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{{For|former provinces with the same name|Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939)|Administrative division of the People's Republic of Poland}} |
{{For|former provinces with the same name|Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939)|Administrative division of the People's Republic of Poland}} |
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{{Infobox settlement |
{{Infobox settlement |
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|name = Silesian Voivodeship |
| name = Silesian Voivodeship |
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|native_name = Województwo śląskie |
| native_name = Województwo śląskie |
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|settlement_type = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]] |
| settlement_type = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]] |
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|image_skyline = |
| image_skyline = |
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|imagesize = 150px |
| imagesize = 150px |
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|image_flag = POL_województwo_śląskie_flag.svg |
| image_flag = POL_województwo_śląskie_flag.svg |
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|image_shield = POL_województwo_śląskie_COA.svg |
| image_shield = POL_województwo_śląskie_COA.svg |
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|image_map = |
| image_map = Silesian in Poland (+rivers).svg |
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|map_caption = Location within Poland |
| map_caption = Location within Poland |
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|image_map1 = Śląskie administracja.svg |
| image_map1 = Śląskie administracja.svg |
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|map_caption1 = Division into counties |
| map_caption1 = Division into counties |
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|coordinates = {{coord|50|15|N|19|0|E|region:PL|display=inline}} |
| coordinates = {{coord|50|15|N|19|0|E|region:PL|display=inline}} |
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|coor_pinpoint = Katowice |
| coor_pinpoint = Katowice |
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|subdivision_type = Country |
| subdivision_type = Country |
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|subdivision_name = {{POL}} |
| subdivision_name = {{POL}} |
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|seat_type = Capital |
| seat_type = Capital |
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|seat = [[Katowice]] |
| seat = [[Katowice]] |
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|parts_type = [[Powiat|Counties]] |
| parts_type = [[Powiat|Counties]] |
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|parts = 19 cities, 17 land counties* |
| parts = 19 cities, 17 land counties* |
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| p1 = [[Bielsko-Biała]] |
| p1 = [[Bielsko-Biała]] |
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|total_type = Total |
| total_type = Total |
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|area_total_km2 = 12333.09 |
| area_total_km2 = 12333.09 |
||
|population_as_of = 2019-06-30<ref name=pop>{{cite web |title=Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June|url=https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/population-size-and-structure-and-vital-statistics-in-poland-by-territorial-division-in-2019-as-of-30th-june,3,26.html|website=stat.gov.pl|publisher=Statistics Poland|date=2019-10-15|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> |
| population_as_of = 2019-06-30<ref name=pop>{{cite web |title=Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June|url=https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/population-size-and-structure-and-vital-statistics-in-poland-by-territorial-division-in-2019-as-of-30th-june,3,26.html|website=stat.gov.pl|publisher=Statistics Poland|date=2019-10-15|access-date=2020-02-14}}</ref> |
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|population_total = 4524091 |
| population_total = 4524091 |
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|population_density_km2 = auto |
| population_density_km2 = auto |
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|population_urban = 3468527 |
| population_urban = 3468527 |
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|population_blank1_title = Rural |
| population_blank1_title = Rural |
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|population_blank1 = 1055564 |
| population_blank1 = 1055564 |
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| demographics_type1 = GDP |
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| blank_name_sec2 = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019) |
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| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en | title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref> |
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| blank_info_sec2 = 0.887<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/POL/?levels=1%2B4&interpolation=1&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0&years=2019|title=Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab|website=globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2021-12-13|publisher=[[Radboud University Nijmegen]]}}</ref><br/>{{color|#090|very high}} · [[List of Polish voivodeships by Human Development Index|6th]] |
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| demographics1_title1 = Total |
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|website=https://www.slaskie.pl/ |
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| demographics1_info1 = €68.692 billion |
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|footnotes = <nowiki>*</nowiki> further divided into 167 [[gmina]]s |
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| demographics1_title2 = Per capita |
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| p2 = [[Bytom]] |
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| demographics1_info2 = €15,300 |
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| p3 = [[Chorzów]] |
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| blank_name_sec2 = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2021) |
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| p4 = [[Częstochowa]] |
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| blank_info_sec2 = 0.883<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/POL/?levels=1%2B4&interpolation=1&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0&years=2021|title=Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab|website=globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2021-12-13|publisher=[[Radboud University Nijmegen]]}}</ref><br/>{{color|#090|very high}} · [[List of Polish voivodeships by Human Development Index|5th]] |
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| p5 = [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]] |
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| website = https://www.slaskie.pl/ |
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| p6 = [[Gliwice]] |
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| footnotes = <nowiki>*</nowiki> further divided into 167 [[gmina]]s |
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| p7 = [[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]] |
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| |
| p2 = [[Bytom]] |
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| |
| p3 = [[Chorzów]] |
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| |
| p4 = [[Częstochowa]] |
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| |
| p5 = [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]] |
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| |
| p6 = [[Gliwice]] |
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| p7 = [[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]] |
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| p13 = [[Rybnik]] |
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| p8 = [[Jaworzno]] |
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| p14 = [[Siemianowice Śląskie]] |
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| p9 = [[Katowice]] |
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| |
| p10 = [[Mysłowice]] |
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| |
| p11 = [[Piekary Śląskie]] |
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| |
| p12 = [[Ruda Śląska]] |
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| |
| p13 = [[Rybnik]] |
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| |
| p14 = [[Siemianowice Śląskie]] |
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| |
| p15 = [[Sosnowiec]] |
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| p16 = [[Świętochłowice]] |
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| p22 = [[Bieruń-Lędziny County]] |
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| p17 = [[Tychy]] |
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| p18 = [[Zabrze]] |
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| p24 = [[Częstochowa County]] |
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| p19 = [[Żory]] |
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| |
| p20 = [[Będzin County]] |
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| |
| p21 = [[Bielsko County]] |
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| |
| p22 = [[Bieruń-Lędziny County]] |
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| p23 = [[Cieszyn County]] |
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| p24 = [[Częstochowa County]] |
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| |
| p25 = [[Gliwice County]] |
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| |
| p26 = [[Kłobuck County]] |
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| |
| p27 = [[Lubliniec County]] |
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| |
| p28 = [[Mikołów County]] |
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| |
| p29 = [[Myszków County]] |
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| |
| p30 = [[Pszczyna County]] |
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| |
| p31 = [[Racibórz County]] |
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| |
| p32 = [[Rybnik County]] |
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| |
| p33 = [[Tarnowskie Góry County]] |
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| |
| p34 = [[Wodzisław County]] |
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| |
| p35 = [[Zawiercie County]] |
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| |
| p36 = [[Żywiec County]] |
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| governing_body = [[Voivodeship executive board|Executive board]] |
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|image_blank_emblem= Logo-slaskie-kolorowe-cmyk.png |
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| leader_title1 = [[Voivodes of Poland (since 1999)|Voivode]] |
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|blank_emblem_type=Logo |
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| leader_name1 = [[Marek Wójcik]] ([[Civic Platform|PO]]) |
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|blank_emblem_size=120px |
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| leader_title2 = [[Voivodeship marshal|Marshal]] |
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| leader_name2 = [[Wojciech_Saługa|Wojciech Saługa]] ([[Civic Platform|PO]]) |
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| leader_title3 = [[European Parliament|EP]] |
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| leader_name3 = [[Silesian (European Parliament constituency)|Silesian constituency]] |
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| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]] |
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| utc_offset = +1 |
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| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]] |
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| utc_offset_DST = +2 |
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| iso_code = [[ISO 3166-2:PL|PL-24]] |
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| registration_plate = [[Polish car number plates|S]] |
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| image_blank_emblem = Śląskie.svg |
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| blank_emblem_type = [[Brandmark]] |
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| blank_emblem_size = 120px |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Silesian Voivodeship''' ({{lang-pl|województwo śląskie}} {{IPA-pl|vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ ˈɕlɔ̃skʲɛ||LL-Q809 (pol)-KaMan-województwo śląskie.wav}}) is a [[voivodeship]], or [[province]], in southern [[Poland]] centered on the historic region known as [[Upper Silesia]] (''{{lang|pl|Górny Śląsk}}''), with [[Katowice]] serving as its capital. |
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'''Silesian Voivodeship''', or '''Silesia Province'''<ref>Arkadiusz Belczyk,[http://serwistlumacza.com/content/view/27/32/ Tłumaczenie polskich nazw geograficznych na język angielski] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203627/http://serwistlumacza.com/content/view/27/32/ |date=2016-03-03 }} [Translation of Polish Geographical Names into English], 2002–2006.</ref> ({{lang-pl|województwo śląskie}} {{IPAc-pl|w|o|j|e|'|w|u|c|t|f|o|-|'|ś|l|ą|s|k|J|e}}) is a [[voivodeship]], or [[province]], in southern [[Poland]], centered on the historic region known as [[Upper Silesia]] (''{{lang|pl|Górny Śląsk}}''), with [[Katowice]] serving as its capital. |
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Despite the Silesian Voivodeship's name, most of the historic [[Silesia]] region lies outside the present Silesian Voivodeship – divided among [[Lubusz Voivodeship|Lubusz]], [[Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Lower Silesian]], and [[Opole Voivodeship]]s. The eastern half of Silesian Voivodeship (and, notably, [[Częstochowa]] in the north) was historically part of [[Lesser Poland]]. |
Despite the Silesian Voivodeship's name, most of the historic [[Silesia]] region lies outside the present Silesian Voivodeship – divided among [[Lubusz Voivodeship|Lubusz]], [[Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Lower Silesian]], and [[Opole Voivodeship]]s. The eastern half of Silesian Voivodeship (and, notably, [[Częstochowa]] in the north) was historically part of [[Lesser Poland]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[File:Krainy-historyczne-Polski.png|thumb|Historical regions in present-day Silesian Voivodeship and in Poland]] |
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The [[Silesian Voivodeship (1920–39)|first Silesian Voivodeship]] was created in the [[Second Polish Republic]]. It had a much wider range of autonomy than other contemporary Polish voivodeships, and it covered all the historical lands of [[Upper Silesia]] which ended up in [[Interwar period]] Poland. Among these were [[Katowice|Katowice (Kattowitz)]], [[Rybnik|Rybnik (Rybnik)]], [[Pszczyna|Pszczyna (Pleß)]], [[Wodzisław Śląski|Wodzisław (Loslau)]], [[Żory|Żory (Sohrau)]], [[Mikołów|Mikołów (Nikolai)]], [[Tychy|Tychy (Tichau)]], [[Chorzów|Królewska Huta (Königshütte)]], [[Tarnowskie Góry|Tarnowskie Góry (Tarnowitz)]], [[Miasteczko Śląskie|Miasteczko Śląskie (Georgenberg)]], [[Woźniki|Woźniki (Woischnik)]], [[Lubliniec|Lubliniec (Lublinitz)]], [[Cieszyn|Cieszyn (Teschen)]], [[Skoczów|Skoczów (Skotschau)]], and [[Bielsko|Bielsko (Bielitz)]]. This Voivodeship did not include – as opposed to the present one – lands and cities of old [[Partitions of Poland|pre-Partition]] [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. Among the last ones the Southern part was included in [[Kraków Voivodeship (1919–39)|Kraków Voivodeship]] [[Żywiec|Żywiec (Saybusch)]], [[Wilamowice|Wilamowice (Wilmesau)]], [[Biała Krakowska|Biała Krakowska (Biala)]] and [[Jaworzno]]), and the North Western part [[Będzin|Będzin (Bendzin)]], [[Dąbrowa Górnicza|Dąbrowa Górnicza (Dombrowa)]], [[Sosnowiec|Sosnowiec (Sosnowitz)]], [[Częstochowa|Częstochowa (Tschenstochau)]], [[Myszków]], [[Szczekociny|Szczekociny (Schtschekotzin)]], [[Zawiercie]], [[Sławków]]) belonged to [[Kielce Voivodeship (1919–39)|Kielce Voivodeship]]. |
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The [[Silesian Voivodeship (1920–39)|first Silesian Voivodeship]] was created in the [[Second Polish Republic]]. It had a much wider range of autonomy than other contemporary Polish voivodeships, and it covered all the historical lands of [[Upper Silesia]] which ended up in [[Interwar period]] Poland. Among these were [[Katowice]], [[Rybnik]], [[Pszczyna]], [[Wodzisław Śląski]], [[Żory]], [[Mikołów]], [[Tychy]], [[Chorzów]], [[Tarnowskie Góry]], [[Miasteczko Śląskie]], [[Woźniki]], [[Lubliniec]], [[Cieszyn]], [[Skoczów]], and [[Bielsko]]. This Voivodeship did not include – as opposed to the present one – lands and cities of old [[Partitions of Poland|pre-Partition]] [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. Among the last ones the Southern part was included in [[Kraków Voivodeship (1919–39)|Kraków Voivodeship]] [[Żywiec]], [[Wilamowice]], [[Biała Krakowska]] and [[Jaworzno]]), and the North Western part [[Będzin]], [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]], [[Sosnowiec]], [[Częstochowa]], [[Myszków]], [[Szczekociny]], [[Zawiercie]], [[Sławków]]) belonged to [[Kielce Voivodeship (1919–39)|Kielce Voivodeship]]. |
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After the [[invasion of Poland]] by Nazi Germany on 8 October 1939, Hitler published a decree called, "''About division and administration of Eastern Territories''". A Silesian Province (''{{lang|de|Gau Schlesien}}'') was created, with a seat in [[Wrocław|Breslau (Wrocław)]]. It consisted of four districts: Kattowitz, Oppeln, Breslau and Liegnitz. |
After the [[invasion of Poland]] by Nazi Germany on 8 October 1939, Hitler published a decree called, "''About division and administration of Eastern Territories''". A Silesian Province (''{{lang|de|Gau Schlesien}}'') was created, with a seat in [[Wrocław|Breslau (Wrocław)]]. It consisted of four districts: Kattowitz, Oppeln, Breslau and Liegnitz. |
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The following counties were included in Kattowitz District: Kattowitz, Königshütte, Tarnowitz, Beuthen Hindenburg, Gleiwitz, Freistadt, Teschen, Biala, Bielitz, Saybusch, Pleß, Sosnowitz, Bendzin and parts of the following counties: Kranau, Olkusch, Riebnich and Wadowitz. However, according to Hitler's decree from 12 October 1939 about establishing [[General Government]] |
