What is the difference between prosperous countries, like the US, JAPAN, and under-develop countries?

Question

Why are the differences so pronounce? What is it.
Is it Race, Natural Resources, or What.
Japan is resource poor, but their economy is good.
Colombia, Mexico and others are Resources rich, but their economics are under-develop.

Answer 1

Developed countries are rich because they are industrialized. It started in England about 200 years ago and is slowly spreading throughout the world. There is no reason to have expected it to occur simultaneously everywhere, and it took a hundred years before the prosperity was shared by working people in England. When you look at the order which countries industrialized geography and trade seems to be at least as important as resources or government policy. It is hard to become a rich nation if your are surrounded by poor ones

Answer 2

Most of those underdeveloped countries are led by oligarchies where all the wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a privileged few. As a result, most of the people live in abject poverty and have very few opportunties to better their lives. If they can, they often will emigrate to a wealthier country in search of a better life for themselves.