Spatial Stratification of Economic Development and Localization of Ethnic Groups in the South of Russia (Municipal Dimension)

The article is devoted to the topical issues of its spatial development for modern Russia. The purpose of the study (based on the materials of the South of Russia, considered in the unity of the Southern and North Caucasian federal districts) was the combined analysis of the ethnogeographic “mosaic” of the territory and its stratification by the level and dynamics of economic growth. It is based on data from the 2020 All-Russia Population Census and on taxable monetary income of the population, analyzed for 332 urban and municipal districts in the South of Russia and visualized using GIS. It is shown that the inherent unevenness of residential and economic development in the macroregion is manifested in the dichotomy of identified and delimited areal-nodal structures (Western, Pre-Caucasian and Eastern belts, including all 16 urban agglomerations located in the South) and extensive peripheral areas (Arid East, Chernozem North of Rostov and Volgograd oblasts, Mountainous areas of the Caucasus as well as Plain and Foothill Crimea). The reference of monoethnic (broken down by individual ethnic groups) and multiethnic municipalities with them was determined. The spatially concentrated localization of the largest ethnic groups in South Russia with elements of dispersion, which creates a dichotomy of multiethnic territories and monoethnic territories of different sizes (including the zone of Russian monoethnicity, which occupies 52.4% of the territory of the South Russian macroregion and accommodates 63.9% of its population, as well as 80.2% of the taxable monetary income of individuals and individual entrepreneurs), has been revealed. It is shown that the inherent unevenness of the residential and economic development of the macroregion is manifested in the dichotomy of identified and delimited areal-nodal structures (Western, Pre-Caucasian and Eastern belts, including all 16 urban agglomerations located in the South) and extensive peripheral areas (Arid East, Chernozem North of the Rostov and Volgograd oblasts, Mountainous areas of the Caucasus, as well as the Plain and Foothill Crimea). The need to take into account the “ethnic aspect” of the territorial organization of the economy of the South of Russia in the federal spatial policy is emphasized.

spatial development, economy, territorial structures, municipalities, ethnic structure, South of Russia