Abstract
This chapter uses a GIScience framework to explore the environmental and social factors that influenced the making of US counties from 1790 through 2000. Existing literature suggests that arbitrary political actions, carrying capacity, and time minimization explain the size and timing of county creation. These theories were examined using updated data and tested for their validity with a historical GIS and statistical analysis. The chapter found that political, sociological, and ecological factors need to be supplemented with geographical considerations, such as elevation, natural amenities, and proximity to like-sized counties to explain the evolution of county creation. This chapter is unique in that it represents a historical approach to GIScience and can be used to inform the geography of governance structures.
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Rancie, K., Otterstrom, S.M., Sanders, J.M., Donaldson, F.J. (2009). Environmental and Social Influences on Historical County Creation in the United States. In: Gatrell, J.D., Jensen, R.R. (eds) Planning and Socioeconomic Applications. Geotechnologies and the Environment, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9642-6_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9642-6_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9641-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9642-6
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