Ezbieta ZuzanskaZysko - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: Ezbieta ZuzanskaZysko


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Small towns in the Upper Silesia Region

• Ezbieta Zuzanska-Zysko

The University of Silesia Faculty of Earth
Sciences Department of Economic
Geography Sosnowiec, Poland
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Photo
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The towns The small towns
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Population in townsin the Upper Silesia Region
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I investigated 31 small towns of less 20 than
inhabitants

• Years 1990-1999

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The aim of the reasearchDetermination of
social and economic basis of little towns after
10 years of transformationDemonstration of
economic activity Determining if the changes
have a similar course in central and specialised
units
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I have formulated the following questions

• Are there any changes in population and economy
  of small towns in Upper Silesia?
• What are the fields of their economic
  activities?
• Are the changes similar in the central towns and
  in specialised towns?

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Graph
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Map
Locations of the investigated towns in Upper
Silesia
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Map
Towns with central functions dominating
Specialized towns
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Population
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Net migration persons
Real increase in 1990-999
The small towns in Upper Silesia
Natural increase persons
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Progresive
Types of population development
Type of ages structure
Prodeveloping
Regresive
Nondeveloping
Preservative
Sourse Zuzanska-Zysko, 2003
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Conclusion

• The general conclusion is as follows
• there have been significant demographic changes
  in population of small towns in the period of
  transformation. Constantly decreasing birth-rate
  and considerable aging of the population have
  caused depopulation of the small towns. The
  process is more intensive in towns surrounded by
  rural areas. Low spatial mobility, especially in
  the smallest towns can also be observed.

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Econonic transformation
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The rate of inicjatives in small Silesian towns
in 1999

• Economic entities per 1,000 inhabitant

118 - 182
82 - 118
61 - 82
43 - 61
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Map
Employed people
No more than 5 employed persons

per 1,000 inhabitant
Employed in mining and quarrying
Employed in manufacturig
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Graph
No more than 5 employed persons
Above 5 employed persons
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Map

• The functions

Service-industrial
Industrial
Service
Industrial-service
Touristic
Mining
Touristic and helth resort
Productive
Transport
Central places
Specialized cities
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Concluding, it may be stated that generally towns
playing a central role are more economically
active and transformations have been a great
opportunity for their development. Most of the
towns have taken advantage of it. While,
specialized towns closely connected with
development of industry have lost their chance.
However, it is difficult to determine losers and
winners as the process is still continuing.