Effective mesh density (number of meshes per 1 000 km2) for NUTSX (combined NUTS 2 and 3) regions, 2009

Three different groups of regions can be distinguished:
(1) heavily urbanised regions with a population density higher than 100 inhabitants per km2;

(2) ex-urban, generally semi-rural, beyond the suburbs of a city, but experiencing major urban influences such as
commuting, and semi-rural regions;

(3) rural and remote regions.The heavily urbanised regions have an effective mesh density above 100 meshes per 1 000 km2. On average, these regions are 40 times more fragmented than ex-urban ones. Ex-urban regions have an effective mesh density between 20 and 100 meshes per 1 000 km2. On average, this group is 15 times more fragmented than agricultural (rural) regions. This last group of regions has an effective mesh density ranging from 0.2 to 20 meshes per 1 000 km2.