Glossary


*This glossary will evolve as new topics are discussed on this blog. Please check back for updates.

Glossary of Terms



Agriculture: The provision of goods and food through farming.

Child labor: For children aged 5–11 years: at least one hour of economic activity or at least 28 hours of domestic work a week. For children aged 12–14 years old: at least 14 hours of economic activity or at least 28 hours of domestic work a week.

Communicable disease: One that can be communicated from one person to another.

Corruption Perceptions Index: A measure of the level of public-sector corruption, based on 13 different expert and business surveys that ask questions relating to the abuse of public power for private benefit.

Decile: One of 10 equal parts (a tenth, or 10% of a whole).

Democracy Index: The Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation; and political culture.

Developing countries: Poor, or non-industrialized, countries.

Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY): The equivalent of one year of healthy life lost due to illness and disability.

Gender Empowerment Measure: An evaluation of the extent to which women are able to actively participate in economic and political life, and to take part in decision-making.

Gini index: A measure of inequality based on the Gini coefficient, which compares actual distribution to an equal distribution. In the representation in this atlas, a value of 100 = absolute inequality. A value of 0 = absolute equality.

GDP/GNP/GNI: Measures of the annual output of goods and services from a country or region. Gross Domestic Product includes all production within that territory (domestic production). Gross National Product includes the production owned by nationals (citizens) overseas. Gross National Income (GNI) is a variant of GNP. All three are frequently divided by total population to produce a rough measure of productivity per capita (person), and an even more approximate measure of average income.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC): Forty countries defined by the HIPC Initiative of the IMF and the World Bank as potentially eligible to receive debt relief on the basis that they have “a proven track record in implementing strategies focused on reducing poverty and building the foundation for sustainable economic growth.”

Human Development Index: A combined measure of social development, based on life expectancy, literacy and enrolment in education, and GDP (PPP) per capita.

Industrialization: The process through which industrial

capacity is created. The increased productivity, and increased range, of goods and services arising from industrialization bring the potential for higher living standards.

Industry: The mining, manufacturing and energy sectors of production. Also refers to a constant process of technical and social change that continually increases society’s capacity to produce a wide range of goods.

Infectious disease: see Communicable disease

OECD: The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its 32 members, which represent the world’s major free-market economies, meet for discussions, and make legally binding agreements.

Map projection: A representation of the globe on a flat surface. “Projections” involves compromise. This atlas uses the 1913 Winkel Tripel projection. The “Tripel” refers to the three elements of area, direction and distance. Cartographer Oswald Tripel minimized distortion in all three elements.

Non-communicable disease: A disease that cannot be caught from another person. The risk of developing certain of these diseases is known to be influenced by factors such as life-style.

Poverty: While conventional definitions focus on the absence of wealth or material possessions, research using the perspectives of poor people recognizes that poverty also involves vulnerability and exclusion from society.

Poverty gap: The depth of individual or household poverty, measured in terms of the distance between the poverty line and the income of an individual or household whose income is below the line.

Poverty line: A level of personal income below which someone is deemed to be living in poverty. These levels are often set nationally, either as a percentage of the average income or in relation to the price of basic goods. Internationally, the threshold of $1, or more recently, $1.25, a day is used.

Purchasing Power Parity: PPP rates of currency exchange take account of price differences between countries by comparing the cost of a common basket of commodities in every country. This facilitates comparisons of real values for income, poverty, and consumption.

Quartile: One of four equal parts (a quarter, or 25% of a whole).

Quintile: One of five equal parts (a fifth, or 20% of a whole).

Services: Intangible products such a banking, insurance, accounting, medicine, cleaning.

Years of life lost (YLL): Number of deaths multiplied by the remaining life expectancy at the age at which death occurs.


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