Local population and recreational development of the Irkutsk Pribaikalye

The article considers the geographical position, location, structure and dynamics of demographic processes on the territory of Irkutsk Pribaikalye. The economic and geographical location of the southern part of Pribaikalye, located between the regional centers of Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, is most advantageous due to transport accessibility for the development of tourist and recreational activities. The territory of Pribaikalye is inhabited unevenly, most of it, over 90%, completely unpopulated, and the average population density (2 people / km2) is one and a half times less than the average regional size. According to the author’s methodology, the density of the population according to the distribution areas formed around populated areas is calculated and displayed on the map. Small areas of the southern part of the region are the most densely populated. The spatial distribution of settlements is linear, the main settlements (six of the nine populated areas with over a thousand inhabitants) are located on the coast of Lake Baikal...