Geografie 1969, 74, 215-233
Structure of Provincial Settlements as Basis for the Concept of Transport
Claims laid to transport facilities by provincial population and meeting them depends substancially upon the structure of settlements. Since a rational operation of different facilities (manufacturing plants, civil facilities) requires at least a certain capacity or a minimum number of inhabitants whom services are rendered, small settlements still remain unprovided with such facilities. In scattered settlements with small groups of houses mass transport is necessary, and it is always rather difficult to meet the requirements of all passengers. In connection with the investigation of transport in the country, the Research Institute for Building and Architecture designed a simple classification of provincial settlements. As a characteristic size of settlements was chosen the average size with up to 2000 inhabitants. This coefficient characterizes also the distribution of inhabitants in settlements of different sizes, and as has become evident, also the portion of settlements and the portion of population in the settlements provided with individual kinds of civil facilities - besides further factors important from the point of view of the transport - depend upon it. For the characterization of distances between individual settlements the square root of the area of one settlement (without regard to its size) was chosen. Calculations carried out on the basis of data provided by the Statistical Lexicon of Settlements in Czechoslovakia (including juridical division dating from 1965) for all districts in Czechoslovakia and their graphical and tabelar representation show that the average size of settlements ranges between 125 and 944 inhabitants, and the coefficient of distance between 1,6 and 4,3 km. Consequently there are great differences. Districts with less differing characteristics form larger areas on a larger territory of the state. The largest settlements occur in districts situated along the Moravo Slovakian border, and in western part of Slovakia. West and east of this area the size of settlements except several irregularities has a tendency to decrease, the decrease being greater towards the west. The smallest settlements and the smallest distance between individual settlements occurs in the South Bohemian territory, ana in some other districts adjacent to the western boundary.
