Factors of the formation of settlement systems at the present stage (South of the Russian Far East - Northeast of China).

Abstract

The study examines the development of the Russian-Chinese border area, defines the existing settlement systems, identifies factors affecting their formation. It is noted that a continuous urbanized territory with an actively developing infrastructure has been formed on the Chinese side. On the part of the Russian border – a small population, a large number of non-growing settlements, with limited specialization. Large areas are formed on the basis of large cities. This trend has determined the direction of "One city – two states": (Khabarovsk – Fuyuan, Zabaikalsk – Manchuria; Blagoveshchensk – Heihe). In the conducted research, the object of study is settlement systems, the subject is the factors of their formation in modern conditions on the territory of the Russian–Chinese border. The aim is to identify the factors of the formation of settlement for further forecasting of the organization of the border territory of Russia and China. The current trend in the region under consideration is that the border spaces are becoming more interconnected with each other, forming a stable system of cross-border communications. And the introduction of sanctions against Russia, namely the "closure" of the European border, caused a change in the direction of the development vector "to the east", which can become a mechanism for the development of border territories. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time the structure of the settlement of the south and the Far East at the present stage is considered – namely, the zone of active interaction between the two countries (Russia – China) – the territory along the border. The study identifies and examines the settlement systems of the border zone of Russia and China, as well as the factors of their formation (geographical, enographic, cultural, transport, educational and regional policy).