 Primate city: cities that are more than 2x the size
of the next largest city AND exert social, political,
and economic dominance
 Rank-size rule: Sizes of cities are in proportion to
one another. If x is the largest city, then the
second largest will be ½ x and the third largest
will be 1/3 x.
 According to the statistics for the populations of
Mexican cities, Mexico has a primate city since
Mexico City is more than twice as large as the next
largest city of Guadalajara. Mexico does not
follow a rank-size rule in the population
distribution of its cities.
 Large market for goods and services
 Can benefit from the advantages of
agglomeration
 Can offer high end goods and services because of
larger threshold population
 Creates global trade networks (primate cities can
compete on global scale and attract foreign
investment plus gravity model shows high degree
of interaction among cities with high
populations)
 Unequal distribution of wealth and/or power
 Brain drain – migration of educated people to
primate city
 Unequal distribution of education,
entrepreneurship, opportunities
 Disproportionate effect of disaster in the primate
city on the entire country
 Hard for people who are not in the primate city to
access essential services such as hospitals.
 Using contemporary examples, explain how each
of the following has contributed to the
development of national identity and the
strengthening of a state.
 Economic development
 Relocation of a state’s capital
China
Any of the
How this
Asian Tigers helps
national
identity…
• Since Deng Xiaoping, • Used the international • Strong economy
China has
trade approach to
creates jobs, supports
incorporated
increase their
a sense of well being,
capitalism into their
economic
and supports
economy
development
confidence in
• As of 2001, China
• Have focused on
leadership and loyalty
joined World Trade
skilled labor,
to state
Organization (WTO)
electronics, and
• Economic prosperity
• Has allowed foreign
clothing
helps to hide other
investment into their • Rapid growth of
problems the country
country
economy
may be experiencing
• Relocation of factories
• National pride
to China has provided
reinforces national
citizens with jobs
identity
Brazil
Nigeria
How this
helps
national
identity…
• Relocated capital from • Relocated capital from • Strengthens the state
Rio de Janeiro to
Lagos to Abuja
and provides stability
Brasilia in order to
• Since Nigeria is
relocate population to
comprised of so many
a central area
ethnic groups, there
• Helps develop the
has been constant
interior which was
conflict
mostly uninhabited
• Capital was relocated
• Break ties with
to a central location to
colonial past
accommodate
(importance of cities
different ethnic
along the coast to
groups
provide to Portugal)
Nigeria: A Case Study for Language Conflicts
 493 languages
 3 main languages
 Hausa (15%)
 Yoruba (15%)
 Igbo (15%)
 55% speak one of the
other 490 languages
 Using contemporary examples, explain how each
of the following may detract from the
development of national identity and weaken a
state.
 Ethnicity
 Transportation/infrastructure
Yugoslavia
Nigeria
How this
hurts
national
identity…
• Ethnic tensions
between Serbs,
Croats, and Bosnian
Muslims led to
genocide during the
1990s
• Ethnic tensions
between Hausa, Igbo,
and Yoruba has led to
constant violence and
fighting
• Ethnic tension
weakens loyalty to the
state
• Tension between
ethnic groups can lead
to balkanization,
separatism,
devolution, etc.
• Placement of political
boundaries without
regard to ethnic
territories leads to
problems
Chile
Democratic
Republic of
Congo
How this
hurts
national
identity…
• Elongated state
therefore poor
communications
• Weak government and • Poor transportation
rebel groups have
infrastructure
deterred the
contributes to
maintaining of
isolation and a sense
infrastructure
of separation
• Size or shape of a state
may hinder
development
 Discuss THREE ways in which the concept of core-
periphery relations helps explain the
development of the urban systems shown above.
Be sure to use evidence from both maps to
support your conclusions.
 Primate city in Argentina vs. Rank-Size Rule in Germany
 Argentina is a semi-peripheral country and city populations
are not evenly distributed. The map shows that Buenos Aires
is a primate city and population is therefore centered there.
This can sometimes be an indicator of lower development
since it often leads to unequal distribution of goods and
services with Buenos Aires being dominant. In addition,
Buenos Aires is in a coastal position because it was set up by
Europeans looking to exploit the resources of Argentina. This
demonstrates a peripheral position in the world.
 Germany on the other hand follows more of a rank-size
distribution of population. City populations are more evenly
distributed which shows more even development throughout
the country thereby demonstrating their position as a core
country.
 Roads systems also help demonstrate core-periphery
relations
 In Argentina there are less roads and they are all focused
toward getting goods to their primate city of Buenos Aires.
This again demonstrates that Argentina was set up to be more
export oriented which shows their dependence on other
countries buying their goods. Lack of infrastructure in
general shows a lack of development.
 In Germany, roads are more evenly distributed throughout
the country showing its higher levels of development and
status as a core country. Germany can afford to pay for the
building and maintaining of transportation systems. They
are not focused on just one city because they have a more
mature and integrated economy.