Geografie 2000, 105, 1-9
Borderland in regional development and the relevant research
The geographic public receives another monothematic issue dedicated this time to the Czech borderland. Specific problems, conditioned by differentiated physical-geographical and mainly social-economic conditions of the given territory, have been studied since the 1930's. The 1990's have undoubtedly brought a new impulse to its development connected both with internal processes (democratization of the society, economic transformation, etc.) and external aspects (for instance its exposed position, transitory function, European integration). The running changes have become a challenge for researchers from different geographical work places studying, up to now in a more or less isolated way, only segments of the borderland (for instance those of Ústí nad Labem are interested in the Bohemian-Saxon border). Two similarly aimed projects monitoring the part of the Czech borderland, the importance of cooperation with neighbouring countries and integration of the Czech Republic into European structures have been solved with the backing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (1998-1999) and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (1999-2000). The authors of the published papers mainly come from the work places involved in these two projects, but also other colleagues, including those from abroad, have been invited to take part. The intention of this volume is to stress the concrete problems or situations in the model borderland regions and to rise up a discussion on the problems of the borderland at present and in the future.
Keywords
borderland, border effect, exposed position, transit, regional development, regional policy, Europe, differentiation, integration, Euroregion.
Funding
Monotematické číslo "Pohraničí ČR" vzniklo a je vydáváno za podpory projektu MZV ČR č. 10/3/98 a GA ČR č. 205/99/1142.
