Axes and Extremes of Geographical Differences Based on a Case Study of the Multivalued Multiscale South

Among the main axes of geographic differences, the most universal are north–south and west–east. The article is devoted to “souths” of different scales, from global to intrastate and local (using selected examples), still touching upon other extremes of both geographical axes, their objective features and reflection in the mass consciousness. The “absolutization” of the South is noted at all levels, recorded in toponymy. In different territorial boundaries, it is peculiar both in properties and location. In countries extending along a meridian, its contrast with the North dominates; if the proportions are more harmonious, the two axes are approximately equal, and in large countries with extending latitudinally, their Souths are shifted to the west or east. In Russia, this is limited to the European part. By comparing 12 selected macroregional schemes from pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet times, a “minimum” South (Krasnodar and Stavropol krais) and a broad “maximum” South covering Transcaucasia, Ukraine, and parts of the Center and Lower, and Middle Volga were identified. The “optimal” South comprises the Southern and North Caucasian federal districts, and less strictly, the lands south of the Volga–Don neck, with potential expansion to the west. Various features of Russia’s South reveal its specifics and perception. Mass images of the South are usually positive, based on geographical concepts, borrowing foreign elements, and are actively used in business naming and branding. Although Russian science has traditionally been fascinated by the North, the role of “Southern Studies” is increasing due to the scarcity and value of the South, in addition to its demographic, geopolitical, and economic role.