A Natural-Resource Regionalization of the USSR

A regionalization of natural resources is treated as a particular case of economic regionalization, in the sense that it makes an economic interpretation of the physical base of an area from the point of view of its capacity to generate an economic region of appropriate rank. The resource regionalization is based on two particular regionalizations of bioclimatic and mineral resources, yielding a set of 86 regions that combine both types of resources. A typology of resource regions distinguishes seven basic types of regions in which bioclimatic resources are dominant and four basic types in which mineral resources are dominant. Combinations of bioclimatic and mineral resources yield 24 groups of integral resource regions.     

Man-Induced Differentiation of Natural Conditions as a Factor in Physical-Geographic Regionalization

The author analyzes the significance of man-induced changes in the natural environment at various levels of the hierarchy of physical-geographic regionalization, and proposes a classification of man-altered landscapes that can be applied to existing systems of physical-geographic regions.     

Principles Of Geomorphic Regionalization

The author proposes a scheme of regional units to be used in geomorphic regionalization. Each rank in the regional scheme is defined in terms of geomorphic processes, with endogenous processes predominating in the case of the higher ranks and exogenous factors prevailing in the lower units.     

A Physical-Geographic Regionalization of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

The author served as a consultant in 1963–64 with a geography group of the State Committee of Sciences of North Vietnam that compiled a physical regionalization of the country. The regionalization, at 1:1,000,000 to 1:2,000,000, was based mainly on geologic-geomorphic and climatic criteria as well as other, more variable components of the physical environment. Six natural oblasts were distinguished: (1) the Northeast hills and low mountains, with a relatively cool climate, (2) the Northwest, distinguished by linear mountain ranges trending NW—SE, (3) the Truong Son, or Annamese Cordillera, (4) the Bac Bo [Tonkin] plain, the population center and economic core of North Vietnam, (5) the Thanh-Nghe coastal plains, and (6) the Binh-Tri-Thien coastal plains, in the extreme south. The oblasts were further partitioned into suboblasts, 51 rayons and 50 subrayons.     

On the Objective and the Subjective Character of Economic Regionalization

The author takes issue with the preceding article on the question of the objective basis for regionalization. Saushkin maintains that the unity of economic regions is not derived from their internal economic relations, as Alampiyev puts it, but from the existence of what Saushkin terms “territorial complexes of productive forces.” Saushkin asserts that a single objective system of regions exists in reality and that it is the task of science to uncover that system. Saushkin says Alampiyev's suggestion that there may be several variants of regionalization smacks of the Western subjective approach to regionalization.     

Cartographic Techniques of Agricultural Regionalization

The use of a series of correlated maps is proposed as an approach to agricultural regionalization. Because of the dynamic character of farm production, two stages in the regionalization process are distinguished: a delimitation of existing agricultural regions and a delimitation of future regions. The basic principle underlying the compilation of agricultural regionalization maps IS to combine the resource base of agriculture with the actual types of farming. Maps of existing regions would also show the volume and structure of farm production, population and farm employment. In the delimitation of long-term future agricultural regions, the emphasis is on determining the potential biological productivity (climate and soils) of regions and the expected volume of production, based on food needs, industrial processing of farm products and the prospects of interregional trade in farm products.     

The Physical-Geographic Regionalization of the Ukrainian SSR for Agricultural Purposes

A program of research is proposed to determine the optimal regionalization of production and consumption of industrial output. The author proposes a regionalization of the most common industries by major zones (covering two or three regions), and a basic division of the USSR into two major economic zones (West and East) designed to reduce irrational long hauls between them.     

Economic Regionalization in the People's Democracies

The author traces the development of administrative-economic regionalization in Eastern Europe from the initial phase of centralized economic planning and management to the present stage in which central control in combined with greater local autonomy and coordination of economic development. Economic regions are considered effective only if they embody actual agencies for economic coordination within their territory.     

Biogeographical Regionalization,its Stages and Criteria

A historical approach to biogeographical regionalization is proposed. The approach is based on the assumption that the highest ranking hierarchical units in such a regionalization represent the oldest biogeographical regions, with the more detailed taxonomic units formed in subsequent historical periods. The regionalization process involves three stages: (a) faunistic-floristic investigation of the study area; (b) the identification of habitats of species that more or less coincide; (c) a determination whether the distribution of these characteristic species displays a cause-and-effect relationship with the geographical environment. The historical criterion is emphasized throughout, the regions are viewed as the product of the historical differentiation of a physical-geographic territory.     

Agricultural Regionalization

The authors explain the methodology used in compiling a small-scale map of agricultural regions of the USSR under a joint inter-university project. The boundaries of these farming-type regions are found to coincide in some cases with natural boundaries, but such coincidence cannot always be explained in terms of simple causal relationships. These authors make recommendations for improving the locational pattern of agriculture by shifting the agricultural center of gravity from the less humid to the more humid zone and for increasing the role of animal production in the more humid zones. For previous articles on agricultural regionalization, see Soviet Geography, November and December 1960.     

