Abstract Spatial structure of econmy is one of the important problems that economic geography and regional economics focus on. In order to reveal the evolution process and mechanism of economic spatial structure in Hunan, the paper took coeraldraw 12 and spss 11.5 software as analysis tools by making use of dates from "Hunan Province Statistic Yearbook" and the Yearbooks of each cities and counties in Hunan since 1985, and disscussed the various process of economic spatial sturcture in Hunan. It drew the conclusion: economy of Hunan province has beeb develoing rapidly after open door policy, the polarization effect of regional space structure is obvious and economy is under the process of spatial gathering; Regional economies, such as "Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan" city group and Southern Hunan, are emrging, which are becoming the eonomic centres of the province in the process of space gathering; The other areas of the province still lag behind in economic development, especially in the west, northwest and southwest of Hunan; The polarity of economic development in the province is sharpening. In short, the spatial structure of economy in Hunan has shown the clear pattern of Core-border.
Also, the paper analyzed evolution mechanism of economic space structure. Building the Return Model, the paper studied the contribution of industrialization, urbanization and the macro policy by government to the space structure evolution of regional economy in Hunan. The paper gave out the following findings: Per capita fixed investments of Hunan is positively related to per capita GDP of each county region while it ontibutes less to per capita GDP and has a trend on the decline; Urbanization level and per capita GDP of county region disolay active relevance (Note: only not at certain time), and the relevant modules in general show an increasing trend, which reveals that the effect of economy and aggregation resulting from urbanization are leading factors that has brought about the changes in the framework of economic space in Hunan; Industrialzation and per capita GDP also display the active relevance, which assumes an uptrend and has been one of main driven powers to rapid development of economy in Hunan province. Industrialization made the space differential and the change in space has been becoming one of the important causes of the form of economic space structure in Hunan and its evolution.
2008, Vol. 23 
