粤北区域经济地理的历史变迁

首先简述粤北区域的政区建置沿革，指出从历史经济地理角度，粤北的发展大致分为秦汉以降至隋、唐宋时期、元明清时期三大阶段。秦汉以降至唐，粤北开发较早，经济文化长期处于岭南领先地位。至唐宋，粤北保持良好发展势头，成为仅次于广州的要州大郡。但两宋后，珠江三角洲崛起，粤北则逐渐衰落，成为岭南经济较落后的地区之一。根据历史的经验教训，粤北应该加速城市化进程，加强中心城市建设，变交通通道优势为现实的竞争优势，促进粤北区域整体发展，早日实现现代化。

THE HISTORICAL CHANGES OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH GUANGDONG

The evolution of administrative division in North Guangdong is described. From the point of view of historic and economic geography, the development of North Guangdong can be divided into three stages: 1) from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, 2) the Tang and Song Dynasties, and 3) the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. At the first stage, because of the special geographic and military position of North Guangdong, the central governments paid great attention to the predomination of the region, and North Guangdong became one of the fast-developed regions, where the economy and culture were on the lead for a long run in Lingnan area. By the Tang and Song Dynasties, the North of Guangdong had kept on a good impetus of development, becoming an important prefecture second to Guangzhou.Its traffic was smooth and the industries of mining, metallurgy and transportation were flourishing. But in the Song Dynasty, the Pearl River Delta started to grow up. At the same time, the population of North Guangdong decreased greatly and its economy fell far behind that of the Pearl River Delta, becoming one of the under-developed regions in Lingnan area. At the present day, on the basis of the historical experience, it is considered that North Guangdong should speed up the process of urbanization and industrialization, boost up the construction of central cities, and strengthen its comprehensive capacity in competition and radiation, so as to accelerate the overall development of the region and to realize its modernization at an early date.