What is zoning? Division of the territory or water area into parts (areas)

One of the scientific methods says that for a deep study of an object it should be broken up, broken down, broken up into smaller parts. This method is very often used by geographers and economists in the complex study of large areas. They simply divide them into separate parts - districts.

What is zoning? What are its types? What is the modern zoning of Russia? All this will be discussed in our article.

What is zoning?

Zoning - this is the term in the English-language literature. However, just Americans are considered "inventors" of this method. So, what is zoning? In which areas and areas of human activity is it used?

By zoning is meant the division of any territory into separate parts, differing from each other for various reasons. However, it can be not only the land area, but also the water area of the sea or the ocean. The components obtained in this process are called differently: regions (most often), regions, microdistricts, zones, regions.

It is important to note that zoning is not only a process, but also the result of the division of territory into districts. In this case, it sets specific goals. They can be both practical and purely cognitive.

Today the regionalization of the territory is widely used in various sciences and spheres of human practical activity: in geography, economics, landscape science, urbanistics, architecture, urban planning, interior design, etc. This term is also used in breeding. However, there it carries a completely different content.

The essence and meaning of the concept of "district"

With this concept, we meet quite often in everyday life. Districts can be residential and workers, formal and informal, sleeping, industrial, recreational and financial-business.

The term itself has French roots (rayon). In the broadest sense of the word, the area is a locality, distinguished among others by one or more characteristics. There are other definitions of this concept. For example, one of them says that the area is a piece of space that is subject to any action or phenomenon (natural, economic, social).

The district is one of the basic units of the administrative and territorial structure of a number of states of the world (most often - the second order). In particular, it is singled out in many post-Soviet countries (in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and others).

To date, the term "district" is used in a variety of scientific disciplines and spheres of human life, from botany to military affairs.

Types and directions of regionalization

What are the types of zoning? First of all, it can be cognitive or constructive (transformative). And if in the first case the method of zoning is used for the purpose of researching, studying the terrain, then in the second case, with the purpose of developing a concept of rational use of the potential of a given territory.

The zoning can also be homogeneous or nodal, single-sign or multi-indicative. In turn, and the characteristics by which the areas are allocated, can differ in content, tasks, coverage area, etc.

Based on the signs of the allocation of areas, there are the following types of zoning:

• Natural;
• Geographical;
• Climatic;
• Demographic;
• Military;
• Economic;
• Recreational;
• Tourist, etc.

The main principles of territorial zoning

The scientific and practical method of territorial zoning is based on three basic principles:

• National;
• Administrative;
• Economic.

The national principle of regionalization takes into account the ethnic composition of the population in a particular territory, their traditions and historically formed features of work and life.

The administrative principle implies a certain unity of the economic and political-administrative structure of a country or a particular region. With its help, favorable conditions are created for the independent development of individual regions of the state.

Finally, the economic principle of zoning is considered by any region as an integral part of the single economic complex of the country with a certain set of industrial enterprises and infrastructure facilities.

These three principles are fundamental and universally recognized. They are taken into account for all types of territorial zoning.

The essence and levels of economic zoning

Economic zoning is the process of allocating regions or zones of the country (region) in which the existing division of labor is displayed. The main goal of this process is to create conditions for conducting rational socio-economic policy. When economic zoning of territories it is important to take into account many factors. First of all, we are talking about deposits of mineral and fuel resources, climatic conditions, fertility level of soils, demographic indicators.

Economic zoning is carried out on three levels. It:

• Macrolevel (allocation of large economic zones);
• Meso level (allocation of economic areas within one state or region);
• Microlevel (allocation of industrial centers, complexes and units of economic activity).

The essence and types of geographical zoning

Geographical zoning is the process of isolating on the terrain of individual systems and complexes that differ in their internal unity and in a set of specific natural features.

It is customary to distinguish several types of physical and geographical zoning. So, it can be zonal (latitudinal) or azonal, complex or sectoral. In the case of sectoral (component-wise) zoning, the division of the terrain is carried out according to relief, climate, vegetation, etc.

The most elementary part in the hierarchical system of physiographic division is the facies. This is the simplest form of any landscape that is located within a single biocenosis and is distinguished by homogeneity of geological structure, water regime, microclimate and soil cover.

Modern zoning of Russia

The earliest attempts to divide the territory of the country were made in prerevolutionary times. However, the most striking example of the use of this method in practice was the so-called GOELRO plan of 1921 (All-Union electrification plan). It was based on the principle of unity of the administrative and economic division of the state.

Modern geographical zoning provides for the allocation within Russia of twelve physical and geographical countries. Each of them is distinguished by a homogeneous relief, similar climatic and biogeographical features. These countries are:

1. The Russian plain.
2. Caucasus.
3. The Urals.
4. Fennoscandia.
5. Island Arctic.
6. Western Siberia.
7. Middle Siberia.
8. North-Eastern Siberia.
9. Koryak-Kamchatka-Kurile country.
10. The Baikal country.
11. The Altai-Sayan country.
12. The Amuro-Sakhalin country.

The modern economic regionalization of the country also provides for the division of the territory of Russia into 12 economic regions. All of them differ in area and their specialization. We list all these areas:

• Central.
• Central Black-Earth.
• Northern.
• Northwestern.
• The North Caucasian.
• East Siberian.
• West Siberian.
• Far Eastern.
• Povolzhsky.
• The Urals.
• The Volga-Vyatka.
• Kaliningrad.

Conclusion

What is zoning? This is the process of dividing a locality into parts (areas) that are distinguished by certain characteristics. Based on goals and objectives, this process can be cognitive or constructive. Based on internal content, it is customary to distinguish between geographical, economic, demographic, climatic zoning and other types.