Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

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Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
Województwo świętokrzyskie
Voivodeship
POL wojewodztwo swietokrzyskie flag.svg
Flag
POL wojewodztwo swietokrzyskie COA.svg
Coat of arms
Woiwodschaft Heiligkreuz.png
Brandmark
Swietokrzyskie in Poland (+rivers).svg
Location within Poland
Swietokrzyskie powiaty.svg
Division into counties
Coordinates(Kielce): 50°53′N20°37′E / 50.883°N 20.617°E / 50.883; 20.617
CountryFlag of Poland.svg  Poland
Capital Kielce
Counties
1 city, 13 land counties *
Government
 • Body Executive board
 •  Voivode Józef Bryk (PO)
 •  Marshal Renata Janik (PiS)
 •  EP Lesser Poland and Świętokrzyskie
Area
 • Total
11,672 km2 (4,507 sq mi)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total
1,237,369
 • Density106.01/km2 (274.57/sq mi)
 •  Urban
562,221
 • Rural
675,148
GDP
[1]
 • Total€16.997 billion (2023)
 • Per capita€15,000 (2023)
ISO 3166 code PL-26
Vehicle registration T
HDI (2019)0.866 [2]
very high · 12th
Website https://www.kielce.uw.gov.pl/
  • further divided into 102 gminas

Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Polish : województwo świętokrzyskie [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔɕfjɛntɔˈkʂɨskʲɛ] ⓘ ), [3] also known as Holy Cross Voivodeship, is a voivodeship (province) in southeastern Poland, in the historical region of Lesser Poland. The province's capital and largest city is Kielce. The voivodeship takes its name from the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains.

Contents

Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is bounded by six other voivodeships: Masovian to the north, Lublin to the east, Subcarpathian to the south-central, Lesser Poland to the south, Silesian to the southwest, and Łódź to the northwest.

The province covers an area of 11,672 square kilometres (4,507 sq mi), making it the second smallest province (after Opole). As at 2019, the total population of Świętokrzyskie Province was 1,237,369.

History

Sandomierz Royal Castle, a Historic Monument of Poland 20180816 Zamek w Sandomierzu 1708 8999 DxO.jpg
Sandomierz Royal Castle, a Historic Monument of Poland

Inhabited since pre-historic times, the area of Skarżysko-Kamienna and Wąchock contains several hundred former Paleolithic sites from 13,000-10,000 years ago, now known as the Rydno Archaeological Reserve. [5] From 3900 BC to 1600 BC, striped flint was mined at Krzemionki, one of the largest known complexes of prehistoric flint mines in Europe, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Historic Monument of Poland.

The territory formed part of Poland since its establishment in the 10th century. Sandomierz was mentioned as one of three centers of the Kingdom of Poland, along Kraków and Wrocław, in the early-12th-century Gesta principum Polonorum chronicle. Sandomierz and Wiślica, whose historic landmarks are designated Historic Monuments of Poland, [4] [6] are former medieval ducal seats of the Piast dynasty. In the early modern period the Old-Polish Industrial Region developed in the region. Following the late-18th-century Partitions of Poland, the region witnessed several uprisings against foreign rule, i.e. the November Uprising of 1830–1831 and January Uprising of 1863–1864. In the interbellum, the region was part of reborn independent Poland. Its industry was developed as part of the Central Industrial Region of Poland.

During World War II, it was occupied by Germany, with the occupiers committing their genocidal policies against Poles and Jews in the region, massacring civilians, including at Skarżysko-Kamienna and Michniów, and operating numerous prisons and forced labour camps. The Polish resistance movement was active in the region, with the short-lived Republic of Pińczów liberated in 1944.

Holy Cross Province was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Kielce Voivodeship, eastern Częstochowa Voivodeship, and western Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998.

Cities and towns

Kielce is the capital of the voivodeship 642676 Kielce rynek 01.JPG
Kielce is the capital of the voivodeship
Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski is the second most populous city "Ostrowiecki Browar Kultury DJI 0236".jpg
Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski is the second most populous city
Historical population
YearPop.±%
19881,317,441—    
20021,297,477−1.5%
20111,280,721−1.3%
20211,196,557−6.6%
Source: [7]

The voivodeship contains 4 cities and 39 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019 [8] ):

Cities (governed by a city mayor or prezydent miasta):
  1. Kielce (195,266)
  2. Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski (68,641)
  3. Starachowice (48,646)
  4. Skarżysko-Kamienna (45,068)

Towns:

  1. Sandomierz (23,494)
  2. Końskie (19,176)
  3. Busko-Zdrój (15,832)
  4. Jędrzejów (15,076)
  5. Staszów (14,762)
  6. Pińczów (10,774)
  7. Włoszczowa (9,985)
  8. Suchedniów (8,347)
  9. Połaniec (8,098)
  10. Opatów (6,466)
  11. Sędziszów (6,451)
  12. Stąporków (5,639)
  13. Kazimierza Wielka (5,550)
  14. Ożarów (4,569)
  15. Chęciny (4,444)
  16. Małogoszcz (3,748)
  17. Chmielnik (3,681)
  18. Radoszyce (3,135)
  19. Ćmielów (3,012)
  20. Kunów (2,967)
  21. Daleszyce (2,896)
  22. Wąchock (2,766)
  23. Koprzywnica (2,470)
  24. Bodzentyn (2,233)
  25. Osiek (2,007)
  26. Oleśnica (1,849)
  27. Zawichost (1,771)
  28. Morawica (1,711)
  29. Łagów (1,580)
  30. Stopnica (1,420)
  31. Nowa Słupia (1,360)
  32. Skalbmierz (1,285)
  33. Pierzchnica (1,144)
  34. Pacanów (1,108)
  35. Szydłów (1,097)
  36. Nowy Korczyn (942)
  37. Działoszyce (907)
  38. Wiślica (516)
  39. Opatowiec (332)
  40. Piekoszów
  41. Łopuszno
  42. Wodzisław
  43. Klimontów
  44. Gowarczów
  45. Iwaniska
  46. Bogoria
  47. Sobków

Administrative division

Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is divided into 14 counties (powiats): 1 city county and 13 land counties. These are further divided into 102 gminas.

