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The Rise and Fall of Spatial Inequalities in France: a Long-Run Perspective

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Author Info
Combes, Pierre-Philippe
Lafourcade, Miren
Thisse, Jacques-François
Toutain, Jean-Claude

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Abstract

This paper uses a unique database that provides value-added, employment, and population levels for the entire set of French departments for the years 1860, 1930, and 2000. These data cover three sectors: agriculture, manufacturing, and services. This allows us to study the evolution of spatial inequalities within France and to test the empirical relevance of economic geography predictions over the long run. The evidence confirms the existence of a bell-shaped evolution of the spatial concentration of manufacturing and services. In contrast, labor productivity has been converging across departments. Last, our study also confirms the presence of strong agglomeration economies during the full time-period. Market potential during the first sub-period (1860-1930), and higher education during the second (1930-2000), together with sectoral diversity, account for the spatial distribution of these gains.

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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 7017.

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Date of creation: Oct 2008
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Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7017

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Related research
Keywords: agglomeration economies; economic geography; economic history; human capital;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
N93 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: Pre-1913
N94 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: 1913-
O18 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Regional, Urban, and Rural Analyses
R12 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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