The US versus Japan
The United States of America and Japan have a number of similarities. Both countries are considered to have developed economies. In both countries, the infrastructure is well developed. Technological advancements in both countries have had a great impact on their economy. According to Sassen (2006), the United States has a lot in common with Japan in terms of economic developments. In both countries, average citizens live above the poverty line.
Despite the above similarities, the two countries differ in a number of ways. The population of the United States is estimated to be 314,648,000, which makes it the third most populous country in the world after China and India. The population of Japan is 126,659,683, which makes it the tenth most populous state.
The population density of the US is 33.7 people per square kilometers while that of Japan is 337.1 people per square kilometers, based on the estimates of 2010. Both countries have a very strong economy (Kose & Prasad, 2010). However, the Gross Domestic Product of the United States is stronger than that of Japan. The GDP of the US-based on the purchasing power is $ 15.095 trillion based on the estimates of 2010. During the same period, the GDP of Japan based on its purchasing power was $ 4.440 trillion.
The per capita of the US populace was $ 48,386 according to the estimates taken in 2010, while Japan’s per capita for the same period was $ 34,739. This means that the living standard in the US is better than that of Japan. The above estimates show that the United States has a stronger economy than Japan (Uddin & Tsamenyi, 2010). However, both are developed countries with most of their citizens living above the poverty line.
China versus India
China and India share a number of similarities based on the statistics of the countries. The two countries have had growth for the last fifty years. The two countries have managed to topple some of the economic powerhouses of the First and Second World Wars.
The two are the only countries that have been predicted to have the capacity to surpass the economy of the United States in the near future. This was based on their population and economic growth over the last fifty years. The two countries differ in culture. The cultural beliefs and the tradition of the Chinese sharply contrast that of the Indians. China’s population was estimated to be 1,347,350,000 based on the estimates of 2010.
This makes it the most populous country in the world (Botta, 2011). The population of India is 1,210,193,422 according to the estimates of 2010, making it the second-most populous nation in the world, after China. The population density of China in the same period was estimated to be 139.6 people per square kilometers. The population density for India in that period was 370.7 individuals per square kilometers.
India is, therefore, considered a little more densely populated than China. The Gross Domestic Product of China is much stronger than that of India. Based on the purchasing power, the Gross Domestic Product of China was estimated to be $ 11.299 trillion according to the estimates of 2010.
This makes it the second strongest economy in the world, after the United States (Marr & Reynard, 2010). The Gross Domestic Product for India for the same duration was $ 4.457 trillion, based on the purchasing power. This makes it the third strongest economy in the world after the United States and China. The per capita of China in the year 2010 was estimated to be $ 8.382, while that of India was $ 3.693. The average living standard of China is, therefore, considered better than that of India.
Saudi Arabia versus Mexico
Saudi Arabia shares some similarities with Mexico, just as it differs with it in a number of ways. The cultural practices in the two countries differ. While most of the Saudi nationals (about 93 percent) are Muslims, most of the Mexicans (94 percent) are Christians (Rugraff & Hansen, 2011). The cultural practices and beliefs, including the law of the land in Saudi Arabia, are based on Islamic teachings. The cultural practices and beliefs of the Mexicans are based on Christian teachings. The population of Saudi Arabia was estimated to be 28,476,355 by the year 2010. This makes it the forty-fifth most populous country in the world.
The population for Mexico in the year 2010 was estimated to be 113,910,610, making it the eleventh most populous country in the world. (Asafa, 2010). The statistics show that Saudi Arabia is one of the countries with the least population density in the world. The Gross Domestic Product for Saudi Arabia in 2010 based on the purchasing power was estimated to be $ 733.143 billion, while that for Mexico in the same year was $ 1.661 trillion. The per capita for Saudi Arabia in the year 2010 was estimated to be $ 25,466, while that for Mexico in the same year was $ 14,610. This means that the living standard in Saudi Arabia is better than that of Mexico.
References
Asafa, E. (2010). Intellectual property in Asian emerging economies: Law and policy in the post-TRIPS era. London: Ashgate Publications.
Botta, M. (2011). Merger control regimes in emerging economies: A Case Study on Brazil and Argentina. New York: Cengage.
Kose, M., & Prasad, E. (2010). Emerging markets: Resilience and growth amid global turmoil. New York: Brookings Institution Press.
Marr, J., & Reynard, C. (2010). Investing in emerging markets: The BRIC economies and beyond. Hoboken: Wiley.
Rugraff, E., & Hansen, M. (2011). Multinational corporations and local firms in emerging economies. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Sassen, S. (2006). Cities in a world economy. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press.
Uddin, S., & Tsamenyi, M. (2010). Research in accounting in emerging economies: vol. 10. Bingley: Emerald.