Five centuries of regional development in Northwest Germany and the Netherlands.

Germany and the Netherlands have developed very differently over the centuries. A close examination of Dutch and German regions show the differentiated way in which regions profit from the changing developmental opportunities of the world-system. This article studies long-term regional development using regional urban population in the Netherlands and Northwest Germany. Initially the coastal regions profited from the emerging trade based agricultural world-system. Later on, state formation enabled some of the previously developed regions to regain their position. Industrialization concentrated... Mehr ...