Administrative divisions of Poland
Encyclopedia
The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland
is divided into voivodeships
(provinces); these are further divided into powiat
s (counties), and these in turn are divided into gmina
s (communes or municipalities). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. Poland currently has 16 voivodeships, 379 powiats (including 65 cities with powiat status), and 2,478 gminas.
The current system was introduced pursuant to a series of acts passed by the Polish parliament
in 1998, and came into effect on 1 January 1999. Previously (in the period from 1975 to 1998) there had been 49 smaller voivodeships, and no powiats (see Administrative division of the People's Republic of Poland). The reform created 16 larger voivodeships (largely based on and named after historical regions) and reintroduced powiats.
The boundaries of the voivodeships do not always reflect the historical borders of Polish regions. Around half of the Silesian Voivodeship
belongs to the historical province of Lesser Poland
. Similarly the area around Radom
, which historically is part of Lesser Poland, is located in the Masovian Voivodeship
. Also, the Pomeranian Voivodeship
includes only the eastern extreme of historical Pomerania
, as well as areas outside it.
Poland is currently divided into 16 provinces known as voivodeship
s . Administrative authority at voivodeship level is shared between a government-appointed governor, called the voivode (usually a political appointee), an elected assembly called the sejmik
, and an executive chosen by that assembly. The leader of that executive is called the marszałek.
Each voivodeship is divided into a number of smaller entities known as powiat
s (counties). The number of powiats per voivodeship ranges from 12 (Opole Voivodeship) to 42 (Masovian Voivodeship). This includes both powiats proper (known as land counties, Polish powiaty ziemskie), and cities with powiat status (city counties, Polish powiaty grodzkie or more formally miasta na prawach powiatu). Land counties have an elected council (rada powiatu), which elects an executive headed by the starosta
. In city counties the functions of these institutions are performed by the city's own council and executive.
(also called commune or municipality
). A powiat is typically divided into a number of gminas (between three and 19), although the city counties constitute single gminas. A gmina may be classed as urban (consisting of a town or city), urban-rural (consisting of a town together with its surrounding villages and countryside), or rural (not containing a town). A gmina has an elected council as well as a directly elected mayor
(known as prezydent in large towns, burmistrz in most urban and urban-rural gminas, and wójt in rural gminas).
or dzielnica
in towns, and sołectwo in rural areas. However these units are of lesser importance and are subordinate in status to the gmina.
Polish territory has been subject to significant changes
over the course of Polish history. Therefore the modern Polish administrative division, while on some levels similar to some historical ones, is quite different from others. Historical Polish administrative divisions can be divided into the following periods:
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
is divided into voivodeships
Voivodeships of Poland
The voivodeship, or province, called in Polish województwo , has been a high-level administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century....
(provinces); these are further divided into powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
s (counties), and these in turn are divided into gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
s (communes or municipalities). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. Poland currently has 16 voivodeships, 379 powiats (including 65 cities with powiat status), and 2,478 gminas.
The current system was introduced pursuant to a series of acts passed by the Polish parliament
Polish parliament
Polish parliament is an expression referring to the historical Polish parliaments. It implies chaos and general disorder, and that no real decision can be reached during sessions...
in 1998, and came into effect on 1 January 1999. Previously (in the period from 1975 to 1998) there had been 49 smaller voivodeships, and no powiats (see Administrative division of the People's Republic of Poland). The reform created 16 larger voivodeships (largely based on and named after historical regions) and reintroduced powiats.
The boundaries of the voivodeships do not always reflect the historical borders of Polish regions. Around half of the Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...
belongs to the historical province of Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland is one of the historical regions of Poland, with its capital in the city of Kraków. It forms the southeastern corner of the country, and should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers only a small, southern part of Lesser Poland...
. Similarly the area around Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
, which historically is part of Lesser Poland, is located in the Masovian Voivodeship
Masovian Voivodeship
-Administrative division:Masovian Voivodeship is divided into 42 counties : 5 city counties and 37 "land counties"...
