Atlas of the United States

In an attempt to distinguish between regional physical geography and the Soviet school of landscape science, the author defines the study objects of the two disciplines and provides a useful review of the present state of landscape science in the Soviet Union. Physical geography is said to be concerned with study of the entire geographical shell of the earth, ranging from the troposphere to the bottom of the layer of sedimentary rocks in the earth's crust. Landscape science focuses on the so-called landscape sphere, which is defined as the portion of the geographical shell that lies at or near the surface of the earth and is imbued with present-day life. Although some Soviet geographers treat the term “landscape” as a broad conceptual term (similar to climate), most investigators tend to give the term a classificatory or typological connotation, regarding landscape as the basic unit in a classification of natural geocomplexes. One landscape school focuses on the morphological structure of landscape, the other on model-building of the landscape mechanism.     

Observations on Changes in Russia's Comparative Advantage, 1994-2005

A senior Japanese specialist on Russia's economy and its oil- and gas-producing sectors calculates that country's Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Revealed Comparative Disadvantage (RCD), and Trade Specialization Index (TSI) on the basis of foreign trade data compiled by Russia's Federal Customs Service. The focus is on changes in comparative advantage of Russia's major export and import commodities over the 1994-2005 period. The results of the analyses make it possible to test the assertion that the increasing competitiveness of oil and gas exports (and secondarily those of armaments, selected base metals, roundwood, and fertilizers) must compensate for declining competitiveness in (and increasing imports of) meat, plastics, and automobile production and stagnation in the machinery sectors. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F02, F14, 011. 4 figures, 8 tables, 11 references.     

Observations on the Costs of the Yukos Affair to Russia

A prominent senior British specialist on the Russian economy reviews some consequences of the Russian state's dismemberment and partial re-nationalization of the Yukos oil company. The implications for state interventionism of Russia's engagement in international markets are assessed, and the effects of market feedbacks to Russian policymakers analyzed. Also considered is the question of whether Russian economic structure is changing in ways that could lessen the vulnerability of business to state action. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F21, F23, F32, L71. 4 figures, 1 table, 16 references.     

Observations on the Geographical Dimensions of Russia's Resource Abundance

A UK-based authority on Russia's economic geography examines the geographical dimensions of Russia's resource abundance, devoting particular attention to the spatial redistribution of resource rents generated by extraction, primary processing, and fabrication. After establishing Russia's credentials as a "resource-abundant economy," the author identifies the country's resource regions and considers their relative importance in terms of population, territory, and national economic contribution. He then considers the various dimensions (and different geographies) of resource rent, focusing on the oil and gas sector. The paper extends Gaddy and Ickes' (2005) macro-economic assessment and discusses the consequences of rent redistribution for interregional income flows as well as Russia's territorial cohesion. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O11, O13, O18, Q30. 5 figures, 1 table, 55 references.     

The Impact of Global Financial Crisis on the Mechanism of Economic Growth in Russia

A noted specialist on the Russian economy presents an assessment of the impact of the global financial crisis on the mechanism of the country's economic growth. Focusing on the demand side of the economic ledger, the author explores the question of whether Russia will be able to re-attain the high economic growth rates of the period from 2000 to 2007 after recovering from the crisis. The paper analyzes the sharp drop in production in 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, attributing most of the damage to liquidity problems and declines in the price of oil. Empirical evidence is based primarily on data collected by the author from the Central Bank of Russia and the country's federal bureau of statistics (Rosstat). Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: E010, E200, E660, F210, G010. 11 figures, 3 tables, 29 references.     

用GDP评价新中国头30年建设成就的几个问题

GDP是国民经济账户体系的一个核心指标,简单地用GDP评价新中国头30年的建设成就,并不完全合适;目前1952～1978年GDP主要有张风波、国家统计局、麦迪森三种数据,其中,麦迪森数据平均比国家统计局数据高出29.8%左右;传统上认为,发展中国家的经济总量被低估主要表现在未观测经济方面,但实际上,产品经济是计划经济国家经济总量被低估的另一个重要方面;汇率法GDP并不能真实地反映我国的经济实力及在世界上的地位,购买力平价GDP是一个重要的参考。现行的1952～1978年GDP低估了中国这一时期的建设成绩,应同时使用社会总产值和社会总产品的若干数据和事实进行补充和调整。     

日本出国旅游需求与人均GDP关系实证研究——兼议对我国出境旅游发展的启示

首先,基于日本1964年～2008年出国旅游相关数据,得到日本出国旅游量的收入弹性,发现日本在人均GDP（按当年价格计算）达到2000～4000美元时,出国旅游呈现爆发性增长。其次,与我国的出境旅游进行对比研究,发现我国在现价人均GDP达到3000美元时,并未出现出境旅游爆发性增长的迹象。同时,研究发现,在北京和上海人均GDP达到3000美元以上时,出境旅游呈现爆发性增长,而广州人均GDP高达8000美元以上时,出境旅游才呈现爆发性增长。     

