In the context of urban primacy, which statement about primate cities and rank-size distribution is most accurate?

• A. A primate city is the disproportionately largest city in a country.
• B. Rank-size distribution describes how many cities exist with a given rank.
• C. Primate cities result in a perfectly even urban system across the country.
• D. Rank-size distribution describes how political boundaries affect city growth.

Answer: (A)

Primacy means one city dominates the country, being disproportionately larger than all others in population and influence. In urban geography, the largest city standing out above the rest is the hallmark of a primate system, so the statement that a primate city is the disproportionately largest city fits that idea precisely. Rank-size distribution, on the other hand, describes how city sizes decline as you move down the list of cities—it's about the relationship between a city’s rank and its population, not about counting how many cities have a certain rank. This framework often shows a curved pattern where the top city is much larger than expected in a primate country, rather than an even, evenly distributed urban system. The other options misstate what rank-size describes or imply outcomes (like an even system) that aren’t characteristic of primate countries.