ГЕОГРАФИЯ И ГЕОЛОГИЯ / 1.Регионоведение и региональная организация

Общества

Samarina V.P. PhD (geography)

Stary Oskol technological institute «National research technological university MISIS»

Concerning processes of urbanization in the areas of the Central Black Earth region

The research is executed at financial support of Russian humanitarian scientific fund, the project № 09-02-55205 а/Ц

Urbanization (from lat. urbanu - city) is a double process that unites interrelated phenomena. On the one hand, this is a process of concentration of population in large cities, strengthening of value of urban settlements in different fields of social life. On the other hand, this is spreading of features peculiar to cities to other settlements [1].

In our opinion, it is possible to consider, that direct display of urbanization occurs in the first case, and as concerns indirect display, it occurs in the second one. The quantitative assessment of processes of urbanization can be carried out on the basis of the analysis of parameters of the part and a number of urban population. We will try to put into practice above-mentioned assessment by way of example of the Central Black Earth economic region (CBEER) which includes Belgorodskaya, Voronezhskaya, Kurskaya, Tambovskaya and Lipetskaya areas.

The part of townspeople in the CBEER has increased from 60 to 63 % for 18 years of researching. Traditionally the part of townsfolk is higher in industrially advanced Belgorodskaya and Lipetskaya areas (table). Processes of urbanization grow in Kurskaya area as well, as a result of growth of its economic activity. The least part of urban population takes place in Voronezhskaya and Tambovskaya areas, despite the presence of significant number of towns in these areas. (pic.). In addition, Voronezh with the population more than 1000,000 people, is a part of the city agglomeration in Voronezhskaya area

Table. The part of urban population and urban population size in the areas of the Central Black Earth economic region (provided by materials of Federal service of government statistics of Russia [2]).

Areas CBEER	Belgorodskaya		Voronezhskaya		Кurskaya		Lipetskaya		Tambovskaya
Year	Urban population size, thousand people	Part of urban population, %	Urban population size, thousand people	Part of urban population, %	Urban population size, thousand people	Part of urban population, %	Urban population size, thousand people	Part of urban population, %	Urban population size, thousand people	Part of urban population, %
1990	877,7	63,26	1506,2	60,94	778,4	58,40	771,3	62,64	742,4	56,28
1991	890,5	63,70	1511,5	61,22	782,8	58,91	777,7	63,05	741,7	56,52
1992	899,4	64,01	1512,9	61,32	784,7	59,21	781,5	63,41	739,1	56,70
1993	909,7	64,07	1516,0	61,16	783,7	59,01	776,6	62,68	738,0	56,60
1994	921,7	64,25	1519,7	61,08	785,7	59,11	779,3	62,70	737,0	56,64
1995	933,3	64,15	1524,6	61,10	788,8	59,23	783,0	62,79	736,0	56,68
1996	944,2	64,34	1522,6	61,13	787,0	59,38	784,1	62,92	733,1	56,90
1997	954,7	64,57	1522,9	61,29	786,1	59,66	788,0	63,32	728,1	57,06
1998	963,2	64,82	1517,6	61,43	784,2	59,96	787,8	63,40	720,9	57,14
1999	970,9	64,95	1508,3	61,35	781,1	60,26	791,8	63,90	713,3	57,17
2000	977,1	65,06	1499,9	61,44	775,6	60,51	789,3	63,98	703,3	57,13
2001	982,2	65,17	1491,7	61,58	769,8	60,78	787,1	64,09	693,5	57,15
2002	983,7	65,23	1481,2	61,79	762,3	61,06	782,8	64,14	682,5	57,19
2003	986,5	65,25	1471,1	61,96	755,3	61,35	779,2	64,35	672,3	57,25
2004	991,0	65,50	1464,5	62,23	749,6	61,73	775,3	64,56	664,7	57,36
2005	993,9	65,75	1457,7	62,66	744,0	62,04	771,0	64,80	657,9	57,46
2006	998,6	66,07	1449,7	62,45	740,6	62,56	749,9	63,51	651,0	57,59
2007	1004,5	66,36	1441,1	62,80	738,9	63,11	748,4	63,75	644,4	57,68
2008	1011,8	66,61	1436,3	62,99	740,0	63,66	747,3	63,94	639,4	57,81

Urban population size grew from 1990 to 1995-1997 (table). The reduction of this parameter, in the sequel, reflects demographic problems in Russia. First of all, it is the reduction of birth rate and increasing of death rate of the population. As an exception to the rule we can indicate the most dynamically developing Belgorodskaya area, whose natural resources have ensured it steady economic development in depressive nineties in the last century.

Pic. A number of cities in the areas of Central Black Earth economic region.

The climate and developed economy have predetermined a high part of villagers in the CBEER. However, the accelerated industrialization that had been carried out in the 20th century in Russia involved people to settle in cities. In addition, at the end of the twenties and thirties cruel repressions deprived agriculture of the basic layer of the most efficient peasants. And finally, violent collectivization which pushed out people from villages, took place. The development of iron ore in the last quarter of the 20th century determined an economic structure of the region, favoured the development of large industrial centres and sped up the urbanization.

Hereupon, the tendencies of the processes of urbanization of Central Black Earth economic region’s areas coincided with global tendencies. The part of urban population might steadily grow, and the part of agriculture in economy apparently will fall.

References

1.V.P. Samarina. Urbanization in Russia at the present stage of development of society // Education, science, manufacturing, management: The materials of international theoretical and practical conference. Stary Oskol: ТНТ, 2006. pp. 358-363.

2. The site of Federal Service of government statistics // http: // www.gks.ru.