The Level of Economic and Social Development of Rural Communes in the Green Lungs of Poland Region in Relation to the Territorial Classification of the Natura 2000 Network

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of social and economic development of rural communes situated in the Green Lungs of Poland region and to present a classification of these communes. The communes have been also divided into groups in accordance with the territorial criterion of the ecological network Natura 2000, which permits the author to analyse the internal structure of individual groups of communes in relation to the indicator of the level of advancement. Such approach to the problem has led to the formulation of the following general opinions: the level of social-economic advancement, development trends observable in the arrangement centre-peripheries; a high level of ratings of the economic situation is recorded by touristically attractive communes; a higher level of social development is the permanent feature of historical-ethnographic regions (e.g. Kurpie); the interdependence between the level of social development and the level of economic development is stronger in the group of communes with a large proportion of areas covered by the environmental protection network Natura 2000; the class characterised by a low level of social-economic advancement has a higher share in the commuens with a small proporton of areas covered by the Natura 2000 network, and the class characerised by a high level of development has a greater share in the group of communes with a large proportion of areas covered by the Natura 2000 network.