Least Developed Countries in the World

First posted 1/10/14

Least developed countries suffer conditions of extreme poverty, ongoing and widespread conflict (including civil war or ethnic clashes), extensive political corruption, and lack political and social stability. The form of government in such countries is often authoritarian in nature, and may comprise a dictatorship, warlordism, or a kleptocracy. AIDS is a major issue in many of these countries. The majority of LDCs are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over population and lack of proper distribution of wealth and resources is also a common matter within the LDC countries.

According to info I found on the web at NationsOnLine.org, there are 10 countries in Asia that meet the criteria for Least Developed Country status.  My travels have/hopefully will include 3 of the 10 - Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

This is the definition of NationsOnLine.org:

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) The world´s most impoverished and vulnerable countries. The least developed countries (LDCs) are a group of countries that have been classified by the UN as "least developed" in terms of their low gross national income (GNI), their weak human assets and their high degree of economic vulnerability.  keywords: United Nations classification, least developed countries, LDCs, countries of the third world, poorest countries

	List of Least Developed Countries
	Definition of least developed countries. The term "Least Developed Countries (LDCs)" describes the world's poorest countries with following 3 criteria:     Low-income criterion based on a three-year average estimate of the gross national income (GNI) per capita (under $750 for inclusion, above $900 for graduation)   Human resource weakness criterion involving a composite Human Assets Index (HAI) based on indicators of:  (a) nutrition; (b) health; (c) education; and (d) adult literacy.   Economic vulnerability criterion based on indicators of the instability of agricultural production; the instability of exports of goods and services; the economic importance of non-traditional activities (share of manufacturing and modern services in GDP); merchandise export concentration; and the handicap of economic smallness.