Crisis and geography: Some observations on peripheral Europe

With a focus on the role of geographical factors in economic performance, the main research question of this study is as follows: given that the ongoing crisis in Europe in general and within the Eurozone in particular is felt much strongly in peripheral areas, how and to what extent might geography be relevant to this process? The answer to this question will be searched through historical-comparative approach, focusing on the turning points in the evolution of Europe’s economic and political geography, with particular regard to the key concepts such as “core-periphery dichotomy”, “centres of gravity” and “isolation”. Departing from these concepts, it will be argued that the structural factors, which contribute to the high vulnerability of certain countries towards crisis, are essentially geographical. However, the role of geography and the patterns of peripherality differ from one country to another, as will be demonstrated by means of a particular focus on the case of Greece.