Geographical Spheres Research Articles

Higher Classes of Geographical Complexes and Layer Structure of the Geographical Sphere

Higher Classes of Geographical Complexes and Layer Structure of the Geographical Sphere

A geographic and urban planning view of military administrative divisions

The following issues are discussed in this article: military-geographic regionalization questions, the relationship between the Earth's surface and the geographic sphere, two main types of divisions - physio-geographic territorial and economic-territorial divisions, the administrative-territorial division of different states, and the problem of complex physical-geographical zoning differentiation objectively through the existing natural-territorial complex of different ranks and varying degrees of complexity. By examining the military-administrative divisions of the US and Russian Federation, both past and present, it is concluded that these divisions are based on geographic-territorial considerations, encompassing continents, states, and interior administrative area boundaries. These divisions facilitate the optimal command and control of troops. The joint staff of the armed forces, responsible for strategic territorial division into different commands, considers and analyzes various components of the geographical background during the initial phase of combat operations, providing strategic advantages for regional commands in the theatre of military operations. This approach forms the basis for the efficient utilization of different types of forces.

VALUATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE COASTAL ZONE FOR RECREATION FIELDS

In a coastal zone of a seas recreation resources are various. In general, they distinguished by 3 blocks, according to features of atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere as a parts of geographical sphere. At the same time, the exponents and qualities were separated, and the scales were elaborated for every of them. The resources estimations were made according to medicine-biological qualities of the coastal zone for next exponents: beach, cliff, submarine slope, water, sediment etc.

BASIC POSITION OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY AND ITS STRUCTURE

During last decades geographical science are subjected to crisis events under impact of new social-economic factor in Ukraine. The aim of the article is analysis of modern geography as a fundamental science during new conditions in Ukraine. New scientific structure of geography was elaborated. As a result, additional geographical spheres of the science were distinguished, for instance: limnology, coastal science, engineering geography, methods of geographical research, etc. Geography is one of the basic natural resource-attitude sciences, that are researching factors, processes and mechanisms of natural environmental systems of various genetic level within the Global Geographical jacket and hers natural spheres, with participation of anthropogenous factor, in addition with a spatial spreading on squire of the World. Geography is studying properties and territorial spreading geographical objects and regularities of its interactions. Destination of the research and development are harmonic usage of natural resources and comfort reside people.

RECOGNITION OF A LANDSCAPE TECHNO-SPHERE AS A NEW GEOSPHERE

The second half of XX century – the beginning of XXI century are characterized by the active development of a global ecological crisis, which is described by a critical state of the environment and excessive anthropogenization of a geographical sphere. The changes which lead to the formation of absolutely new techno-genic landscapes occur at very fast rates in current geo-spheres. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the recognition of a new geo-sphere – a landscape techno- sphere – based on the previous experience and our field research. The main tasks of the research are to analyze specific features and properties of a landscape techno-sphere; to identify its upper and lower borders; to study a structural organization of all options of a landscape sphere with available techno-substances; to characterize briefly the main stages of the development of a techno- sphere.
 The research of a landscape techno-sphere is a complicated process and it is based on the use of classical and innovative methodological principles of contemporary geography. A parallel application of three scientific paradigms is the foundation: system, model and ecological. They do not contradict each other; they rather compliment the studying of the interaction between nature and engineering. A system approach allows considering a techno-sphere as a complicated system of a lower taxonomic range of a landscape sphere and a geographical sphere. The following generally accepted scientific methods are used in the paper: analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, systematization, induction and deductions.
 The article substantiates the existence of a new geosphere – the landscape techno-sphere, which is formed by the planetary set of landscape-technical systems. it is noted that it does not have a continuous distribution, but is constantly increasing in size and gradually goes beyond the landscape. The specific features and properties of the landscape techno-sphere are analyzed in detail. Taking into account the criterion of the presence of a zone of direct contract of three blocks of landscape-technical systems (managerial, technical and natural), the upper and lower limits of the landscape techno-sphere are identified. The structure of all variants of the landscape sphere in the presence of technological substances is considered. The main periods of development of the landscape techno-sphere are briefly described. It is concluded that man will never be able to control landscape-technical systems on a planetary scale. However, applying the methods and principles of engineering landscape research, it is possible to achieve optimal interaction of the three blocks of landscape-technical systems and to extend their functional suitability.

