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ABSTRACT We examine the organization and location choice of heterogeneous firms in a two-region economy. When some high-productivity firms engage in multiplant production, a reduction in transport costs causes two changes in a small region: the closure of plants by high-productivity multiplant firms and the relocation of low-productivity single-plant firms to the region. In the presence of high-productivity multiplant firms, therefore, a decline in transport costs reinforces the spatial sorting of firms by productivity, enlarging the productivity gap between large and small regions. Conversely, reducing investment costs weakens the spatial sorting effects on regional productivity disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the economic heterogeneity of Ecuador's regions using a descriptive analysis, and also to explain its main causes and implications. In comparison to the European Union, Ecuador exhibits a much higher degree of economic heterogeneity within regions and provinces. We relate this pattern to the dynamics of the economic structure, and we also highlight the progress done by now in enhancing regional convergence in Ecuador. The implications of the regional economic heterogeneity are important for the design of effective governmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]