West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Województwo zachodniopomorskie | |
---|---|
Brandmark | |
Coordinates (Szczecin): 53°25′N 14°35′E / 53.417°N 14.583°E | |
Country | Poland |
Capital | Szczecin |
Counties | 3 city counties 18 land counties |
Government | |
• Body | Z |
HDI (2019) | 0.869[2] very high · 11th |
Website | szczecin.uw.gov.pl |
West Pomeranian Voivodeship[a] is a voivodeship (province) in northwestern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Szczecin.[3] Its area equals 22 892.48 km2 (8,838.84 sq mi),[4] and in 2021, it was inhabited by 1,682,003 people.[5]
It was established on 1 January 1999, out of the former
Geography and tourism
West Pomeranian Voivodeship is the fifth largest voivodeship of Poland in terms of area. Among the largest cities in the region are the capital Szczecin, as well as Koszalin, Stargard, and Świnoujście.
This is a picturesque region of the Baltic Sea coast, with many beaches, lakes and woodlands. Szczecin, Świnoujście and Police are important ports. Other major seaside towns include Międzyzdroje, Dziwnów, Kołobrzeg, and Mielno.
West Pomerania is considered one of the greenest regions of Poland, and one of the most attractive for tourists. It is characterized by incredible diversity of the landscape: beaches, hundreds of lakes, and forests full of wildlife (e.g.
Another draw to the area is a wide array of health resorts.
A notable phenomenon on a worldly scale is the Crooked Forest outside the town of Gryfino.
Cities and towns
The voivodeship contains five cities and 61 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019):[6]
- Szczecin (402,067)
- Koszalin (107,225)
- Stargard (67,795)
- Kołobrzeg (46,309)
- Świnoujście (40,883)
Towns:
- Szczecinek (40,016)
- Police (32,575)
- Wałcz (25,312)
- Białogard (24,250)
- Goleniów (22,284)
- Gryfino (21,221)
- Nowogard (16,603)
- Gryfice (16,524)
- Świdwin (15,533)
- Choszczno (15,213)
- Dębno (13,775)
- Barlinek (13,752)
- Darłowo (13,710)
- Złocieniec (12,901)
- Pyrzyce (12,581)
- Sławno (12,511)
- Drawsko Pomorskie (11,597)
- Myślibórz (11,151)
- Łobez (10,167)
- Trzebiatów (9,986)
- Kamień Pomorski (8,807)
- Połczyn-Zdrój (8,073)
- Chojna (7,375)
- Czaplinek (7,109)
- Sianów (6,621)
- Karlino (5,945)
- Międzyzdroje (5,376)
- Borne Sulinowo (5,116)
- Wolin (4,878)
- Kalisz Pomorski (4,366)
- Resko (4,217)
- Bobolice (3,991)
- Płoty (3,965)
- Lipiany (3,922)
- Barwice (3,715)
- Mieszkowice (3,647)
- Maszewo (3,357)
- Chociwel (3,177)
- Mirosławiec (3,081)
- Mielno (2,956)
- Polanów (2,917)
- Recz (2,898)
- Węgorzyno (2,816)
- Dziwnów (2,663)
- Golczewo (2,660)
- Pełczyce (2,583)
- Tychowo (2,520)
- Stepnica (2,465)
- Gościno (2,430)
- Człopa (2,322)
- Dobra (2,307)
- Drawno (2,280)
- Dobrzany (2,267)
- Trzcińsko-Zdrój (2,263)
- Biały Bór (2,185)
- Tuczno (1,934)
- Ińsko (1,924)
- Moryń (1,630)
- Cedynia (1,555)
- Suchań (1,471)
- Nowe Warpno (1,190)
The Polish districts of the historical region
Administrative division
West Pomeranian Voivodeship is divided into 21 counties (powiats): three city counties and 18 land counties. These are further divided into 114 gminas.
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population in 2019):[6]
English and Polish names |
Area (km2) |
Population (2019) |
Seat | Other towns | Total gminas |
City counties | |||||
Szczecin | 301 | 402,067 | 1 | ||
Koszalin | 84 | 107,225 | 1 | ||
Świnoujście | 197 | 40,883 | 1 | ||
Land counties | |||||
Stargard County powiat stargardzki |
1,520 | 120,088 | Stargard | Chociwel, Dobrzany, Ińsko, Suchań | 10 |
Gryfino County powiat gryfiński |
1,870 | 82,258 | Gryfino | Chojna, Mieszkowice, Trzcińsko-Zdrój, Cedynia, Moryń | 9 |
Goleniów County powiat goleniowski |
1,617 | 82,418 | Goleniów | Nowogard, Maszewo, Stepnica | 6 |
Szczecinek County powiat szczecinecki |
1,765 | 77,731 | Szczecinek | Borne Sulinowo, Barwice, Biały Bór | 6 |
Kołobrzeg County powiat kołobrzeski |
726 | 79,470 | Kołobrzeg | Gościno | 7 |
Police County powiat policki |
664 | 79,967 | Police | Nowe Warpno | 4 |
Myślibórz County powiat myśliborski |
1,182 | 65,999 | Myślibórz | Barlinek, Dębno | 5 |
Koszalin County powiat koszaliński |
1,669 | 66,373 | Koszalin * | Sianów, Bobolice, Polanów, Mielno | 8 |
Gryfice County powiat gryficki |
1,018 | 60,474 | Gryfice | Trzebiatów, Płoty | 6 |
Drawsko County powiat drawski |
1,764 | 57,171 | Drawsko Pomorskie | Złocieniec, Czaplinek, Kalisz Pomorski | 6 |
Sławno County powiat sławieński |
1,044 | 56,231 | Sławno | Darłowo | 6 |
Wałcz County powiat wałecki |
1,415 | 53,325 | Wałcz | Mirosławiec, Człopa, Tuczno | 5 |
Choszczno County powiat choszczeński |
1,328 | 48,419 | Choszczno | Recz, Pełczyce, Drawno | 6 |
Białogard County powiat białogardzki |
845 | 47,697 | Białogard | Karlino, Tychowo | 4 |
Świdwin County powiat świdwiński |
1,093 | 46,997 | Świdwin | Połczyn-Zdrój | 6 |
Kamień County powiat kamieński |
1,007 | 47,115 | Kamień Pomorski | Międzyzdroje, Wolin, Dziwnów, Golczewo | 6 |
Pyrzyce County powiat pyrzycki |
726 | 39,482 | Pyrzyce | Lipiany | 6 |
Łobez County powiat łobeski |
1,066 | 36,954 | Łobez | Resko, Węgorzyno, Dobra | 5 |
NOTE: * seat not part of the county |
Protected areas
- Drawno National Park (partly in Lubusz and Greater Poland Voivodeships)
- Wolin National Park
- Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park (partly in Lubusz Voivodeship)
- Cedynia Landscape Park
- Drawsko Landscape Park
- Ińsko Landscape Park
- Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park
- Szczecin Landscape Park
- Ujście Warty Landscape Park(partly in Lubusz Voivodeship)
Demography
After Germany's defeat in World War II, the region became part of Poland by way of the Potsdam Agreement, which created territorial changes demanded by the Soviet Union.