Sustainability in the Workplace: A Global Concern

Health and safety in the workplace should be an integral part of any sustainable organization, regardless of its size, sector and geographical sphere of operations. To ensure and maintain a healthy and safe work environment, companies should constantly identify and prevent all factors that could provoke work-related injuries and diseases. In particular, in today’s rapidly changing context, companies should carefully consider not only the traditional risks to the employees’ health and safety, but also the emerging ones associated with the ecological transition, the increasing digitalization of business processes, and the impact of climate change on working conditions. Adopting a theoretical approach, this study aims at explaining the relationship between occupational health and safety and corporate sustainable success.

Does the climate-smart village extension model enhance farmer empowerment?

Climate smart villages (CSVs) are new and promising approaches to tackle the negative repercussions of climate change and to tackle the food insecurity that affects close to one billion people globally. CSVs are envisaged to result into empowerment of participating farmers; however, given the novelty of this concept in different geographical spheres, limited literature exists. This review paper therefore conducted a systematic analysis of some previous studies around this concept and assessed their contribution to understanding empowerment of farmers regarding intrinsic, instrumental, and collective agency. From the results, these studies assessed empowerment majorly in-line with the female gender; some focused on both. Results lacked focus on empowerment in the intrinsic, instrumental, or collective agency realms, though possibility of using proxy concepts can’t be dismissed. However, at the heart of any agricultural extension model, a clearly outlined gender-inclusive farmer empowerment pathway should be a fundamental cornerstone for sustainability.

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

Service Quality of Government Bank in Rural Area of Uttarakhand (India)

We know that the approx and over 65% portion of India’s population resides in the rural areas of the country and therefore rural banking plays an important role in the Indian financial system. Remote areas usually have limited number of opportunities for survival and growth. The need for proper rural banking infrastructure cannot be overlooked in these distant remote regions especially in the wake of sustainable development of the country as a whole. Demand the higher agricultural technology, we need in turn higher uses of funds and that can only be fulfilled through rural banking. Economic liberalization lead lot many firms, companies, and SMSE to rise and live up to the expectation of rural society. These stakeholders are working in a challenging situation in hard geographical zones and hence need proper banking support and financial inclusion. Just to justify the topic ‘Rural banking’ and that too in hard geographical sphere, we selected hard remote region of Uttarakhand for research and 100 samples have collected through structured interview schedule. The paper is designed to investigate customer satisfaction of public banks in the rural segment.

The Venice Commission: the 30 Years of History

The article is dedicated to the results of thirty years activity of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission of the Council of Europe), which is a recognized expert center in the field of constitutional law. Russia has been participating in its work since 2002. The purpose of the article is to show the evolution of the VC expert opinions’ problematics from the general problems of constitutional reforms to the specification of individual institutions, the assessment of electoral systems, the effectiveness of justice, guarantees of civil and political rights of citizens. This comparative analysis contributes to a better understanding of the Commission's current activities. The main stages of the Commissions’ formation are considered. The authors explore the expansion of the geographical sphere of Venice Commission’s influence and the strengthening of its role in the political-legal and scientific-legal fields. The conducted research makes it possible to fill an obvious gap in the domestic science of comparative and constitutional law, since there are only a few special works dedicated to the Venice Commission. The article sets out tasks that can contribute to the shaping of new directions for the development of legal science, taking into account the experience of the Commission and its contribution to the improvement of democratic institutions. The work is intended for scientists specializing in comparative and constitutional law, teachers and students studying the law of the Council of Europe. An optional seminar on the legal positions of the Venice Commission was organized at the Master's program of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation.

The Other Arena: Poetics Goes Global in the Iberian Atlantic, 1500–1650+

AbstractThe period 1500–1650 is the period during which Europe’s poetic traditions — of ultimately Greco-Roman (i.e. Mediterranean Basin) origin — first came to be systematically exported outside the strictly European geographical sphere: the new contexts offered by the Portuguese- and especially Spanish-controlled zones of the rapidly expanding Iberian imperial world is where this first took place. This chapter moves away from the time-honoured Eurocentrisms of some of the more traditional approaches to early modern poetics by insisting upon 1500–1650+ as precisely the period during which the European literary tradition began to take on a life, or lives, of its own elsewhere across the globe. After surveying the key literary-historical developments in this connection, the chapter proceeds to consider how the Americas themselves came to be figured and indeed forged as a new zone of poetic activity — a new poetic(s) space — in early modern Ibero-American poetry itself. The selection of tropes identified and surveyed in this part of the chapter is offered as a sample of the dynamic literary phenomena that make up what we can call the poetics of the New World.

Introduction

This special issue focuses on varied mechanisms of social protection in the context of social and political networks in the early Islamic empire up to and following the collapse of the caliphate in the ʿAbbasid period. Under the broad concept of “protection” we have brought together diverse, but comparable relationships within which risk is managed and problems are solved at different levels of society, and in difficult cultural and geographical spheres. When considering how societies functio...

GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN AND MARITIME SECURITY CHALLENGES FOR PAKISTAN

Geopolitics and geographical identity of a state holds great significance in today’s arena of International Politics. The geographical sphere is a source of global puissance in regional policy making. From the last few decades, the world has witnessed major variations in regional power dynamics from Atlantic to Pacific and from Europe to Asia. Oceans and seas are an imperative driver of dynamic change and clutches prosperity enigmas from eras. The Indian Ocean, in contemporary world, is a major maritime transit lounge. Global economy relies on this giant oceanic connector as it is an emerging economic gravity center in world’s trade and economic affairs. Hegemonic influence on the littoral states of Indian Ocean is the dire need of Asian economic giants as well as the US and European rivals. Pakistan’s geographic location and its embryonic Gwadar port holds great strategic significance in regional economy, prosperity, security and stability. Notwithstanding, there are certain maritime challenges for Pakistan. The aim of this paper is to identify maritime challenges to Pakistan in terms of CPEC and to highlight possible remedial measures in changing regional geopolitical power dynamics. It can be concluded with a thorough study that Pakistan requires adequate measures to cope up with existing and futuristic challenges in the maritime domain.

Model of Local Economic Development in Hungarian Countryside

Abstract During and the following years of economic crisis that started in 2008, the European Union did not find reliable answers to some negative effects of downturn. This was highly true in East Central Europe, in the ex-socialist countries. Regional differences increased at the expanse of rural areas. The inefficient efforts to revitalize rural countryside echoed new. The main aim of the paper is to investigate on the necessary elements and mechanisms of employment growth in Hungarian rural areas. Based on the original applied research series conducted in 2012–2013 and 2015–2016, and the publication of the first results in line with the relevant literature, the authors built a general model inspired by geographical spheres for practical use of stakeholders and policymakers. The parts of the model, the interrelations, mechanisms and functions between them were the subject matter of this paper. The authors expect debate on further generalization of the model.

The Borders of Borders

Abstract This article examines the significance of public space for the European project and reflects on the contribution of Christianity to the shaping of today’s public space. It is characterized by a common and shared symbolic, social, cultural, economic, political and geographical sphere that is potentially accessible and open to all people and welcomes creative participation. Today the specific task of Christianity consists not at least in the concretization of the idea of universal friendship in view of an ethos of empathy and inclusion which is perceptive of migrants and their narratives. The development of a amicable and non-hegemonic coexistence of Christianity, Islam and the secular world in Europe poses a particular challenge. In addition, it is necessary to make one’s own traditions and potentials fruitful in such a way that also the dead, who in the secular world are largely excluded, obtain a corresponding presence in the world of the living beyond nihilistic resignation. In this context it becomes apparent that the vocation of Christianity consists in providing an exit strategy to closed social and symbolic worlds. This exit includes the subversion of boundaries. It does not create an abstract boundlessness, but sets in motion a continuous process of creative openings and shifts in which public space becomes concrete as a place of ever new approaches, exits and inclusions.

Cyber Security Challenges in Future Military Battlefield Information Networks

This paper explains the evolution of technology from obsolete military battlefield networks towards the global military battlefield information network from information and cyber security point of view. The authors focus on the threat of the communication medium which is mainly used in military battlefield information networks - the wireless channel, which is the basis of different mobile wireless systems. This paper deals with complex threats to military cyberspace, in which primarily wireless channels may be easily available by the enemy. Employed subnetworks may have different properties. A unifying extended layered model is presented in the article, which in addition to ISO/OSI model spreads cyber threat to geographic and social spheres. The article also shortly illustrates the development of electronic military warfare towards cyber military warfare.

Lessons from the field: Gender roles and researcher reflexivity in smoking cessation in South Asia

Abstract Background In South Asia, dual epidemics of smoking and tuberculosis (TB) have contributed to a high burden of lung disease. To address these health risks, the TB & Tobacco study uses the TB diagnosis as a teachable moment and implements a behaviour support counselling intervention, conducted by TB health workers, for patients in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. In this region, smoking tobacco is perceived as problematic for women, and being confronted with questions on smoking from a health professional may be uncomfortable for men and women. Anticipating these challenges, we incorporated gender sensitivity into training of health workers. Methods During implementation of the cessation support in routine TB care, a process evaluation assessed interactions between participants and the intervention through interviews with health workers and patients with TB participating in the cessation program. This presentation focusses on a retrospective self-reflection on how we conceptualized gender roles based on prior research, and how research findings partially challenged these assumptions. Findings While parts of our interview findings point towards smoking as a stigmatized practice for women and some men in South Asia as expected, several male and female respondents across socio-economic and geographical spheres contradicted this assumption. We discovered that health workers’ self-efficacy and perceived smoking stigma among health workers influenced whether they discussed smoking with women or minors. Many patients, on the other hand, told us that they were interested in receiving help to cure their TB and were willing to talk to about smoking with their health workers and their family members. Conclusions Patients in this study were more open to talking about smoking than anticipated. When including gender sensitivity into the standard training for health workers, we should be careful not to increase doubts in health workers about addressing smoking with women.

