Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is a province located in southeastern Poland.

It sits within the historical region known as Lesser Poland. The province takes its name from the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, which are also called the Holy Cross Mountains.

Six other voivodeships border this region. These neighbors are Masovian to the north and Lublin to the east. Subcarpathian lies to the south-central area. Lesser Poland is to the south. Silesian sits to the southwest. Finally, Łódź borders the northwest. The capital and largest city is Kielce.

With an area of 11,713 km², it is the second smallest province in Poland.

The history of this land stretches back to prehistoric times. In the Skarżysko-Kamienna and Wąchock areas, people lived there long ago. The Rydno Archaeological Reserve contains hundreds of Paleolithic sites. These sites date from 13,000 to 10,000 years ago. Another vital site is the Krzemionki prehistoric striped flint mining region. Between 3900 BC and 1600 BC, people mined flint here. This complex is one of the largest prehistoric flint mines in Europe. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The territory has been part of Poland since the 10th century. In the 12th century, Sandomierz was a major center of the Kingdom of Poland.

During the medieval period, several towns served as important political seats. Sandomierz and Wiślica were former ducal seats for the Piast dynasty. These towns contain landmarks designated as Historic Monuments of Poland. Later, the Old-Polish Industrial Region developed across the land. The region faced many challenges during the late 18th-century Partitions of Poland. People rose up in the November Uprising of 1830–1831. They also fought in the January Uprising of 1863–1864. During the interbellum period, the region was part of a reborn independent Poland. It became part of the Central Industrial Region of Poland. During World War II, German occupiers committed genocidal policies against Poles and Jews. They operated many prisons and forced labour camps. The Polish resistance was active and liberated the short-lived Republic of Pińczów in 1944.

Modern Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999. It resulted from Polish local government reforms in 1998. The province was formed from three former areas. These were the Kielce Voivodeship, eastern Częstochowa Voivodeship, and western Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship. Today, the province is divided into 14 counties, called powiats. There is one city county and 13 land counties. These are further divided into 102 gminas, which are smaller administrative units. As of 2019, the total population was 1,237,369 people. Kielce is the most populous city with 195,266 residents. Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski is the second most populous city.

The economy of the province is measured by its Gross domestic product, or GDP. In 2018, the GDP was 11.6 billion €. This accounted for 2.3% of the total economic output of Poland. The GDP per capita was 15,400 € when adjusted for purchasing power. This figure is 51% of the EU27 average. The GDP per employee was 58% of the EU average. Because of these numbers, it has the fifth lowest GDP per capita in Poland. Despite this, the region has many unique industries. For example, the town of Ćmielów has a rich tradition of porcelain production. It is home to the Living Porcelain Museum.

Tourism is a major part of life in the voivodeship. There are ten Historic Monuments of Poland in the region. You can visit many castles, such as those in Bodzentyn, Chęciny, Sandomierz, and Szydłów. Some towns like Opatów and Szydłów have well-preserved old towns. In Opatów and Sandomierz, visitors can explore underground tourist routes. These routes run through historic cellars under the market squares. The province also offers natural beauty through its protected areas. There is one National Park called Świętokrzyski National Park. There are also nine Landscape Parks, such as the Nida Landscape Park. Two towns, Busko-Zdrój and Solec-Zdrój, serve as spa towns.

Sports also play a significant role in the local culture. Football and handball have the largest following in the province. The men's handball team, Iskra Kielce, is very successful. They won the EHF Champions League in 2016.

The team has also won 20 Polish Championships and 18 Polish Cups. There is also a women's team called Korona Handball Kielce. Interestingly, the region has diverse historical roots. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Scottish settlers lived in many towns. They lived in places like Kielce, Sandomierz, and Busko-Zdrój. This history adds to the unique character of the province.