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Enclaves and exclaves have special roles in geography and are of particular importance to fields such as (geo)politics and economy. However, enclaves and exclaves have not been defined with sufficient formality for automatic identification yet. To identify enclaves and exclaves more generally by computational means than current definitions existing in the literature, this article proposes expressive and generalized mathematical definitions of enclaves and exclaves based on point-set topology. A novel Boundary Extended 16-Intersection Model is developed in this article to identify enclaves, and 74 possible spatial configurations of enclaves are distinguished according to conditions of intersections for polygons in partitions and enclaves. The classic Dimensionally Extended 9-Intersection Model is employed to identify exclaves, and two possible spatial configurations of exclaves are distinguished according to conditions of intersections for polygons in partitions and exclaves. Applications of the proposed definitions are exemplified by the identification of enclaves and exclaves in prototypes and in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a brief but informative examination of the Kaliningrad region in order to find out the mysteries of a geographical territory that belongs to Northern Europe, but currently represents Russia's only European trophy after winning the Second World War. The paper contains general elements, as well as data that may seem new, through which the geography and history of the region are analysed in the first part. After understanding the natural state and the secular heritage of this territory, we will portray the policies of the Russian Federation imposed on its exclave, determine whether Kaliningrad is an important commercial actor on the international stage and investigate the evolution of the population from an ethnic, cultural and religious point of view. All these elements described previously represent an essential body of knowledge in our attempt to ultimately determine the importance of the Kaliningrad Oblast as a first-line geopolitical bastion in the eternal East-West confrontation in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical distribution, habitats and current state of populations of a rare species in the Ukrainian flora, Galanthus elwesii (Amaryllidaceae), are considered. Populations of this species grow near the northeastern limits of its range in the southwestern part of Ukraine, in Odessa and Mykolaiv regions. Along with single Moldavian and Romanian localities, the Ukrainian sites of G. elwesii are formed in the Bessarabian Upland and the Black Sea Lowland northeastern exclave of the Black Sea shore range, and are separated from the main part of the range in the Balkan Mountains by a disjuncture in the Lower Danube Lowland. Eight out of 11 known sites of G. elwesii in Ukraine are contributed now as new floristic records. The localities of G. elwesii in Ukraine are associated with extrazonal oak, elm, elm-maple, and ashmaple forests of Quercetalia roboris ordo, and poplar forest of Salicetalia purpurea ordo, resulting from the shrub and forest plantations in the steppe zone. The optimal coenotical conditions for G. elwesii are in the anthropogenically undisturbed forests, where it formed homeostatic populations. Cutting of forest trees in the steppe zone of Ukraine has led to substitution of forests by shrubs, replacement by steppe communities and degradation of G. elwesii populations. Recommendations are proposed for the improvement of G. elwesii conservation in situ and ex situ in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Kaliningrad's post-Soviet economic interconnection with Europe is encountering obstacles due to specific Russian governmental idiosyncrasies as well as its particular regional challenges. In essence, the Kremlin's direct control from afar and European misgivings have influenced the territory's economic development in relation to Europe. The distance of the region from Russia, exclave status, large size for an exclave, and conflicted history subject the area to contradictory forces. On the one hand, it links Kaliningrad to Europe because of a shared history and geography. On the other, it promotes a sense of political instability and geographical isolation that discourages economic integration with Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the European Union's claim to establish transnational spaces through co-operation across its internal borders. Focusing on the Dutch-German borderland as an example, people's practices towards this border and their perceptions of it are introduced. It is underscored that these practices are influenced by popular representations, which (re)produce bounded spaces and the barrier effect of the border, thus making it difficult to imagine a transnational space. This observation is complemented by the phenomenon that—due to a housing shortage in the Netherlands—Dutch people have recently begun to move to German places directly on the border, although they maintain their jobs in the Netherlands. Concentrating specifically on one of these German villages, Kranenburg, the emergence of a community of transmigrants is highlighted in order to reflect upon the question of whether this form of frequent short-distance border crossing fosters a European transnational sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]