POPULATION CHANGE ANALYSIS OF HUNGARIAN EXTREME SMALL VILLAGES IN RESPECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE INDEPENDENCE

Abstract

One of the crucial topics in Hungarian settlement geography is the investigation of processes taking place in extreme small villages, which basically included the difficulties of settlement development, the demographical changes as well as economic and social problems of these villages antecedently. In my study I examined not only the settlements which have administrative independency, but also those, which had been once administratively independent since 1900, however they have been annexed to another village yet. The analysis on this matter could provide us new information about demographical and social processes both, therefore we can better understand the rural problems at sub-settlement level.

In my study I have collected the extreme small villages which were administratively independent during any period since 1900, focusing on villages those population has declined under 250 person ever since that year. Based on the above mentioned criteria 652 settlements were registered in the database; according to population-change I rated them to cluster groups. The investigation of demographic changes in extreme small villages involved in the analysis draws the conclusion that the direction of population change cannot be equally described as negative, concerning the 652 elements.

Village groups with re-increasing population frequently appear; beyond this fact the degree of depopulation shows a slowing and stagnating tendency as a general rule. As indicated and stood out above the involved settlements walk along really different development paths, which necessarily have to be examined further.