Content №2 от 2017
Analysis of Changes in the Settlement System of Yakutia
The paper analyzes the changes in the spatial distribution of population in Yakutia between 1897 and 2015; the considered indicators are the urban and rural population, the density of population in urban and rural settlements, and the impact of activity types on the settlement system. The quantitative estimations for the level and dynamics of the spatial concentration of population are based on the Theil index. We discover differences in the dynamics of population concentration and characteristics of the settlement system throughout the periods of region's development. Market relations have redirected the spatial structure of economic activity in Yakutia, despite a series of constraints resulting from climate, economic, and national factors. The transformation of the settlement system in Yakutia is heterogeneous: the population in cities tends to concentrate which leads to urban agglomerations, while rural settlements demonstrate a trend towards size convergence.
