Territorial differentiation of natural recreation potential of Ukraine

Natural recreation potential of Ukraine includes natural recreation lands, mineral waters, medicinal mud and medicinal raw materials for pharmaceutical industry. The value of country’s natural recreation potential was estimated through money cost of free time spent outdoors for recreation; mineral waters and medicinal mud – through value of its exploited stock and on the basis of regional market prices. Average indices of natural recreation potential valuation per unit of territory and per inhabitant (the so-called territorial and economic potential productivity) were taken for 100 points.
   With regard to geographical allocation of Ukrainian natural recreation potential (as based on materials of its map modeling), two tendencies are clearly observed: the first is the evidence that two major natural regions – Ukrainian Carpathians and Azovo-Chornomorske Uzberezhzhia (Azov-Black Sea Coast) – accumulate over the half of the initial natural recreation potential of the country, while the second witnesses that Ukrainian natural recreation potential is concentrated around cities-millionaires and big cities. In other words, it is only in Kyiv, Khatkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Lugansk Regions that over 1/3 of its (potential) totality is accumulated. To substantiate perspectives of recreation in Ukraine, it is important to analyze territorial differences in intro-components structure of natural recreation potential of this country. Thus, it is worth mentioning that the role of sanitary-resort treatment resources increases from the Eastern Economic Macro- (District) where their total is 18%, to the Western (23%) and Southern (33%) Macro-Rayons. Sanitary-resort resources are of special importance in the Odessa (59%) and Zakarpattya Oblasts (43%), Autonomic Republic of Crimea (40%), Vinnytsa (39%) and Lviv (30%) Oblasts. It is obvious that the perspectives of sanitary-resort branch in Ukraine belong to these regions. At the same time, the share of sanitary-resort treatment in natural recreation wealth of the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts successively decreases from 1/3 to 1/6. It is in the first turn explained by the increase of the role of natural resources for rest and tourism, efficiently used by the recreants from cities-millionaires and big cities in the form of week-end outdoor holidays. It is also important to mention those Ukrainian administrative Rayons where natural recreation potential is the first (basic) component in the integral natural resources potential (NRP). These are the Chornomorskiy (Black Sea) Rayon of the Autonomic Republic of Crimea, city of Chernivtsi, Kosiv Rayon in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Mukachevo, Svalyava, Khust Rayons in Zakarpattya Oblast, and Kharkiv Rayon in Kharkiv Oblast. 54 more Administrative Rayons of Ukraine possess natural recreation resources as their secondimportant natural wealth. It is also important to analyze indices of Ukrainian people’s provision with natural recreation potential (average index – 100 points). Thus, as regards to Ukrainian natural regions, the East-European Plain is provided at average level of 86 points, Ukrainian Carpathians – 187, and the Crimean Mountains – 331 points. In East-European Plain, the Steppe is provided with natural recreation resources at a level of 91 points, Forest- Steppe – 83, and Mixed Forests – 80 points. Uneven provision in Rayons is evidenced by the following: absolute indices in Mixed Forests amount to 727 points (Slovechansko-Ovrutskiy Rayon, Zhytomyrske Polissya) and 395 points (Dovbacahnsko-Chervonoarmiyskiy Rayon). The Forest-Steppe does not manifest too much difference. West-Ukrainian Forest-Steppe Province is provided at a level of 59 points per inhabitant (absolute value – 562 points), Dnistrovsko-Dniprovska Forest-Steppe Province – 77 points (amplitude – 205-231 points) Livoberezhno-Dniprovska Forest-Steppe Province – 91, and Serednorosiyska Forest-Steppe Province – 111 points. The Crimean Mountains manifest high and relatively homogeneous level of people’s provision with natural recreation, and, except for two rayon – Western (Girsko-Krymska Oblast, 34 points) and Chornoricskiy (Peredgirn-Krymska Oblast, 35 points) – ranges within the limits of 260 – 462 points. People’s provision with natural recreation resources in Ukrainian Carpathians is rather high and homogeneous. The Oblast of Peredkarpattya is estimated to have 125 points, the same of Zovnishni (External) Carpathians) – 156, Vododilno-Verkhovynska – 341, Polonynsko-Chornogirska – 340, Rakhivsko-Chyvchynska – 375, Volcanic Carpathians and Mizhgirni Kotlovyny – 253, and Zakarpatska Plain – 214 points. As regards Rayons, people’s provision is not considerably different. Thus, the geographical analysis proves that territorial differentiation of Ukrainian natural-recreation potential significantly influences upon substantiation of the ways for its balanced development.