title: Metropolitan concentration in developing countries.
abstract: "We examine the economic, political and cultural determinants of urban concentration in developing countries using a sample of 53 countries. We find that as countries develop, urban concentration, measured as the largest city's share of the population, at first increases and then decreases. We also find that foreign investment influences concentration in a similar way since foreign investors tend to locate in the main city at low levels of development but are willing to locate outside the center in more developed countries. Political and cultural factors such as lack of democracy, government instability and religiously and [ethnically] homogeneous populations all contribute to high levels of urban concentration.  For many developing countries these non-economic factors have led to primate cities whose size far exceeds what would be justified by economic considerations."  (SUMMARY IN FRE AND GER)
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petrakos
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brada
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D005376:Financial Management; D005843:Geography; D007449:Investments; D011057:Politics; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014507:Urbanization
keywords: Cultural Background; Demographic Factors; Developing Countries; Economic Factors; Financial Activities; Geographic Factors; Investments; Political Factors; Population; Population Characteristics; Socioeconomic Factors; Spatial Distribution; Urban Spatial Distribution; Urbanization