The authors explore the rank-size relationship in Hunan Province and find out that this region exhibits a city-size distribution which approximates to the rank-size rule. Using the rank-size model, changes in city-size distribution over the period (1960-1990) are generally examined.
A modification of the rank-size model was used to analyze the structure of the urban system in this province in 2000. By the year of 2000, it would have its urban population of about 21.74 million and its urbanization of about 32 percent, which is attested by using the logistic function.
according to this analysis, three groups of cities were distinguished:
(1) those cities the urban population is over 500000, including Changsha、Hengyang、Xiangtan、Zhuzhou、Yueyang and Changde.(2) those cities the urban population is from 200000 to 500000, including Shaoyang、 Chenzhou、Yiyang、Lengshuijiang、Loudi、yongzhou (Lengshuitan)、Sinli、Huaihua、Liling、Dayong、Jishou.