OPOLE VOIVODESHIP

'Opole Voivodeship' (also "'Opole Province'" — ) is a Polish voivodeship, or province, created January 1, 1999, out of the former Opole Voivodeship and parts of Częstochowa Voivodeship, pursuant to the 1998 Local Government Reorganization Act. The province's name derives from that of the region's largest city, Opole.
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 Pradziad Euroregion has facilitated economic, cultural and tourist exchanges between the border areas of Poland and the Czech Republic.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Transportation

Administrative division

Major cities and towns

Economy

Universities

Tourism

Most popular surnames in the region

Previous Opole voivodeships

Opole Voivodeship (1950–1975)

External links

Geography

The voivodeship lies in south-western Poland, the major part of it being 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 south-west. The Oder River cuts across the middle of the voivodeship.

Demographics

The Opole voivodeship is also the smallest region in the administrative make-up of the country in terms of both area, and population. However, it also has the highest percentage (10% of ethnic Germans of all voivodeships of the country (see Germans of Poland).

Transportation

The transport connection from Germany to Ukraine goes 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.

Administrative division

★ Brzeg County, Brzeg

★ Głubczyce County, Głubczyce

★ Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Kędzierzyn-Koźle

★ Kluczbork County, Kluczbork

★ Krapkowice County, Krapkowice

★ Namysłów County, Namysłów

★ Nysa County, Nysa

★ Olesno County, Olesno

★ Opole City County, Opole

★ Opole County, Opole

★ Prudnik County, Prudnik

★ Strzelce County, Strzelce Opolskie

Major cities and towns

★ Opole – 128,827 inhabitants (2004)

★ Kędzierzyn-Koźle – 66,379 (2004)

★ Nysa – 47,959 (2004)

★ Brzeg – 38,718 (2004)

★ Kluczbork – 26,535 (2004)

★ Prudnik – 23,528 (2004)

★ Strzelce Opolskie – 20,478 (2004)

★ Krapkowice – 19,832 (2004)

★ Namysłów – 16,616 (2004)

★ Głuchołazy – 15,293 (2004)

★ Głubczyce – 13,636 (2004)

★ Zdzieszowice – 13,467 (2004)

★ Olesno – 10,305 (2004)

★ Ozimek – 10,040 (2004)

★ Grodków – 9,156 (2004)

★ Paczków - 8,226 (2004)

★ Praszka – 8,316 (2004)

★ Niemodlin – 6,942 (2004)

Economy

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.

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

Tourism

The Opole voivodeship is a green region with three large lakes: Turawskie, Nyskie, and Otmuchowskie (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 mediæval defence fortifications in Paczkow (referred to as the Polish Carcassonne).
The region has the warmest climate in the country.

Most popular surnames in the region

# Nowak: 5,538
# Wieczorek: 2,654
# Mazur: 2,512

Previous Opole voivodeships

The 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.

External links

★ Opole region on the net: II

★ Silesia on the net

★ Opolski Urząd Wojewódzki Official website