Abstracts - Year II, no.2 / 2000

TOWARDS AN ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY OF THE CONFLICT POTENTIAL AREAS, STARTING FROM ROMANIAN REALITIES

Ioan Ianos

University of Bucharest, Department of Human and Economical Geography, B-dul N. Bălcescu, nr.1, Bucureşti, Romania.

From an ethnic-cultural viewpoint, the Romanian space, by analogy with the theory of plates, acts like a micro -plate standing, at least in theory, in a cultural isolation against surrounding plates or micro-plates. The Romanian micro-plate is grounded on a Latin foundation, it looks like an island inside the big Slav plate to which it relates by the Orthodox faith and a relatively similar way of life. Many elements could become risk factors if the Romanian State is not firmly committed to carrying out a complex programme of decentralisation, offer all national minorities and regional populations the rights inscribed in international documents, reduce territorial disparities and the social effects of economic restructuring. A conflict area is maintained by virtue of mentalities, some cultivated by forces striving to succeed in conditions of instability, others conserved by collective and community memory and pushed to the forefront whenever economic, social and cohabitation difficulties crop up, or internal and external conjunctures are favourable to it. A general analysis of the current situation and the dynamic of economic, social and ethnic elements in Romania suggests that conflict areas should be treated with the greatest care, because they may stir up turmoil in the national, continental or planetary political-military life. An appropriate treatment methodology reveals some general principles and a step set, very important in preventing of conflicts. In the case of Romania, we believe that this systemic approach would be beneficial, because it is capable to diminish the risk for conflicts to break out and create difficulties of integration into the Euro-Atlantic space. An interdisciplinary approach to the problematique of potential conflict areas cannot eschew the globalisation-fragmentation-security relation.

Keywords: potential conflict area, globalisation, fragmentation, Romania

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Fondatori ai ŞCOLII ANGLO-SAXONE DE GEOGRAFIE POLITICĂ, GEOPOLITICĂ ŞI GEOSTRATEGIE (II) Alexandru ILIEŞ

Universitatea din Oradea, Catedra de Geografie, str. Armata Română 5, 3700 Oradea, România, e-mail: ilies@uoradea.ro Voicu BODOCAN Universitatea “Babeş-Bolyai” din Cluj-Napoca, Catedra de Geografie Umană, str. Clinicilor, 5-7, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, România, e-mail: voicu @geografie.ubbcluj.ro Ioana JOSAN Universitatea din Oradea, Catedra de Geografie, str. Armata Română 5, 3700 Oradea, România, e-mail: ioanajosan@yahoo.co.uk

Les fondateurs de l' école anglo-saxonne de géographie politique, géopolitique et géostrategie. L'orientation fondamentale dans la géopolitique anglo-saxonne a été la géostrategie, illustrée par l'activité de Alfred Thayer Mahan, Halford J. Mackinder, Nicolas Spykman, Julian Corbett et continuée pendant la période d'après deuxiéme guerre par Alexander de Seversky, Samuel Bernard Cohen and others. Les fondateurs de l'école anglo-saxonne ont fondé leurs études sur les données historiques, ayant un caractère pragmatique, avec l'accent sur les problemès militaires, stratégie et tactique.

Mots-cles: géostrategie, pouvoir militaire, pouvoir aerien, Heartland, Rimland.

Cuvinte cheie: geostrategie, putere maritimă, putere aeriană, Heartland, Rimland

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TRANSIT PROBLEMS OF POLAND'S EAST NEIGHBOURS ON THE EVE OF III MILLENNIUM

Jan WENDT

University of Gdansk, Department of Geography of Regional Development, Al. Marsyalka J. Pilsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland, e-mail: geojw@univ.gda.pl

