Juris Ozols

The aim of this paper is to explore what endogenous factors dominate in the regional development of Latvia. To achieve the aim, the following tasks were established: to examine the theoretical background of regional development; to analyze the endogenous factors of regional development in Latvia; to evaluate the significance of the endogenous development factors of regions by using expert evaluation method. The following research methodology was used: literature review, graphical method, expert evaluation method and logically constructive approach – for data evaluation and result analysis; synthesis method – to combine the elements in a unified system; social research methods – to obtain the primary information and to carry out its verification. For expert evaluation data processing the statistical and data analysis methods were used, including the data parametric grouping and correlation calculations, and the average calculations of the factors corresponding to each group.
The analysis of the statistical data and the independent expert evaluation results allow concluding that the most important factors influencing regional development are the government decisions and the existing infrastructure, as well as the influence of migration, the distance from the centre and the availability of investment. These findings on regional development apply particularly to a small country where geographically and historically has formed a single highly-developed economic and political centre – the capital, and where does not exist a secondary centre. The research findings confirm the thesis that the endogenous development factors are the primary in the regional development