Settlement System of Belarus. Spatial and Temporal Trends at the End of 20th and the Beginning of the 21st Centuries

Ekaterina A. ANTIPOVA1, Liudmila V. FAKEYEVA1
1 Belarusian State University, Faculty of Geography, Economic Geography of Foreign Countries Department, Minsk, BELARUS
E-mail: antipovaekaterina@gmail.com,  fokeeva@tut.by
Pages: 133-143

Abstract. Formation factors of Belarus settlement system are analyzed in the article. Spatial and temporal trends in urban and rural settlement system of Belarus for the period of 1979-2009 years are characterized. Spatial and temporal shifts in the distribution of urban and rural population and the structure of urban and rural settlements are detected. The types of rural settlement of Belarus are presented. The features of distribution and demographic development of new Belarusian rural settlements form– agrotowns - are developed.

K e y w o r d s:  settlement system, factors of rural and urban settlement, rural and urban settlement structure, average urban settlements and rural localities population size, rural settlement types, agrotowns