Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship
Województwo opolskie | |
---|---|
Brandmark | |
Coordinates (Opole): 50°40′N 17°56′E / 50.667°N 17.933°E | |
Country | Poland |
Capital | Opole |
Counties | 1 city, 11 land counties, further divided into 71 gminas
|
Government | |
• Body | Executive board |
• Voivode | Adrian Czubak (PiS) |
• Marshal | Andrzej Buła (PO) |
• EP | Lower Silesian and Opole |
Area | |
• Total | 9,412.5 km2 (3,634.2 sq mi) |
Population (2019-06-30[1]) | |
• Total | 984,345 |
• Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) |
• Urban | 524,473 |
• Rural | 459,872 |
GDP | |
• Total | €11.739 billion |
• Per capita | €12,400 |
Languages | |
• Languages | |
O | |
HDI (2019) | 0.870[3] very high · 10th |
Website | http://www.umwo.opole.pl/ |
Opole Voivodeship, or Opole Province[4] (Polish: województwo opolskie [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ ɔˈpɔlskʲɛ] ⓘ), is the smallest and least populated voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province's name derives from that of the region's capital and largest city, Opole. It is part of Upper Silesia. A relatively large German minority lives in the voivodeship, and the German language is co-official in 28 communes.
Opole Voivodeship is bordered by Lower Silesian Voivodeship to the west, Greater Poland and Łódź Voivodeships to the north, Silesian Voivodeship to the east, and the Czech Republic (Olomouc Region and Moravian-Silesian Region) to the south.
Opole Province's geographic location, economic potential, and its population's level of education make it an attractive business partner for other Polish regions (especially Lower Silesian and Silesian Voivodeships) and for foreign investors. Formed in 1997, the Praděd/Pradziad Euroregion with its headquarter in Prudnik has facilitated economic, cultural and tourist exchanges between the border areas of Poland and the Czech Republic.
History
Opole Voivodeship was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Opole Voivodeship and parts of
The solution came in late 1999, when Olesno was, after 24 years apart, finally reunited with the Opole Voivodeship to form the new legally defined region. A historic moment came in 2006 when the town of Radłów changed its local laws to make German, alongside Polish, the district's second official language, becoming the first town in the region to do so.
Geography
The
The region has the warmest climate in the country.
Protected areas
Climate
Climate data for Opole | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2 (36) |
3 (37) |
8 (46) |
15 (59) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
20 (68) |
15 (59) |
8 (46) |
3 (37) |
13.8 (56.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3 (27) |
−3 (27) |
0 (32) |
4 (39) |
8 (46) |
11 (52) |
14 (57) |
14 (57) |
10 (50) |
5 (41) |
1 (34) |
−2 (28) |
4.9 (40.8) |
Source: MeteoBlue |
Administrative division
Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties (powiats): 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering is by decreasing population).
English and Polish names |
Area (km2) |
Population (2019) |
Seat | Other towns | Total gminas |
City counties | |||||
Opole | 96 | 128,208 | 1 | ||
Land counties | |||||
Nysa County powiat nyski |
1,224 | 136,393 | Nysa | Głuchołazy, Paczków, Otmuchów, Korfantów | 9 |
Opole County powiat opolski |
1,587 | 123,487 | Opole* | Ozimek, Niemodlin, Prószków | 13 |
Kędzierzyn-Koźle County powiat kędzierzyńsko-kozielski |
625 | 94,135 | Kędzierzyn-Koźle | 6 | |
Brzeg County powiat brzeski |
877 | 90,054 | Brzeg | Grodków, Lewin Brzeski | 6 |
Strzelce County powiat strzelecki |
744 | 74,460 | Strzelce Opolskie | Zawadzkie, Kolonowskie, Leśnica, Ujazd | 7 |
Kluczbork County powiat kluczborski |
852 | 65,644 | Kluczbork | Wołczyn, Byczyna | 4 |
Olesno County powiat oleski |
974 | 64,411 | Olesno | Praszka, Dobrodzień, Gorzów Śląski | 7 |
Krapkowice County powiat krapkowicki |
442 | 63,857 | Krapkowice | Zdzieszowice, Gogolin | 5 |
Prudnik County powiat prudnicki |
571 | 55,325 | Prudnik | Głogówek, Biała | 4 |
Głubczyce County powiat głubczycki |
673 | 45,679 | Głubczyce | Kietrz, Baborów | 4 |
Namysłów County powiat namysłowski |
748 | 42,692 | Namysłów | 5 | |
* seat not part of the county |
Cities and towns
The voivodeship contains 2 cities and 34 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (as of 2019):[1]
- Opole (128,208)
- Kędzierzyn-Koźle (60,852)
Towns:
- Nysa (43,489)
- Brzeg (35,890)
- Kluczbork (23,554)
- Prudnik (21,041)
- Strzelce Opolskie (17,900)
- Namysłów (16,551)
- Krapkowice (16,301)
- Głuchołazy (13,534)
- Głubczyce (12,552)
- Zdzieszowice (11,445)
- Olesno (9,374)
- Ozimek (8,657)
- Grodków (8,595)
- Praszka (7,655)
- Paczków (7,460)
- Zawadzkie (7,135)
- Gogolin (6,682)
- Otmuchów (6,581)
- Niemodlin (6,315)
- Kietrz (6,005)
- Wołczyn (5,907)
- Lewin Brzeski (5,736)
- Głogówek (5,592)
- Tułowice (4,011)
- Dobrodzień (3,720)
- Byczyna (3,582)
- Kolonowskie (3,309)
- Baborów (2,905)
- Prószków (2,570)
- Leśnica (2,556)
- Gorzów Śląski (2,452)
- Biała (2,426)
- Korfantów (1,808)
- Ujazd (1,763)
Demographics
The Opole Voivodeship is the smallest region in the administrative makeup of the country in terms of both area and population.
