One of the main obstacles on the way of national development is the disturbed REGIONAL balance. Therefore, the first step in REGIONAL planning is identifying the position of areas relative to each other regarding the development and DISPARITIES causes. To assess REGIONAL development in territory level in this study, in addition to showing DISPARITIES, we have analyzed 60 cultural - social, industrial, economic-demographic, physical- infrastructure and remedial- sanitary indicators. As the result, we extracted factors and composition indicators using factor analysis and utilized them as inputs of taxonomy methods. Finally, cluster analysis was used for grouping provinces. The results showed that there was one developed province, four relativity developed provinces, seven medium-developed provinces, nineteen underdeveloped provinces and one deprived province in 20006 among the 30 provinces. Dominant pattern on spatial organization of the country follows "Core – periphery" pattern in REGIONAL development in a way that all of the underdeveloped and deprived provinces are located in the margin, border and mountain areas. These DISPARITIES reflect environmental factors, political economy, and weakness of spatial planning system, inattention to land integrated management and the lack of coordination of responsible organizations in spatial development.

The aim of this study is calculating and comparing the productivity of labor and capital in manufacturing industries of Iranian provinces during 2003-2013. In this context, the rate of fixed assets depreciation is calculated with using Statistical Center and Central Bank data, and then the capital stock is estimated by the perpetual inventory method. The production function of provinces is estimated with applying linear Cobb-Douglas production function and using econometric panel data method. Then, generalized productivities of labor and capital in manufacturing industries are calculated and compared in the provinces. The results of this study indicate that although in the early years, REGIONAL DISPARITIES in productivity of labor and capital are not significant, but over time, their variation range has increased, and provinces moved to more heterogeneity. However, the low level of productivity of labor and capital is a common feature of all provinces. Therefore, the policy recommendation of this study is planning for increasing the productivity of labor and capital of manufacturing industries in the provinces and distributing the resources according to possibilities and limitations of each province to decreasing the DISPARITIES and achieving to REGIONAL balances. This becomes more important, especially with beginning the sixth development plan.

Manufacturing sector is one of the most important energy consuming sectors. This study is set up to investigate the REGIONAL DISPARITIES in energy productivity of Iranian manufacturing industries during 2003-2013. In this regard, required data including output, labor, energy and value added come from the Statistical Center of Iran and capital stock is estimated by perpetual inventory method. After estimating the Cobb-Douglas production function using panel data, Generalized energy productivity of manufacturing industries for all provinces is calculated and compared. The results indicate that the level of energy productivity in many provinces has been very low and have not improved over time. Furthermore, energy productivity has decreased in many provinces for several years. Although the productivity heterogeneity between provinces has reduced, it has been mainly due to significant reduction in energy productivity of leading provinces. In addition, energy productivity has dropped in provinces with greater share of energy consumed. In sum, the results of this study indicate the necessity of improving energy planning in manufacturing industries.

REGIONAL income inequality has been the subject of academic debates since 1950s. However, theoretical bases on REGIONAL DISPARITIES provide conflicting views on relations between inequality and national growth. Some researchers believe that in the first stage of national economic growth, REGIONAL inequality is a natural phenomenon that stems from lack of coordination between the spatial system (REGIONAL economic growth) and the national system (national economic growth). Over a period of time, however, with increasing movements of production factors (labor and capital) among regions, REGIONAL inequality will be minimized or possibly eliminated. While, some other researchers like Myrdal and Hirschman claim that spatial movement of production factors increases REGIONAL inequality. They believe that only government intervention can reduce gaps among regions in the process of development. Amos Terrassi and Lessman believe that REGIONAL inequality follows a pattern of increase-decrease-increase. The cause may be a fundamental and systematic change in economic activities, such as increasing in suburbanization or moving to a service-based economy. Also there is a group of thinkers who claim that scale economies increase REGIONAL DISPARITIES. Thus, there is a positive correlation between REGIONAL inequality and economic growth. Therefore, literature review on REGIONAL DISPARITIES shows that theories and empirical studies have an unclear message about the evolution of REGIONAL DISPARITIES over time. The purpose of this paper is presenting a typology of theoretical and empirical studies on REGIONAL DISPARITIES. According to investigations, theoretical and experimental approaches toward REGIONAL DISPARITIES refer to two economic theories: “ neoclassical economic growth” and “ new economic geography” . Neoclassical economic growth theory believes that REGIONAL DISPARITIES will decrease over time, while Krugman belonging to new economic geography theory claims that REGIONAL inequality will increase. We have classified REGIONAL inequality approaches into three categories based on two economic theories: 1) spatial equilibrium 2) spatial disequilibrium and 3) in-between approaches. Spatial equilibrium theorists refer to neoclassical theory. These theorists show that REGIONAL DISPARITIES will reduce over time and there is a negative correlation between national income growth and REGIONAL DISPARITIES. Spatial disequilibrium theorists refer to new economic geography theory. These theorists are divided into three groups. The first group who presented their studies before Krugman's theory believe that capital and labor move from less desirable area into growing areas. The second group believes that REGIONAL inequality will increase after completing Inverted-U model (which proposed by Williamson). The third group claims that there is a positive correlation between economic growth and REGIONAL inequality because of scale economies. Recent studies in the field of REGIONAL DISPARITIES provide a view that has been proposed as an “ in-between approach” . This approach believes that relation between REGIONAL DISPARITIES and economic growth depends on development level or scale of regions. In some areas the relation between growth and inequality is positive, while it is negative in other areas. This typology shows that we are not sure about pattern of REGIONAL DISPARITIES evolution. However, it seems that these days, in-between approach is more reliable.