浅析旅俄华侨社群的构成特点及经商活动--莫斯科华侨社群的问卷分析

二十世纪末中国和俄罗斯都在进行社会经济转型,两国的基本国情决定了双方经济具有极大的互补性,也决定了中国商品在俄罗斯市场上具有旺盛的生命力.莫斯科的华侨社群伴随着这一深刻的时代变化而再度兴起,多达十多万的中国人远赴俄罗斯,寻求经商致富和求学发展的历史机遇,尤以民间贸易的兴起和发展为显著特征.最近十多年,旅俄华侨社群从构成成分到与当地社会的融合特点都发生了深刻的变化.目前的旅俄华侨社群还处在一个初期的发展阶段,与东南亚的华侨社会相比有很大区别,有它的独特之处,是一个新兴的、动态的发展过程.这一新兴的侨民社群在初期阶段的表现和特征、其未来的演变趋势等等,都是值得不断探索和跟踪研究的课题.     

Russia's Kosovo: A Critical Geopolitics of the August 2008 War over South Ossetia

A noted political geographer presents an analysis of the August 2008 South Ossetian war. He analyzes the conflict from a critical geopolitical perspective sensitive to the importance of localized context and agency in world affairs and to the limitations of state-centric logics in capturing the connectivities, flows, and attachments that transcend state borders and characterize specific locations. The paper traces the historical antecedents to the August 2008 conflict and identifies major factors that led to it, including legacies of past violence, the Georgian president's aggressive style of leadership, and renewed Russian "great power" aspirations under Putin. The Kosovo case created normative precedents available for opportunistic localization. The author then focuses on the events of August 2008 and the competing storylines promoted by the Georgian and Russian governments. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: H10, I31, O18, P30. 7 figures, 2 tables, 137 references.     

中国早期的地球观对明朝远洋航行的影响

今年是郑和南海首航600周年纪念日。1405年由明成祖发起,由太监提升为将领的郑和开发了新的远洋航行。这一创举,比哥伦布发现美洲大陆几乎早了一个世纪。郑和的航海船队,由62艘海船和37000官兵及海员组成。他们最远到过非洲东部海岸,沿途走访了亚洲南部沿海三十多个国家,其中不少国家同意向明朝进贡。在以后的28年里,郑和曾六次下西洋。然而,正如其突如其来的开始一样,航海探险活动也嘎然而止了。如何解释拥有优越航海技术的海上霸主,竟不能像后来的西方列强一样,去寻找更远的新大陆呢?本文并非对大多数传统解释提出挑战,旨在说明中国古代天圆地方的观念阻碍了其所有更具雄心的海上探险。     

清代广州外销画中的瓷器烧造图研究——以瑞典隆德大学图书馆收藏为例

瑞典隆德大学(Lund University)图书馆收藏的一套50幅的中国瓷器烧造图,是18世纪上半期绘制于广州的早期外销画作品,由瑞典东印度公司首任大班坎贝尔从广州购回,是目前所知的数量最多的一套瓷器烧造图。这套广州外销画的早期图册,为我们了解早期外销画的发展、早期中瑞贸易史、瑞典早期远东科学考察史以及中国瓷器生产史,提供了非常珍贵的图像资料,其历史价值和文化价值值得肯定。     

1993年台商赴大陆投资“井喷性”增长之原因探析

1993年两岸经贸关系热络、台商赴大陆投资呈现"井喷性"增长,原因固然有多种,但1992年邓小平"南方谈话"的发表、中共十四大的召开、大陆对外全面开放态势的确立、以浦东开放为龙头的"沿江开放"形势发展迅速,不但是其激发性因素,也是其主导性的关键因素,这从事实上证明了改革开放不但增进和加强了两岸经贸关系的发展,也有力地推进了祖国和平统一进程。与此同时,台湾当局对其大陆经贸政策稍有放松并提出"亚太区域营运中心"构想,以及第一次"汪辜会谈"成功举行,对两岸经贸交流也起了明显的"升温"作用。     

1906—1931年日俄经济势力在东北地区的空间推移——以港口、铁路、货物运销范围的变化为视角

日俄战争造成的南北满地理概念, 仅是以条约形式划定的非区域实体的空间分界范围。1906—1931年, 日本通过港口和铁路线的建设, 使其经济势力逐渐从东北南部扩大到东北北部; 同时, 俄国 (1921 年以后为苏联) 在东北北部的经济势力范围则逐步退缩。随着港口—铁路网的完善, 1931 年后日本确立了在整个东北地区的经济霸权。     

Some Results and Prospects of Research on the Productivity of Forest Biogeocenoses

A review of Soviet research on the productivity of forest biogeocenoses finds confusion in terminology and urges general agreement on specific concepts and terms. Research has thus far been limited to the plant aspect of the forest communities, ignoring the animal and microbial communities. Changes in the amount of litter fall and phytomass from one natural zone to another are analyzed for spruce and oak communities and for forest biogeocenoses of various ages. A program for future research is outlined.