About 15% of the one million inhabitants of this voivodeship are
Economy
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 10.1 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 2.0% of Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 17,000 euros or 56% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 66% of the EU average.[7]
The Opole Voivodeship is an industrial as well as an agricultural region. With respect to mineral resources, of major importance are deposits of raw materials for building: limestone (Strzelce Opolskie), marl (near Opole), marble, and basalt. The favourable climate, fertile soils, and high farming culture contribute to the development of agriculture, which is among the most productive in the country.
A total of nineteen industries are represented in the voivodeship. The most important are cement and lime, furniture, food, car manufacturing, and chemical industries. In 1997, the biggest production growth in the area was in companies producing wood and wood products, electrical equipment, machinery and appliances, as well as cellulose and paper products. In 1997, the top company in the region was Zakłady Azotowe S.A. in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, whose income was over PLN 860 million. The voivodship's economy consists of more than 53,000 businesses, mostly small and medium-sized, employing over 332,000 people. Manufacturing companies employ over 89,000 people; 95.7% of all the region's business operate in the private sector.
Tourism
The Opole Voivodeship is a green region with three large lakes: Turawskie, Nyskie, and Otmuchów (the latter two are connected). The Opawskie Mountains between Prudnik and Głuchołazy are extremely popular. The region also includes the castle in Brzeg, built during the reign of the Piast dynasty—pearl of the Silesian Renaissance, the Franciscan monastery on top of Saint Anne Mountain, as well as the medieval defence fortifications in Paczków (referred to as the Upper Silesian Carcassonne).
International tourism
According to the
International tourists visiting Opole Voivodeship with an overnight stay according to country of permanent residence:[8]
Country | International tourists (change from 2010) |
---|---|
Austria | 600(+33.3%)
|
Belgium | 450(+6.6%)
|
Czech Republic | 2,200(+41.9%)
|
Denmark | 370(+2.7%)
|
France | 1,400(+33.3%)
|
Hungary | 375(+7.1%)
|
Italy | 910(+13.7%)
|
Netherlands | 1,220(-43.4%)
|
Norway | 450(+33.3%)
|
Romania | 450(+44.4%)
|
Russia | 320(-46.0%)
|
Slovakia | 1,000(+40.0%)
|
Spain | 520(+28.9%)
|
Sweden | 320(-12.5%)
|
United Kingdom | 950(-24.2%)
|
United States of America | 600(+25.0%)
|
Country | International tourists (change from 2010) |
---|---|
Germany | 18,100(+8.5%)
|
Ukraine | 5,200(+26.9%)
|
In 2015, a total of c. 90,800 overnight stays were hosted for international tourists, a figure making up 12.4% of the total amount of overnight stays for Opole Voivodeship. The majority (44.7%) of international overnight stays were hosted in the city of Opole, followed by Kędzierzyn-Koźle County (9.9%) and Nysa County at (9.4%).[8]
Transportation
The transport route from Germany to Ukraine, the A4, runs through Opole. The region has four border crossings, and direct rail connections to all important Polish cities, as well as to Frankfurt, Munich, Budapest, Kyiv, and the Baltic ports.
Universities
There are three state-run universities in the region: the
- Opole University of Technology
- Opole University
- State Medical College
- Opole School of Management and Administration
- Bogdan Jański College
- The State Higher Vocational School in Nysa, PWSZ in NYSA
Surnames
Most popular surnames in Opole Voivodeship:
Former Opole voivodeships
Opole Voivodeship (1975-1999)
Opole Voivodeship was also a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland between 1975 and 1998.
Major cities and towns (population in 1995):
- Opole, capital city (130,600)
- Kędzierzyn-Koźle(70,700)
- Nysa (49,000)
- Brzeg (39,900)
- Kluczbork (26,900)
- Prudnik (24,300)
- Strzelce Opolskie (21,900)
- Krapkowice (20,100)
Opole Voivodeship (1950–1975)
This administrative region of the
See also
- Opole cuisine
- Śląsk Opolski
- Upper Silesia
- Silesia
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. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
- ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org. Radboud University Nijmegen. Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
- ^ Arkadiusz Belczyk, Tłumaczenie polskich nazw geograficznych na język angielski Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine [Translation of Polish Geographical Names into English], 2002–2006.
- ^ "Klimczak.PolishAndGermanSilesia". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ^ Weinhold, Karl (1887). Die Verbreitung und die Herkunft der Deutschen in Schlesien [The Spread and the Origin of Germans in Silesia] (in German). Stuttgart: J. Engelhorn.
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ^ a b "opole.stat.gov.pl" (PDF). TURYŚCI ZAGRANICZNI KORZYSTAJĄCY Z BAZY NOCLEGOWEJ TURYSTYKI WEDŁUG WYBRANYCH KRAJÓW STAŁEGO ZAMIESZKANIA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.