The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population).

English and
Polish names		Area
(km2)		Population
(2019)		SeatOther townsTotal
gminas
City counties
Kielce 110195,2661
Land counties
Kielce County
powiat kielecki		2,247210,940 Kielce * Chęciny, Chmielnik, Daleszyce, Bodzentyn, Łagów, Łopuszno, Morawica, Nowa Słupia, Piekoszów, Pierzchnica 19
Ostrowiec County
powiat ostrowiecki		616109,512 Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski Ćmielów, Kunów 6
Starachowice County
powiat starachowicki		52389,925 Starachowice Wąchock 5
Jędrzejów County
powiat jędrzejowski		1,25785,757 Jędrzejów Sędziszów, Małogoszcz, Sobków, Wodzisław 9
Końskie County
powiat konecki		1,14080,154 Końskie Stąporków, Radoszyce, Gowarczów 8
Sandomierz County
powiat sandomierski		67677,352 Sandomierz Koprzywnica, Zawichost, Klimontów 9
Skarżysko County
powiat skarżyski		39574,343 Skarżysko-Kamienna Suchedniów 5
Staszów County
powiat staszowski		92572,000 Staszów Bogoria, Oleśnica, Osiek, Połaniec, Szydłów 8
Busko County
powiat buski		96771,807 Busko-Zdrój Pacanów, Nowy Korczyn, Stopnica, Wiślica 8
Opatów County
powiat opatowski		91252,336 Opatów Iwaniska, Ożarów 8
Włoszczowa County
powiat włoszczowski		90645,137 Włoszczowa 6
Pińczów County
powiat pińczowski		61139,100 Pińczów Działoszyce 5
Kazimierza County
powiat kazimierski		42235,770 Kazimierza Wielka Opatowiec, Skalbmierz 5
* seat not part of the county

Economy

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 11.6 billion € in 2018, accounting for 2.3% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 15,400 € or 51% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 58% of the EU average. Świętokrzyskie Voivodship is the province with the fifth lowest GDP per capita in Poland. [9]

Protected areas

Swietokrzyski National Park Lysa Gora goloborze 3914 20080703.jpg
Świętokrzyski National Park

Protected areas in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship include one National Park and nine Landscape Parks. These are listed below.

Sights and tourism

Sandomierz is one of the main tourist destinations in the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship Polska Sandomierz 017.jpg
Sandomierz is one of the main tourist destinations in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

There are ten Historic Monuments of Poland and one World Heritage Site in the voivodeship:

Preserved old towns include Opatów and the fortified town of Szydłów. In Opatów and Sandomierz there are underground tourist routes in historic cellars under the old town market squares. There are multiple castles, including in Bodzentyn, Chęciny, Sandomierz and Szydłów, and palaces, including in Czyżów Szlachecki and Kurozwęki.

There are two spa towns: Busko-Zdrój and Solec-Zdrój.

Ćmielów, a town with a rich tradition of porcelain production, is home to the Living Porcelain Museum. [11]

There are numerous World War II memorials, including memorials at the site of Nazi massacres of Poles and Holocaust memorials.

Sports

Iskra Kielce celebrating victory in the 2015-16 EHF Champions League Triunfo en la Copa de Europa.jpg
Iskra Kielce celebrating victory in the 2015–16 EHF Champions League

Handball and football enjoy the largest following in the province.

Professional sports teams
ClubSportLeagueTrophies
Barlinek Industria Kielce Handball (men's) Superliga 20 Polish Championships
18 Polish Cups
1 EHF Champions League (2016)
Korona Kielce Football (men's) Ekstraklasa 0
Korona Handball KielceHandball (women's)Liga Centralna Kobiet0

Curiosities

See also

References

  1. ↑ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat" . Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Sub-national HDI - Subnational HDI - Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org. Radboud University Nijmegen . Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Contact". The Marshal Office of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship.
  4. 1 2 3 Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 22 listopada 2017 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Sandomierz - historyczny zespół architektoniczno-krajobrazowy" , Dz. U., 2017, No. 2273
  5. ↑ Nina Glińska. "Rezerwat archeologiczny Rydno - zespół paleolitycznych osad przemysłowych wraz z kopalnią hematytu". Zabytek.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. 1 2 Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 10 grudnia 2018 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Wiślica - zespół kolegiaty pod wezwaniem Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny wraz z reliktami kościoła pod wezwaniem św. Mikołaja oraz grodzisko" , Dz. U., 2018, No. 2418
  7. ↑ "Statistics Poland - National Censuses".
  8. ↑ GUS. "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June". stat.gov.pl. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
  10. ↑ Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 20 kwietnia 2018 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Ujazd - ruiny zamku Krzyżtopór" , Dz. U., 2018, No. 943
  11. ↑ "Żywe Muzeum Porcelany w Ćmielowie" (in Polish). Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Wijaczka, Jacek (2010). "Szkoci". In Kopczyński, Michał; Tygielski, Wojciech (eds.). Pod wspólnym niebem. Narody dawnej Rzeczypospolitej (in Polish). Warszawa: Muzeum Historii Polski, Bellona. p. 203. ISBN   978-83-11-11724-2.

50°45′56″N20°46′25″E / 50.76556°N 20.77361°E / 50.76556; 20.77361

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