The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective

Pierre-Philippe Combes, Miren Lafourcade, Jacques Thisse and Jean-Claude Toutain

Explorations in Economic History, 2011, vol. 48, issue 2, 243-271

Abstract: This paper studies the evolution and determinants of spatial inequalities in France. To this end, we use a unique database providing data on value-added, employment, and population over the entire set of French "Départements" in 1860, 1896, 1930, 1982, and 2000. These data cover three sectors: Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Services. Firstly, we confirm the existence of a bell-shaped process of spatial concentration in Manufacturing and Services over time. In contrast, labor productivity has been converging across departments. Secondly, we find considerable agglomeration economies over the whole period. The spatial distribution of these gains is determined mainly by market potential in the first sub-period, 1860-1930, and higher education in the second, 1930-2000.

Keywords: Economic; geography; Economic; history; Agglomeration; economies; Regional; productivity; Human; capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (91)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective (2011)
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective (2011)
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective (2011)
Working Paper: The Rise and Fall of Spatial Inequalities in France: a Long-Run Perspective (2008)
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inaqualities in France: a long-run perspective (2008)
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective (2008)
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inaqualities in France: a long-run perspective (2008)
Working Paper: The rise and fall of spatial inequalities in France: A long-run perspective (2008)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:exehis:v:48:y:2011:i:2:p:243-271

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