Suchergebnisse

The so-called "compression" of social and economic space has been the subject of quite a few studies in the past decades. There are two principle types of compression: communicative, that is, associated with the development of transport and information systems, and physical, manifested in the rapid decrease of the number of new territories to explore. While physical and communicative compression are interrelated, they have different spatial expressions depending on geographical conditions, economic, environmental, historical, and political characteristics of the region. The authors identify the patterns of communicative and physical space compression using comparative mapping, statistical and historical research methods, and a model showing the spatial differentiation of regional socioeconomic characteristics in the Northwestern Federal District. The study focuses on border areas, where the following key manifestations of compression have been identified: transport connectivity, level of agriculture development, and depopulation. All these indicators of space compression process are studied at the municipal level. The authors identify the key features of socioeconomic space compression for the border areas of the Russian Northwest.

This article evaluates the social wellbeing of rural municipalities of the Kaliningrad region. The degree of social wellbeing is assessed on the basis of an analysis of statistical data and expert evaluations. Rural districts were identified in the Kaliningrad region on the basis of the following criteria: the share of population residing in the rural areas (threshold value of 50 %); the share of non-residential areas (threshold value of 75 %), the share of agricultural lands (threshold value of 50 %). Further analysis was based on the indices of geodemographic situation, investment potential, and production development. Rural municipalities were ranked according to these indices. The study showed that the best performing area are the suburban districts of Guryevsk and Bagrationovsk and the agricultural districts of Nesterov and Pravdinsk, whereas the worst performing ones are those of Gvardeisk, Krasnoznamensk, Ozersk, and Chernykhovsk. A comparison with the other constituent entities of the Northwestern federal district proved that the level of social wellbeing of Kaliningrad rural municipalities is rather high and most of them have made the transition from depression to sustainable development.

The paper proposes a contemporary interdisciplinary method to identify consistent patterns within cyclical dynamics of GDP and its macroeconomics determinants in the Russian Federation. This method may contribute to better recognition of the stages of economic cycle and of potential early predicators to recessions and crises. We first identify the trend component of Russian GDP and then apply the spectral data analysis to its cyclical component which reveals its multi-frequency, and non-linear vibrations. These vibrations are then further investigated by transforming time series data on GDP and its determinants into a frequency spectrum series via Fourier transform techniques. Wavelength scanning of selected macroeconomic indicators shows the basic economic cycle of real GDP with duration time of approx. 3.13 years. Other procyclical indicators nevertheless discover asynchronous behavior towards GDP due to the relative autonomy of the sectors standing behind these indicators. Their autonomy lies behind differences in reaction forces (shifts) and periods (lags) to both internal and external shocks. We estimate differentials between the dynamics of GDP and its determinants by evaluating phase deviations of their pairwise harmonic components, mutual pairwise phase shifts, and by comparison of their pairwise cross-spectrum. The one of output is the quantification of time lags between GDP and key macroeconomic indicators of individual economic sectors. This result reveals the complexity of GDP dynamics that sends an aliased rather than a unit signal to economic agents. Our decomposition of this signal into signals from key economic sectors and quantification of phase discrepancies between sectoral signals may contribute to findings in early crisis predicators. We also estimate the depth and velocity of shocks penetrations into both economy as a whole and its particular sectors.

This article addresses methodology of modern landscape studies from the perspective of natural and man-made components of a territory. Railway infrastructure is not only an important system-building element of economic and settlement patterns; it also affects cultural landscapes. The study of cartographic materials and historiography made it possible to identify the main stages of the development of the Kaliningrad railway network in terms of its territorial scope and to describe causes of the observed changes. Historically, changes in the political, economic, and military environment were key factors behind the development of the Kaliningrad railway network. Nature was less important. The existing Kaliningrad railway network is to a great degree the legacy of the earlier, pre-war times. Today, its primary function is to provide international cargo and passenger transportation. Two types of railway infrastructure are identified in the Kaliningrad region - modern (functioning) and relic (abandoned) ones. In the Kaliningrad region, the process of land reclamation of the railway system starts when the maintenance of railroads is discontinued, which is followed by the formation of primitive soils and emerging biocenoses enhanced by fill soils and artificial relief.

The paper analyses data of automated evaluation of syntactical complexity of scholarly texts from four comparable corpora – two of expert texts and two of learner texts – in two subject areas. The research applied two different computer tools – UDPipe parser and AntConc set of programs. The following conclusions were made: – Expert scholarly texts demonstrated high clausal and phrasal complexity, and its level was higher in Business Studies than in Economics. – Clausal complexity in expert texts was much higher than in student texts, while phrasal complexity was at about the same level as, or even slightly lower than that of students. The largest difference was attested for genitive construction with preposition of, which was 1.7 times as frequent in student texts in both subject areas as in expert texts. The results contradict the conclusion of the prior research that with the growth in proficiency clausal complexity decreases, while phrasal complexity grows.