Typical Space in Theoretical Geography

Abstract

Many problems studied by geography, first of all the problem of typical space, are isomorphic to the problems of the other sciences. The expediency of organism’s size in biology was studied in 1926 by J.B.S. Haldane. Being convicted socialist, Haldane wrote that the possibility of the building socialism in the country largely depends on their size. In early 1980s in geography B.N. Zimin put forward the theory of small developed counties. Such a theory makes possible the exact definition of a small developed country and the explanation of high economic and social efficiency of such countries. W. Bunge pointed out that the roots of theoretical geography could be not the W. Christaller’s central place theory, but earlier writings of climatologists and geomorphologists. A.A. Tishkov introduced the notion of typical space in order to define the typical area of the dynamic properties of zonal plant communities. It was found in social geography that the typical space (size) of central places systems is 104 –105 km2 . It’s very promising to study the typical spaces in interrelation with typical times. Such a notion was introduced and developed in geography by A.D. Armand and V.O. Targulyan in early 1970s.