In this chapter:

Most countries depend on other countries in one way or another.

Countries are connected through trade, communications, sport and events.
Australia is a multicultural country.
There are around 200 different nations on Earth.
We are all citizens of the world.
Introduction
Most countries depend on other countries in one way or another. Whether it is for food,
financial support or trade, we are becoming more globally connected. It is difficult for
a country to exist in isolation. When something happens in one part of the world, it can often
affect what happens in other parts of the world.

Australia affects and, in turn, is affected by people and events in other
countries. Through migration, trade, foreign aid and even sporting events, Australia is
connected to the rest of the world.

Australia is a multicultural country; the population is made up of people from all over the
planet. This in itself makes Australia globally connected.
A global village
Did you know that there are about 200 different nations on Earth? Did you also know that
there are approximately 6 billion people in the world? Every single person on our planet is a
citizen of one of those nations, either because they were born there or they have immigrated
and applied for citizenship. We are all citizens of our own country and also citizens of the
world.

We have a responsibility to all the other people living on our planet. As global citizens, it is
our job to do all we can to help each other and make our planet a safe and happy place to live.

Advancement in technology has meant that there have been many changes in the world's
transport and communication systems. These changes have made it much easier to
communicate and travel long distances. That is why the world is sometimes referred to as a
global village.

Our everyday lives
Rarely a day goes by that we are not affected in some way by something or someone from
outside Australia. We are globally connected in many ways, even though we may not always
realise it.
Let's look at a typical daily morning routine.
You wake up to the sound of your alarm clock (made in Taiwan).
You throw off your sheets (made in Spain)
and put some bread in the toaster (made in China)
and spread some jam on it (imported from France),
whilst sipping on a cup of tea (leaves grown in India and packaged in USA)
from a cup (made in Singapore).

You haven't even finished your breakfast, and already you have been dependent on at least
seven different countries.

You check your emails (computer made in Japan)
watch a news item (television made in Korea)
describing an earthquake in Pakistan,
before putting on your cool new sport shoes (made in Bangladesh).
Green Day (US band) play on the radio
as you grab your jacket (made in New Zealand)
and jump into Dad's car (made in Germany)
and head off to school.

If you find all these places on a world map, you will notice that although many of them are a
long way from Australia, they still have a big influence on our daily lives. This is because we
are all globally connected.

Developed countries and developing countries
It is important to remember that not all the countries that are part of our global village are as
lucky as we are. Australia is what is known as a developed country. A developed country is
one where the country is able to provide opportunities for people to enjoy good health and
education. A developed country has the means to do this through revenue raised from
taxation. Some other developed countries include the United States, Germany, Canada,
Norway and the United Kingdom.
Not everyone has the opportunity to lead a long and healthy life, especially if they do not live
in a developed country. Developing countries are those countries that have an extremely low
average income.
Countries in this category include Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Mongolia, Ghana,
Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda.


These countries are so poor their governments cannot raise enough revenue through taxation
to provide essential services for health and education. Poor health and education services
mean that the people in developing countries are often plagued by disease, hunger and
poverty. In addition, people who live in developing countries tend not to live as long as
people from developed countries - that is, they have a low life expectancy.

International bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank exist to improve the
quality of life of the world's population.



The United Nations
In 1945, after World War II, the United Nations was set up in order to promote peace,
freedom and better standards of living. In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San
Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the
United Nations Charter.
In 1994 the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development agreed
on a 20-year action program to work towards these main objectives: better access to health
services; education for all; and the reduction of child, infant and maternal mortality rates

The World Bank
After World War II, representatives from 44 governments came together to develop a strategy
for rebuilding the international economy. A major outcome was the creation of the World
Bank. The World Bank's central mission is to free the world from poverty. The bank lends
money to middle-income, developing countries at interest rates that are much lower than
commercial banks. Countries that borrow from the bank have a long time to repay their loan.
In fact they do not have to begin repaying for several years after the loan is made.