A country can either be a peripheral, semi-peripheral, or a core nation. A nation can be referred to as a peripheral if it is underdeveloped in terms of its political and economic structure. This can be seen in the living standard of its citizens, life expectancy, and adult literacy. Peripheral countries are less industrialized and rely on the primary sector. Africa primarily consists of peripheral countries such as Kenya, Egypt, and Senegal. On the other hand, semi-peripheral are industrialized nations and act as mediators in social, political, and economic activities between peripheral countries and core nations. Examples of these nations include Mexico, Turkey, and South Africa.
Being a peripheral country affects the standard of life of citizens. This is caused by the low wages citizens get due to the unstable political system (Harper & Leicht, 2011). There are fewer health facilities, so most children do not even stay alive until adulthood. Illiteracy is also a problem found in peripheral countries, for there are not enough schools to cater to the many children born from low-income families (Harper & Leicht, 2011). Peripheral countries mainly depend on debts offered by the World Bank and core countries, and exports of primary products such as peanuts, coffee, tobacco and fruits.
A semi-peripheral nation also faces some challenges; such nations provide cheap raw materials and labor to core countries. They do not have enough power to dictate on the market rate of their goods. They also have significant debts which are accumulating fast because they are unable to pay them with the little money they get from importing raw materials.
Core countries play a significant role in the world’s economy because they have a well-established economy and political systems. Core countries exploit peripheral countries for raw materials and cheap labor. Core nations determine the cost of production and hence setting the market price of products. Peripheral countries depend on core nations for final agricultural products, for they are not industrialized. So, both core and peripheral countries rely on each other for raw materials, labor, and finished goods interchangeably.
Reference
Harper, C.L., & Leicht, K.T. (2011). Exploring social change: America and the world (6th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.