Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe

Despite its common cultural heritage, Europe is the continent in which there is greatest diversity. This diversity, as well as the distribution of people and wealth, goes back a long way in history. The geography of the industrial revolution and the process of formation of nation states can only be...

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Main Author: Christian Vandermotten
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société Royale Belge de Géographie and the Belgian National Committee of Geography 2000-12-01
Series:Belgeo
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/13949
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author Christian Vandermotten
author_facet Christian Vandermotten
author_sort Christian Vandermotten
collection DOAJ
description Despite its common cultural heritage, Europe is the continent in which there is greatest diversity. This diversity, as well as the distribution of people and wealth, goes back a long way in history. The geography of the industrial revolution and the process of formation of nation states can only be understood when looked at in terms of a continuation of mediaeval Europe and of the formation of the economic mercantilist system, concentrated in Western Europe. Pre-industrial urban population density was a major factor in the subsequent differentiation. The Communist interlude in Central and Eastern Europe is ending up with the reintegration on a peripheral and semi-peripheral basis of this part of the continent into the world economy and the revival of acute nationalism. The extent of the disparity in economic terms between this area and Western Europe is a particularly daunting challenge, given the fact that the populations in Centre-Eastern and Eastern Europe share the same identity and references points as those in Western Europe.Europe, regional diversity, spatial production, population pattern, towns
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spelling doaj-art-7acd3618b73c46e795f0a4acb5f5f9502025-08-20T02:11:47ZengSociété Royale Belge de Géographie and the Belgian National Committee of GeographyBelgeo1377-23682294-91352000-12-01111414210.4000/belgeo.13949Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in EuropeChristian VandermottenDespite its common cultural heritage, Europe is the continent in which there is greatest diversity. This diversity, as well as the distribution of people and wealth, goes back a long way in history. The geography of the industrial revolution and the process of formation of nation states can only be understood when looked at in terms of a continuation of mediaeval Europe and of the formation of the economic mercantilist system, concentrated in Western Europe. Pre-industrial urban population density was a major factor in the subsequent differentiation. The Communist interlude in Central and Eastern Europe is ending up with the reintegration on a peripheral and semi-peripheral basis of this part of the continent into the world economy and the revival of acute nationalism. The extent of the disparity in economic terms between this area and Western Europe is a particularly daunting challenge, given the fact that the populations in Centre-Eastern and Eastern Europe share the same identity and references points as those in Western Europe.Europe, regional diversity, spatial production, population pattern, townshttps://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/13949villesEuropediversités régionalesproduction spatialerépartition de la population
spellingShingle Christian Vandermotten
Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe
Belgeo
villes
Europe
diversités régionales
production spatiale
répartition de la population
title Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe
title_full Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe
title_fullStr Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe
title_full_unstemmed Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe
title_short Building a continental area: identities, differences and urban developments in Europe
title_sort building a continental area identities differences and urban developments in europe
topic villes
Europe
diversités régionales
production spatiale
répartition de la population
url https://journals.openedition.org/belgeo/13949
work_keys_str_mv AT christianvandermotten buildingacontinentalareaidentitiesdifferencesandurbandevelopmentsineurope