a combination of these factors:

• Bulgaria
• Estonia
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Hungary
• Czech Republic
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Romania
• Slovenia