Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship Województwo opolskie | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Voivodeship | |||
 | |||
| |||
 Location within Poland | |||
 Division into counties | |||
| Coordinates (Opole): 50°40′N 17°56′E / 50.667°N 17.933°E / 50.667; 17.933 | |||
| Country |  Poland | ||
| Capital | Opole | ||
| Counties | 1 city, 11 land counties, further divided into 71 gminas
| ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 9,412.5 km2 (3,634.2 sq mi) | ||
| Population (31-12-2014) | |||
| • Total | 1,000,858 | ||
| • Density | 110/km2 (280/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 549,334 | ||
| • Rural | 495,012 | ||
| Languages | |||
| • Languages |
| ||
| Car plates | O | ||
HDI (2017) | 0.841[1] very high · 11th | ||
| Website | http://www.umwo.opole.pl/ | ||
Opole Voivodeship, or Opole Province[2] (Polish: województwo opolskie [vɔjɛˈvutstfɔ ɔˈpɔlskʲɛ], German: Woiwodschaft Oppeln, Czech: Opolské vojvodství), 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, with representatives in the Sejm, 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 has facilitated economic, cultural and tourist exchanges between the border areas of Poland and the Czech Republic.
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Protected areas
2.2 Climate
3 Administrative division
4 Cities and towns
5 Demographics
6 Economy
6.1 Tourism
6.2 International tourism
7 Transportation
8 Universities
9 Surnames
10 Former Opole voivodeships
10.1 Opole Voivodeship (1975-1999)
10.2 Opole Voivodeship (1950–1975)
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
History
Voivodeships between 1975-1998 superseded with the present borders of the Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Opole Voivodeship and parts of Częstochowa Voivodeship, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998.
Originally, the government, advised by prominent historians, had wanted to disestablish Opolskie and partition its territory between the more historically Polish regions of Lower Silesia and Silesian Voivodeship (eastern Upper Silesia and western Malopolska. The plan was that Brzeg and Namysłów, as the Western part of the region, were to be transferred to Lower Silesia, while the rest was to become, along with a part of the Częstochowa Voivodeship, an integral part of the new 'Silesian' region. However, the plans resulted in an outcry from the German minority population of Opole Voivodeship, who feared that should their region be abolished, they would lose all hope of regional representation (in the proposed Silesian Region, they would have formed a very small minority among a great number of ethnic Poles). To the surprise of many of the ethnic Germans in Opole however, the local Polish Silesian population and groups of ethnic Poles also rose up to oppose the planned reforms; this came about as a result of an overwhelming feeling of attachment to the voivodeships that were scheduled to be 'redrawn', as well as a fear of 'alienation' should one find themselves residing in a new, unfamiliar region.
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; thus becoming the first town in the region to achieve such a feat.
Geography
The voivodeship lies in southwestern Poland, the major part on the Silesian Lowland (Nizina Śląska). To the east, the region touches upon the Silesian Upland (Silesian Uplands, Wyżyna Śląska) with the famous Saint Anne Mountain; the Sudetes range, the Opawskie Mountains, lies to the southwest. The Oder River cuts across the middle of the voivodeship. The northern part of the voivodeship, along the Mała Panew River, is densely forested, while the southern part consists of arable land.
The region has the warmest climate in the country.
Protected areas
Protected areas in Opole Voivodeship include the following three areas designated as Landscape Parks:
- Opawskie Mountains Landscape Park
- Góra Świętej Anny Landscape Park
- Stobrawa Landscape Park
Climate
| Climate data for Opole | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °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) |
| Average low °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).
