

- The two countries I chose are Sudan and Switzerland.
- Sudan is an LDC.
- Switzerland is an MDC.
There are several reasons Sudan is recognized as an LDC (Lesser Developed Country). First and foremost, the multiple civil wars that have occurred due to the northern political, economic, and social domination of the southern Sudanese. The presence of war, especially civil war, presents any country with a great difficulty to become developed. Furthermore, when you have ongoing civil war in an LDC, any momentum towards becoming and MDC is restrained. No true since of government presents Sudan with another ingredient for being an LDC. A country can't get on its feet when the "leaders" are rebels who kill their fellow countrymen; nearly three million deaths have taken place as a combination of the civil war and genocide in Darfur.
The impact violence has on Sudan can be seen in the Sudan pyramid. The base of the pyramid is full, representing a large youth. Sadly, as the pyramid rises, the numbers begin to dwindle rather rapidly. Having a large percentage of a countries population be youthful is also a sign of an LDC.
Sudan's main exports include oil and petroleum products, cotton, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, and sugar. Many of these items, especially oil and petroleum, are needed by the whole world. If Sudan was a peaceful country, I believe these exports would serve as a great foundation to its development. But, once again, the violence halts the process of becoming an MDC.
Switzerland is a perfect example of an MDC (More Developed Country). As the pyramid shows, the amount of people as age increases is fairly equal, unlike that of Sudan. The median age in Switzerland is 40.7, whereas Sudan is 18.9. Another way we can recognize Switzerland as an MDC is by its TFR (Total Fertility Rate), which stands at 1.44. We learned in class that low TFRs represent MDCs and high TFRs represent LDCs.
From age 15 and up the literacy rate of Switzerland is at 99%; just one more sign of an MDC. The median life expectancy is 80.74, which is unheard of in Sudan (50.84); hardly any bar is shown at the height of the Sudan pyramid!
From an LDC to an MDC there are significant changes in how the country is dealing with day-to-day life. Both the Sudan and Switzerland pyramids speak for themselves. Sadly, Sudan's violent history seems to shadow over future hope for development. Switzerland, as an MDC, shows distinct features to backup its success as an MDC!
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