Periphery countries

In World Systems Theory, the periphery countries (sometimes referred to as just the periphery) are the countries which are not as developed as the semi-periphery countries and the core countries.

These countries usually receive a disproportionate small share of global wealth. They have weak state institutions and are dependent on - according to some, exploited by - the more powerful countries.

Background

Periphery countries are those which reside on the outer edges of global trade. There could be many reasons for a country to be considered peripheral. Some of the the reasons would be a non-functional or non-efficient government, wars, non-central location, insufficient infrastructure. Sometimes countries can just decide to be isolationists such as China in the 14th century.

Rising up

Periphery countries are continuously exploited by core countries due to the exportation of surpluses of raw goods to the more technologically industrialized core countries for manufacturing and distibution. Recently some of the manufacturing has been moved to periphery countries but it is still controlled and owned by the core countries. There are, however, ways in which periphery countries can rise from their poor status and become semi-periphery countries or even core countries.

Ways to escape

There are several ways in which periphery countries are able to escape their poor status. Some of these ways are stabilizing their governments, becoming more industrialized, having a better education system, and using natural resources to benefit themselves rather than core countries.

See also

• Core-periphery
• Dependency theory
• Developing country
• Third World