Download PDFThe demographic changes in Poland in the core - periphery layout during the period of the systemic transformation.
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Keywords
demographic changes, systemic transformation, core and periphery, daily urban system, actual increase, natural increase, net migration
Abstract
The systemic transformation has contributed to far-reaching changes in processes shaping the demographic situation of the Polish society. These changes had their clear spatial dimensions. In the years 1994-2003 an increase in population figures of centres and a decrease in the population size of peripheral areas were observed. Although average changes were not big, counteracting tendencies in the two mentioned types of areas prove that there is ongoing polarization of places where the population tends to concentrate. Migrations of population stimulated the process of polarization. According to the analysis migrations shifted inhabitants from peripheral areas to centres. As a result, the concentration of the population in centres understood as daily urban systems rose. It should be made clear that the demographic situation in particular central and peripheral areas was differentiated. The differentiation of centres was connected with their rank in the hierarchy of the settlement system. In general, this regularity resulted in the existence of bigger average absolute increments of population in the centres of high hierarchic status. Consequently, such centres' predomination continued to grow bringing about more advantages of scale and agglomeration. The analyses carried out in the course of research work showed, in statistical terms, lack of relationships between the demographic situation of centres and peripheral areas that surround them. The advancement of the systemic transformation affected the demographic situation of socio-economic centres. In turn, historical conditions played the decisive role in shaping the demographic situation in peripheral areas. If we assume that falling natural increase and rising positive net migration form in Polish conditions at least an indirect demographic measure of the advancement of the systemic transformation, then it is reasonable to say that the greatest differentiation related to this process took place on the axis centres - peripheral areas. .
