Geographia Polonica (2006) vol. 79, iss. 2

Abstract

Based on the case of the military-industrial city of Ust’-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan,this paper explores (a) Soviet and post-Soviet era migration into former closed cities, and (b) thepresent housing situation of migrant groups living in them, paying particular attention to theirethnic background. The study is based on a survey carried out by the author and the regionalstatistical authority in January 2001. The principal findings suggest that there has been a clearincrease in migrants from the oblast’s rural areas to the regional capital, which is attributableto the regional urbanisation pressure which had been created during the city’s period of ‘closure’,and that the origin of these migrants has shifted in favour of areas with larger Kazakh populations.Also, contradicting the Soviet goals, and resulting from structural factors re-enforced bythe closed city regime, the ethnic housing gap is greatest among those who arrived during theSoviet period.

Keywords: Closed cities, Kazakhstan, migration, ethnicity, housing, residential

Michael Gentile, Stockholm School of Economics Box 6501, SE-11383 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

Heat waves have not been defined officially, however there are many non-official definitionsin use. This paper reviews some of the most frequently used definitions of heat wave and itsmeasures. It also reveals different numbers of heat periods that result from an analysis employingdifferent definitions of a heat wave. This has been exemplified on the basis of data from Polandand confirmed the need for regionally accepted guidelines by which to define heat waves.

Keywords: definitions of heat wave, extreme weather, thresholds, synoptic approach, Poland

Magdalena Kuchcik [mkuchcik@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland

Abstract

The Vistula River is a typical Central-European river flowing from the mountains acrossbasins and upland belts to the lowlands. The Vistula valley is modelled by a river with a complexhydrological regime. In its upper reaches, floods driven by summer rainfall prevail, while in thelower reaches snowmelt floods are important. Deforestation favoured a natural propensity forriver braiding. In the mid-19th century, the channelization of the upper Vistula (in the Carpathianforeland) and the lower reaches was commenced with, while the middle streach was leftin a natural state, such that the river has in places preserved a braided pattern up to the presentday. The channelization followed by construction of reservoirs caused downcutting and aggradationto occur, such that opposing tendencies were observed in particular reaches of the riverchannel. In addition, flood embankments confined aggradation to the intra-embankment area.Thus, the functioning of the Vistula River system is largely controlled by diverse human activity.Unconstrained flow and river load transport along the whole river length are only partly possibleduring extreme floods. The present-day adjustment tendencies also relate to ongoing changes inland-use in the drainage basin, as well as on global climatic changes.

Keywords: Vistula River, channelization/regulation, present-day changes of floodplain, downcutting, aggradation

Adam Łajczak [alajczak@o2.pl], Institute of Geography Pedagogical University of Krakow Podchorążych 2, 30 -084 Krakow: Poland
Joanna Plit [plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
Roman Soja [soja@zg.pan.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Św. Jana 22, 31-018 Kraków, Poland
Leszek Starkel [starkel@zg.pan.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Św. Jana 22, 31-018 Kraków, Poland

Dariusz Świątek [swiatekd@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland