The Willy Brandt Commission originally divided the countries of the world into two parts based on their per capita income. This is commonly known as the Brandt Line. From here on, the countries of the world were divided into 'North' and 'South' based on their economic potential.
In this sense, the Global South is not a geographical region. It basically includes countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean. The main characteristic of these countries is that they are all part of the developing world.
The countries of the Global South have a shared history of colonial rule, exploitation and development that binds them together. For a long time they have been at the margins of the world system. However, in recent times these countries have been able to bring about significant changes in their status through economic growth, technological advancement as well as dynamic geopolitical and geo-economic drives.