tional market where we face perfect and monopolistic competition that is sometimes regarded as important to today's economy as the industrial revolution was in the late 1890's. Today almost everything we do is directly or indirectly related to the international economy. If we look around us, we'll see vehicles, products, and furniture imported from places that we can't even locate in the world's map. Our houses have become global. Nations have found that economic growth is now based on competitive market and trading with each other more than producing all their products at home. Figure 2.4 shows the growth in export volume merchandise exports and production by major groups between 1990 and 1999.
             Still, the issue has introduced several discussions that seem endless, as different matters concerning globalization have been analyzed. Topics such as anti-dumping, intellectual property, trade barriers, the effects on the environment, and many others have been on newspapers, magazines, and journals worldwide. Yet, the most recent and pertinent issue analyzed is the negative and positive impacts of this economic phenomenon on third world countries. Such impacts have fueled people on both sides to an extensive discussion about the benefits and disadvantages of globalization. On one side, advocates of globalization say that it has promoted several improvements in the developing countries' economies. Conversely, critics argue that globalization has actually worsened the economic condition of emergent nations, diminishing the standard of living of their populace. Although advocates of globalization and competitive mark
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