Accelerated urbanization in developing countries and concentration of activities and population in some regions leads to REGIONAL imbalances.This is one of the important characteristics of the third world countries. This character is affected by pole growth policies that have led to the concentration of facilities in one or more several regions.In this case, REGIONAL planning science has beneficial patterns to resolve problems. First step is identification of socio-economic DISPARITIES in regions. However, this article tries to survey development DISPARITIES in East Azerbaijan Province. In this survey 44 indicators were selected for comparison of counties, and numeric taxonomic and cluster analysis methods were used to ranking of regions.Finally this article presents priority of counties to invest in order to achieve social justice. According to the results west area of the Province is prosperous and east area has low degree of development.In the other hand, 8 counties out of 9 counties in west area are in first and second levels of development and in these levels only one county (Sarab) is located in east area. In third and fourth levels of development we can see only Malekan in east area of the Province.

Imbalance between internal and external parameters is one of the main obstacles in national development. The imbalance exists not only at national level but also in provinces and REGIONAL levels. Prerequisite to REGIONAL planning and reducing imbalances, is position Identification of regions with respect to development. In this research, with the aim of pointing out imbalances among counties of East Azerbaijan Province, 61 development indicators in educational, socio - cultural, population - economical, remedial - sanitary, physical - infrastructural and agricultural sectors, have been extracted using "factor analysis" method. Taxonomic method is also used as input data and finally cluster analysis has been used for grouping counties. Studies showed that out of the total 19 counties, one county is developed, 9 counties partly developed, 6 counties less developed, and 3 counties are deprived. The East Azerbaijan Province consists of western and eastern parts which are more developed and less developed respectively. This imbalance is the reflection and the result of environmental factors, political economy, incompetence of spatial planning system and expanding the growth pole (Tabriz) in recent years.

The population concentration and activities and spatial imbalance in using social facilities is one of the main characteristics of the developing countries. These characteristics can be found in Iran, both before the Revolution and after the Revolution. According to these characteristics, the main part of the facilities and population have been concentrated in one or some points and other regions act as marginal regions and makes the REGIONAL inequalities. The natural bed of the North Coastal Area near Mazandaran Sea and adjacent to Alborz Mountains has imposed a different and special shape pattern based on the spatial structure of this region. According to the homogenous structure of this region, the planning role is very crucial to eliminate the existing imbalances. Since in the east part of the North Coastal Area, the effective factors are obviously different from the west and middle areas, the identification of effective factors in making the REGIONAL differences of Golestan Province which, as the consequence of its natural structure and nature is neither a tourism destination nor a land business destination as Gilan and Mazandaran is very important. In this study, using the documentary and survey and Delphi technique, the effective factors in making the REGIONAL inequalities of Golestan Province were identified and cross-impact matrix have been completed to study the factors impact on each other. By using analytical techniques and MICMAC software, the most important factors in causing the inequalities of Golestan Province were identified which included: spatially one-dimensional development, ethnic convergence and divergence, environmental capabilities and migration. Finally, suitable solutions to reduce the REGIONAL imbalances of Golestan Province were presented.