Development of core regions at the expense of peripheral regions is known as

• A. Balanced Growth
• B. Peripheral Development
• C. Uneven Development
• D. Core-Periphery Inversion

Answer: (C)

The situation describes uneven development. In many regions, a few core areas attract most investment, higher-skilled jobs, advanced infrastructure, and powerful markets. This concentration creates a self-reinforcing cycle: the core grows faster, drawing resources, capital, and talent toward itself, while peripheral areas receive less investment and opportunity. Over time, gaps widen between the thriving cores and the lagging peripheries, making development appear uneven across regions. This differs from balanced growth (growth spread evenly), peripheral development (growth focused mainly in the outskirts or periphery), or core-periphery inversion (the periphery overtaking or replacing the core), which don’t fit the described pattern of core growth at the expense of the periphery.