This research focuses on the location of the settlements of the Republic of Crimea by absolute altitudes. The study is relevant as it considers an elevation of a settlement above sea level which is known to be one of the main factors characterizing the degree of national economy development and well-being. The construction conditions and settlements’ functioning are greatly affected by the natural conditions, and accessibility of the settlements significantly decreases economic expenses. The latest geo-informational methods of study such as (Quantum GIS Desktop) and the data provided by the satellite radar surveying (SRTM) helped to analyse the range of the altitudes, within which the settlements of the Republic of Crimea had been set up. It was determined that urban settlements were formed within the range of altitudes between -7 and 553 m (amplitude – 560 m), but rural ones – between -6 and 1216 (amplitude – 1222 m). Also the distribution of the settlements by landscapes has also been analysed. There are 4 landscape-levels (in increasing average absolute altitudes) – hydromorphic, flat interfluve, low mountain and middle mountain levels on the territory of the Crimean peninsula. It is defined that 346 settlements are located in hydromorphic level, 296 settlements – in flat interfluve level, 342 – in low mountain level and 63 – in the middle mountain level. The most developed and populated levels on the territory of the Republic of Crimea turn out to be hydromorphic and low mountain levels due to the favourable natural conditions, with the least developed region being middle mountain landscape level.

This article is concerned with the visualization of the monitoring data of the emissions into the atmosphere from stationary pollution sources on the territory of the Republic of Crimea in 2013-2018 with the help of geographic information systems. A brief overview of the use of geographical information systems for various types of environmental monitoring is provided. The structure of geographical information systems is analyzed in detail. In the paper, map building is performed by means of the ArcGIS software package. In the period from 2013 to 2018, the emission volume from stationary sources within the Republic of Crimea changes every year. The largest contribution to atmospheric emissions from stationary sources is made by industrial enterprises in the cities of Krasnoperekopsk and Armyansk.