Population changes in a growth center region with reference to the Israeli Negev

The aim of this paper is to present a scheme of relative population changes in a geographic-termed growth center region, with reference to a real problem of development as implemented in the Israeli Negev arid zone. The growth process described in the scheme leads to dynamic steady-states which indicate stable structure and stable relationships between the components of the regional system — the growth center and its urban and rural hinterlands. It was found that the relative population growth process in the Negev during the last thirty years is similar to the process determined by the scheme. Furthermore, geo-political changes in the area due to the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel may alter this process and open a new period of regional growth. An additional thrust of this paper is methodological: to introduce and apply the hexagonal diagram to describe and classify processes of relative population growth.