__NOTOC__
Tatra County ( pl, powiat tatrzański) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (
powiat
A ''powiat'' (pronounced ; Polish plural: ''powiaty'') is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture ( LAU-1, formerly NUTS-4) in other countries. The term "''powiat ...
) in
Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern
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 ...
, on the
Slovak border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the
Polish local government reforms
The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland is divided into ''voivodeships'' (provinces); these are further divided into ''powiats'' (counties or districts), and these i ...
passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is
Zakopane
Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been ...
, which lies south of the regional capital
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
. The county takes its name from the
Tatra mountain range, which covers most of its territory.
The county covers an area of . As of 2006 its total population is 65,393, out of which the population of Zakopane is 27,486 and the rural population is 37,907.
The mountainous southern part of the county (211 km
2) makes up the
Tatra National Park. This area, together with the
Slovak Tatra National Park across the border, make up a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
-designated
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
.
Neighbouring counties
Tatra County is bordered by only one other Polish county,
Nowy Targ County, which lies to the north. To the east, west and south it is bordered by
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
(namely,
Tvrdošín and
Liptovský Mikuláš Districts in
Žilina Region
The Žilina Region ( sk, Žilinský kraj; pl, Kraj żyliński; hu, Zsolnai kerület) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts ( okresy) and 315 municipalities, from which 18 have a town status. The region ...
to the south and west, and
Poprad District
Poprad District (''okres Poprad'') is a district in
the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia. The district had been established in 1923 and from 1996 exists in its current borders. It consists of 29 municipalities, from which three have a town statu ...
in
Prešov Region to the south and east).
Administrative division
The county is subdivided into five
gminas (one urban and four rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.
See also
*
Małe Ciche
References
Polish official population figures 2006
Tatra
{{Tatra-geo-stub