Modern definitions of the depressive territories and the criteria of their definition

Abstract

Transformation processes in the economy of Ukraine and its integration into the world economic space necessitate the elimination of asymmetry of socio-economic development of regions, which resulted in the aggravation of the emergence of depressed territories with low levels of financial support for their development. In this context, a feature of regional policy is its focus on overcoming the depressiveness of territories and addressing the most urgent financial support problems for developing these territories. The article aims to study the content and specifics of the definition of "depressed territory", to determine the characteristic features of a depressed territory and to identify the factors that aggravate the socio-economic problems of depressed territories in modern conditions. The article explores and analyzes scientific approaches to defining the concept of “depressed territory”. The genesis of the terms “depression” and “depressive” are examined to determine the essence of the concept of “depressed territory” as a specific object of study of the regional economy, and approaches to their definition are analyzed. Much attention is paid to identifying the characteristic features inherent in this type of territorial entity, in particular: disproportionality of development, lack of developed production, presence of problems of crisis nature, low level of budget financing, and absence of adequate incentives at the state level for intensifying their development. Based on the research, the factors of aggravation of socio-economic problems of depressed territories under current conditions of increasing regional disparities were determined. The problems of processes of origin, continuation, and termination of territorial depressions are among the most urgent in the economy. Depressed territories are always considered by scholars in close association with developed areas to determine the nature and level of interaction and development patterns. Thus, in examining states' economic growth, scientists are paying attention to depressed territories as a phenomenon that hurts this complex process. Keywords: depression, depressed region, depressed territory, criteria, socio-economic development.