Dynamics of the population in the Lithuanian border regions in 1959-1997. 1. Presumptions of geographical dynamics of the population in the Lithuanian border regions

Years among the factors, affecting the redistribution of the population in the border region, were the development of Ignalina NPP and its infrastructure, and regulation of Vilnius industrial functions. The future development of industry in the border regions will be linked with the balance of the local labour market and, presumably, will not play the decisive role in the redistribution of the population. The network of roads in the Lithuanian border regions is on a good level of development. The total of motorways crossing the Lithuanian state borders is 241, railways -15. Almost all border zone sectors have dense networks of rocade roads connecting the major settlements of the border regions. It should be noted that more than 56% of economic centres of municipalities are located at main roads or local roads. This is a very favourable circumstance in terms of social-economic development. Under existing social-economic conditions the distribution of border settlements with respect to custom-houses is particularly important. Many Lithuanian border districts with lower degree of anthropogenic load are fit for tourism and recreation. The stabilization of the population in the future may be to some extent influenced by an increasing number of agrotourism homesteads and expansion of new recreation centresGeologijos ir geografijos institutasVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠvietimo akademij