Problems of transliteration and translation of Kazakh geographical names
The article addresses the challenges associated with standardizing and unifying the spelling of toponyms in Kazakhstan. The authors conduct an analysis of the linguistic variability of toponyms, exploring methods for their transcription into Kazakh, Russian, and English languages. The study's findings reveal that a majority of the country's geographical names undergo various modifications. The authors identify and scrutinize several types of transformations, including transliteration...
Population change and the settlement system transformation in Poland, as revealed by the 2021 census
This article aims to analyse current geodemographic changes in Poland, based on the data of the 2021 National Population and Housing Census. Methods, traditional for socioeconomic geography, such as zoning, were employed. Poland’s population decreased during the inter-census period (2011—2021), with the urban population declining faster than its rural counterpart. The large voivodeships aligned along the Vistula ‘axis’ — Mazowiecka, Lesser Poland and Pomerania — outperform other Polish...
Regional Geographic Information Systems of Health and Environmental Monitoring
The article describes a new scientific and methodological approach to designing geographic information systems of health and environmental monitoring for urban areas. Geographic information systems (GIS) are analytical tools of the regional health and environmental monitoring; they are used for an integrated assessment of the environmental status of a large industrial centre or a part of it. The authors analyse the environmental situation in Voronezh, a major industrial city, located in the Central...
The Development of Russian Social Geography: Challenges, Trends, Priorities
Promoting the development of social geography (one of the most important components of present-day social sciences) is especially important for contemporary Russia. In the last 25 years Russian social geography has seen dramatic disciplinary changes. On the one hand, it has widened its scope. On the other hand, it has suffered from a growing contradiction between the popularization of the social geographic knowledge, the need to have a clear understanding of the factors and results of a multi-scale...
Cross-border tourist mobility as seen by residents of the Karelian borderlands: COVID-19 restrictions
This article offers a new approach to evaluating the significance of cross-border tourism for residents of the border region of Karelia amid COVID-19 restrictions. The work draws on data of a municipal-level survey of the region’s population (575 people), conducted by the author in collaboration with Dr Ekaterina Shlapeko in 2021. Analysis of the survey results has confirmed the customariness of cross-border tourist mobility for the Karelians and the essential role it plays in their lives. These...
The border as a barrier and an incentive for the structural economic transformation of the Kaliningrad exclave
This paper aims to study how geopolitical shifts affect regional economies and their structures. Border functions and regimes act as tools for the economy and society to adapt to the redistribution of political influence, movements of people, goods, capital and information between integration associations, individual countries and their cores. A changed environment may slow down the development of some industries (and even cause them to decline) and give a boost to others, with these two processes...
Comparative analysis of the territorial support frame of settlement in coastal areas: the case of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad regions
As a scientific method, comparative studies respond to the needs of society. However, the logic of globalisation has reduced the demand for comparative analysis in international and national (regional) studies. Nevertheless, old, settled coastal areas — which European urban science considers as evidence of the decisive effect of coastal position on spatial development and urbanisation — remain valid research objects. Achieving corresponding theoretical and practical goals requires qualitative...
Estonian ‘Balticness’ as a social construct: meanings and contextual specifics
This paper explores the Estonian vision of Baltic identity. Estonia’s authorities have repeatedly articulated their scepticism towards the concept of a stand-alone ‘Baltic region’ and the inclusion of Estonia in it, preferring to position their state as a Nordic country. Yet, in numerous cases, they have clearly labelled Estonia as a Baltic State. To identify the contexts and meanings labelling the country as a Baltic State, this contribution provides a content analysis of official speeches...
Polynominativity of geographical objects in the linguocultural context
The article attempts to analyze the linguocultural factors contributing to the phenomenon of polynominativity—multiple names for a single object. This investigation employs toponyms as a case study. The exploration delves into several key factors that give rise to polyonyms: 1) linguosociocultural factors: these factors play a pivotal role in shaping subsystems of names, encompassing both official and unofficial, widely used and niche terms, as well as neutral and connotatively charged...
Territorial structure of inbound and domestic tourism in the Baltic States
This paper examines the transformation of the territorial structure of tourism in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The spatial and temporal organisation of tourism in these countries has undergone significant changes since they became independent and joined the EU. These changes have affected the geography of tourist flows and destinations of interest. This study aims to define the geographical and economic peculiarities of the development of tourism in the Baltic States and to identify the central...
