Agnieszka Żurek

Abstract

The present article is based on the concept of the concentration of spatial phenomena. This method was applied to population studies long ago. However, it is still useful nowadays as it helps to measure the distribution of phenomena in quantitative terms. The application of the method to demographic-geographical research was recently discussed by O. T. Duncan and in Poland by R. Jedut. Both emphasised that the results obtained depend on the basic reference unit. The method is especially useful in any comparative study. The comparison in time of the concentration of population on the present territory of Poland (1910—1931/33—1950—1960) was undertaken recently and the results published both in Polish and in a shorter form in English.

Consequently, it seemed interesting to try and apply this method to the comparative study of different areas at the same time (comparison in space). In this article the concentration of population for 1960 in eight countries of East-Central Europe is analysed. The study includes: Al-bania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Rumania and Yugoslavia.

Leszek Kosiński, Institute of Geography PAN, Warsaw
Agnieszka Żurek, Institute of Geography Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw