Abstract
In this paper chances and some of the difficulties for the introductionof Transrapid in the Near East are discussed. 11seems imp01tanl notlo regard this area as an extension of Europebut as having specific needs for rapid transporl. Like therailways about 100 years ago Transrapid will not fit smoothlyinto Near-Eastern patterns of economic and social life and theessential precondition of peace and of co-operation betweenthe governments may not be fulfilled within the next 50 years. Inthe author's opinion a transarabian axis between Jeddah andMasqat is the most auspicious project one can think of today. Astarl might be made with il any lime, that is at/he very momentwhen Transrapid will have proven its usefulness and profitability.References
Treated theoretically by the author in his book
'Ailgemeine Wirtschaftsgeographie, Munich/Germany
, p. 136ff.
Treated in W. Ritter (see above) after an unpublished
paper by Yasar Sahverdi (1986). The main routes of the
nationwide bussystem are here compared with the railway
network of Turkey (p. 245f).
Most railways in the Near East were built in a time when
social and economic conditions were not yet ripe. This is
discussed in: Ritter, W.: Verbindungsfunktion und
Ressourcenaufschliessung als Grundprobleme beim
Bau von Eistenbahnen im Orient (p. 93-110). In: V. D.
Hiitteroth and H. Hopfinger (eds.): Friihe
Eisenbahnbauten als Pionierleistungen. Neustadt a.d.
Aisch 1993.
For illustration see the map in Wolf Tietze (ed.):
Transrapidverkehr in Europa. Geocolleg 11; Stuttgart
* Place names are written in the spelling prevailing in English
publications.