The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a
voivodeship (
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...
) in east-central
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, with its capital located in the city of
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
, which also serves as the capital of the country. The voivodeship has an area of and, as of 2019, a population of 5,411,446, making it the largest and most populated voivodeship of Poland.
Its principal cities are
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
(1.783 million) in the centre of the
Warsaw metropolitan area
The Warsaw metropolitan area (known in Polish as: ''aglomeracja warszawska'' or ''Miejski Obszar Funkcjonalny Warszawy'') is the metropolitan area of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The metropolitan area covers ten counties in the Masovian Voiv ...
,
Radom (212,230) in the south,
Płock (119,709) in the west,
Siedlce
Siedlce [] ( yi, שעדליץ ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,354 inhabitants (). Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship (1975–1998). The city is situated b ...
(77,990) in the east, and
Ostrołęka (52,071) in the north.
The province was created on 1 January 1999, out of the former voivodeships of
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
,
Płock,
Ciechanów,
Ostrołęka,
Siedlce
Siedlce [] ( yi, שעדליץ ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,354 inhabitants (). Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship (1975–1998). The city is situated b ...
and
Radom, pursuant to the
Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998. The province's name recalls the traditional name of the region,
Mazovia, with which it is roughly coterminous. However, southern part of the voivodeship, with Radom, historically belongs to
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a ...
, while
Łomża
Łomża (), in English known as Lomza, is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship ...
and its surroundings, even though historically part of Mazovia, now is part of
Podlaskie Voivodeship.
It is bordered by six other voivodeships:
Warmian-Masurian to the north,
Podlaskie to the north-east,
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...
to the south-east,
Świętokrzyskie to the south,
Łódź
Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...
to the south-west, and
Kuyavian-Pomeranian to the north-west.
Mazovian Voivodeship is the centre of
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...
, research, education, industry and
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
in the country.
It currently has the lowest unemployment rate in Poland and is classified as a very high income province.
Moreover, it is popular among holidaymakers due to the number of historical monuments and greenery; forests cover over 20% of the voivodeship's area, where
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
s and
oaks predominate in the regional landscape. Additionally, the
Kampinos National Park
Kampinos National Park ( pl, Kampinoski Park Narodowy) is a National Park in east-central Poland, in Masovian Voivodeship, on the north-west outskirts of Warsaw. It has a sister park agreement with Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana, United Stat ...
located within Masovia is a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
-designated
biosphere reserve.
Administrative division
Masovian Voivodeship is divided into 42
counties, including 5
city counties and 37 land counties. These are subdivided into 314
gmina
The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' , from German ''Gemeinde'' meaning ''commune'') is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over 4 ...
s (municipilaties), which include 85 urban gminas.
;The counties, shown on the numbered map, are described in the table below.
Cities and towns
The voivodeship contains 10 cities and 78 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019):
Politics
The Masovian voivodeship's government is headed by the province's ' (
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
) who is appointed by the
Polish Prime Minister. The ' is then assisted in performing his duties by the
voivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for the
voivodeship's executive and is elected by the ' (
provincial assembly). The current ' of Masovia is
Konstanty Radziwiłł
Konstanty Mikołaj Melchior Maria Radziwiłł (; born 9 January 1958) is a Polish politician, physician, and the voivode of the Masovian Voivodeship. He was Poland's Minister of Health from 16 November 2015 to 9 January 2018. He is a former member ...
.
The Sejmik of Masovia consists of 51 members.
Voivodes
2018 election
Protected areas
Protected areas in Masovian Voivodeship include one
National Park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
and nine
Landscape Parks. These are listed below.
*
Kampinos National Park
Kampinos National Park ( pl, Kampinoski Park Narodowy) is a National Park in east-central Poland, in Masovian Voivodeship, on the north-west outskirts of Warsaw. It has a sister park agreement with Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana, United Stat ...
(a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
-designated
biosphere reserve)
*
Bolimów Landscape Park
Bolimów Landscape Park (''Bolimowski Park Krajobrazowy'') is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in central Poland, established in 1986, covering an area of .
The Park is shared between two voivodeships: Łódź Voivodeship and Masovian Voivod ...
(partly in
Łódź Voivodeship)
*
Brudzeń Landscape Park
*
Bug Landscape Park
*
Chojnów Landscape Park
*
Górzno-Lidzbark Landscape Park (partly in
Kuyavian-Pomeranian and
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships)
*
Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park (partly in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship)
*
Kozienice Landscape Park
*
Masovian Landscape Park
*
Podlaskie Bug Gorge Landscape Park
Podlasie Bug Gorge Landscape Park (''Park Krajobrazowy Podlaski Przełom Bugu'') is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in eastern Poland, established in 1994, covering an area of .
