8.2.3

Measures of Inequality Within Countries

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Causes and Measures of Inequality Within Countries

Inequality between regions within a country is often because of cumulative causation. Inequality within a country can be measured using the Gini Coefficient.

Illustrative background for Regional disparityIllustrative background for Regional disparity ?? "content

Regional disparity

  • Regional disparities are differences in living conditions between different areas in a country or between countries.
  • One theory of why regional disparity exists is something called cumulative causation.
  • Cumulative causation describes a positive multiplier effect or snowball effect where something gets larger and larger over time.
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Cumulative causation example

  • Introducing one new industry to an area creates a new firm.
  • This new firm will then buy raw materials from another firm nearby, causing growth in the supplier’s business, providing jobs.
  • Shops, schools and hospitals will be needed for new employees, which gives construction workers jobs too.
  • People will earn more so the government will get more from income tax, which can go into infrastructure and public services.
  • The place will attract more people as it becomes a better place to live.
  • The place can now be called a 'growth pole'.
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Core and periphery locations

  • Core locations develop faster than other areas because they have some human or geographical advantage over other areas.
  • Periphery locations are less likely to develop so fast because they lack these human or geographic advantages.

Jump to other topics

1Paper 1 - Changing River Environnments

2Paper 1 - Changing Coastal Environments

3Paper 1 - Changing Ecosystems

4Paper 1 - Tectonic Hazards

5Paper 1 - Climate Change

6Paper 2 - Changing Populations

7Paper 2 - Changing Towns & Cities

8Paper 2 - Development

9Paper 2 - Changing Economies

10Paper 2 - Resource Provision

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