what is a second world country

The term "Second World" was initially used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries of the communist bloc. These countries were centrally planned economies and one-party states. Nowadays, the term "Second World" is used to describe former communist countries that are neither prosperous nor poverty-stricken. Examples of Second World countries include almost all of Latin and South America, Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, and many others. In a socio-economic sense, the clearest definition for the Second World would be newly industrialized countries such as Thailand, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil. However, the use of the term "Second World" is outdated and has largely fallen out of use.