The Economic Geography Of Production Trade And Development

Technological progress has led to rapidly declining costs for transport and communication; trade integration via NAFTA or the EU reduces the costs of economic distance even further. This can have substantial consequences for the distribution of industries between peripheral and core regions. Based on recent advances in modeling economic geography, this study shows the forces that influence the degree of economic concentration in the course of economic development and globalization. The models are based on trade costs and economies and diseconomies of scale, all of which are found to be empirically relevant factors for spatial concentration. The study finds that in early stages of economic development, rising GDP levels and lower trade costs increase spatial concentration, while they decrease concentration in later stages, so that it peaks at per capita incomes of around US $12,000. Moreover, the historic degree of spatial concentration is found to have a long-lasting influence in the cross section of countries under study.

Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development. The transformations along these three dimensions density, distance, and division are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe are changing in ways similar in scope and speed. 'World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography' concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged. The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues. Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's 'bottom billion', while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced. The WDR has a different message: economic growth is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress. The Report: documents how production becomes more concentrated spatially as economies grow. proposes economic integration as the principle for promoting successful spatial transformations. revisits the debates on urbanization, territorial development, and regional integration and shows how today's developers can reshape economic geography.

Today’s rapidly flowing global economy, hit by recession following the financial crisis of 2008/9, means the geographical economic perspective has never been more important. An Introduction to Economic Geography comprehensively guides you through the core issues and debates of this vibrant and exciting area, whilst also exploring the range of approaches and paradigms currently invigorating the wider discipline. Rigorous and accessible, the authors demystify and enliven a crucial subject for geographical study. Underpinned by the themes of globalisation, uneven development and place, the text explores the diversity and vitality of contemporary economic geography. It balances coverage of 'traditional' areas such as regional development and labour markets with insight into new and evolving topics like neoliberalism, consumption, creativity and alternative economic practices. An Introduction to Economic Geography is an essential textbook for undergraduate students taking courses in Economic Geography, Globalisation Studies and more broadly in Human Geography. It will also be of key interest to anyone in Planning, Business and Management Studies and Economics.

The authors show how a common approach that emphasizes the three-way interaction among increasing returns, transportation costs, and the movement of productive factors can be applied to a wide range of issues in urban, regional, and international economics. Since 1990 there has been a renaissance of theoretical and empirical work on the spatial aspects of the economy—that is, where economic activity occurs and why. Using new tools—in particular, modeling techniques developed to analyze industrial organization, international trade, and economic growth—this "new economic geography" has emerged as one of the most exciting areas of contemporary economics. The authors show how seemingly disparate models reflect a few basic themes, and in so doing they develop a common "grammar" for discussing a variety of issues. They show how a common approach that emphasizes the three-way interaction among increasing returns, transportation costs, and the movement of productive factors can be applied to a wide range of issues in urban, regional, and international economics. This book is the first to provide a sound and unified explanation of the existence of large economic agglomerations at various spatial scales.

The turbulence of the current times has dramatically transformed the world’s economic geographies. The scale and scope of such changes require urgent attention. With intellectual roots dating to the nineteenth century, economic geography has traditionally sought to examine the spatial distributions of economic activity and the principles that account for them. More recently, the field has turned its attention to a range of questions relating to: globalization and its impact on different peoples and places; economic inequalities at different geographic scales; the development of the knowledge-based economy; and the relationship between economy and environment. Now, more than ever, the changing fortunes of peoples and places demands our attention. Economic Geography provides a stimulating and innovative introduction to economic geography by establishing the substantive concerns of economic geographers, the methods deployed to study them, the key concepts and theories that animate the field, and the major issues generating debate. This book is the first to address the diverse approaches to economic geography as well as the constantly shifting economic geographies on the ground. It encompasses traditional approaches, albeit from a critical perspective, while providing a thorough, accessible and engaging examination of the concerns, methods and approaches of the ‘new economic geography’. This unique introductory text covers the breadth of economic geography while engaging with a range of contemporary debates at the cutting-edge of the field. Written in an accessible and lucid style, this book offers a thorough and systematic introductory survey. It is enhanced by pedagogical features throughout including case studies dealing with topics ranging from the head office locations of the Fortune 500, Mexico’s maquiladoras to China’s investments in Southern Africa. This book also contains exercises based on the key concepts and annotated further reading and websites.

Today's rapidly flowing global economy means the geographical economic perspective has never been more important. This book guides students through the core issues & debates of this area, whilst simultaneously exploring the range of approaches currently invigorating the wider discipline.

The need for a better understanding of the role location plays in economic life was first and most famously made explicit by Bertil Ohlin in 1933. However it is only recently, with the development of computer packages able to handle complex systems, as well as advances in economic theory (in particular an increased understanding of returns to scale and imperfect competition), that Ohlin s vision has been met and a framework developed which explains the distribution of economic activity across space. This book is an integrated, non-mathematical, first-principles textbook presenting geographical economics to advanced students. Never avoiding advanced concepts, its emphasis is on examples, diagrams, and empirical evidence, making it the ideal starting point prior to monographic and journal material. Contains copious computer simulation exercises, available in book and electronic format to encourage learning and understanding through application. Uses case study material from North America, Europe, Africa and Australasia.

