ABSTRACT
This chapter gave some examples and categories for basic indicators of economic and social regional development. The 12 European countries that participated in the research project CORASON illustrate the varied nature of European rural space. Powerful aristocratic dynasties were the land owners in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and they had a great influence on economic development. More important for the development of the region is its natural environment. Agricultural production quickly lost significance, and rural villages gradually changed into semi-urban domiciles, or their inhabitants commuted to work in the industrial complexes on whose development the region was economically dependant. Urban development happened more rapidly during the transition of the national economy after 1989. One way to develop sustainable rural communities is through improved education and knowledge. In both South and North Bohemia there are universities which contribute through scientific knowledge to rural development.
