Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the pre-independence, near-subsistence level, moving the island into the upper-middle income group of countries.

FORBES: Seychelles

The ambassador's insistence on hundreds of last-minute amendments brought a flood of counter-proposals from a group of middle-income developing countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Cuba, Syria and Venezuela.

ECONOMIST: United Nations

True, the original customer base of Dollar General was the price-conscious low income group, but it has since expanded its appeal to the middle-class families with its more varied assortment of products readily available at its stores.

FORBES: Discount Retailer Attracts New Investors As It Evolves Into One-Stop Shopping Destination

It is worth noting that there is a group of countries that are both middle-income and fragile.

ECONOMIST: Free exchange

This group, sometimes called MIFFS (middle-income fragile or failed states), includes Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen all large, populous places.

ECONOMIST: Free exchange