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During the [[Cold War]] period '''Third World''' was the official rhetoric used by the [[United Nations]] and in Western [[mainstream media]] to refer to economically undeveloped countries, many of which were unaligned in the competing power blocs the [[US]]/[[NATO]] and [[EU]] or the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]] and its [[Warsaw Pact]] and [[Comecon]] allies.<ref>http://media.transparency.org/imaps/cpi2009/</ref>

During the [[Cold War]] period '''Third World''' was the official rhetoric used by the [[United Nations]] and in Western [[mainstream media]] to refer to economically undeveloped countries, many of which were unaligned in the competing power blocs the [[US]]/[[NATO]] and [[EU]] or the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]] and its [[Warsaw Pact]] and [[Comecon]] allies.<ref>http://media.transparency.org/imaps/cpi2009/</ref> It was usually applied to the mostly undeveloped nations of Africa, Latin America, and Asian countries.<ref>The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989</ref>  

  It was usually applied to the mostly undeveloped nations of Africa, Latin America, and Asian countries.<ref>The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989</ref>  

There terms was considered offensive by many, and after the [[Cold War]], the rhetoric shifted to a two-fold division rather than threefold division.  The "rich" Northern countries and "poor" Southern countries, which became the [[Global North]] and [[Global South]]. However the [[Russian Federation]] in the so-called Global North didn't fit the stereotype of a "rich" Northern country, other than its ability to retain a powerful military establishment. In the 21st century, the Russian federation aligned with the much of the Global South in the [[BRICS+]] organization. The Western-controlled [[G7]] represents in its entirety what's left of the Global North.

There terms was considered offensive by many, and after the [[Cold War]], the rhetoric shifted to a two-fold division rather than threefold division.  The "rich" Northern countries and "poor" Southern countries, which became the [[Global North]] and [[Global South]]. However the [[Russian Federation]] in the so-called Global North didn't fit the stereotype of a "rich" Northern country, other than its ability to retain a powerful military establishment. In the 21st century, the Russian federation aligned with the much of the Global South in the [[BRICS+]] organization. The Western-controlled [[G7]] represents in its entirety what's left of the Global North.