Probleme ale tranzitului în vecin ătatea estică a Poloniei la începutul mileniului III. După 1991, noua situaţie geopolitică, schimbările de graniţe, formarea de noi ţări şi refacerea unora existente în trecut, a dus la ruperea conexiunilor politice şi economice preexistente. Seria porturilor la Marea Baltică s-a schimbat de asemenea, unele noi cerinţe economice şi circumstanţe geopolitice determinând necesitatea de a crea unele alternative sau chiar situaţii noi şi conexiuni de tranzit. După alipirea Poloniei, Republicii Cehe şi Ungariei la NATO situaţia geopolitică s-a schimbat şi din acest timp Rusia şi-a concentrat eforturile să-şi menţină poziţ ia în centrul regiunii Central-Europene şi relaţiile cu vecinii, în special cu Ucraina. O nouă problemă apărută este legată de conductele de gaz, care pleacă din Peninsula Jamal spre ţările vestice prin Bielorusia şi Polonia. Dacă conductele de gaz ar ocoli Ucraina şi Polonia şi ar fi construite prin Marea Baltică, Polonia şi Ucraina şi-ar pierde poziţiile economice, de ţări de tranzit. Dacă Polonia ar cădea de acord cu Rusia şi conductele de gaz vor fi construite prin Polonia, poziţia acesteia în Europa Centrală ca ţară de tranzit ar creşte, iar situaţia geopolitică a Ucrainei ar scădea.

Cuvinte che ie: tranzit, geopolitică, estul şi centrul Europei, conducte de gaz, porturi, comunicaţii, căi ferate.

Keywords : transit, geopolitics, East and Central Europe, pipelines, ports, communications tracks.

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ELEMENTE DE UNITATE ŞI ALTERITATE ÎN SPAŢIUL GEOGRAFIC ROMÂNESC (II)

Nicolae POPA

Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara, Facultatea de Geografie, Biologie şi Chimie, Catedra de Geografie, B-dul. Vasile Pârvan, nr. 4, 1900 - Timişoara, România, E-mail: npopa@tim1.math .uvt.ro

Eléments d'unité et d'altérité dans l'espace géographique roumain (II). Cet article (la suite d'un texte paru, en 1999, dans la "Revista Românã de Geografie Politicã", Année I, No. 1) développe la problématique de l'unité et de la diversité culturelle de l'espace roumain, en insistant sur les valeures de la culture roumaine dans leurs rapports spatiaux. L'accent est mis sur le dévenir des élites roumaines, mettant en évidence leurs spécificités et disparités régionales, sur les foyers culturels qui ont présidé à la création de la nation roumaine moderne, pour débattre aussi les dimensions symboliques des lieux et des personnalités historiques et culturelles. On insiste ensuite sur l'avènement des centres culturels actuels, sur les changements récents de leur importance, en essayant aussi de dessiner leur perspective. Le but est celui d'identifier les nuances de la triade unité - identité - altérité d'une société très personnalisée, maintenant prête à s'ouvrir au processus d'intégration européenne.

Mots-clés : identité nationale, altérité, foyers culturels, lieux de mémoire, mythes nationnaux, intégration européenne, Roumanie.

Cuvinte cheie : identitate naţionalã, alteritate, focare de culturã, locuri de memorie, mituri naţionale, integrare europeanã, Româniaâ

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MITUL CONSPIRAŢIEI ÎN GEOPOLITICĂ

Radu SĂGEATĂ

Institutul de Geografie al Academiei Române, 12 Dimitrie Racovită str., 70307 Bucuresti, sector II, Romania, e-mail: geoinst@fx.ro

The Conspiration Myth in Geopolitics. The conspiration myth has a universal space-and-time dimension. It is one of the main components of the imaginary, featuring by universality and permanence within broad sections of society; it develops in a culturally mediocre world, neither elitistic nor popular. The myth is found in various civilisations and in antagonic political structures. Based on a deep emotional motivation, the conspiration myth resorts largely to manipulation, creating a collective psychology of a certain orientation. When translated to the level of state structures or inter-state relations, the distortion of mental maps becomes a major source of conflict.

Key words: conspiration myth, manipulation, mental maps, geopolitical implications.

Cuvinte cheie: mitul conspiraţiei, manipulare, hărţi mentale, implicaţii geopolitice.

