Economic and geographical aspects of research into the economic potential of the Carpathian region

Abstract

The article clarifies that during the administrative and territorial reform in Ukraine an important role is played by the capacity of the territory and the efficiency of the economic -managerial operations, in the assessment of which the most significant indicator is the availability of economic potential of the territory. Regarding the natural and geographical aspects of the research of the territorial structure of the economic complex of the Carpathian region, this region has a substantial natural capacity for the development of economic potential. Therefore, this region has all the preconditions to become one of the most developed regions of Ukraine . There are different classifications of the resources which make up and form the natural potential of the region. One of them is the allocation of resources according to the production spheres and industries where they can be applied, such as agricultural; non-productive; industrial. When it comes to the economic aspects of the research on the territorial structure of the economic complex of the Carpathian region, their dynamics are determined by the demographic situation of the region. Their dynamics are characterized by decrease in the rural population, cutback of the growth rate of the rural population, its ageing (individuals over 70 years old take up the largest share in the general age structure of the population), and emigration of young people, which is observed alongside some positive tendencies in birth rate increase. Accordingly, the processes of labour force ageing negatively affect the informational enhancement of all spheres of economy functioning throughout the region. This is connected with the failure of the region to embrace the state-of-the-art technologies. Such a demographic situation has influenced the structure of the labour market, the formation of which is accompanied by the release of a significant amount of labour resources and the deterioration of the situation in occupation and employment. At the same time, the freeing up of border crossing has contributed to the mass emigration of villagers to neighbouring countries seeking for employment. This has happened as a consequence of the economic processes that have taken place in the region, which are: high unemployment, prevalence of part-time jobs, and low wages. When we take into account the available and favourable natural, economic, scientific and technical factors in the development of the economic complex in the region, its historical and geographical inheritance, it is clear that strategic goals should include reasonable use of natural, material and technical, labour and intellectual capacities, and creation of an effective economic system. Such a system has to be able to provide material needs of various industries of the territorial economy and increase the level of environmental safety in the region. Herewith, based on the received data on the socio-economic and ecological status, we have identified are some main priorities for developing the Carpathian region. These priorities are as follows: development of tourist and recreational, agricultural and industrial, and forestry complexes; development of the non-productive sphere (especially in the area of mountainous territories); increase of the economic development of the Carpathian region; protecting the environment and raising the responsibility for the irrational use of natural resources and large amounts of pollutant emissions into the environment; taking measures to restore the historical and cultural traditions of the Carpathian region.