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

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: Agric...

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Veröffentlicht in:	Explorations in economic history 2011-04, Vol.48 (2), p.243-271
Hauptverfasser:	Combes, Pierre-Philippe, Lafourcade, Miren, Thisse, Jacques-François, Toutain, Jean-Claude
Format:	Artikel
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	Agglomeration economies Agribusiness Agricultural sector Economic geography Economic geography Economic history Agglomeration economies Regional productivity Human capital Economic history Economic inequality Economics and Finance France Human capital Humanities and Social Sciences Manufacturing Regional productivity Service industries Service industry Spatial analysis
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	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.
ISSN:	0014-4983 1090-2457
DOI:	10.1016/j.eeh.2010.12.004