COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHICAL SITUATION OF BORDER AREAS AFFECTED BY THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT (EXAMPLE OF RIVNE AND GOMEL REGIONS)
Anastasia GREBIN
Nizhyn Gogol State University, Nizhyn, Ukraine
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Abstract:
Advisability of studies of the border areas is caused by the necessity to intensify their development, adoption and use of the experience of neighboring countries for solution of the most pressing social and economic problems. Rivne region of Ukraine and Gomel region of Belarus were chosen for comparative assessment of the demographic situation in the border areas, because they share a border and are characterized by similar natural developmental prerequisites. Moreover, Rivne and Gomel regions suffer from significant radioactive contamination as a result of the Chernobyl accident. Despite the fact that these regions locate in different countries, they have a similar nature of the demographic processes. However, level of demographic severity is lower in Rivne region than in Gomel region, due to a higher birth rate (14.6 ‰ and 12.3 ‰ respectively) and positive values of natural increase (2.1 ‰ against -0.8 ‰). The age structure of the population is worse in the Gomel region, since the proportion of persons of retirement age is 22.6 %, while in Rivne region it is 18 %. The study demonstrated the more favorable conditions for demographic situation in the Rivne region, i.e. lower level of urbanization, greater religiosity of the population and a higher share of people of genital age etc. The high death rate among people of working age is the most acute demographic problem for both regions. Reason of its situation is radioactive contamination of territories and crisis processes in economy. The study tested radiation induced diseases by means of correlation analysis. These are hyperplasia of the thyroid gland, blood diseases, diseases of digestive system and cancerous neoplasms. Demographic forecasting is among the objectives of the perspective study of population of Gomel and Rivne regions.
Key words:
border areas, demographic processes, natural movement of population, morbidity, infant mortality
Language:
Ukrainian
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2413-7154/2015.74.15-19
Suggested citation: Grebin, A. (2015). Comparative analysis of demographical situation of border areas affected by the Chernobyl accident (example of Rivne and Gomel regions). Ekonomichna ta Sotsialna Geografiya, 74, 15-19 (in Ukrainian, abstr. in English), https://doi.org/10.17721/2413-7154/2015.74.15-19.
Print ISSN: 2413-7154. Online ISSN: 2413-7553