The spread of the COVID-19 infection in Russia’s Baltic macro-region: internal differences
This article explores the spread of the Covid-19 infection in Russia’s Baltic macro-region. The monthly excess mortality rate in the Baltic region is analysed along with regional and municipal Covid-19 response acts to identify regional features affecting the spread of the disease. The spatial characteristics of Russia’s Baltic regions, germane to the propagation of Covid-19, were distinguished by examining selected social and economic statistical indicators. Based on the space of places/space...
Refugees from Syria and Iraq in Sweden: resettlement during the migration crisis
The vast increase in the number of forced migrants during the European migration crisis has compelled the receiving countries to concentrate on the issues of migrant reception and accommodation. This study aims to demonstrate how the patterns of settlement of Syrian and Iraqi migrants changed in 2014—2019. We propose a new methodology, building on the Herfindahl-Hirschman index, an indicator of the level and direction of the spatial concentration—deconcentration of migrants, and the Ryabtsev...
Composition and functions of the software of the geographical information system (on the example of Maptitude)
In the modern world, the process of developing and implementing innovative information updating systems is rapidly developing, and geographic information systems are no exception, which, having a complex structure, require regular updating of information in various formats. The purpose of the article is to analyze the systems used in the creation of GIS mapping software. Geographic Information System (GIS software) is designed to store, retrieve, manage, display and analyze all types of geographic...
Equivocality in Delineating the Borders of a Cluster: The Baltic’s Case
Increasing competition between states striving to integrate into the global economic system has created a need for a spatially targeted regional policy as a means of boosting national competitiveness. The regional polarisation approach, which seeks to create new and support the existing nodes of a regional economic system — clusters, technopoles, industrial districts, etc., — has gained wide currency in public administration. The heralds of such forms of spatial networking are various institutional...
Framework for the Analysis of Geography of Transnational Corporations Investments Abroad
This article develops a methodology for studying the geography of companies — an area of human geography that remains understudied in Russia. The authors refer to foreign direct investment (FDI) studies to stress the importance of analysing individual transnational corporations. Special attention is paid to FDI statistics, including international statistics provided by IMF, OECD, and UNCTAD, the official data of central banks on FDI destinations, and information on companies’ assets by geographical...
Russian Northwest: An integral Assessment of the Conditions of Regional Social, Environmental and Economic Systems and Quality of Life
The article describes the results of an integral assessment of the regional social, environmental and economic systems (SEES) and the quality of life (QOL) in the regions of Russia’s Northwestern Federal District (NWFD). This work aims at giving an integrated assessment of SEES in the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions in comparison to the Moscow region. The authors examine the QOL in 10 NWFD regions, including the Baltic ones. The significance of the research work lies in an integrated and comprehensive...
Geographical factors as a principle of strategic planning of municipal entities
This articles deals with the generally accepted principles that should be used by the developers of strategic documents as guidelines. The author pays particular attention to the geographical factors explaining their importance for the municipal entities of the Kaliningrad region and comes to the conclusion that strategic planning of the development of municipal entities should be based on the geographical features of territory that are prevalent in determining the course of economic development...
The Baltics in the Geography of the Largest Transnational Corporations of Europe
The aim of this study is to examine the place of the Baltic States on the corporate world map, a contemporary, foreign-investment-driven alternative to the more familiar political map. To this end, the author studies the geographical place of the Baltics in the documentation of transnational corporations. The research database consists of financial reports and presentations of 60 leading European (including Russian) transnational corporations. Special attention is paid to companies from countries...
The Coastal Regions of Europe: Economic Development at the Turn of the 20th Century
....75;mode=1;pos=11.754:53.652:4;theme=2:0.75:1 (accessed 12.03.2014).
38. Maritime affairs, 2014, European Atlas of the Seas, available at: URL: http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/blue_growth/infographics/# (accessed 12.03.2014).
39. Verlaque, Ch. 1974, Geographie des transports maritimes, Paris.
Makhnovsky D.
10.5922/2074-2079-8555-4-4
50-66
coastal regions, Europe, EU, socioeconomic development, maritime industry, territorial structure of economy, gross regional product, population
Cultural and landscape zoning in the North- West Russia
This research was conducted in the framework of cultural geography — a relatively recent field of geography. This article considers the problems of geographical study of cultural landscapes of the North-West Russia, which includes Saint Petersburg, the Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, and Kaliningrad regions. This article sets out to develop and test the methodology for historical and cultural zoning at the mesogeographical level. The research and practical significance of the work lies in the identification...
