The Kurpie region is among the most interesting ethnographic regions of Poland, with the center of the original, well-preserved and carefully cultivated folk culture of the Kurpie [ethnographic group of the Polish population]. The image of the Kurpie village resulted from centuries of human activity. Over the centuries, transformations of the landscape occurred. Activities that gave the area a modern appearance were based on adaptation of the natural environment for cultivation of land and gradual establishment of human settlements. The traditional folk culture developed by the Kurpie ethnographic group, as well as high value of the natural environment prompted research in the scope of transformation to open settlement landscape of the Kurpie region. The present study was aimed at investigating processes that determined the transformation to the natural and cultural landscape of the Kurpie region. The territorial scope of the present work covers the Kurpie region located between the Omulew and the Szkwa rivers. In the 15th century, the region was included in the Ostrołęka County and has remained there since then. The time scope of the study concerns the period from when first mention of the area being settled was made to the moment of Poland's accession to the European Union. The following research methods were adopted for the study: analysis of source literature and literature on the subject undertaken in the present work, historical analysis to cover the development of settlement in the studied area, comparative cartographic analysis in the field of settlement and landscape transformation, statistical analysis in the field of social and technical infrastructure. In the study, landscape and urban-rural inventory was also applied. The study structure covers issues related to formation and development of settlement in the Kurpie region: 1) the Kurpie region in scientific research, 2) the Kurpie region in folk culture, 3) the Kurpie region – an outline of settlement-agricultural functions, as well as landscape layout, 4) the Kurpie region – characteristics of the settlement landscape, 5) the Kurpie region – dominant changes to the landscape under the influence of socio-economic factors in the period of the 45 post-war years, 6) the Kurpie region – dominant modification to the landscape as influenced by socio-economic factors during the political system transformation in Poland.
Can the rising pension burden in Europe be mitigated by immigration? Modelling the effects of selected demographic and socio-economic factors on ageing in the European Union, 2008-2050