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Which East Asian countries are known for urban primacy?

a) China
b) Japan
c) South Korea
d) All of the above

User Chriscosma
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Among East Asian countries, South Korea is known for urban primacy with Seoul as the dominant city, whereas China and Japan have multiple influential cities, so they don't exhibit the same level of urban primacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of East Asian countries known for urban primacy, the term refers to a country in which a single city (usually the capital) dominates the economic, political, and cultural life, often to a degree that exceeds the next largest city by a significant margin. This phenomenon is observed in South Korea with Seoul being the dominant city. However, countries like China and Japan do not exhibit the same level of urban primacy due to multiple large cities spread across the countries, such as Beijing and Shanghai in China, and Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, which play significant roles in the respective nation's urban hierarchy. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is c) South Korea. Notably, the 'East Asian Tigers'—Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea—are known for their rapid economic growth and export-led industrialization, but only South Korea has a clear case of urban primacy among them.

User Pritam Banerjee
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