Rust Belts of the World

[Babbler]

What is the rust belt in your country? These are areas once very prosperous now in a precipitous decline. These days, it is often areas of heavy industrial production that have moved away and with it the jobs and people. In Canada, it's mostly in the Southern Ontario (like Windsor, Hamilton, Oshwa, etc.) where much the auto industry is located, and it contiguous with the rust belt of the United States (Michigan, Upstate New York, Ohio, etc.).

I'm a little uncertain about the rest of the world. Since the 1980's the old industrial heartland of England has fallen on rough times. I've heard Walloon was heavily industrial and fallen on hard times. I've remember reading about how much of former East Germany is falling into decay. Even though China is growing economically, much the North could described as a rust belt, where the government has set up plans to try and kick start its economy. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[amadeus]

I've remember reading about how much of former East Germany is falling into decay.

No, that's just the way it always looked.

 

[Babbler]

No, that's just the way it always looked.

Well, maybe. But it has gotten worst, I mean.

 

[Masada]

South Australia is Australia's heavy industry hub and hasn't been doing to well since the sixties at least.

 

[Kraznaya]

Living standards in the most industrialized of regions were never better than the deindustrialized, even in the 19th century. White slavery anyone?

 

[Winner]

I found only a pollution map, but since heavy industry was responsible for most of it, the darkest areas (except Prague and central Moravia) roughly correspond with the "rust belt", as you American call it.

Spoiler :

Looks like evil capitalism is actually better for our environment

 

[civ_king]

Michigan/Ohio/other junk...

 

[Slaughter]

We don't have a rust belt here, at least not one I know. Brazil has a booming industrial sector.

 

[Oerdin]

In the US it is everything from East New York state west to about Wisconsin and from the Kentucky border north to the Canadian border. Those are the areas which boomed with heavy industry from the 1890's to the 1970's and started a steep decline in the mid 1970's. There are a lot of closed steel mills, auto plants, and the like.

 

[ArneHD]

Anywhere in the districts as people move to the cities.

 

[Thorbal]

Former East Germany is a funny issue - while, economically, it could be considered a rust belt, it generally does not look like one at all (anymore) due to all the billion € of funds received. Mayors from several western cities have been complaining for years now that their cities look like **** compared to some of the very poor eastern cities. Some of the latter ones have top-of-the-line railroad stations, completely restored medieval city centres, excellent highways etc. They are quite poor, but *look* much better and have a much better infrastructure than a lot of prosperous cities in the "west".

Germany in general is currently divided among two lines, an east-west divide, with the west being wealthier, and a north-south divide, with the south having better indicators than the north. The unemployment rate in East Germany is about 14%, while its 7,2% in West Germany.

Map of unemployment rates (I like maps):

Spoiler :

 

[Brighteye]

The Rust Belt takes too long to say. We just say The North. Or, if we want to be more specific, mill towns.

 

[really]

Excluding the north Ireland never really had an industrial revolution.

There are big parts of the midlands, west and north-west that are suffering from depopulation still and land being abandoned / forested.

Cork used to have a lot of heavy industry (steel, cars, tires) that is all gone but new jobs in pharmaceuticals and IT have been created so the city isn't declining.

Limerick is probably the only city where you feel like the city is in decay / declining.

 

[holy king]

heavy industry in austria was always small scale and had to fill niches.
there was some downfall but that certainly didnt leave a rust belt.

 

[dutchfire]

The south-east of the Netherlands could be considered a bit of a rustbelt. The mining industry used to be huge there, but since it has closed, the place has been pretty death.

 

[Patroklos]

These days, it is often areas of heavy industrial production that have moved away and with it the jobs and people.

"Rust Belts" refer exclusively to heavy industrial areas, other areas that sometimes experiance declines such as tourist centers don't get that label.

 

[RalofTyr]

Gary, Indiana.

 

[warpus]

In Poland, the best example of a rust belt is the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, which is a metro area of a whole bunch of towns and cities - containing just over 3 million people:

It's the 13th most populated metro area in the EU.

There is a larger area - the Upper Silesian Coal Basin - which includes parts of Poland and Czechia, and 5 million people, that is sometimes used instead.

Industrial regions in Poland:

The Silesian mega-city/industrial-region can be seen in the south (where all the white stars are)

I don't believe this has been posted either: The American rust belt: