Spatial analysis of the interaction of some major cities in Maysan Governorate using spatial interaction metrics and models

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the extent of interaction between the first city in Maysan Governorate, which is Amarah, as the administrative center of the governorate, and the cities of Qalat Saleh and Ali al-Gharbi, which are affiliated with it within its functional region, and to determine the extent ofThis interaction involved applying several theories and spatial interaction models, including spatial interaction theory, segment theory, and the relative proximity model, to measure the degree of interaction and relationships between the cities under study.Based on the population size in 2025 for each of the cities of Amarah, Qalat Saleh, and Ali al-Gharbi, and the distance between them, three main cities were chosen: Amarah, which is located in the middle of the governorate and is the administrative center of the governorate; Ali al-Gharbi, a city in the north; and Qalat Saleh, a city in the south.

          The results, based on spatial interaction theory, showed that the highest value of spatial interaction was between the cities of Amarah and Qalat Saleh, reaching (20184.42), while the lowest value of the interaction score was between the cities of Amarah and Ali al-Gharbi.With a rate of (81.75), the theory of cutting clarified the variation and disparity of distances between the first city and the other cities at the governorate level. The relative proximity model clarified the duration of the attraction of the residents of Amarah city to the city itself, and the great interaction between Amarah city and Thal’at Saleh, while the opposite appears with Ali Al-Gharbi city due to its relative distance.