THE POSSIBILITIES OF DEVELOPING THE RURAL AREAS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Rural territories are specific and complex economic, social, ecological and spatial areas which in the most of the countries occupy over 70 % of national territory and on which live near 50% of the population. Characteristics of the major part of the rural space in our country are: rare settlement, depopulation with distinct trend of demographic extinction, as well as high old age of the population, considerable presence of daily migrations of non-agricultural and young population, and also slight equipment with traffic, utility and objects of living standards, domination of agriculture and slight diversification of the rest productive and unproductive activities and similar. Neglect of the country settlements, as well as intolerant relation toward rural space in general, have initiated increase of worry about their planning in Serbia which has manifested intensively only in last decade of the past century. That worry is encouraged also by European regional politics which dedicate significant attention to rural area and its development, agriculture and its alternative activities. Condition in which Serbian rural area is and exploration of possibilities for his overcoming presents sufficient motive for production of this work. The purpose of work is to show goals and measures of rural development with special retrospect on undeveloped territories, because those are the ones with the largest percentage of country and agricultural population and ecological they belong to the healthiest area of Republic of Serbia.