Study of the physical and geographical conditions of the territory of the Kemerovo region — Kuzbass for the purpose of reclamation works
The long geological history of the region, changes in marine and terrestrial deposits, and magmatic activity have determined the modern geological and geomorphological structure of the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, as well as the distribution of mineral resources. The aim of the study was to investigate the physico-geographical conditions of the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass to carry out reclamation work. The main deposits of the region are located in the mountainous areas of the Kuznetsk Alatau, Salair...
Directions and prospects for the development of geography and geoecology in Kaliningrad State University — Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University: The role in personnel training
Currently, there is a growing need for a more precise theoretical justification and the definition of a methodology for studying geographical disciplines to optimize the interaction between society and nature, ensuring environmental safety. The specificity of modern education requires the implementation of a new, practice-oriented approach. A historical perspective on the development of scientific research and the training of specialists in the field of geographical science is presented. The...
Spatial differentiation of rural territories in the Kaliningrad region: implications for socio-economic policies
The article analyses the challenges associated with the development of rural areas in the Kaliningrad region. The author analyses trends in the development of agriculture, population dynamics, and settlement patterns, while also exploring their interconnectedness and external impacts. The research draws upon comparative-geographical, economic-statistical, and cartographic analyses utilizing official statistical data. The study reveals that since the early 2000s, agricultural production in the Kaliningrad...
Estonia’s party system today: electoral turbulence and changes in ethno-regional patterns
A well-developed party system has emerged in Estonia over the decades of independence. There are, however, distinct geographical patterns of voting. A number of new political parties have appeared in the country; the regional and ethnic patterns of voting (the latter matter much in Estonia) have changed dramatically. This study aims to analyse the recent changes in the Estonian party system as well as the causes of these changes and the effect of the ethnic and geographical factors on the transformation...
Marine Spatial Planning: Theoretical Aspects
In this article, I consider marine spatial planning (MSP) as a complex of analyses, calculations, and evaluations aimed to prove feasibility of economic activities and contribute to their development in a certain part of a sea or an ocean. A most likely comprehensive MSP object is an integrated segment of coastal/marine area. Consisting of a marine part and a coastal area, such segments are a product of zoning. In this article, I explore the key MSP stages — from identifying the panning object...
Was wusste Kant über Asien? Hinweise und Überlegungen zu Kants Interesse an Fragen der Geographie
Unterstützt durch zehn Abbildungen wird erstens versucht, den Umständen nachzuspüren, die Kant´s Interesse an der Geographie geweckt und aufrecht erhalten haben. Zweitens werden die kartographischen und literarischen Quellen im Umriß skizziert, aus denen Kant den Stoff für den Abschnitt über ›Asien‹ in seinen Vorlesungen über Physische Geographie bezogen ...
An Attempt to the economic and geographical analysis of the differentiation of the Russian Federation subjects on of the level and dynamics of the retail trade development
The level and dynamics of development of retail trade in the context of the subjects of the Russian Federation are highly differentiated. Differentiation is influenced both by the income level of the population and by other factors, since there is no functional dependence between per capita income and the volume of per capita retail trade. Even weaker is the connection between the dynamics of these indicators. The article reveals regional features of the level and dynamics of retail turnover in the...
Tourism in Border Regions: Theoretical Aspects of a Geographical Study
This article considers theoretical aspects of tourism studies and development in border regions. The work aims to identify key areas of geographical studies into tourism in border regions. Its research significance lies in a review of Russian and international literature on border territory and the role of tourism in socioeconomic development. In terms of methodology, it is an analytical work. The authors stress a need for a systemic approach to analysing tourism in border areas and describe the...
On the role of landscape and geographical factors in the optimisation of regional nature management
This article analyses earlier works, which provide the basis for addressing the problem of the optimisation of regional nature management in the conditions of the Kaliningrad region. The author reviews the current state of landscapes and their development and emphasises the significance of landscape and geographical factors for efficient and environmentally friendly development.
1.
Ваулина В.
Д., Козлович И.
И.
Ландшафты // Калининградская область...
The Baltic Finnish Peoples Divided by State and Administrative Borders: Territorial Development of the Karelians, Vepsians, and Setos
Ethnocultural diversity of the Russian Federation is not only an important component of its historical heritage but also a significant resource for development. However, a number of ethnic groups are on the brink of extinction. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of changes in state and administrative borders on the territorial and demographic development of small ethnic groups. The article analyses the case of three Baltic Finnish peoples living in the Russian North-West and divided...
