Why Latin Europe?

Abstract

This chapter focus on the geographical framework that the authors have defined as Latin Europe, which includes Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France. The current chapter then will be devoted to explaining the reasons for the exceptionality of the aforementioned region. Among the factors that turn Southern Europe into a peculiar industrial region that demands the researcher’s attention, it is necessary to highlight: the similarities between the countries included in the region, for instance weather conditions, sunshine hours (linked to smaller gas demand), and coal scarcity; the weakness of the industrialisation and the urbanisation process in the four countries; the role played by France in the whole region, providing the human and financial capital required for starting gas production; a small popular gas consume, together with a similar chronology for the start of the gas industry, and for the exit of foreign investment; similar concession models; and finally the small relevance of municipal gas supplies.