The following counties were included in Kattowitz District: Kattowitz, Königshütte, Tarnowitz, Beuthen Hindenburg, Gleiwitz, Freistadt, Teschen, Biala, Bielitz, Saybusch, Pleß, Sosnowitz, Bendzin and parts of the following counties: Kranau, Olkusch, Riebnich and Wadowitz. However, according to Hitler's decree from 12 October 1939 about establishing [[General Government]], Częstochowa belonged to GG. |
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In 1941 the Silesian Province (''{{lang|de|Provinz Schlesien}}'') underwent new administrative division and as a result Upper Silesian Province was created (''Provinz Oberschlesien''): |
In 1941 the Silesian Province (''{{lang|de|Provinz Schlesien}}'') underwent new administrative division and as a result Upper Silesian Province was created (''Provinz Oberschlesien''): |
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==Demography== |
==Demography== |
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Silesian Voivodeship has the highest population density in the country (379 people per square kilometre, compared to the national average of 124). The region's considerable industrialisation gives it the lowest unemployment rate nationally (6.2%). The Silesian region is the most industrialized and the most urbanized region in Poland: 78% of its population live in towns and cities. |
Silesian Voivodeship has the highest population density in the country (379 people per square kilometre, compared to the national average of 124). The region's considerable industrialisation gives it the lowest unemployment rate nationally (6.2%). The Silesian region is the most industrialized and the most urbanized region in Poland: 78% of its population live in towns and cities.{{historical populations|1988|4915210|2002|4742874|2011|4630366|2021|4402950|align=right|cols=1|source=pop-stat.mashke.org<ref>{{cite web|title=Division of Poland|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/poland-division.htm|date=2024-04-03}}</ref>}} |
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==Tourism== |
==Tourism== |
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[[File:Pałac w Pszczynie 38.JPG|thumb|[[ |
[[File:Pałac w Pszczynie 38.JPG|thumb|left|[[Pszczyna Castle]] in [[Pszczyna]]]] |
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[[File:Kolej linowa szyndzielnia.jpg|thumb|[[:pl:Kolej_gondolowa_na_Szyndzielnię|"Szyndzielnia" gondola lift]] in [[Bielsko-Biała]], north part of [[Silesian Beskids|Beskid Śląski]]]] |
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Both the northern and southern parts of the voivodeship are surrounded by a [[green belt]]. [[Bielsko-Biała]] is enveloped by the [[Beskidy Mountains]] which are popular with winter sports fans. It offers over 150 ski lifts and 200 kilometres of ski routes. More and more slopes are illuminated and equipped with artificial snow generators. [[Szczyrk]], [[Brenna, Poland|Brenna]], [[Wisła]] and [[Ustroń]] are the most popular winter mountain resorts. Rock climbing sites can be found in [[Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska]]. The ruins of castles forming the [[Eagle Nests Trail]] are a famous attraction of the region. Often visited is the [[Black Madonna]]'s [[Jasna Góra]] Sanctuary in [[Częstochowa]] – the annual destination of over 4 million pilgrims from all over the world. In the south-western part of the voivodeship are parks, palaces and old monasteries ([[Rudy Raciborskie]], [[Wodzisław Śląski]]). Along the [[Oder|Oder River]] are interesting natural reserves and places for swimming during the summer. |
Both the northern and southern parts of the voivodeship are surrounded by a [[green belt]]. [[Bielsko-Biała]] is enveloped by the [[Beskidy Mountains]] which are popular with winter sports fans. It offers over 150 ski lifts and 200 kilometres of ski routes. More and more slopes are illuminated and equipped with artificial snow generators. [[Szczyrk]], [[Brenna, Poland|Brenna]], [[Wisła]] and [[Ustroń]] are the most popular winter mountain resorts. Rock climbing sites can be found in [[Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska]]. The ruins of castles forming the [[Eagle Nests Trail]] are a famous attraction of the region. Often visited is the [[Black Madonna]]'s [[Jasna Góra]] Sanctuary in [[Częstochowa]] – the annual destination of over 4 million pilgrims from all over the world. In the south-western part of the voivodeship are parks, palaces and old monasteries ([[Rudy Raciborskie]], [[Wodzisław Śląski]]). Along the [[Oder|Oder River]] are interesting natural reserves and places for swimming during the summer. |
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There are three [[spa town]]s in the voivodeship: [[Goczałkowice-Zdrój]], [[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]], and [[Ustroń]]. |
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With its more than two centuries of industrial history, the region has a number of technical heritage memorials. These include narrow and standard gauge railways, coal and silver mines, and shafts and their equipment from the 19th and 20th centuries. |
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With its more than two centuries of industrial history, the region has a number of technical heritage memorials. These include narrow and standard gauge railways, coal and silver mines, and shafts and their equipment from the 19th and 20th centuries. The [[Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry]] is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]. |
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==Cities and towns== |
==Cities and towns== |
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[[File:6588vik Gliwice. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|alt=Gliwice|[[Gliwice]], one of the oldest cities in [[Upper Silesia|Silesia]]]] |
[[File:6588vik Gliwice. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|alt=Gliwice|[[Gliwice]], one of the oldest cities in [[Upper Silesia|Silesia]]]] |
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[[File:Ratusz Bielsko-Biała.JPG|thumb|[[Bielsko-Biała]] is a major industrial, transport and touristic hub]] |
[[File:Ratusz Bielsko-Biała.JPG|thumb|[[Bielsko-Biała]] is a major industrial, transport and touristic hub]] |
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Due to its industrial and urban nature, the voivodeship has many cities and large towns. Of Poland's 40 most-populous cities, 12 are in Silesian Voivodeship. 19 of the cities in the voivodeship have the legal status of ''city-county'' (see [[powiat]]). In all it has |
Due to its industrial and urban nature, the voivodeship has many cities and large towns. Of Poland's 40 most-populous cities, 12 are in Silesian Voivodeship. 19 of the cities in the voivodeship have the legal status of ''city-county'' (see [[powiat]]). In all it has 24 cities and 47 towns, listed below in descending order of population (as of 2019):<ref name=pop/> |
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{{Columns-list|colwidth=15em| |
{{Columns-list|colwidth=15em| |
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'''Cities (governed by a city mayor or ''prezydent miasta''):''' |
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# [[Katowice]] (293,636) |
# [[Katowice]] (293,636) |
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# [[Częstochowa]] (221,252) |
# [[Częstochowa]] (221,252) |
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# [[Siemianowice Śląskie]] (66,963) |
# [[Siemianowice Śląskie]] (66,963) |
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# [[Żory]] (62,462) |
# [[Żory]] (62,462) |
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# [[Tarnowskie Góry]] (61,422) |
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# [[Będzin]] (56,624) |
# [[Będzin]] (56,624) |
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# [[Piekary Śląskie]] (55,088) |
# [[Piekary Śląskie]] (55,088) |
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# [[Zawiercie]] (49,334) |
# [[Zawiercie]] (49,334) |
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# [[Wodzisław Śląski]] (47,992) |
# [[Wodzisław Śląski]] (47,992) |
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# [[Mikołów]] (40,898) |
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# [[Knurów]] (38,310) |
# [[Knurów]] (38,310) |
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'''Towns:''' |
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# [[Tarnowskie Góry]] (61,422) |
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# [[Mikołów]] (40,898) |
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# [[Czechowice-Dziedzice]] (35,926) |
# [[Czechowice-Dziedzice]] (35,926) |
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# [[Cieszyn]] (34,513) |
# [[Cieszyn]] (34,513) |
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The Silesian voivodship is predominantly an industrial region. Most of the |
The Silesian voivodship is predominantly an industrial region. Most of the |
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mining is derived from one of the world's largest bituminous [[coal]]fields of the Upper Silesian Industrial District (''{{lang|pl|Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy}}'') and the [[Rybnik]] Coal District (''{{lang|pl|Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy}}'') with its major cities [[Rybnik]], [[Jastrzębie |