The Park is shared between two voivodeships: Lublin Voivodeshi ...
(partly in
Lublin Voivodeship)
Historical
Masovian Voivodeship (1526–1795)
Masovia Voivodeship, 1526–1795 ( pl, Województwo Mazowieckie) was an administrative region of the
Kingdom of Poland, and of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
, from the 15th century until the
partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place toward the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland and Lithuania for 1 ...
(1795). Together with
Płock and
Rawa Voivodeships, it formed the province (
prowincja
Province was the largest territorial subdivision in medieval and Renaissance-era Poland, and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The term designated each of the two largest constituents of the state: depending on the period, includin ...
) of
Masovia.
Masovian Voivodeship (1816–1837)
Masovian Voivodeship was one of
the voivodeships of Congress Poland. It was formed from
Warsaw Department, and transformed into
Masovia Governorate
The Masovia Governorate; russian: Мазовская Губерния was a governorate of Congress Poland, from 1837 to 1944, with its located in Warsaw.
History
It was established on 7 March 1937, replacing the Masovian Voivodeship,Juliusz B ...
.
Transportation
There are three main road routes that pass through the voivodeship:
Cork–Berlin–Poznań–Warszawa–Minsk–Moscow–Omsk,
Prague–Wrocław–Warsaw–Białystok–Helsinki and
Pskov–Gdańsk–Warsaw–Kraków–Budapest.
Currently, there are various stretches of
autostrada in the area, with the
A2 autostrada connecting the region, and therefore the capital city, with the rest of Europe. The autostrada passes directly through the voivodship from west to east, connecting it with Belarus and Germany. However, the A2 is yet to be built east of Warsaw to connect Poland with Belarus. The S8 expressway connects Warsaw with Białystok in the neighboring eastern province, along with the S17 being built to connect Warsaw with Lublin.
The railroad system is based on
Koleje Mazowieckie
Masovian Railways, in Polish Koleje Mazowieckie, is a regional rail operator in the Masovian Voivodeship of Poland.
History
The company was founded in 2004 as a joint venture of the Masovian Voivodeship, with 51% shares, and the, then governmen ...
and
PKP Intercity
PKP Intercity is a company of PKP Group responsible for long-distance passenger transport. It runs about 350 trains daily, connecting mainly large agglomerations and smaller towns in Poland. The company also provides most international trains t ...
.
The main international airport in the region is
Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport
Warsaw Chopin Airport ( pl, Lotnisko Chopina w Warszawie, ) is an international airport in the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. It is Poland's busiest airport with 18.9 million passengers in 2019, thus handling approximately 40% of th ...
.
Economy
Masovian Voivodeship is the wealthiest province in Poland. The
gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
(GDP) of the province was €112.2 billion in 2018, accounting for 22.6% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €34,400 or 114% of the EU27 average in the same year.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate stood at 4.8% in 2017 and was higher than the national and the European average.
Gallery
Image:Płock, kostel II.jpg, Płock Cathedral
Płock Cathedral ( pl, Katedra Płocka), or the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Masovia, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Płock, in central Poland. It is an example of 12th-century Romanesque architecture and is the oldest an ...
, burial site of Polish monarchs
Image:2017-05-27 Plac Zamkowy w Warszawie 2.jpg, Warsaw Old Town
Warsaw Old Town ( pl, Stare Miasto, italic=yes and colloquially as ''Starówka'') is the oldest part of Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. It is bounded by the ''Wybrzeże Gdańskie'' (Gdańsk Boulevards), along with the bank of the Vistula riv ...
, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
Image:Zamek w Liwie 11.JPG, Liw Castle
Image:Radom.Zespół klasztorny bernardynów 01.jpg, Saint Catherine of Alexandria church in Radom
Image:Pałac, Otwock Wielki.jpg, Palace in Otwock Wielki
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
Image:Ratusz w Szydłowcu 01 ssj 20070915.jpg, Szydłowiec Town Hall
Szydłowiec Town Hall is a late Renaissance building that is the seat of the mayor and local government administration of Szydłowiec.
Function
The town hall is the seat of the Mayor and The Town Council administration.
History
In the ...
Image:Pałac Króla Jana III Sobieskiego w Wilanowie 14.JPG, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
Image:Warszawa, ul. Freta 16 20170516 002.jpg, Łyszkiewicz Apartment in Warsaw, birthplace of Marie Curie
Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the fir ...
, presently a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...
of the Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner
Image:Żelazowa Wola - dworek.jpg, Birthplace of Frédéric Chopin in Żelazowa Wola, presently a museum of the composer
Image:Część ogólnodostępnych koszar.JPG, Modlin Fortress
See also
*
Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939)
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1999 establishments in Poland
States and territories established in 1999