. Also, the Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, or Pomerania Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in north-central Poland. It comprises most of Pomerelia , as well as an area east of the Vistula River...
includes only the eastern extreme of historical Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, as well as areas outside it.
Voivodeships
Poland is currently divided into 16 provinces known as voivodeship
Voivodeship
Voivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....
s . Administrative authority at voivodeship level is shared between a government-appointed governor, called the voivode (usually a political appointee), an elected assembly called the sejmik
Voivodeship sejmik
A voivodeship sejmik is a provincial-level elected assembly for each of the 16 voivodeships of Poland. Sejmiks are elected to four-year terms, decided during nationwide local elections...
, and an executive chosen by that assembly. The leader of that executive is called the marszałek.
| Voivodeship | Capital city (cities) |
|---|---|
| Greater Poland Voivodeship Greater Poland Voivodeship Wielkopolska Voivodeship , or Greater Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Piła and Leszno Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998... (Wielkopolskie) |
Poznań Poznan Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be... |
| Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship -Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea... (Kujawsko-Pomorskie) |
Bydgoszcz and Toruń Torun Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.... |
| Lesser Poland Voivodeship Lesser Poland Voivodeship Małopolska Voivodeship , or Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, in southern Poland... (Małopolskie) |
Kraków Kraków Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life... |
| Łódź Voivodeship (Łódzkie) | Łódź |
| Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland... (Dolnośląskie) |
Wrocław |
| Lublin Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship - Administrative division :Lublin Voivodeship is divided into 24 counties : 4 city counties and 20 land counties. These are further divided into 213 gminas.... (Lubelskie) |
Lublin Lublin Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river... |
| Lubusz Voivodeship Lubusz Voivodeship - Administrative division :Lubusz Voivodeship is divided into 14 counties : 2 city counties and 12 land counties. These are further divided into 83 gminas.... (Lubuskie) |
Gorzów Wielkopolski Gorzów Wielkopolski Gorzów Wielkopolski is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river. It is the biggest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship with 125,149 inhabitants... and Zielona Góra Zielona Góra Zielona Góra is a city in Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland, with 117,557 inhabitants within the city limits and 294,000 inhabitants within the metropolitan area, including three neighbouring counties .... |
| Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship -Administrative division:Masovian Voivodeship is divided into 42 counties : 5 city counties and 37 "land counties"... (Mazowieckie) |
Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... |
| Opole Voivodeship Opole Voivodeship - Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :... (Opolskie) |
Opole Opole Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County... |
| Podlaskie Voivodeship Podlaskie Voivodeship Podlaskie Voivodeship , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship to the south, the Belarusssian Voblasts of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian Counties of Alytus and... (Podlaskie) |
Białystok |
| Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship, or Pomerania Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in north-central Poland. It comprises most of Pomerelia , as well as an area east of the Vistula River... (Pomorskie) |
Gdańsk Gdansk Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the... |
| Silesian Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia... (Śląskie) |
Katowice Katowice Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2... |
| Subcarpathian Voivodeship Subcarpathian Voivodeship Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów... (Podkarpackie) |
Rzeszów Rzeszów Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley... |
| Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, or Świętokrzyskie Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is presently divided. It is situated in central Poland, in the historical province of Lesser Poland, and takes its name from the Świętokrzyskie mountain range... (Świętokrzyskie) |
Kielce Kielce Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship... |
| Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn... (Warmińsko-Mazurskie) |
Olsztyn Olsztyn Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship... |
| West Pomeranian Voivodeship West Pomeranian Voivodeship West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north... (Zachodniopomorskie) |
Szczecin Szczecin Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427.... |
Powiats
Each voivodeship is divided into a number of smaller entities known as powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
s (counties). The number of powiats per voivodeship ranges from 12 (Opole Voivodeship) to 42 (Masovian Voivodeship). This includes both powiats proper (known as land counties, Polish powiaty ziemskie), and cities with powiat status (city counties, Polish powiaty grodzkie or more formally miasta na prawach powiatu). Land counties have an elected council (rada powiatu), which elects an executive headed by the starosta
Starosta
Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
. In city counties the functions of these institutions are performed by the city's own council and executive.