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Perpective historique sur les structures régionales et fonctionnelles en Roumanie

Ioan HORGA

Universit é d'Oradea, Département d‘Histoire, rue Armata Rom â na 5, 3700 Oradea, Roumanie, e-mail: horga @rdsor.ro

Mircea BRIE

Universit é d'Oradea, Département d‘Histoire, rue Armata Rom â na 5, 3700 Oradea, Roumanie

Historical perspectives of regional and functional structures in Romania. Fallowing the historical evolution of the political-administratives structures in Romania, beginning with historical areas, that are percepted up to the nowadays territorial-administratives departments, we underlined in this paper the importance of the tradition in consolidating regional and functional structures keeping close with modern times and that are requested by the social and the economical development of Romania, also, by the integration process of the country in the E.U.

Keywords : Territorial-administratives structures, Historical areas, Percepted areas, Development regions.

Mots-clés : structure territoriale-administrative, espaces historiques, espaces perçues, régions de développement

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STRATEGII DE GOSPODĂRIRE A APELOR

Ionel HAIDU

Universitatea din Oradea, Catedra de Geografie, str. Armata Română, nr. 5, 3700 Oradea, România

Water Management Strategies. The paper aims to present the main water management strategies: user – oriented management, river basin management, centralized management, decentralized management, regional management and integrated management. Conscious of the shortcomings of sectorial user-oriented water management, some countries have resorted to the integration of water management functions into one national institution. At the present, the river basin is regarded as the ideal area unit of water management. There is a tendency to implement a mechanism for the coordination of the functions, which goes beyond the limits of a basin at national and international level.

Keywords: water management, strategies.

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ROLUL REŢELEI DE TRANSPORT PENTRU RELAŢIILE TRANSFRONTALIERE DIN SPAŢIUL MARAMUREŞEAN

Nicolae BOAR

Universitatea “Babeş-Bolyai” Cluj-Napoca, Colegiul Universitar din Sighetu Marmaţiei, str. Iuliu Maniu 16, 4925 Sighetu Marmaţiei, e-mail: nicolaeboar@hotmail.com

Role of Transport Network for Relation in Maramureş Area . In this piece of (survey) comunication the author begins by showing the hystorical evolution of the Maramure ş space. After centuries of common life the “united” Maramureş space was separated by borders after the I st World War. The II nd World War has increased the separation (isolation) by destroying the former existing connections (connecting links) the bridges across the Tisa river. The reestablishing of connections, the reconstruction of bridges, all these have a strong impact upon the transfrontier relations. While reestablishing these connections, contradictions at different levels might exist or appear.

Key words : The Maramureş space, network transfrontier, relations, contradictions

Cuvinte cheie : spaţiu maramureşean, reţea, relaţii transfrontaliere, contradicţii

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CONSIDERAŢII GEOGRAFICE PRIVIND EVOLUŢIA GERMANILOR DIN JUDEŢUL SATU MARE PE PARCURSUL SECOLULUI XX

Alexandru ILIEŞ

Universitatea din Oradea, Catedra de Geografie, str. Armata Română 5, 3700 Oradea, România, e-mail: ilies @uoradea.ro

Geographical considerations concerning the evolution of Germans in Satu Mare County, in XX Century. The Germans are a population belonging to the North-Central part of European Continent. Those who settled on North of Crişana territories (in special in Satu Mare County) are called swabs, having an age corresponding to the data of the first collonization of this type, characteristic for XVIII th - XIX th Century. Their settlement dispersed in territory and at unequal time-intervals, forming of some compact blockes of German population, only smalls dimension territorial groups. The most representative period for the German population entering by successive colonizations on the analyzed territory is characteristic for the XVIII th Century. The immigration process of the German population, on Crişana territory ended only at the end of the XIX th Century. The present study corresponding to the 1900 (the end of XIX th Century), 1910, 1930, 1948 and 1992 Census followed the numerical and territorial evolution of this population. The greatest value characterizes the year 1930, when for the first time, the Germans were regestered on this territory, because the previous census registered the population only after the spoken language. The period of numerical regress characterized the interval after the Second World War, due to the massive immigration of this population. Also, the period following the Revolution is December 1989, has been a favourable one to the German population in the area, especially young population. Nowadays, the German population existent in the analyzed space is of an old age, in a high degree.

Keywords : swabs, Crisana, German population, Census;

Cuvinte cheie : şvabi, Crişana, populaţie germană, recensământ;

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CARAŞOVENII DIN BANATUL MONTAN

Martin OLARU

Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara, Catedra de Geografie, B-dul Vasile Pârvan, nr. 16, 1900 Timişoara, România.