Current Issues in the Geodemographic Studies in Russia
The article takes stock of the “state of affairs” in contemporary research of geographical demography in the USSR and the RF. The issue, concludes the author, has not received sufficient attention, and the use of geodemographic studies in managing regional development remains limited. This article aims to demonstrate three things: the importance of geodemographic approach in comprehensive regional studies to the needs of regional strategic planning; the key features of geodemographic typology...
The Baltic-Pontic region in the Europe-Eurasia dual system
This article considers the Baltic-Pontic Sea region not only as a geographical space of Intermarium (Międzymorze, Tarpjūris etc.) but also as Intermundium or the interface of European and Russian (Eurasian) civilization. The study sets out to clarify the logic of changing patterns shaping this geopolitical area. To this end, the concept of the Baltic-Pontic conflict system proposed by Vadim Tsymbursky is applied and further developed. In contrast to his agent-focused vehicle of analysis disclosing...
The Baltic macroregion: geographical macrostructures, communication features, innovative potential
The article considers and assesses the influence of macro-geographical factors on communication behaviour of people in the course of transition to innovative economy through the example of the Baltic Sea region.
1. Dinamika razvitija jekonomicheskogo krizisa: Sweden [The dynamics of the economic crisis: Sweden], 2010, Informacionnyj bjulleten' Instituta Baltijskogo regiona RGU im. I. Kanta [Newsletter of the Institute of Baltic Studies of the Immanuel
Kant State University of Russia], I quarter...
Soil resources and soil cover structure Kemerovo region — Kuzbass
The Kemerovo Region is situated in the Central deciduous-forest, forest-steppe, and steppe soil-bioclimate regions of the Subboreal temperate soil-bioclimate zone. The researched territory of the Kazachensky motor dumping site, which is within the Taldinsky coal mine, according to the soil-geographic zoning data, is located at the intersection of two soil-geographic districts — Kemerovo-Prokopyevsky and Kuznetsko-Alatausky. On the studied technogenic landscape, identified areas are characterized...
The Accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO: Geopolitical implications for Russia’s position in the Baltic Sea region
The article examines Sweden’s and Finland’s motives for ending their long-time non-aligned policies and joining NATO after Russia had launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The two countries’ decision is shown to be in the interest of the United States, which has always sought to fill the geopolitical vacuum reigning after the collapse of the opposing Soviet bloc and the Soviet Union itself. Finland and Sweden were the missing links for Washington and NATO in the...
Three Russian Baltic regions in the context of confrontation between Russia and the West
This study examines the features, limitations and development prospects of three Russian territories bordering the Baltic Sea — St. Petersburg, and the Leningrad, and Kaliningrad region — amid the sharply heightened confrontation between Russia and the West, which has affected the Baltic region. The time frame spanning from 2014 to 2023 was chosen for the study. This period encompasses the sanctions imposed by Western countries and their associations, primarily the EU, in response to the return...
Municipal development in modern Russia: a geopolitical aspect
The modern transformation of the world order and Russia's new place in it, which generates additional problematic situations and challenges for the country, initiate the "municipalization" of approaches both in socio-geographical, regional studies, and in the field of state regulation of spatial development. In the municipal theme itself, at the same time, issues related to geopolitics come to the fore. The article presents general theoretical ideas about the geopolitical aspects...
The Visegrad Group and the Baltic Assembly: coalitions within the EU as seen through Russian foreign policy
Today Russia has difficulty doing business-as-usual with EU states. It seems that the countries of the Visegrad Group (V4) and the Baltic Assembly/Baltic Council of Ministers (BA/BСM) have contributed substantially to this state of affairs. Overall, the tensions between Russia and the EU are building up – another tendency that did not arise on the Russian initiative. This article aims to address the question of whether Russia should establish direct relations with the V4 and the BA/BCM as tools...
Foreign trade activity of the subjects of the Russian Federation: prospects for maintaining the geographical structure of supplies
In 2022, the term “unfriendly countries / territories” was introduced as a “new” criterion for differentiating countries participating in foreign economic activity. Given the fact that about 30 % of national budget is formed by the foreign economic activity, the assessment of the prospects for maintaining the existing supply geography becomes expedient. The article divides the subjects into four groups, taking into account the “new” criterion which determines the level of contribution...
