Core and Periphery The ‘Hot Banana’ shown in blue is the core area of Europe. The area shown in red is known as the periphery. Core area is the richest, with the highest level of development. Periphery is the poorest with lowest level of development and is often geographically isolated from the core. The hot banana stretches north to South from London to Milan, including the area of Frankfurt. Paris is not included but is considered to be a secondary core. The core area: Contains major cities and industrial areas Attracts major companies, head offices, financial and research facilities Tertiary industries open, the level of technology and skilled labour increases Region becomes more wealthy Area can afford better healthcare and education Population grows through migration GNP is the Gross National Product per person. It is the total amount national product divided by the country’s population.