Opole, the voivodeship's capital
Nysa, the third-largest town by population in the south-west
Brzeg, a popular tourist attraction for its Renaissance Town Hall and Castle
Prudnik, with its preserved medieval town centre
Kluczbork serves as a key rail line junction in the north-east of the region
English and Polish names | Area (km²) | Population (2006) | Seat | Other towns | Total gminas |
City counties | |||||
Opole | 96 | 128,034 | 1 | ||
Land counties | |||||
Nysa County powiat nyski | 1,224 | 145,640 | Nysa | Głuchołazy, Paczków, Otmuchów, Korfantów | 9 |
Opole County powiat opolski | 1,587 | 134,874 | Opole * | Ozimek, Niemodlin, Prószków | 13 |
Kędzierzyn-Koźle County powiat kędzierzyńsko-kozielski | 625 | 102,118 | Kędzierzyn-Koźle | 6 | |
Brzeg County powiat brzeski | 877 | 92,361 | Brzeg | Grodków, Lewin Brzeski | 6 |
Strzelce County powiat strzelecki | 744 | 80,828 | Strzelce Opolskie | Zawadzkie, Kolonowskie, Leśnica, Ujazd | 7 |
Kluczbork County powiat kluczborski | 852 | 70,082 | Kluczbork | Wołczyn, Byczyna | 4 |
Olesno County powiat oleski | 974 | 68,269 | Olesno | Praszka, Dobrodzień, Gorzów Śląski | 7 |
Krapkowice County powiat krapkowicki | 442 | 67,926 | Krapkowice | Zdzieszowice, Gogolin | 5 |
Prudnik County powiat prudnicki | 571 | 59,931 | Prudnik | Głogówek, Biała Prudnicka | 4 |
Głubczyce County powiat głubczycki | 673 | 50,326 | Głubczyce | Kietrz, Baborów | 4 |
Namysłów County powiat namysłowski | 748 | 43,957 | Namysłów | 5 | |
| * seat not part of the county | |||||
Cities and towns
The voivodeship contains 35 cities and towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2006[3]):
Opole (128,034)
Kędzierzyn-Koźle (65,572)
Nysa (47,283)
Brzeg (38,303)
Kluczbork (25,910)
Prudnik (23,133)
Strzelce Opolskie (20,059)
Krapkowice (18,112)
Namysłów (16,557)
Głuchołazy (14,887)
Głubczyce (13,333)
Zdzieszowice (13,329)
Olesno (10,106)
Ozimek (9,944)
Grodków (8,771)
Zawadzkie (8,331)
Praszka (8,230)
Paczków (8,147)
Niemodlin (6,849)
Kietrz (6,365)
Wołczyn (6,139)
Gogolin (6,077)
Lewin Brzeski (5,826)
Głogówek / Oberglogau (5,816)
Otmuchów (5,261)
Dobrodzień / Guttentag (4,168)
Byczyna (3,677)
Kolonowskie / Colonnowska (3,432)
Baborów (3,175)
Leśnica / Leschnitz (2,945)
Prószków / Proskau (2,713)
Biała Prudnicka / Zülz (2,653)
Gorzów Śląski (2,606)
Korfantów (1,883)
Ujazd / Ujest (1,652)
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 ethnic Germans, which constitutes 90% of all ethnic Germans in Poland. As a result, many areas are officially bilingual in Opolskie, and the German language and culture play a significant role in education in the region.
Economy
Opole Główne railway station is a major transportation hub through which much of the region's trade is channelled
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
Moszna Castle, near Opole
The Opole Voivodeship is a green region with three large lakes: Turawskie, Nyskie, and Otmuchów (the latter two are connected). The Opawskie Mountains 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 Central Statistical Office of Poland, Opole Voivodeship is most frequently visited by international tourists from countries located in Europe (94.6%). The rank was followed by tourists from Asia, compromising 2.4% of the total international tourist figure, followed by that of North America at 1.8%. The general composition of international tourists visiting the Opole Voivodeship remains unchanged, with 46.2% of tourists heading from Germany.
International tourists visiting Opole Voivodeship with an overnight stay according to country of permanent residence:[4]
| 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 ovenight 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%).[4]
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, Kiev, and the Baltic ports.
Universities
There are three state-run universities in the region: the Opole University, the Opole University of Technology, and the State Medical College. All of them are based in the voivodeship's capital. Among the region's private schools, the Opole School of Management and Administration has been certified as a degree-granting institution by the Ministry of National Education.
- 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:
Nowak: 5,538
Wieczorek: 2,654
Mazur: 2,512
Former Opole voivodeships
Opole Voivodeship (1975-1999)
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 People's Republic of Poland (1950–1975) was created as a result of the partition of Katowice Voivodeship in 1950.
See also
- Opole cuisine
- Śląsk Opolski
- Upper Silesia
- Silesia
References
^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ 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.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2007-12-11.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ ab "opole.stat.gov.pl" (PDF). TURYŚCI ZAGRANICZNI KORZYSTAJĄCY Z BAZY NOCLEGOWEJ TURYSTYKI WEDŁUG WYBRANYCH KRAJÓW STAŁEGO ZAMIESZKANIA. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
External links
- Opolskie - photogallery
- Self-Government of the Opolskie Voivodeship
Opolski Urząd Wojewódzki Official website
Counties of Opole Voivodeship | ||
|---|---|---|
| City county |
|  |
| Land counties |
| |
Voivodeships of Poland | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
| Voivodeships of Poland 1975–1998 | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
Silesia topics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Category
PortalCoordinates: 50°38′54″N 17°54′02″E / 50.64833°N 17.90056°E / 50.64833; 17.90056
Authority control  |
|
|---|