mining is derived from one of the world's largest bituminous [[coal]]fields of the Upper Silesian Industrial District (''{{lang|pl|Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy}}'') and the [[Rybnik]] Coal District (''{{lang|pl|Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy}}'') with its major cities [[Rybnik]], [[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]], [[Żory]] and [[Wodzisław Śląski]]. [[Lead]] and [[zinc]] can be found near [[Bytom]], [[Zawiercie]] and [[Tarnowskie Góry]]; [[iron ore]] and raw materials for building – near [[Częstochowa]]. The most important regional industries are: mining, iron, lead and zinc metallurgy, power industry, engineering, automobile, chemical, building materials and textile. In the past, the Silesian economy was determined by coal mining. Now, considering the investment volume, car manufacturing is becoming more and more important. The most profitable company in the region is [[Fiat]] Auto-Poland S.A. in Bielsko-Biała with a revenue of [[Polish złoty|PLN]] 6.2 billion in 1997. Recently a new car factory has been opened by [[General Motors Corporation|GM]] [[Opel]] in Gliwice. There are two [[Special Economic Zone]]s in the area: Katowice and Częstochowa. The voivodship's economy consists of about 323,000, mostly small and medium-sized, enterprises employing over 3 million people. The biggest Polish steel-works "Huta Katowice" is situated in [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]]. |
||
The unemployment rate stood at 3.9% in 2017 and was lower than the national average.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=de&pcode=tgs00010&plugin=1|title=Regional Unemployment by NUTS2 Region|website=Eurostat}}</ref> |
The unemployment rate stood at 3.9% in 2017 and was lower than the national average.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=de&pcode=tgs00010&plugin=1|title=Regional Unemployment by NUTS2 Region|website=Eurostat}}</ref> |
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==Transport== |
==Transport== |
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[[File:Terminal A outside.jpg|thumb|Terminal A at [[Katowice International Airport]]]] |
[[File:Terminal A outside.jpg|thumb|Terminal A at [[Katowice International Airport]]]] |
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[[Katowice International Airport]] (in [[Tarnowskie Góry County]]) is used for domestic and international flights, |
[[Katowice International Airport]] (in [[Tarnowskie Góry County]]) is used for domestic and international flights, with the other nearby airports being [[John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice]]. The Silesian agglomeration railway network has the largest concentration in the country. |
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The voivodship capital enjoys good railway and road connections with [[Gdańsk]] ([[A1 autostrada (Poland)|motorway A1]]) and [[Ostrava]] (motorway A1), [[Kraków]] ([[Autostrada A4 (Poland)|motorway A4]]), [[Wrocław]] (motorway A4), [[Łódź]] (motorway A1) and [[Warsaw]]. It is also the crossing point for many international routes like [[European route E40|E40]] connecting [[Calais]], [[Brussels]], [[Cologne]], [[Dresden]], [[Wrocław]], [[Kraków]] and [[Kyiv]] and [[European route E75|E75]] from [[Scandinavia]] to the [[Balkans]]. A relatively short distance to [[Vienna]] facilitates cross-border co-operation and may positively influence the process of European integration. |
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[[Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line|Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa]] (known by its acronym ''LHS'', English: ''Broad gauge metallurgy line'') in [[Sławków]] is the longest [[broad gauge]] [[Rail tracks|railway line]] in Poland. The line runs on a single track for almost 400 km from the Polish-[[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] border, crossing it just east of [[Hrubieszów]]. It is the westernmost broad gauge railway line in Europe that is connected to the broad gauge rail system of the countries of the former Soviet Union. |
[[Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line|Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa]] (known by its acronym ''LHS'', English: ''Broad gauge metallurgy line'') in [[Sławków]] is the longest [[broad gauge]] [[Rail tracks|railway line]] in Poland. The line runs on a single track for almost 400 km from the Polish-[[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] border, crossing it just east of [[Hrubieszów]]. It is the westernmost broad gauge railway line in Europe that is connected to the broad gauge rail system of the countries of the former Soviet Union. |
||
Large part of the Upper Silesia conurbation features the [[Silesian Interurbans]], the longest tram network in Poland, and one of the largest in the world. Bus and tram transport in and around Katowice and surrounding cities is managed by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ZTM) since 2019. |
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==Education== |
==Education== |
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[[File:Gliwice Strzody Czerwona Chemia 04 09 2011 P9049533.jpg|thumb|[[Silesian University of Technology]] in [[Gliwice]], Faculty of Chemistry]] |
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There are eleven public universities in the voivodship. The biggest university is the [[University of Silesia]] in [[Katowice]], with 43,000 students. The region's capital boasts the [[Medical University of Silesia|Medical University]], The Karol Adamiecki [[University of Economics in Katowice]], the [[University of Music in Katowice]], the Physical Education Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts. [[Częstochowa]] is the seat of the [[Częstochowa University of Technology]] and Pedagogic University. The [[Silesian University of Technology]] in [[Gliwice]] is nationally renowned. [[Bielsko-Biała]] is home of the Technical-Humanistic Academy. In addition, 17 new private schools have been established in the region. |
There are eleven public universities in the voivodship. The biggest university is the [[University of Silesia]] in [[Katowice]], with 43,000 students. The region's capital boasts the [[Medical University of Silesia|Medical University]], The Karol Adamiecki [[University of Economics in Katowice]], the [[University of Music in Katowice]], the Physical Education Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts. [[Częstochowa]] is the seat of the [[Częstochowa University of Technology]] and Pedagogic University. The [[Silesian University of Technology]] in [[Gliwice]] is nationally renowned. [[Bielsko-Biała]] is home of the Technical-Humanistic Academy. In addition, 17 new private schools have been established in the region. |
||
There are over 300,000 people currently studying in the Voivodeship. |
There are over 300,000 people currently studying in the Voivodeship. The biggest universities <ref>[http://firmstrony.pl/uniwersytet/wojewodztwo-slaskie Lista uczelni i szkół w Województwie śląskim].</ref> (for day 30.11.2016 r.) are: |
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# [[University of Silesia in Katowice|Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach]] (23 133 students), |
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# [[Silesian University of Technology|Politechnika Śląska]] w Gliwicach (21 366 students), |
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# [[University of Economics in Katowice|Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach]] (10 345 students), |
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# [[Medical University of Silesia|Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach]] (9 870 students), |
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# [[Częstochowa University of Technology|Politechnika Częstochowska]] (7 881 students), |
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# [[University of Bielsko-Biała|Akademia Techniczno-Humanistyczna w Bielsku-Białej]] (5 482 students), |
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# [[:pl:Akademia_Wychowania_Fizycznego_im._Jerzego_Kukuczki_w_Katowicach|Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Jerzego Kukuczki w Katowicach]] (4 727 students), |
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# [[Jan Długosz University|Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy im. Jana Długosza w Częstochowie]] (4 525 students). |
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==Politics== |
==Politics== |
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[[File:Sejm Śląski ul. Lompy, Ligonia Katowice (2).jpg|thumb|Silesian Regional Assembly]] |
[[File:Sejm Śląski ul. Lompy, Ligonia Katowice (2).jpg|thumb|Silesian Regional Assembly]] |
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{{Main|Silesian Regional Assembly}} |
{{Main|Silesian Regional Assembly}} |
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The Silesian voivodeship's government is headed by the province's ''{{lang|pl|voivode}}'' (governor) who is appointed by the [[Polish Prime Minister]]. The ''{{lang|pl|voivode}}'' is then assisted in performing his duties by the voivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for the voivodeship's executive and is elected by the ''{{lang|pl|sejmik}}'' (provincial assembly). The current ''{{lang|pl|voivode}}'' of Silesia is Jarosław Wieczorek, whilst the present marshal is Wojciech Saługa. |
The Silesian voivodeship's government is headed by the province's ''{{lang|pl|voivode}}'' ([[Voivodes of Poland (since 1999)|governor]]) who is appointed by the [[Polish Prime Minister]]. The ''{{lang|pl|voivode}}'' is then assisted in performing his duties by the voivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for the voivodeship's executive and is elected by the ''{{lang|pl|sejmik}}'' (provincial assembly). The current ''{{lang|pl|voivode}}'' of Silesia is Jarosław Wieczorek, whilst the present marshal is Wojciech Saługa. |