The Karasowen from Mountain Banat . The karasowen population is spread in the enclave which extends in 7 settlements: Caraşova, Iabalcea, Nermed, Lupac, Clocotici, Vodnic and Rafnic, grouped in two communes: Caraşova and Lupac from the Caraş-Severin county. This ethnicity is one of the oldest from the identity pluriethnical space of Banat. A smaller number is viewed also in the settlement Tirol (commune Doclin). Some of them migrated towards the industrial centers from the surroundings At the 1992 census there were 2.697 declared Karasowens and 3.270 Croats. The Croats after 1990 have gained a double citizenship, having a passport emmited by the Croat State. The Karasowens, the inhabitants of the 7 settlements from Mountain Banat have maintained the cultural identity, lingvistical one, their mother tongue and their costumes which have archare elements, well conserved till nowadays. The good living with the Romanians, majority population, the development of a common history for many centuries, this identitary space constitutes a model for the Central Europe. The Karasowens as they are called here in the Caraş-Severin county have maintained their Catholic religion, and the Banat has been a favorable place for this ethnic good livelihood, a multicultural, geopolitical space with an opening tendency towards a united Europe.

Keywords: Karasowens, ethinicity, pluriethnic, cultural identity, identity strategy.

Cuvinte cheie: caraşovan, etnie, plurietnic, identitate culturală, strategie identitară.

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SCHIMBĂRI ÎN COMPORTAMENTELE ŞI INSTITUŢIILE CULTURALE ÎN ROMÂNIA, ÎN PERIOADA TRANZIŢIEI

Florica CHIPEA

Universitatea din Oradea, Catedra de Sociologie, Str. Armata Română, 5, 3700 Oradea, România.

Changes in Behavioural and Cultural Institutions in Romania, in Transition Period. Remaking actual the ideas developed by the Sociological School of Bucharest, founded and led by the illustrious Romanian sociologist D. Gusti between the two world wars, this study presents some of the conclusions of the cultural researches undertaken by the Institute for Social and Geopolitical Studies (in Romanian ISOGEP) between 1995 and 1997. The statistic analysis of data about institutional culture emphasizes a two phases decline of the institutional culture in Romania: a slow decrease between 1980 and 1990 and a breakdown after 1990. The interviews realized with the leaders of the cultural institutions showed that the logistic decline coincided with a decline of proportion (in number) and also of active (creative) forms of participation. Finally, we present a project for Public Service Law, conceived as a basic instrument for the cultural reform, a project submitted to the Ministry of Culture.

Keywords : cultural institutions, transition, public service, cultural researches, Romania

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SPAŢIUL ORAŞULUI ŞI SUBCULTURILE URBANE - Un îndrumar pentru cercetările calitativiste

Sergiu Bălţătescu

Universitatea din Oradea, Catedra de Sociologie, Str. Armata Română, 5, 3700 Oradea, România

The Town Space and Urban Subcultures . Urban space can be considered a projection of society on ground, a “social product” reflecting the signifiance accorded by the social groups. Youth subcultures are in a special relation with the city: first, they are engendered in the social context of the large urban agglomerations. Secondly, they are countercultures, forms of symbolic opposition to the social order projected in the city space. That is why youth subcultures permanently redefine the urban space. We propose a guide for the study of the relation of the youth subcultures with the urban space.

Key words : urban space, urban subcultures, countercultures

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“ŢARA SILVANIEI” ÎN CONTEXTUL STRUCTURILOR TERITORIALE ŞI UMANE

Călin C. Pop

Universitatea “Babeş-Bolyai” din Cluj-Napoca, str. Clinicilor 5-7, Facultatea de Geografie, România

''Le pays de la Sylvanie'', dans le context des structures territorielles et humaines. Les aspects historique et géographique de cet espace, font preuve dans une grande mesure la presence d'une organisation sociale-politique, qui encadre ''les pays'' romaines. Positionement du complexe de la Porolissum dans ce pays c'est une confirmation de ces aspects.

Mots - cl és: Pay de la Sylvanie, structures territorielles, organisation social-politique