Zawiercie County is a unit of territorial administration and local government (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...

) in 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...

, southern Poland

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...

. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Zawiercie

Zawiercie

Zawiercie is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland with 55,800 inhabitants . It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa highland near the source of the Warta River...

, which lies 41 kilometres (25 mi) north-east of the regional capital 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...

. The county contains five other towns: Poręba

Poreba

Poręba is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pszczyna, within Pszczyna County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately west of Pszczyna and south of the regional capital Katowice....

, 6 km (4 mi) west of Zawiercie, Łazy, 8 km (5 mi) south of Zawiercie, Ogrodzieniec

Ogrodzieniec

Ogrodzieniec is town Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,499 inhabitants .It is noted for the extensive ruins of a medieval castle, damaged during the Swedish invasion of Poland in the years 1655–1660.- External links :...

, 9 km (6 mi) south-east of Zawiercie, Szczekociny

Szczekociny

Szczekociny is a town in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,115 inhabitants . The Battle of Szczekociny was fought near the town on June 6, 1794 during the Kościuszko Uprising.-Jewish population of Szczekociny:...

, 33 km (21 mi) north-east of Zawiercie, and Pilica

Pilica, Silesian Voivodeship

Pilica is a town in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,948 inhabitants .-History:Since the beginning of its existence, Pilica was part of Lesser Poland. In the 1115-1118 testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty, Pilica became part of the district of Kraków. The probable date of its...

, 18 km (11 mi) east of Zawiercie.

The county covers an area of 1003.27 square kilometres (387.4 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 124,127, out of which the population of Zawiercie is 52,926, that of Poręba is 8,784, that of Łazy is 7,139, that of Ogrodzieniec is 4,465, that of Szczekociny is 3,912, that of Pilica is 1,971, and the rural population is 44,930.

Neighbouring counties

Zawiercie County is bordered by Częstochowa County

Czestochowa County

Częstochowa County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Częstochowa, although the city...

 to the north, Włoszczowa County to the north-east, Jędrzejów County

Jedrzejów County

Jędrzejów County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Jędrzejów, which...

 and Miechów County

Miechów County

Miechów County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is Miechów, which lies north...

 to the east, Olkusz County

Olkusz County

Olkusz County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Olkusz, which lies ...

 and the city of Dąbrowa Górnicza

Dabrowa Górnicza

Dąbrowa Górnicza is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland, nearby Katowice. The north-east district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of almost 3 millions...

 to the south, Będzin County

Bedzin County

Będzin County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Będzin, which lies north-east...

 to the south-west, and Myszków County

Myszków County

Myszków County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Myszków, which lies ...

 to the west.

Administrative division

The county is subdivided into 10 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 (two urban, four urban-rural and four rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.

Gmina	Type	Area (km²)	Population (2006)	Seat
Zawiercie Zawiercie Zawiercie is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland with 55,800 inhabitants . It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa highland near the source of the Warta River...	urban	85.2	52,926
Gmina Łazy	urban-rural	132.6	15,990	Łazy
Gmina Ogrodzieniec Gmina Ogrodzieniec Gmina Ogrodzieniec is an urban-rural gmina in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Ogrodzieniec, which lies approximately south-east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...	urban-rural	85.7	9,519	Ogrodzieniec Ogrodzieniec Ogrodzieniec is town Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,499 inhabitants .It is noted for the extensive ruins of a medieval castle, damaged during the Swedish invasion of Poland in the years 1655–1660.- External links :...
Gmina Pilica Gmina Pilica Gmina Pilica is an urban-rural gmina in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Pilica, which lies approximately east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice....	urban-rural	138.9	9,117	Pilica Pilica, Silesian Voivodeship Pilica is a town in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,948 inhabitants .-History:Since the beginning of its existence, Pilica was part of Lesser Poland. In the 1115-1118 testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty, Pilica became part of the district of Kraków. The probable date of its...
Poręba Poreba Poręba is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pszczyna, within Pszczyna County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately west of Pszczyna and south of the regional capital Katowice....	urban	40.0	8,784
Gmina Szczekociny Gmina Szczekociny Gmina Szczekociny is an urban-rural gmina in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Szczekociny, which lies approximately north-east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...	urban-rural	136.1	8,350	Szczekociny Szczekociny Szczekociny is a town in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,115 inhabitants . The Battle of Szczekociny was fought near the town on June 6, 1794 during the Kościuszko Uprising.-Jewish population of Szczekociny:...
Gmina Kroczyce Gmina Kroczyce Gmina Kroczyce is a rural gmina in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Kroczyce, which lies approximately north-east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	110.2	6,250	Kroczyce Kroczyce Kroczyce is a village in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Kroczyce. It lies approximately north-east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice....
Gmina Włodowice	rural	76.3	5,311	Włodowice
Gmina Żarnowiec Gmina Zarnowiec Gmina Żarnowiec is a rural gmina in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Żarnowiec, which lies approximately east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	124.8	4,960	Żarnowiec Zarnowiec, Silesian Voivodeship Żarnowiec is a village in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Żarnowiec...
Gmina Irządze Gmina Irzadze Gmina Irządze is a rural gmina in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Irządze, which lies approximately north-east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	73.6	2,920	Irządze Irzadze, Silesian Voivodeship Irządze is a village in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Irządze. It lies approximately north-east of Zawiercie and north-east of the regional capital Katowice.The village has a population of 840.-References:...