About anthropogeographic researches of settlements in South Eastern Serbia

Abstract

Settlements in South Eastern Serbia (1439 in total) were anthropogeographically researched in past, mostly several decades ago. Some newer studies of settlements and origins of population, since the beginning of the 1990s until present, have mostly been treating the issues of particular settlements. Cvijic's anthropogeographic conception, established in the early phase of development of scientific geography in Serbia at the end of 19th century, has been prevailing in the research of villages. In the research of urban settlements, modem complex geographical approach has been prevailing, neglecting the anthropogeographical attributes. The necessity of scientifically founded anthropogeographic knowledge on settlements, in this as well as in other areas of Serbia, is evident, both in science and in different fields of social practice. This knowledge would be based on traditional achievements of Serbian anthropogeographic school, as well as on contemporary achievements in the area of investigations of settlements.