The voivodeship,[1] or province,[2] cried in Pols województwo [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ] (plural województwa), haes been a heich-level admeenistrative subdiveesion o Poland syne the 14t century.
The Pols local govrenment reforms adoptit in 1998, which went intae effect on 1 Januar 1999, creatit saxteen new voivodeships. Thir replacit the 49 umwhile voivodeships that haed existit frae 1 Julie 1975.
The day's voivodeships are maistly namit efter historical an geografical regions, while those prior tae 1998 generally teuk thair names frae the ceeties on which thay wur centered. The new units range in aurie frae unner 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) (Opole Voivodeship) tae ower 35,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) (Masovian Voivodeship), an in population frae ane million (Lubusz Voivodeship) tae ower five million (Masovian Voivodeship).
Admeenistrative authority at voivodeship level is shared atween a govrenment-appointit govrenor cried a voivode (Pols wojewoda), an electit assembly cried a sejmik, an an executive chosen bi that assembly. The leader o that executive is cried the marszałek województwa (voivodeship marshal). Voivodeships are further dividit intae powiats (coonties) an gminas (communes or municipalities): see Administrative diveesion o Poland.
Competences an pouers at voivodeship level are shared beatween the voivode (govrenor), the sejmik (regional assembly) an the executive. In maist cases thir institutions are aw based in ane ceety, but in Kuyavie-Pomeranie an Lubusz Voivodeship the voivode's offices are in a different ceety frae those o the executive an the sejmik. Voivodeship caipitals are leetit in the table belaow.
The voivode is appointit bi the Prime Meenister an is the regional representative o the central govrenment. The voivode acts as the heid o central govrenment institutions at regional level (sic as the polis an fire services, passport offices, an various inspectorates), manages central govrenment property in the region, owersees the functionin o local govrenment, coordinates actions in the field o public safety an environment pertection, an exercises special pouers in emergencies. The voivode's offices collectively are kent as the urząd wojewódzki.
The sejmik is electit ivery fower years, at the same time as the local authorities at powiat an gmina level. It passes bylaws, includin the voivodeship's development strategies an budget. It elects the marszałek an ither memmers o the executive, an haulds them tae accoont.
The executive (zarząd województwa), heidit bi the marszałek, drafts the budget an development strategies, implements the resolutions o the sejmik, manages the voivodeship's property, an deals wi mony aspects o regional policy, includin management o European Union fundin. Its offices collectively are kent as the urząd marszałkowski.
Abbreviation | Coat o airms |
code | caur plates |
Voivodeship | Caipital | Aurie km² | Population (31 December 2003) |
Population (Juin 30, 2004) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DS | 02 | D | Lawer Silesie (dolnośląskie) | Wrocław | 19 947.76 | 2 898 313 | 2 895 729 | |
KP | 04 | C | Kuyavian-Pomeranian (kujawsko-pomorskie) | Bydgoszcz¹ Toruń² |
17 969.72 | 2 068 142 | 2 067 548 | |
LU | 06 | L | Lublin (lubelskie) | Lublin | 25 114.48 | 2 191 172 | 2 187 918 | |
LB | 08 | F | Lubusz (lubuskie) | Gorzów Wielkopolski¹ Zielona Góra² |
13 984.44 | 1 008 786 | 1 009 177 | |
LD | 10 | E | Łódź (łódzkie) | Łódź | 18 219.11 | 2 597 094 | 2 592 568 | |
MP | 12 | K | Lesser Poland (małopolskie) | Kraków | 15 144.10 | 3 252 949 | 3 256 171 | |
MA | 14 | W | Masovie (mazowieckie) | Warsaw | 35 597.80 | 5 135 732 | 5 139 545 | |
OP | 16 | O | Opolskie | Opole | 9 412.47 | 1 055 667 | 1 053 723 | |
PK | 18 | R | Podkarpackie | Rzeszów | 17 926.28 | 2 097 248 | 2 097 325 | |
PD | 20 | B | Podlaskie (podlaskie) | Białystok | 20 179.58 | 1 205 117 | 1 204 036 | |
PM | 22 | G | Pomeranie (pomorskie) | Gdańsk | 18 292.88 | 2 188 918 | 2 192 404 | |
SL | 24 | S | Silesie (śląskie) | Katowice | 12 294.04 | 4 714 982 | 4 707 825 | |
SW | 26 | T | Świętokrzyskie | Kielce | 11 672.34 | 1 291 598 | 1 290 176 | |
WM | 28 | N | Warmie-Masurie (warmińsko-mazurskie) | Olsztyn | 24 202.95 | 1 428 885 | 1 428 385 | |
WP | 30 | P | Greater Poland (wielkopolskie) | Poznań | 29 825.59 | 3 359 932 | 3 362 011 | |
ZP | 32 | Z | Wast Pomeranie (zachodniopomorskie) | Szczecin | 22 901.48 | 1 696 073 | 1 695 708 | |
(¹) – seat o voivode, (²) – seat o sejmik an marszałek |
Wikimedia Commons haes media relatit tae Voivodeships of Poland. |
First-level admeenistrative diveesions in Europe | |
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Sovereign states |
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States wi limited recognition |
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1 Haes pairt o its territory ootside Europe. 2 Considered European for cultural, poleetical an historical reasons but is geographically in Wastren Asie. 3 Pairtially or entirely in Asie, dependin on the definition o the border.
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