The Urbanization and Political Development of the World System: A Comparative Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Because the relationship between urbanization and the evolution of statehood is a rather voluminous subject, we shall only consider a few aspects of this relationship . First of all, it appears necessary to note that the very formation of the state is connected with urbanization directly, or indirectly . Among factors that contribute to both state formation and urbanization the following, appear to have been especially important: а) population growth; b) development of trade; and c) growth of wealth. It also appears necessary to note that the "urban" way of the early state formation was one of the most important ones. Urbanization was connected with the concentration of people as a re-sult of the compulsory merger of a few settlements due, usually, to pressure from a military threat.

Keywords: urbanization, state formation, population growth, world urban population