Geografie 2010, 115, 161-187
A Typology of Rural Space in Czechia according to its Potential for Development
The objective of this article is the regional differentiation of rural space in Czechia, which is defined as the territory of rural municipalities of up to 3,000 inhabitants. The ultimate determination of particular types of rural space is realized at the level of authorized municipal authorities. Current socioeconomic characteristics of rural municipalities in Czechia are compiled and used for analysis. These characteristics were selected on the basis of their potential to represent important socioeconomic phenomena, processes and factors that are typical for the Czech countryside and that influence the development of rural municipalities. Four statistically significant components are identified through the statistical analysis of the indicated data at the level of authorized municipal authorities, namely: size, growth, human potential and housing. Different combinations of these components enable us to define eight main types of rural space, in terms of potential for development. This provides evidence to confirm our affirmation that rural space in Czechia is not homogenous. The results of the statistical analyses conducted also show that the basic differentiation of the Czech countryside is determined by the geographical location of particular areas.
Keywords
typology of rural space, differentiation of rural municipalities, component analysis, authorized municipal authorities, Czechia.
