A Study on the Historical Evolution of Kyrgyz Settlement in the Northeastern Region Based on GIS Spatial Analysis

Abstract

The Kyrgyz people, known as the “mountain nomads”, are an ancient ethnic group with a long history and a rich culture. Drawing on relevant historical documents and survey data regarding the Kyrgyz people, this study employs GIS spatial analysis and geographic detection methods to construct an index of factors influencing the spatial distribution of traditional Kyrgyz villages. It explores the spatial distribution characteristics of the Kyrgyz people’s settlement history in Northeast China and the mechanisms by which these influencing factors operate. The results indicate that the overall evolutionary process of Kyrgyz villages, as reflected in different historical periods, exhibits a shift from a concentrated distribution toward a random distribution. The spatial evolution trend of settlement density distribution gradually shifted from an inverted U-shape in the early Qing Dynasty to a straight-line shape by the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with the disparity between the central region and the eastern and western regions gradually narrowing. The local variation in Kyrgyz traditional villages is influenced by the combined effects of multiple factors, most of which are of the two-factor enhancement type.