Gminas
The third level of administrative division is the gminaGmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
(also called commune or municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
). A powiat is typically divided into a number of gminas (between three and 19), although the city counties constitute single gminas. A gmina may be classed as urban (consisting of a town or city), urban-rural (consisting of a town together with its surrounding villages and countryside), or rural (not containing a town). A gmina has an elected council as well as a directly elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(known as prezydent in large towns, burmistrz in most urban and urban-rural gminas, and wójt in rural gminas).
Smaller units
Gminas are generally sub-divided into smaller units, called osiedleOsiedle
Osiedle is a term used in Poland to denote a designated subdivision of a city or town, or of a dzielnica, with its own council and executive. Like the dzielnica and sołectwo, an osiedle is an auxiliary unit of a gmina. These units are created by decision of the gmina council, and do not have...
or dzielnica
Dzielnica
In the Polish system of local administration, a dzielnica is an administrative subdivision or quarter of a city or town. A dzielnica may have its own elected council , and those of Warsaw each have their own mayor...
in towns, and sołectwo in rural areas. However these units are of lesser importance and are subordinate in status to the gmina.
Historical
Territorial changes of Poland
Poland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
over the course of Polish history. Therefore the modern Polish administrative division, while on some levels similar to some historical ones, is quite different from others. Historical Polish administrative divisions can be divided into the following periods:
- before 1569: Administrative division of Kingdom of PolandAdministrative division of Kingdom of PolandThe administrative division of the Kingdom of Poland evolved over the several centuries.The 11th century Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty split the early Kingdom of Poland into several provinces . The 14th century Wiślica Statutes and Statutes of Casimir the Great also used the term province...
- 1569-1795: Administrative division of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
- 1795-1807: Administrative division of Polish territories after partitionsAdministrative division of Polish territories after partitionsThis article covers the changing administration of the territories of former territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth acquired after three partitions of Poland in the late 18th century by the Austrian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire in the period 1772-1918...
- 1807-1815: Administrative division of Duchy of WarsawAdministrative division of Duchy of WarsawAdministrative division of Duchy of Warsaw was based on departments. Headed by a prefect, it was a solution adopted based on the French model, as entire Duchy was in fact created by Napoleon and based on French ideas, although departaments were divided into Polish powiats .There were 6 initial...
- 1815-1914: Administrative division of Congress PolandAdministrative division of Congress PolandThe administrative division of Congress Poland changed several times. Immediately after its creation, 1815-1816, the Congress Kingdom of Poland was divided into departments, a relic from the times of the French-dominated Duchy of Warsaw. In 1816 the administrative divisions were reformed into the...
- 1914-1918: Administrative division of Polish territories during WWI
- 1918-1939: Administrative division of Second Polish RepublicAdministrative division of Second Polish RepublicAdministrative division of Second Polish Republic became an issue immediately after Poland regained independence in the aftermath of the First World War, 1918...
- 1939-1945: Administrative division of Polish territories during WWII
- 1945-1999: Administrative division of People's Republic of PolandAdministrative division of People's Republic of PolandAdministrative division of People's Republic of Poland was subject to several reforms. The first of those were concerned with establishing administrative division over significantly shifted westwards Polish territories. The People's Republic of Poland administrative division was reformed in: 1946,...
- since 1999: see main article above
See also
- Administrative division of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland
- Electoral districts of PolandElectoral districts of PolandElectoral districts of Poland are defined by Polish election law. Electoral districts can be divided depending on whether they are individual entities or parts of a larger electoral district with regard to elections to 1) parliament and Senate 2) local offices and 3) European Parliament...
- Military districts of Poland
- Territorial changes of PolandTerritorial changes of PolandPoland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...