On what does the United Nations base their classification of the world's countries as "developed" or "developing"? 

A)  their degree of political stability and their social equality 
B)  their degree of industrialization and their per capita GDP 
C)  their degree of environmental sustainability and their social equality 
D)  their ecological footprint alone

Developed Countries

Nations with high levels of industrialization, a high standard of living, and developed infrastructure.

Industrialization

The process by which an economy is transformed from primarily agricultural to one based on the manufacturing of goods, involving increased mechanization.

Per Capita GDP

A measure of the economic output of a nation per individual, calculated by dividing the country's gross domestic product by its total population.