"As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, while working at the customs office, I thought deeply about the matter and concluded it was far too difficult a subject. I then turned to Physics as a substitute." Albert Einstein, great scientist is reported to have said in despair about Geography. The present series aptly titled “Geography Made Simple” is our humble attempt at removing fear of Geography subject from minds of students by presenting books that are written in lucid, simple and easy-to-understand language. The present eBook in full colours caters to needs of students of as diverse a field as Economic Geography, International Trade, Management, Economics, Political Economy, Commerce, Industrial Geography, Regional planning and development, International Business Management, Foreign Trade, International Finance, Trade and Transport Geography, etc. This evergreen book has stood the test of time since its first edition was published in October, 2002. This book is recommended as a reference-book by Geography teachers and used as a text-book by undergrads and postgraduate students even today. This second edition carries a 'Preface' by Jaiprakash Jadhav, Head of Geography Department, Dr. D. Y. Patil Arts, Commerce & Science College, Pimpri in Pune, India. Praise for Geography, Economics & Economic Geography “Hello, Parmar! Thanks for introducing the book of Economic Geography. I got it from my friend. I am modern college student of MA. I am Ram Shripati Payal.”-Ram Shripati Payal, student of Modern College, Pune “Hi there! I just clicked on the website where your book will appear next month. I will try to do it next month…as I’m teaching Economic Geography in the fall at CWU. I haven’t used a text in a couple of years because I didn’t like any on the market. Thanks for your help!”-Ms Nancy, Central Washington University Jaiprakash Jadhav, Head of Geography Department, Dr. D. Y. Patil Arts, Commerce & Science College, Pimpri had presented in 2003 a few hardcopies of this eBook to the members of national accreditation agency, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) as the evidence of high quality of education at the College. He later personally acknowledged before Sher Singh Parmar that outstanding quality of his book made NAAC give a higher credible rating to Geography Department, Dr. D. Y. Patil Arts, Commerce & Science College. Noteworthy Features Possibly until the publication of the second edition of the book “Geography, Economics and Economic Geography” by Sher Singh Parmar in October, 2003, the Indian intelligentsia, Indian and the world mass media had not attributed the liberalization of the Indian economy to the Balance-of-Payment Crisis that India had faced in the year 1991. It was possibly for the first time in the world that this second edition by Sher Singh Parmar correctly pointed out, described and explained the balance-of-payment crisis faced by the Indian government in 1991 to be the main cause that had forced India into adopting the liberalization-mode for the Indian economy. The book contains for the first time many of the Economic terms/jargons that have been rephrased/paraphrased/elaborated/redefined/repurposed to make these Economic terms inclusive, better and more understandable. For example, see following definition of the term Trade included in this e-book: "10.2 BASIC CONCEPTS 1. TRADE: Exchange of goods, services or information." The definition of TRADE given above by Sher Singh Parmar is more inclusive than the following definition of TRADE that had been given until then in numerous Standard Texts/Books on subject of Economics: "TRADE: Exchange of goods" The book introduces altogether new fresh concepts called idealised perfectly balanced pentagonal model and realistic isostasically balanced amorphous model to understand economic landscapes. Author applies these two economic models to real life situations past and present to successfully build his thesis that "...even a slight imbalance in economic landscapes at any level is sufficient enough to engineer political and other problems. World peace may be achieved if the whole globe is developed into a perfectly balanced economic landscape." He brings in new insight to understand and appreciate dignity of labour in light of these new concepts. This new conceptual framework introduced by author definitely helps us understand and resolve present day problems in much better and peaceful ways. The book introduces new concepts of Economic Liberalization Model, Four Stages of Globalization model, and Tricellular LPG model. These models give us fresh incisive insight into vexing issues of Globalization, Liberalization, and Privatisation. Worth mentioning also is author's creative description, elaboration, and explanation of factors of international trade and business.

This introductory text is about economic geography and globalization in all their different stripes and colours. It introduces clearly the subject matters in economic geography through a wide range of important conceptual lenses and theoretical perspectives. It does so without a facts-based rendition of what globalization actually is. Instead, Sokol offers a refreshingly light touch on the various approaches in understanding contemporary economic geographies and applies these conceptual insights, in a helpful and straightforward manner, to our appreciation of such key challenges of globalization as inequality, instability, and uneven development. It is both wide in coverage and contemporary in relevance. The text will be well adopted in courses on economic geography, global studies, development studies, and international political economy. Henry Yeung, National University of Singapore Telling it like it is in a direct and engaging style, this is a book without preconceptions. It is a vital intervention that makes sense of the sorry state of the contemporary global economy and its formative geographies and shows what is involved in constructing an alternative. Roger Lee, Queen Mary University of London, UK This well-researched book provides a concise contribution to a large-scale debate on economic globalisation. Martin Sokol introduces key theoretical approaches that help us to understand how economies work, why they suffer recessions and crises, and why economic inequalities at various levels are growing in the context of globalisation. He introduces key economic geography concepts and theories, demonstrating their application to our contemporary globalising world. The role that economic geography may play in informing policymaking is highlighted, and debates surrounding the recent global financial and economic crisis are expounded. This highly accessible book will prove an essential reference tool for academics, students and researchers focusing on geography, economics, planning and regional development, development studies, international politics and international business. Policymakers and practitioners in local, regional and national authorities, international bodies and non-governmental organisations will also find this book to be an invaluable resource.