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The Sejmik of Silesia consists of 48 members. |
The Sejmik of Silesia consists of 48 members. |
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Line 260: | Line 294: | ||
|- bgcolor="#cccccc" |
|- bgcolor="#cccccc" |
||
! width=5 | |
! width=5 | |
||
! Political groups<ref> |
! Political groups<ref>{{cite web| url = https://wybory2018.pkw.gov.pl/pl/geografia/240000#results_elect_council| title = Serwis PKW – Wybory 2018}}</ref> |
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! Mandates |
! Mandates |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="background:{{party color|PIS}}"| |
| style="background:{{party color|PIS}}"| |
||
| '''[[Prawo i Sprawiedliwość]]''' |
| '''[[Law and Justice (Poland)|Prawo i Sprawiedliwość]]''' |
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| align="center" | 22 |
| align="center" | 22 |
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|- |
|- |
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Line 290: | Line 324: | ||
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population). |
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population). |
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{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%" |
||
|-bgcolor="D0D8DD" |
|-bgcolor="D0D8DD" |
||
| |
|||
| align="center"|'''English and<br /> Polish names''' |
| align="center"|'''English and<br /> Polish names''' |
||
| align="center"|'''Area<br /> <small>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small>''' |
| align="center"|'''Area<br /> <small>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small>''' |
||
Line 299: | Line 334: | ||
| align="center"|'''Total<br /> [[gmina]]s''' |
| align="center"|'''Total<br /> [[gmina]]s''' |
||
|-bgcolor="F0F8FF" |
|-bgcolor="F0F8FF" |
||
| |
|||
|colspan=6|'''City counties''' |
|colspan=6|'''City counties''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:Katowice Herb.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Katowice]] |
| [[Katowice]] |
||
| align="right"|165 |
| align="right"|165 |
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Line 307: | Line 344: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Częstochowa COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Częstochowa]] |
| [[Częstochowa]] |
||
| align="right"|160 |
| align="right"|160 |
||
Line 313: | Line 351: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| <!-- [[File:Sosnowiec Herb.svg|20px]] --> |
|||
| [[Sosnowiec]] |
| [[Sosnowiec]] |
||
| align="right"|91 |
| align="right"|91 |
||
Line 319: | Line 358: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Gliwice COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Gliwice]] |
| [[Gliwice]] |
||
| align="right"|134 |
| align="right"|134 |
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Line 325: | Line 365: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Zabrze COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Zabrze]] |
| [[Zabrze]] |
||
| align="right"|80 |
| align="right"|80 |
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Line 331: | Line 372: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Bielsko-Biała COA.svg|40px]] |
|||
| [[Bielsko-Biała]] |
| [[Bielsko-Biała]] |
||
| align="right"|125 |
| align="right"|125 |
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Line 337: | Line 379: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Bytom COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Bytom]] |
| [[Bytom]] |
||
| align="right"|69 |
| align="right"|69 |
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Line 343: | Line 386: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Rybnik COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Rybnik]] |
| [[Rybnik]] |
||
| align="right"|148 |
| align="right"|148 |
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Line 349: | Line 393: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Ruda Śląska COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Ruda Śląska]] |
| [[Ruda Śląska]] |
||
| align="right"|78 |
| align="right"|78 |
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Line 355: | Line 400: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Tychy COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Tychy]] |
| [[Tychy]] |
||
| align="right"|82 |
| align="right"|82 |
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Line 361: | Line 407: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Dąbrowa Górnicza COA 1.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]] |
| [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]] |
||
| align="right"|188 |
| align="right"|188 |
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Line 367: | Line 414: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Chorzów COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Chorzów]] |
| [[Chorzów]] |
||
| align="right"|33 |
| align="right"|33 |
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Line 373: | Line 421: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Jaworzno COA alt.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Jaworzno]] |
| [[Jaworzno]] |
||
| align="right"| |
| align="right"|154 |
||
| align="right"|91,263 |
| align="right"|91,263 |
||
| colspan=2 | |
| colspan=2 | |
||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Jastrzębie-Zdrój COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]] |
| [[Jastrzębie-Zdrój]] |
||
| align="right"|85 |
| align="right"|85 |
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Line 385: | Line 435: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Mysłowice COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Mysłowice]] |
| [[Mysłowice]] |
||
| align="right"|66 |
| align="right"|66 |
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Line 391: | Line 442: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Siemianowice COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Siemianowice Śląskie]] |
| [[Siemianowice Śląskie]] |
||
| align="right"|25 |
| align="right"|25 |
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Line 397: | Line 449: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Żory COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Żory]] |
| [[Żory]] |
||
| align="right"|65 |
| align="right"|65 |
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Line 403: | Line 456: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Piekary Śląskie COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Piekary Śląskie]] |
| [[Piekary Śląskie]] |
||
| align="right"|40 |
| align="right"|40 |
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Line 409: | Line 463: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center"| [[File:POL Świętochłowice COA.svg|20px]] |
|||
| [[Świętochłowice]] |
| [[Świętochłowice]] |
||
| align="right"|13 |
| align="right"|13 |
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Line 415: | Line 470: | ||
| align="center"|1 |
| align="center"|1 |
||
|-bgcolor="F0F8FF" |
|-bgcolor="F0F8FF" |
||
| |
|||
|colspan=6|'''Land counties''' |
|colspan=6|'''Land counties''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Cieszyn County]]<br /> powiat cieszyński |
|[[Cieszyn County]]<br /> powiat cieszyński |
||
| align="right"| 730 |
| align="right"| 730 |
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Line 424: | Line 481: | ||
| align="center"|12 |
| align="center"|12 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Bielsko County]]<br /> powiat bielski |
|[[Bielsko County]]<br /> powiat bielski |
||
| align="right"| 457 |
| align="right"| 457 |
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Line 431: | Line 489: | ||
| align="center"|10 |
| align="center"|10 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Wodzisław County]]<br /> powiat wodzisławski |
|[[Wodzisław County]]<br /> powiat wodzisławski |
||
| align="right"| 287 |
| align="right"| 287 |
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Line 438: | Line 497: | ||
| align="center"|9 |
| align="center"|9 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Żywiec County]]<br /> powiat żywiecki |
|[[Żywiec County]]<br /> powiat żywiecki |
||
| align="right"| 1,040 |
| align="right"| 1,040 |
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Line 445: | Line 505: | ||
| align="center"|15 |
| align="center"|15 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Będzin County]]<br /> powiat będziński |
|[[Będzin County]]<br /> powiat będziński |
||
| align="right"| 368 |
| align="right"| 368 |
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Line 452: | Line 513: | ||
| align="center"|8 |
| align="center"|8 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
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|[[Tarnowskie Góry County]]<br /> powiat tarnogórski |
|[[Tarnowskie Góry County]]<br /> powiat tarnogórski |
||
| align="right"| 643 |
| align="right"| 643 |
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Line 459: | Line 521: | ||
| align="center"|9 |
| align="center"|9 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Częstochowa County]]<br /> powiat częstochowski |
|[[Częstochowa County]]<br /> powiat częstochowski |
||
| align="right"| 1,519 |
| align="right"| 1,519 |
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Line 466: | Line 529: | ||
| align="center"|16 |