Corruption and the forestry industry in Papua New Guinea: transnational actors, local dynamics and environmental impact

Corruption and environmental degradation are interrelated challenges. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the relationship between corruption and the environment can be seen in the continuing corruption that exists in the country's forestry industry. The article focuses on key actors, values and interests across geographic and institutional spheres who contribute to corrupt incentives in PNG. The PNG government, foreign corporations, customary land owners, NGOs, multilateral organizations, even foreign governments and consumers; all play a role in the PNG context. These actors and their motives must be understood and harnessed to reduce corruption and improve environmental outcomes in PNG. To balance power dynamics and incentives among these actors requires the use of multiple legal and political tools: political pressure, international law, domestic legislation, aid and technical assistance, education and enforcement of existing legal frameworks are all components of the solution. The concept of an experimentalist governance framework for environmental protection is valuable in this context, due to its fluidity, responsiveness and adaptability in complex environments with multiple stakeholders.

Kalapa – Jacatra –Batavia - Jakarta: An old city that never gets old

The archaeology of Jakarta is a multi-layered artefact compounded with thin period separations. In the geographical sphere of the “greater Jakarta area”, its roots start from the Neolithic with the discovery of Buni tradition pottery. The Buni area stretched along the north coast of west Java towards the interior to the south. This geographical sphere then became the oldest kingdom in the archipelago, Tarumanagara, an Indian-influenced Hindu Kingdom. A series of different ancient kingdoms ruled until the arrival of the Europeans. First, the Portuguese signed a treaty with Sunda (a Hindu Kingdom and ruler of the port of Kalapa) to defend their territory from Cirebon (an Islamic Kingdom in the eastern part of west java). Kalapa became a prized area that was fought over until the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC), led by J. P. Coen, burnt it down and built Batavia. Kalapa, as one of the few main ports of Sunda, historically welcomed people (with or without their will) from different areas. The influx of multicultural influence through this port continued when Batavia became the capital of the VOC, and then for the Netherlands Indies. The area grew into what is now known as the greater area of Jakarta. Although this greater area is now delineated into three different provinces, the cultural span of the area is still the same. A version of this paper was delivered as part of SEAMEO SPAFA’s Capital’s Archaeology Lecture Series on 23 May 2017 at the Siam Society, Bangkok. This paper has been peer reviewed. The lecture can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2imigGG

Тeopeтикo-мeтoдoлoгiчнi пiдхoди дo дocлiджeння воєнних кoнфлiктiв в cучacних глoбaлiзaцiйних peaлiях.

The article deals with the definition of key military conflicts, in particular emphasizes that one of the most common is its interpretation as the highest degree of aggravation of contradictions between subjects of military-strategic relations and at the same time, the form of resolving conflicts with the use of limited forces of the armed forces (military formations). It is noted that there are three formal signs of the war: involvement in the conflict of at least one regular army: the existence of the inevitable logic chain in the sequence of events in the armed conflict; minimum losses - 1000 or more human lives per year.In most contemporary interpretations of the war, organized collective violence is the main symptom. Many theories also remind that war is not without mass casualties; they help to distinguish war from personal hostility between individualsThe typology of modern wars is highlighted, which includes the classic territorial wars, the purpose of which is to conquer the territory; secessionist wars (for the separation and formation of an independent state); irredentist war (for the reunification of representatives of a divided ethnic group, compact living in the territories of neighboring states), asymmetric wars (a kind of armed conflict, which implies the nature of relations, the asymmetry of the potential of the opposing sides).It is noted that the modern typology of wars is rapidly enriched in large-scale and especially military-technical and strategic features: their weapons; symmetry or asymmetry (in the same or different ways); contact or contactlessness (with or without ground battles); with coverage of all geographic spheres or individual ones; “revolt – war”, etc.Some authors outline “asymmetric wars”, which mean wars between different types of social actors (for example, states against non-state actors), as well as armed conflicts in which enemies use different means of armed struggle.