Which concept describes the emergence of economic power through a core region that draws resources from the surrounding areas?

• A. Core-Periphery Model
• B. Rimland Theory
• C. Heartland Theory
• D. Domino Theory

Answer: (A)

This describes how economic power concentrates in a core region that pulls resources from surrounding areas. In this pattern, the core develops advanced industries, infrastructure, finance, and technology, which generate wealth and control over trade and investment. The surrounding peripheral areas supply raw materials, labor, and markets, often on terms that favor the core. That dynamic creates and sustains uneven development: the core grows wealthier while the periphery remains dependent and less developed. Over time, this pull from the core reinforces its dominance as it channels surplus and investment back into itself, though globalization can introduce more complex linkages.

Other theories describe different ideas of power. Rimland Theory emphasizes control of coastal and border regions around a landmass as the key to global influence, while Heartland Theory centers on dominating the interior of a large landmass. Domino Theory focuses on political influence spreading during the Cold War, not the economic extraction pattern described here.