| align="center"|16 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Zawiercie County]]<br /> powiat zawierciański |
|[[Zawiercie County]]<br /> powiat zawierciański |
||
| align="right"| 1,003 |
| align="right"| 1,003 |
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Line 473: | Line 537: | ||
| align="center"|10 |
| align="center"|10 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
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|[[Gliwice County]]<br /> powiat gliwicki |
|[[Gliwice County]]<br /> powiat gliwicki |
||
| align="right"| 663 |
| align="right"| 663 |
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Line 480: | Line 545: | ||
| align="center"|8 |
| align="center"|8 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Pszczyna County]]<br /> powiat pszczyński |
|[[Pszczyna County]]<br /> powiat pszczyński |
||
| align="right"| 473 |
| align="right"| 473 |
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Line 487: | Line 553: | ||
| align="center"|6 |
| align="center"|6 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Racibórz County]]<br /> powiat raciborski |
|[[Racibórz County]]<br /> powiat raciborski |
||
| align="right"| 544 |
| align="right"| 544 |
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Line 494: | Line 561: | ||
| align="center"|8 |
| align="center"|8 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Mikołów County]]<br /> powiat mikołowski |
|[[Mikołów County]]<br /> powiat mikołowski |
||
| align="right"| 232 |
| align="right"| 232 |
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Line 501: | Line 569: | ||
| align="center"|5 |
| align="center"|5 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Kłobuck County]]<br /> powiat kłobucki |
|[[Kłobuck County]]<br /> powiat kłobucki |
||
| align="right"| 889 |
| align="right"| 889 |
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Line 508: | Line 577: | ||
| align="center"|9 |
| align="center"|9 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
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|[[Rybnik County]]<br /> powiat rybnicki |
|[[Rybnik County]]<br /> powiat rybnicki |
||
| align="right"| 225 |
| align="right"| 225 |
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Line 515: | Line 585: | ||
| align="center"|5 |
| align="center"|5 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Lubliniec County]]<br /> powiat lubliniecki |
|[[Lubliniec County]]<br /> powiat lubliniecki |
||
| align="right"| 822 |
| align="right"| 822 |
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Line 522: | Line 593: | ||
| align="center"|8 |
| align="center"|8 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Myszków County]]<br /> powiat myszkowski |
|[[Myszków County]]<br /> powiat myszkowski |
||
| align="right"| 479 |
| align="right"| 479 |
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Line 529: | Line 601: | ||
| align="center"|5 |
| align="center"|5 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|||
|[[Bieruń-Lędziny County]]<br /> powiat bieruńsko-lędziński |
|[[Bieruń-Lędziny County]]<br /> powiat bieruńsko-lędziński |
||
| align="right"| 157 |
| align="right"| 157 |
||
Line 536: | Line 609: | ||
| align="center"|5 |
| align="center"|5 |
||
|-bgcolor="F0F8FF" |
|-bgcolor="F0F8FF" |
||
| |
|||
|colspan=6 style="text-align:center;font-size:90%"|* seat not part of the county |
|colspan=6 style="text-align:center;font-size:90%"|* seat not part of the county |
||
|- |
|- |
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Line 551: | Line 625: | ||
* [[Załęcze Landscape Park]] (partly in [[Łódź Voivodeship]]) |
* [[Załęcze Landscape Park]] (partly in [[Łódź Voivodeship]]) |
||
* [[Żywiec Landscape Park]] |
* [[Żywiec Landscape Park]] |
||
==Sports== |
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[[Association football|Football]], [[motorcycle speedway]], [[handball]], [[ice hockey]] and [[volleyball]] enjoy the largest following in the voivodeship, with several successful teams. |
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Since the establishment of the province, several major international sports competitions were co-hosted by the province, including the [[EuroBasket 2009]], [[2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship]], [[2016 European Men's Handball Championship]], [[2017 Men's European Volleyball Championship]], [[2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship]], [[2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup]], [[2021 Men's European Volleyball Championship]], [[2023 World Men's Handball Championship]]. |
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==Curiosities== |
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*[[Bytom]], [[Cieszyn]], [[Racibórz]] and [[Siewierz]] are former medieval ducal seats of the [[Piast dynasty]]. |
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*One of the three parish churches of the [[Armenian Catholic Church]] in Poland is located in [[Gliwice]] (see also: ''[[Armenians in Poland]]''). |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [ |
* [https://www.slaskie.pl Województwo Śląskie] Official website |
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* [http://www.silesia-region.pl/ Województwo Śląskie] Official website |
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{{Silesian Voivodeship}} |
{{Silesian Voivodeship}} |
Revision as of 19:40, 24 May 2024
Silesian Voivodeship (Polish: województwo śląskie [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ ˈɕlɔ̃skʲɛ] ) is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland centered on the historic region known as Upper Silesia (Górny Śląsk), with Katowice serving as its capital.
Despite the Silesian Voivodeship's name, most of the historic Silesia region lies outside the present Silesian Voivodeship – divided among Lubusz, Lower Silesian, and Opole Voivodeships. The eastern half of Silesian Voivodeship (and, notably, Częstochowa in the north) was historically part of Lesser Poland.
The Voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Katowice, Częstochowa and Bielsko-Biała Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998.
It is the most densely populated voivodeship in Poland. Within the area of 12,300 square kilometres, there are almost 5 million inhabitants.[4] It is also the largest urbanised area in Central and Eastern Europe.[5] In relation to economy, over 13% of Poland's gross domestic product (GDP) is generated here, making the Silesian Voivodeship one of the wealthiest provinces in the country.[5][6][7]
History
The first Silesian Voivodeship was created in the Second Polish Republic. It had a much wider range of autonomy than other contemporary Polish voivodeships, and it covered all the historical lands of Upper Silesia which ended up in Interwar period Poland. Among these were Katowice, Rybnik, Pszczyna, Wodzisław Śląski, Żory, Mikołów, Tychy, Chorzów, Tarnowskie Góry, Miasteczko Śląskie, Woźniki, Lubliniec, Cieszyn, Skoczów, and Bielsko. This Voivodeship did not include – as opposed to the present one – lands and cities of old pre-Partition Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Among the last ones the Southern part was included in Kraków Voivodeship Żywiec, Wilamowice, Biała Krakowska and Jaworzno), and the North Western part Będzin, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Sosnowiec, Częstochowa, Myszków, Szczekociny, Zawiercie, Sławków) belonged to Kielce Voivodeship.
After the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on 8 October 1939, Hitler published a decree called, "About division and administration of Eastern Territories". A Silesian Province (Gau Schlesien) was created, with a seat in Breslau (Wrocław). It consisted of four districts: Kattowitz, Oppeln, Breslau and Liegnitz.
The following counties were included in Kattowitz District: Kattowitz, Königshütte, Tarnowitz, Beuthen Hindenburg, Gleiwitz, Freistadt, Teschen, Biala, Bielitz, Saybusch, Pleß, Sosnowitz, Bendzin and parts of the following counties: Kranau, Olkusch, Riebnich and Wadowitz. However, according to Hitler's decree from 12 October 1939 about establishing General Government, Częstochowa belonged to GG.
In 1941 the Silesian Province (Provinz Schlesien) underwent new administrative division and as a result Upper Silesian Province was created (Provinz Oberschlesien):
- Kattowitz District (Regierungsbezirk Kattowitz) – entire Silesian Voivodeship without Lubinitz county, Bendzin County, part of Olkusch county, Biala county, Saybusch and parts of Kranau and Wadowitz counties.
- Oppeln District (Regierungsbezirk Oppeln) – Lubinitz county and parts of Tschenstochau and Warthenau counties.
After the War during 1945–1950 there existed a Silesian Voivodeship, commonly known as Śląsko-Dąbrowskie Voivodeship, which included a major part of today's Silesian Voivodeship. In 1950 Śląsko-Dąbrowskie Voivodeship was divided into Opole and Katowice Voivodeships. The latter one had borders similar to the borders of modern Silesian Voivodeship.
The present Silesian Voivodeship was formed in 1999 from the following voivodeships of the previous administrative division:
- Katowice Voivodeship excluding some gminas and powiats
- Bielsk Voivodeship excluding some gminas and powiats
- Częstochowa Voivodeship excluding some gminas and powiats
Geography
The Silesian Voivodeship borders both the Moravian-Silesian Region (Czech Republic), Žilina Region (Slovakia) to the south. It is also bordered by four other Polish voivodeships: those of Opole (to the west), Łódź (to the north), Świętokrzyskie (to the north-east), and Lesser Poland (to the east).
