The phrase ‘Third World Countries’ originated in 1952 during the time of the Cold War. Alfred Sauvy, a French economic historian, coined the phrase. With the world dominated by two camps, Alfred used this phrase for another group of nations that neither supported the communist nations led by the Soviet Union or the USA and its allies. At times, Third World was taken to be synonymous with the nations that were members of the Non-Aligned Movement, while at other times the term included nations that had a history of colonial rule.
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