Application of spatial analysis of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 (the case of the Pskov region)
Apart from biomedical and organizational issues, the emergence of the new coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, set large-scale tasks for creating and improving mathematical and information technologies that operate spatial data in statistical analysis and forecasting. The regional level is seen as a suitable choice for spatial analysis of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality due to the availability of statistics, as well as data on geographical patterns, characteristics of the distribution space...
Expansionism in Poland’s strategic culture: historical retrospective and variations
This article deals with the problem of assessing and interpreting expansionist elements in Poland’s international political behaviour. The problem is approached using the concept of the strategic culture of states, which covers beliefs, perceptions, and the language states use to describe their own and other countries’ actions. The study examines what expansionist types of strategic culture have developed in Poland, how relevant they are in the current political landscape, and describes their...
Migration distances in Russia: a demographic profile of migrants
The distance of migration is closely linked to life course events, which are, in turn, marked by age. It serves as a criterion for distinguishing migration from other forms of spatial mobility. This paper aims to calculate the average distance of domestic migrations in Russia between 2011 and 2020, considering various migrant profiles such as sex, age, and type of residential registration. The Euclidean distance between 130,000 geocoded Russian settlements was computed to estimate migration distances...
A typology of the Baltic region states according to excellence in science and technology
Global manufacturing systems function in such a way that countries develop industrial specialisation, which leads to territorial disparities. The countries of the Baltic region are no exception despite their strong economic ties and developed industries. A significant element of any manufacturing system is its scientific and technological subsystem, which is described in this article for ten countries (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia)...
Small towns of Latvia: disparities in regional and urban development
The article reports on the results of an economic and sociological study conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Daugavpils University (Latvia) in 2020—2021. The study aimed to identify the reasons for the disparity in the development of small towns in Latvia. A comprehensive approach was taken to integrate the results of territorial, spatial and socio-economic analyses. By employing the methodology of indexing and ranking large-scale empirical...
The sea factor in the federal regulation of Russia’s spatial development: post-Soviet experience and current priorities
Current geoeconomic and geopolitical transformations project on Russian society and its spatial organisation, highlighting the problems of spatial socioeconomic development and its governmental regulation. This article examines the theoretical and applied aspects of the incorporation into the national regional policy of the sea factor, understood as a combination of location and resources, which is determined by a country’s jurisdiction over coasts and waters, its maritime activities and coastalisation...
Attractiveness of the Kaliningrad region: pull factors and reasons for disappointments of migrants from Russian regions
The Kaliningrad region’s attractiveness to migrants results in increasing external (international) and interregional migration. The interregional flow is a major contributor, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the net migration gain. However, the age composition and professional qualification of migrants from other regions of Russia do not fully agree with the specifics of the region’s labour market and its strategic socio-economic development priorities. This lends urgency to...
The ‘Route from the Varangians to the Greeks’: truth or fiction
The ‘route from the Varangians to the Greeks’ is widely known and often mentioned in research, popular science and educational literature. Much less often is it mentioned that the existence of the trade route is seriously doubted and needs additional evidence. The discussion about the actuality of a ‘route from the Varangians to the Greeks’ has intensified in the recent decade; it mostly involves historians who draw on chronicles, archive materials and literary sources. Although relevant...
. Evolution of transport network of the Russian-Belarusian border area: on historical and geographical research
The article considers the issues of the transport system evolution in the modern territory of the Russian-Belarusian border area. Transport is noted for its special role in regional development and its contribution to the development of interregional ties, the formation of cross-border regions. The transport network forms a certain infrastructure in the regions, thanks to it connectivity and integrity are achieved. The development of the transport system reflects the main stages of the...
Narcotization of the population as a social problem (the case of the subjects of the North-Western Federal District)
Narcotizing of the population does not only cause harm to the physical and mental health of drug addicts, but also adversely affects the vital activity of the regions, which creates a direct threat to the gene pool of the nation, ensuring the rule of law, the national security of the country. Territorial differences in narcotizing are determined by many factors, such as the economic and geographical location, the level of transport infrastructure development and the social well-being of the population...
Sustainable development of coastal regions: geographical and geopolitical factors and limitations
Having formed at the end of the 20th century, the concept of spatial development retains its relevance today. Yet, it is associated with a range of problems with its practical implementation and theoretical vindication, especially at a regional level. Attaining sustainable regional development, understood as a steady progress balanced across the economy, social industries and environmental protection, has been deemed impossible without identifying and considering regional development factors, such...