The region includes the Silesian Upland (Wyżyna Śląska) in the centre and north-west, and the Krakowsko-Częstochowska Upland (Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska) in the north-east. The southern border is formed by the Beskidy Mountains (Beskid Śląski and Beskid Żywiecki).
The current administrative unit of Silesian Voivodeship is just a fraction of the historical Silesia which is within the borders of today's Poland (there are also fragments of Silesia in the Czech Republic and Germany). Other parts of today's Polish Silesia are administered as the Opole, the Lower Silesian Voivodeships and the Lubusz Voivodeship. On the other hand, a large part of the current administrative unit of the Silesian Voivodeship is not part of historical Silesia (e.g., Częstochowa, Zawiercie, Myszków, Jaworzno, Sosnowiec, Żywiec, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Będzin and east part of Bielsko-Biała, which are historically parts of Lesser Poland).
Demography
Silesian Voivodeship has the highest population density in the country (379 people per square kilometre, compared to the national average of 124). The region's considerable industrialisation gives it the lowest unemployment rate nationally (6.2%). The Silesian region is the most industrialized and the most urbanized region in Poland: 78% of its population live in towns and cities.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1988 | 4,915,210 | — |
2002 | 4,742,874 | −3.5% |
2011 | 4,630,366 | −2.4% |
2021 | 4,402,950 | −4.9% |
Source: pop-stat.mashke.org[8] |
Tourism
Both the northern and southern parts of the voivodeship are surrounded by a green belt. Bielsko-Biała is enveloped by the Beskidy Mountains which are popular with winter sports fans. It offers over 150 ski lifts and 200 kilometres of ski routes. More and more slopes are illuminated and equipped with artificial snow generators. Szczyrk, Brenna, Wisła and Ustroń are the most popular winter mountain resorts. Rock climbing sites can be found in Jura Krakowsko-Czestochowska. The ruins of castles forming the Eagle Nests Trail are a famous attraction of the region. Often visited is the Black Madonna's Jasna Góra Sanctuary in Częstochowa – the annual destination of over 4 million pilgrims from all over the world. In the south-western part of the voivodeship are parks, palaces and old monasteries (Rudy Raciborskie, Wodzisław Śląski). Along the Oder River are interesting natural reserves and places for swimming during the summer.
There are three spa towns in the voivodeship: Goczałkowice-Zdrój, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, and Ustroń.
With its more than two centuries of industrial history, the region has a number of technical heritage memorials. These include narrow and standard gauge railways, coal and silver mines, and shafts and their equipment from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cities and towns
Due to its industrial and urban nature, the voivodeship has many cities and large towns. Of Poland's 40 most-populous cities, 12 are in Silesian Voivodeship. 19 of the cities in the voivodeship have the legal status of city-county (see powiat). In all it has 24 cities and 47 towns, listed below in descending order of population (as of 2019):[1]
- Katowice (293,636)
- Częstochowa (221,252)
- Sosnowiec (201,121)
- Gliwice (179,154)
- Zabrze (172,806)
- Bielsko-Biała (170,953)
- Bytom (165,975)
- Rybnik (138,319)
- Ruda Śląska (137,624)
- Tychy (127,664)
- Dąbrowa Górnicza (119,800)
- Chorzów (107,963)
- Jaworzno (91,263)
- Jastrzębie-Zdrój (88,808)
- Mysłowice (74,515)
- Siemianowice Śląskie (66,963)
- Żory (62,462)
- Będzin (56,624)
- Piekary Śląskie (55,088)
- Racibórz (54,778)
- Świętochłowice (49,762)
- Zawiercie (49,334)
- Wodzisław Śląski (47,992)
- Knurów (38,310)
Towns:
- Tarnowskie Góry (61,422)
- Mikołów (40,898)
- Czechowice-Dziedzice (35,926)
- Cieszyn (34,513)
- Myszków (31,650)
- Czeladź (31,545)
- Żywiec (31,194)
- Czerwionka-Leszczyny (28,156)
- Pszczyna (26,804)
- Lubliniec (23,784)
- Łaziska Górne (22,298)
- Rydułtowy (21,616)
- Orzesze (21,043)
- Bieruń (19,539)
- Pyskowice (18,432)
- Radlin (17,776)
- Radzionków (16,826)
- Lędziny (16,776)
- Ustroń (16,073)
- Skoczów (14,385)
- Pszów (13,896)
- Kłobuck (12,934)
- Wisła (11,132)
- Blachownia (9,545)
- Imielin (9,175)
- Wojkowice (8,927)
- Kalety (8,607)
- Poręba (8,525)
- Miasteczko Śląskie (7,437)
- Sławków (7,017)
- Łazy (6,811)
- Koniecpol (5,910)
- Szczyrk (5,734)
- Siewierz (5,581)
- Kuźnia Raciborska (5,359)
- Żarki (4,556)
- Krzepice (4,456)
- Woźniki (4,305)
- Ogrodzieniec (4,282)
- Strumień (3,718)
- Szczekociny (3,612)
- Toszek (3,600)
- Wilamowice (3,100)
- Koziegłowy (2,245)
- Krzanowice (2,157)
- Pilica (1,936)
- Sośnicowice (1,919)
Economy
The gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 61 billion € in 2018, accounting for 12.3% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 22,200 € or 74% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 83% of the EU average. Silesia Voivodship is the province with the fourth highest GDP per capita in Poland.[9]
The Silesian voivodship is predominantly an industrial region. Most of the mining is derived from one of the world's largest bituminous coalfields of the Upper Silesian Industrial District (Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy) and the Rybnik Coal District (Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy) with its major cities Rybnik, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Żory and Wodzisław Śląski. Lead and zinc can be found near Bytom, Zawiercie and Tarnowskie Góry; iron ore and raw materials for building – near Częstochowa. The most important regional industries are: mining, iron, lead and zinc metallurgy, power industry, engineering, automobile, chemical, building materials and textile. In the past, the Silesian economy was determined by coal mining. Now, considering the investment volume, car manufacturing is becoming more and more important. The most profitable company in the region is Fiat Auto-Poland S.A. in Bielsko-Biała with a revenue of PLN 6.2 billion in 1997. Recently a new car factory has been opened by GM Opel in Gliwice. There are two Special Economic Zones in the area: Katowice and Częstochowa. The voivodship's economy consists of about 323,000, mostly small and medium-sized, enterprises employing over 3 million people. The biggest Polish steel-works "Huta Katowice" is situated in Dąbrowa Górnicza.
The unemployment rate stood at 3.9% in 2017 and was lower than the national average.[10]
Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate (in %) |
14.2 | 8.1 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 8.6 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.9 |
Transport
Katowice International Airport (in Tarnowskie Góry County) is used for domestic and international flights, with the other nearby airports being John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice. The Silesian agglomeration railway network has the largest concentration in the country.
The voivodship capital enjoys good railway and road connections with Gdańsk (motorway A1) and Ostrava (motorway A1), Kraków (motorway A4), Wrocław (motorway A4), Łódź (motorway A1) and Warsaw. It is also the crossing point for many international routes like E40 connecting Calais, Brussels, Cologne, Dresden, Wrocław, Kraków and Kyiv and E75 from Scandinavia to the Balkans. A relatively short distance to Vienna facilitates cross-border co-operation and may positively influence the process of European integration.
Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa (known by its acronym LHS, English: Broad gauge metallurgy line) in Sławków is the longest broad gauge railway line in Poland. The line runs on a single track for almost 400 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border, crossing it just east of Hrubieszów. It is the westernmost broad gauge railway line in Europe that is connected to the broad gauge rail system of the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Large part of the Upper Silesia conurbation features the Silesian Interurbans, the longest tram network in Poland, and one of the largest in the world. Bus and tram transport in and around Katowice and surrounding cities is managed by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ZTM) since 2019.
Education
There are eleven public universities in the voivodship. The biggest university is the University of Silesia in Katowice, with 43,000 students. The region's capital boasts the Medical University, The Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice, the University of Music in Katowice, the Physical Education Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts. Częstochowa is the seat of the Częstochowa University of Technology and Pedagogic University. The Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice is nationally renowned. Bielsko-Biała is home of the Technical-Humanistic Academy. In addition, 17 new private schools have been established in the region.
There are over 300,000 people currently studying in the Voivodeship. The biggest universities [11] (for day 30.11.2016 r.) are:
- Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach (23 133 students),
- Politechnika Śląska w Gliwicach (21 366 students),
- Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach (10 345 students),
- Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach (9 870 students),
- Politechnika Częstochowska (7 881 students),
- Akademia Techniczno-Humanistyczna w Bielsku-Białej (5 482 students),
- Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Jerzego Kukuczki w Katowicach (4 727 students),
- Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy im. Jana Długosza w Częstochowie (4 525 students).
Politics
The Silesian voivodeship's government is headed by the province's voivode (governor) who is appointed by the Polish Prime Minister. The voivode is then assisted in performing his duties by the voivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for the voivodeship's executive and is elected by the sejmik (provincial assembly). The current voivode of Silesia is Jarosław Wieczorek, whilst the present marshal is Wojciech Saługa.
The Sejmik of Silesia consists of 48 members.
2018 election
Political groups[12] | Mandates | |
---|---|---|
Prawo i Sprawiedliwość | 22 | |
Koalicja Obywatelska | 20 | |
SLD Lewica Razem | 2 | |
Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe | 1 | |
Total | 45 |
Administrative division
Silesian Voivodeship is divided into 36 counties (powiats). These include 19 city counties (far more than any other voivodeship) and 17 land counties. The counties are further divided into 167 gminas.
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population).
English and Polish names |
Area (km2) |
Population (2019) |
Seat | Other towns | Total gminas | |
City counties | ||||||
Katowice | 165 | 293,636 | 1 | |||
Częstochowa | 160 | 221,252 | 1 | |||
Sosnowiec | 91 | 201,121 | 1 | |||
Gliwice | 134 | 179,154 | 1 | |||
Zabrze | 80 | 172,806 | 1 | |||
Bielsko-Biała | 125 | 170,953 | 1 | |||
Bytom | 69 | 165,975 | 1 | |||
Rybnik | 148 | 138,319 | 1 | |||
Ruda Śląska | 78 | 137,624 | 1 | |||
Tychy | 82 | 127,664 | 1 | |||
Dąbrowa Górnicza | 188 | 119,800 | 1 | |||
Chorzów | 33 | 107,963 | 1 | |||
Jaworzno | 154 | 91,263 | 1 | |||
Jastrzębie-Zdrój | 85 | 88,808 | 1 | |||
Mysłowice | 66 | 74,515 | 1 | |||
Siemianowice Śląskie | 25 | 66,963 | 1 | |||
Żory | 65 | 62,462 | 1 | |||
Piekary Śląskie | 40 | 55,088 | 1 | |||
Świętochłowice | 13 | 49,762 | 1 | |||
Land counties | ||||||
Cieszyn County powiat cieszyński |
730 | 178,145 | Cieszyn | Ustroń, Skoczów, Wisła, Strumień | 12 | |
Bielsko County powiat bielski |
457 | 165,374 | Bielsko-Biała* | Czechowice-Dziedzice, Szczyrk, Wilamowice | 10 | |
Wodzisław County powiat wodzisławski |
287 | 157,346 | Wodzisław Śląski | Rydułtowy, Radlin, Pszów | 9 | |
Żywiec County powiat żywiecki |
1,040 | 152,877 | Żywiec | 15 | ||
Będzin County powiat będziński |
368 | 148,516 | Będzin | Czeladź, Wojkowice, Sławków, Siewierz | 8 | |
Tarnowskie Góry County powiat tarnogórski |
643 | 140,022 | Tarnowskie Góry | Radzionków, Kalety, Miasteczko Śląskie | 9 | |
Częstochowa County powiat częstochowski |
1,519 | 134,637 | Częstochowa* | Blachownia, Koniecpol | 16 | |
Zawiercie County powiat zawierciański |
1,003 | 118,020 | Zawiercie | Poręba, Łazy, Ogrodzieniec, Szczekociny, Pilica | 10 | |
Gliwice County powiat gliwicki |
663 | 115,571 | Gliwice* | Knurów, Pyskowice, Toszek, Sośnicowice | 8 | |
Pszczyna County powiat pszczyński |
473 | 111,324 | Pszczyna | 6 | ||
Racibórz County powiat raciborski |
544 | 108,388 | Racibórz | Kuźnia Raciborska, Krzanowice | 8 | |
Mikołów County powiat mikołowski |
232 | 98,689 | Mikołów | Łaziska Górne, Orzesze | 5 | |
Kłobuck County powiat kłobucki |
889 | 84,762 | Kłobuck | Krzepice | 9 | |
Rybnik County powiat rybnicki |
225 | 78,148 | Rybnik* | Czerwionka-Leszczyny | 5 | |
Lubliniec County powiat lubliniecki |
822 | 76,470 | Lubliniec | Woźniki | 8 | |
Myszków County powiat myszkowski |
479 | 70,959 | Myszków | Żarki, Koziegłowy | 5 | |
Bieruń-Lędziny County powiat bieruńsko-lędziński |
157 | 59,715 | Bieruń | Lędziny, Imielin | 5 | |
* seat not part of the county |
Protected areas
Protected areas in Silesian Voivodeship include eight areas designated as Landscape Parks:
- Eagle Nests Landscape Park (partly in Lesser Poland Voivodeship)
- Little Beskids Landscape Park (partly in Lesser Poland Voivodeship)
- Rudy Landscape Park
- Silesian Beskids Landscape Park
- Stawki Landscape Park
- Upper Liswarta Forests Landscape Park
- Załęcze Landscape Park (partly in Łódź Voivodeship)
- Żywiec Landscape Park
Sports
Football, motorcycle speedway, handball, ice hockey and volleyball enjoy the largest following in the voivodeship, with several successful teams.
Since the establishment of the province, several major international sports competitions were co-hosted by the province, including the EuroBasket 2009, 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, 2016 European Men's Handball Championship, 2017 Men's European Volleyball Championship, 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2021 Men's European Volleyball Championship, 2023 World Men's Handball Championship.
Curiosities
- Bytom, Cieszyn, Racibórz and Siewierz are former medieval ducal seats of the Piast dynasty.
- One of the three parish churches of the Armenian Catholic Church in Poland is located in Gliwice (see also: Armenians in Poland).
See also
References
- ^ a b "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June". stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
- ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org. Radboud University Nijmegen. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b Śląskiego, Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa. "Województwo Śląskie - Śląskie. Pozytywna energia" (PDF). www.silesia-europa.pl. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ "Śląski Urząd Wojewódzki w Katowicach - strona oficjalna". Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ^ Art4net. "The Śląskie Voivodeship". Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Division of Poland". 2024-04-03.
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
- ^ "Regional Unemployment by NUTS2 Region". Eurostat.
- ^ Lista uczelni i szkół w Województwie śląskim.
- ^ "Serwis PKW – Wybory 2018".
External links
- Województwo Śląskie Official website