In 1948, 67 percent of the populace originated from Central Poland,
Education and science
- University of Szczecin (Polish Uniwersytet Szczeciński) with 35,000 students
- Technical University in Koszalinwith 14,000 students (Politechnika Koszalińska)
- West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin with 15,300 students (Zachodniopomorski Uniwersytet Technologiczny), formed as a result of merger of Szczecin University of Technology (Politechnika Szczecińska) and University of Agriculture in Szczecin (Akademia Rolnicza w Szczecinie)
- Pomeranian Medical Universitywith 4,000 students (Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny)
- The Szczecin Academy of Arts(Akademia Sztuki w Szczecinie)
- Maritime University of Szczecin (Akademia Morska w Szczecinie)
- The West Pomeranian Business School with 3,000 students (Zachodniopomorska Szkoła Biznesu)
- Szczeciński Park Naukowo-Technologiczny (science park in Szczecin)
Economy
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 18.3 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 3.7% of Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 17,700 euros or 59% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 67% of the EU average.[8]
Industrial, science and technology parks
- Goleniowski Park Przemysłowy (industrial park in Goleniów)
- Infrapark Police (industrial park in Police, Poland)
- Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy (industrial park in Stargard)
- Szczeciński Park Naukowo-Technologiczny (science park in Szczecin)
Transportation
There are two main international road routes that pass through the voivodeship:
Main railways in the province are line no. 351 Szczecin-Poznań, line no. 273 Szczecin-Wrocław (so-called "Odra railway"), line no. 202 Stargard-Gdańsk, line no. 401 Szczecin-Świnoujście and line no. 404 Kołobrzeg-Szczecinek. The main railway stations of the province are Szczecin main station, Stargard and Koszalin. The stations are served by fast PKP Intercity trains which connect them with the capital Warsaw, as well as other major Polish cities. In addition to these fast express services, inter-regional trains and intra-regional trains are operated by the firm
The only domestic and international airport in West Pomeranian Voivodeship is
Gallery
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Tychowo Parish
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Plaque commemorating the battle of the Pomeranian Wall
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Church in Spore, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
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Templars
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Jarosławiec (West Province)
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St. Roch's Church in Roscin, Mysliborz county
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Krąg-Buszyno station ruins
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Tumby relics
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The historic cemetery crosses at Przyborze
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Lapidarium with remains of an old German cemetery in Motaniec, Poland
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Square in Kobylanka (West Pomeranian Province)
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Ruins of the church in Trzęsacz
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Szczecin - Wały Chrobrego
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Gosań cliff, Wolin National Park
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Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Darłowo
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Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Kamień Pomorski
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Wind turbines in Cisowo
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Lake Ostrowiec
See also
- Dukes of Pomerania
- History of Pomerania
- Karwowo Lake
- Pomeranian (disambiguation)
- Prussia's Province of Pomerania
- Province of Pomerania (1653-1815)
Notes
- ^ Polish: województwo zachodniopomorskie, pronounced [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ zaˌxɔdɲɔpɔˈmɔrskʲɛ] ⓘ.
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b Ustawa z dnia 24 lipca 1998 r. o wprowadzeniu zasadniczego trójstopniowego podziału terytorialnego państwa (Dz.U. z 1998 r. nr 96, poz. 603).
- ^ Powierzchnia i ludność w przekroju terytorialnym w 2014 r. (stan z 31 grudnia 2013). Warsaw: Główny Urząd Statystyczny, 2014.
- ^ "Baza Demografia". demografia.stat.gov.pl.
- ^ a b GUS. "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June". stat.gov.pl. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ Alina Hutnikiewicz: "Proces Osadnictwa na Pomorzu Zachodnim po 1945 r" in Zeszyty Kulickie 5: Rodzinne Pomorze – dawniej i dziś, pp. 67 ff. (in Polish)
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
External links
- Westpomeranian System of Tourist Information
- The Parliament of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship
- Marshal's Office of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship
- Voivode's Office of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship Archived 2008-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Zrot : Official Tourism Site (Polish, English, German)
- Zart : Good Tourism Site Archived 2020-06-01 at the Wayback Machine (Polish, English, German)