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Podkarpackie Voivodeship

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Podkarpackie Voivodeship is a province located in the southeastern corner of Poland.

Premislia
Premislia

Its name is derived from its proximity to the Carpathian Mountains. This region serves as a vital administrative area within the country. It is governed by the Subcarpathian Regional Assembly and the voivodeship marshal. The province includes lands from two historic Central European regions. These are Lesser Poland in the west and northwest. The other area is known as Cherven Cities or Red Ruthenia. Rzeszów serves as the administrative capital and the largest city.

The geography of the province is varied and diverse. Most of the land is hilly or mountainous. You can find the Bieszczady and Beskidy mountain ranges here. However, the northwestern corner of the province is quite flat. The region is also very green and heavily wooded. Forests cover 35.9% of the total area of the voivodeship. This makes it one of the most wooded provinces in Poland.

Jasiołka River park
Jasiołka River park

Within its borders, you will find the entirety of Bieszczady National Park. Parts of Magura National Park are also located here.

The history of this land spans many centuries. In the Early Middle Ages, the Vistulans and Lendians lived here. These were old Polish tribes. The territory has been part of Poland since the rule of Mieszko I. However, different groups controlled parts of the region at various times. These included the Kievan Rus', the Golden Horde, and the Kingdom of Hungary. Poland regained full control in the 14th century. Later, during the Partitions of Poland, Austria annexed the entire region. It became part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria.

Many cities in the province have very long histories. Przemyśl and Sanok are both over 1,000 years old.

2015 Przemyśl, Widok na miasto z baszty północnej zamku (06)
2015 Przemyśl, Widok na miasto z baszty północnej zamku (06)
Der Marktplatz von Sanok 2014
Der Marktplatz von Sanok 2014

During different eras, powerful Polish magnate families lived here. The Lubomirski, Potocki, and Tarnowski families held great influence. They resided in important cities like Rzeszów, Łańcut, and Tarnobrzeg. These families built many impressive castles and palaces.

Krasiczyn Castle, September 2023 01
Krasiczyn Castle, September 2023 01
Дворец Тарновских
Дворец Тарновских

Industrial development changed the region significantly in the 20th century. During the interwar period, the area was part of the Lwów Voivodeship. It was part of "Poland B," which was more rural and less developed. To help the economy, the government started a massive program in the mid-1930s. This was called the Central Industrial Region. The program helped create several major armament factories. These included PZL Mielec and PZL Rzeszów. Other factories were built in Dębica, Nowa Dęba, Sanok, Tarnobrzeg, and Nowa Sarzyna.

PL Mielec, Mickiewicza 5 2021-09-26--12-19-42a
PL Mielec, Mickiewicza 5 2021-09-26--12-19-42a

World War II brought great difficulty to the province. A joint German and Soviet invasion began in September 1939. Nazi Germany occupied most of the current province. The Soviet Union occupied the eastern outskirts. The city of Przemyśl was actually divided between the two occupiers until 1941. Germany occupied the entire region until 1944. After the Soviet annexation of Lwów, Rzeszów became the new regional capital. The current voivodeship was finally created on 1 January 1999. This happened because of Polish local-government reforms in 1998.

Today, the province is a center for both tourism and economy. The Gross domestic product (GDP) was 19.4 billion euros in 2018. This accounted for 3.9% of the total Polish economic output. There are 6 cities and 49 towns in the province.

Rynek miejski - Krosno, podkarpackie
Rynek miejski - Krosno, podkarpackie

The region is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include Bieszczady National Park and several wooden churches. Visitors can also explore underground tourist routes in historic cellars.

Rzeszów, zespół urbanistyczny średniowiecznego miasta i nowego miasta, 1354, XVIII, XX 002
Rzeszów, zespół urbanistyczny średniowiecznego miasta i nowego miasta, 1354, XVIII, XX 002

Sports are also very popular among the local people. Volleyball, ice hockey, and football have very large followings.

Hala na podpromiu
Hala na podpromiu
Arena Sanok 2012
Arena Sanok 2012
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🖼️ Images & Media (16)
File:A4-PL.svg
A4-PL.svg
File:S19-PL.svg
S19-PL.svg
File:Premislia.jpg
Premislia.jpg
File:Rzeszów, zespół urbanistyczny średniowiecznego miasta i nowego miasta, 1354, XVIII, XX 002.jpg
Rzeszów, zespół urbanistyczny...
File:2015 Przemyśl, Widok na miasto z baszty północnej zamku (06).jpg
2015 Przemyśl, Widok na miasto z baszty...
File:PL Mielec, Mickiewicza 5 2021-09-26--12-19-42a.jpg
PL Mielec, Mickiewicza 5 2021-09-26--12-19-42a.jpg
File:Дворец Тарновских.jpg
Дворец Тарновских.jpg
File:Rynek miejski - Krosno, podkarpackie.JPG
Rynek miejski - Krosno, podkarpackie.JPG
File:Der Marktplatz von Sanok 2014.JPG
Der Marktplatz von Sanok 2014.JPG
File:Jasiołka River park.jpg
Jasiołka River park.jpg
File:43. TKB - Chodowiacy z Chodowa 04.JPG
43. TKB - Chodowiacy z Chodowa 04.JPG
File:Krasiczyn Castle, September 2023 01.jpg
Krasiczyn Castle, September 2023 01.jpg

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