THE FORMAL AND FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE OF WALES

ABSTRACT A central postulate of field theory, that formal activities and functional linkages describe similar and interdependent patterns in space, is empirically examined in a study of telecommunications in Wales. The structure of Wales is defined by a set of telephone subscriber variables and by the major patterns of long distance telephone calls. The Welsh system is composed predominantly of a set of central place, resort, and coastal industrial activities. A second level of organization is produced by agricultural and mining communities. The formal and functional dimensions give rise to similar but not identical patterns of regions.