The theoretical foundations of the doctrine of geoecological processes - changes, unpleasant shifts, deviations in human health, and changes in plant and animal organisms under the influence of the environment (natural and technogenic whole) - are discussed. The geoecological process is considered as a manifestation of the environmental impact on humans and plant and animal organisms. The methodological basis of the doctrine of geoecological processes - a scientific foundation of the process geoecology under the conditions of technogenic civilization - is emphasized. The essence of process geoecology - an interdisciplinary scientific discipline that studies changes, unpleasant shifts in human health, and changes in plant and animal organisms in the spatiotemporal specificity of the environment - is determined with allowance for the influence of natural and man-made factors. Under the conditions of environmental degradation and with manifestations of extreme weather and climatic anomalies, the problems of geoecological process are formulated. The conceptual content of the term “pollutant” is presented. Attention is drawn to the correct use of the term “polluter pays”.

The paper considers the spatial development of Islam in the EU countries since 1950 by analyzing the dynamics of the Islamic center of gravity in Europe. The center of gravity is found using the Geographic Midpoint Calculator. The main factors leading to the spatial transformation of Islam in the EU are determined. Particular attention is paid to establishing the role of the migration component in changing the position of the Islamic center of gravity, including under conditions of the European migrant crisis. Given the scale of the existing migration flows of Muslims in the EU, the trajectory of the Islamic center of gravity until 2050 is established.

The state of the art and perspectives of wind energy use in the process of green economy development and transit to sustainable development are discussed at the background of similar processes in the world power engineering transformation. Geographical analysis of natural, social-economic and institutional processes controlling wind power use in the Republic of Belarus is presented. Negative ecological impact of wind energy use is described. In addition, the main obstacles to the development of wind energy in the Republic of Belarus associated with natural conditions and imperfection of the regulatory framework in the field of renewable energy are identified.

The purpose of the paper is to analyze the contribution of developing countries in transformation of the structure of the worldwide fish and seafood market. The reports of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Unites Nations International Trade Statistics, and the works of Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanology and other organizations and researchers are analyzed. The analysis shows that the worldwide fish and seafood market was formed due to the rapid growth of aquaculture (artificial fish and seafood) in developing countries, especially in China, diversifying the world species structure and expanding international trade relations. The market has seen a global shift of production centers to developing countries, each with its own specialties. The rapid growth of the industry has led to a variety of environmental problems that can be solved only with strict regulation and international participation. The paper summarizes the material on the state of the art of the worldwide fish and seafood market as well as reflects the current problems affecting its development.

The paper analyzes climatic, geological, geomorphological, and soil-vegetative factors of river flow formation for two small rivers in the Northern Dvina river basin, located in the southern taiga subzone. The impact of these factors on the dynamics of the intra-annual runoff in relation to the two time intervals of the 1980s and 2010s is shown. The study was performed by using archival hydrometeorological data and remote sensing multispectral data of the Earth. The data obtained were used to analyze the state of the land cover of the basins and its dynamics over time. It was shown that the differences in the intra-annual distributions of runoff are mainly due to the structure of the landscape cover and the ratio of different types of forests in the river basins; general trends in the dynamics of the intra-annual runoff of the rivers in question are consistent with the changes in the climatic characteristics of the region under study.

The aim of this work is to conduct an economic and geographical analysis of the territorial differentiation of global cholera epidemics and their impact on population dynamics in different periods of time, as well as to identify the main factors affecting the emergence and spread of the disease. The research is based on comparative-geographical, mathematical and cartographic methods, involving the use of a large amount of statistical information. With the help of GIS, the spatial characteristics of the distribution and localization areas of cholera infection foci are analyzed. The formation of cholera foci is caused by a number of medical and geographical regularities and the presence of permanent biological, socio-economic and natural factors in regions with a tense epidemiological situation. The study is addressed to geographers, ecologists engaged in research in the field of medical geography.

The object and purpose of the paper is to study the ecological state of the soils along the main highways of the Nizami district of Baku. The An analysis is performed of some chemical indicators of the soil and the biological activity of the soil, which together determine their environmental parameters and provide an assessment of the ecological state along the city’s central highways. For ecobiological assessment of isolated soil samples, the content of heavy metals and humus, the activity of urease and catalase, and the pH value are investigated. By studying the soil cover adjacent to the main highways, a low humus content and significant weakening of the soil enzymes are found in the soil. The paper concludes with the measures that would reduce and prevent soil contamination along highways.

The purpose of the paper is the historical and geographical analysis of the formation of a system of rural settlements and the reconstruction of the picture of settlement of the territory of the Tambov region, due to the natural component and different conditions and time of settlement. The periodization of the studied process is presented and the maximum possible time frames («upper» and «lower» boundaries) with the allocation of stages characterizing a certain moment of the settlement development are established. The analysis shows that the underestimation or neglect of the natural factor leads to a bias in the analysis of the conditions of the formation of individual settlements and the entire residential area as a whole.

The paper provides an overview of existing attempts in the Russian economic geography to develop an approach to the study of such a suburbanization phenomenon as a “dacha” (summer residence). It is noted that the vast majority of these studies were performed on the basis of the Moscow metropolitan region or other major regional centers. A geographical study of summer (second) residences around provincial regional centers has not yet been undertaken. The work reveals the peculiarities of the history of the emergence and territorial location of gardening partnerships around the city of Kursk. The developed typology of land use and functional micro-zoning of a typical suburban area are presented. Particular attention is paid to the methods of economic and geographical study of summer cottages, among which, depending on the scale of the study, use is made of desk-based, based on the interpretation of remote sensing images and the analysis of “fuzzy data”, and field (expeditionary) techniques, primarily the method of “key surveys”.

An attempt is made to present the ideas about the recreational development of the territory as an object of geographical research. Based on the spatiotemporal paradigm prevailing in geography, we consider the recreational development to be an important characteristic of territorial development. Attention is focused on the recreational needs of the population as the driving force behind the transformation of recreational activities, the disappearance of some and the appearance of its other species. The method of calculating the recreational development of the territory is analyzed. The functional typology of recreational activity is presented, and its stage character is emphasized. The revealed features of the recreational development of the territory allow us to predict the development of the existing and the emergence of new types and directions of the development of recreational activities.

The paper discusses the realization of the federal target program “Development of incoming and inbound tourism in the Russian Federation (2011-2018)” in the Central Black Soil Zone. The study is based on the concept of a cluster approach to the development of the tourism industry. The system of financing tourist-recreational and auto-tourist clusters is presented in connection with the actual results achieved during the implementation of the program. A comprehensive assessment of tourist clusters in the region is performed using the method of classification indicators and integral criteria. The results of evaluation make it possible to distribute the existing clusters into several types according to their development potential.

The paper considers the features of a modern portrait of a consumer of rural tourism services in the Smolensk region. The research task is solved by conducting a survey to study the opinions of residents of the Smolensk region regarding the relevance of rural tourism services in the region. By analyzing the survey materials, we determine the needs and priorities of potential tourists choosing a holiday destination in rural areas; opportunities for the development of rural tourism in the Smolensk region, including by systematizing the factors hindering its development in the region, are outlined. As a result, a considerable amount of data from sociological surveys is summarized and proposals for the implementation of optimal forms of tourism development in rural areas are formulated. The paper is addressed to teachers of higher educational institutions, graduate students, undergraduates, students and professionals working in the field of tourism.