The Objective Basis of Economic Regionalization and its Long-Range Prospects

The author defends the objective existence of regions as opposed to the subjective concept prevalent in the West. He sees the unity of an economic region in its economic specialization and its internal economic relations. In his view, analysis of these relations is required to work out a system of regions, and in view of the complexity of economic relations, several variants of regionalization are possible.     

明显陵与湖广政区的演变

明显陵是嘉靖帝在湖广为其父母修建的陵墓。因显陵的肇建与扩建,承天府、兴都留守司、荆西道相继设立,显陵所在的监察区也得以改变。显陵政区及其相关都司卫所的变更过程,亦是显陵地区逐步脱离旧有政区层级,建立以显陵为核心的新政区层级的过程。相较于汉代迁移人口因陵设县,明王朝偏重于调整各级政区及其相关都司卫所的组合方式,以保障统治重地的物资人力供应和附近军民的集中统一管理。而明王朝以某地为中心进行一系列政区的变更,很有可能预示着某一区域内的统治重心发生了改变。     

The Work of Geographers on Regionalization of the USSR in the Interests of Agriculture

A progress report on coordinated research by Soviet university geographers on physical-geographic regionalization of the USSR for agricultural purposes. A previous paper by the author on this research program appeared in Soviet Geography, November 1960, pp. 5–19).     

Economic Geography at the 1960 International Geographical Congress

The author compares the scope of economic-geography papers at the Rio de Janeiro and Stockholm congresses, discusses William William-Olsson's book on Stockholm, and analyzes a number of congress papers with an economic-geographic content.     

THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF CITIES FORMED IN 1775-85 (COMMEMORATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GUBERNIYA REFORM)

Based on extensive unpublished research, the author discusses the distribution and economic-geographic situation of the 176 new cities that were incorporated under the territorial-administrative reform of 1775-85. (The translation was prepared by James R. Gibson of York University, Toronto.) [The author, one of the eminent Soviet economic geographers, died in 1986 at the age of 82.]     

On the Lower Units of a Zoogeographical Regionalization

A lower-level zoogeographical regionalization of Northern Europe is proposed on the basis of the distribution of 50 species and subspecies of typical freshwater fishes and anadromous fishes native to the region. European species are found to give way gradually to Siberian species from west to east. A detailed zoogeographical regionalization for freshwater fishes has practical use because it meets the planning needs of inland fisheries, which are greatly dependent on the distributional patterns of the ichthyofauna. In general, lower-level zoogeographical regional units can be established only for organisms distinguished by a relatively low level of vagility, the capacity to move freely about. For highly vagile species, only more generalized regional units can be established.     

Probabilistic Regionalization via Evidence Accumulation with Random Spanning Trees as Weak Spatial Representations

Spatial clusters contain biases and artifacts, whether they are defined via statistical algorithms or via expert judgment. Graph-based partitioning of spatial data and associated heuristics gained popularity due to their scalability but can define suboptimal regions due to algorithmic biases such as chaining. Despite the broad literature on deterministic regionalization methods, approaches that quantify regionalization probability are sparse. In this article, we propose a local method to quantify regionalization probabilities for regions defined via graph-based cuts and expert-defined regions. We conceptualize spatial regions as consisting of two types of spatial elements: core and swing. We define three distinct types of regionalization biases that occur in graph-based methods and showcase the use of the proposed method to capture these types of biases. Additionally, we propose an efficient solution to the probabilistic graph-based regionalization problem via performing optimal tree cuts along random spanning trees within an evidence accumulation framework. We perform statistical tests on synthetic data to assess resulting probability maps for varying distinctness of underlying regions and regionalization parameters. Lastly, we showcase the application of our method to define probabilistic ecoregions using climatic and remotely sensed vegetation indicators and apply our method to assign probabilities to the expert-defined Bailey's ecoregions.     

New Aspects of the Location of Production in the Period of the Full-Fledged Construction of Communism

The author discusses some economic-geographic aspects of the so-called period of full-fledged construction of communism (1960–80). Off-season employment is to be provided for the farm labor force. In urban centers some new industries will be designed to absorb underemployed family members. The author discounts the principle of “uniformity of location of production” and says areas unfavorable to human settlement (subarctic, deserts, mountains) will remain undeveloped even under communism. Urban-rural differences are expected to disappear gradually.     

METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THE GEOGRAPHY OF LABOR RESOURCES

Soviet population geographers have tended to study labor-resource problems at the level of major civil divisions, such as republics, krays and oblasts. There is a real need for investigating such problems at a more detailed regional level, down to particular rayons and urban places in which people live and are employed. Various types of economic-geographic investigations of labor-resource problems are suggested and a research strategy is proposed. The author notes that if population cannot be redistributed regionally in keeping with a given economic objective, economic plans may have to be revised on the basis of the actual labor resource situation.     

On a Quantitative Assessment of the Economic-Geographic Situation of Cities

The author suggests the use of combined production and transport costs of raw materials and manufactured goods to the consumer as an indicator of the economic-geographic situation of a city. He contends that it is no longer sufficient to characterize the situation simply as “favorable” or “unfavorable” and that there is a real need for quantification with the purpose of using this technique in long-range plans.