COUNTY-LEVEL ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN THE RED-TRIANGLE ECONOMIC ZONE

With the aid of ArcGIS 9.2 and GeoDA 9.5, the study is done on the county level and measured by the index of PCGDP with the methods of Statistic analysis and ESDA. Spatial-temporal pattern and spatial interaction types of county-level economic disparities in Red-Triangle Economic Zone during 1990-2008 are preliminarily explored from three aspects, namely, time series, spatial series and spatial autocorrelation. The following conclusions are made: the overall county-level economic disparities in Red-Triangle Economic Zone have enlarged. The internal county-level economic disparities in Ganzhou, Shaoguan and Chenzhou increase with fluctuations. The Inter-regional disparities decrease with fluctuations. The spatial disparities of county-level economy are significant between the East and the West. Three high-value areas are formed centered around counties with higher-level economic development,i.e.Shaoguan, Chenzhou and Ganzhou urban districts. The economic development levels of the three cities are corresponding to the three different stages of the inverted U-type. The size of central cities has significant impact on regional development. To improve the traffic situation and to cultivate central cities are the two important aspects of promoting the economic development of underdeveloped areas. According to the relationship between one county and its adjacent counties, the counties in Red-Triangle Economic Zone can be divided into diffuse pattern, polarization pattern, sinking pattern and infection pattern.