Socio-Economic Mapping of the Eastern Regions of Russia: Trends and Problems

Socio-economic maps are essential for identifcation and system analysis of sectoral and territorial imbalances, ensuring the effective organization of productive forces, planning and forecasting of socioeconomic development of the territory. This paper presents the authors’ experience in creating and interpreting socio-economic maps in national and regional atlases, analyzes current trends in the development of socioeconomic mapping of the eastern regions of the country, which have their own characteristic features (a high sectoral and territorial differentiation, weak integration ties, underdeveloped infrastructure and innovation, etc.). Special attention is paid to the creation and practical use of the general economic map as a universal source of spatial information. In this context, an attempt is made to modify the technique of compiling the general economic map. The authors’ scientifc developments that have found their practical implementation are outlined. We defned the main problems and prospects of further developing socio-economic mapping related to future geoinformation mapping. Results of summarizing and re-interpreting a huge body of theoretical and practical material suggest that socio-economic mapping is in the next critical stage of its development and requires signifcant changes in many areas. Therefore, this dictates a need for a new view of the conceptual framework and methodology for compilation and use of socio-economic maps, and for switchover to the creation of complex maps (animation, three-dimensional, assessment-forecast and other maps). do]10.1134/S1875372820010114