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Functions of rural areas are influenced, among others, by historical conditions of social development, such as: the intensity of population growth, the insufficient level of produced crops and the permanent food shortages. Such approach to rural areas contributed to development of less useful areas, characterised by the low production potential, for agricultural purposes. Besides, those areas are also characterised by the intensive fragmentation of arable lands and directing the agricultural production to meet own demands of farmers. Professional publications include many proposals concerning definitions of marginal lands with reference to problematic areas. It mainly depends on the field of research, the authors and the approach to the discussed issues. The objective of this paper is to review the terminology and characteristics of marginal areas and problematic areas. As a result, the original definition of agricultural problematic areas will be proposed by the authors; this is important in Poland, in particular, when those issues are considered from the perspective of increasing the size of problematic areas and agricultural development in those areas.

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