The West Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as the West Pomerania Province, 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 northwestern

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 ...

. Its capital and largest city is

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

. Its area equals 22 892.48 km² (8,838.84 sq mi), and in 2021, it was inhabited by 1 682 003 people. It was established on 1 January 1999, out of the former

and Koszalin Voivodeships and parts of Gorzów, Piła and Słupsk Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast,

Lubusz Voivodeship Lubusz Voivodeship, or Lubuskie Province ( pl, województwo lubuskie ), is a voivodeship ( province) in western Poland. It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra Voivodeships, pursuant to the ...

to the south, the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

federal-states of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 squ ...

to the west, and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

to the north.Ustawa z dnia 24 lipca 1998 r. o wprowadzeniu zasadniczego trójstopniowego podziału terytorialnego państwa (Dz.U. z 1998 r. nr 96, poz. 603).

Geography and tourism

West Pomeranian Voivodeship is the fifth largest voivodeship of Poland in terms of area. Among the largest cities, of the region, are the capital

, as well as Koszalin, Stargard, and

Świnoujście Świnoujście (; german: Swinemünde ; nds, Swienemünn; all three meaning "Świna ivermouth"; csb, Swina) is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. Situated mainly on the islands ...

. This is a picturesque region of the

coast, with many beaches, lakes and woodlands. Szczecin,

and

Police The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

are important

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

s. Other major seaside towns include

Międzyzdroje Międzyzdroje (;), known as Misdroy in English, is a city and a seaside resort in northwestern Poland on the island of Wolin on the Baltic coast. The city is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, and is a seat of the Kamień County and th ...

, Dziwnów,

Kołobrzeg Kołobrzeg ( ; csb, Kòlbrzég; german: Kolberg, ), ; csb, Kòlbrzég , is a port city in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in north-western Poland with about 47,000 inhabitants (). Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast ...

, and

Mielno Mielno (german: Groß Möllen or ) is a resort town in Koszalin County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Mielno. It lies approximately north-west of Koszalin ...

. West Pomerania is considered one of the greenest regions of Poland, and one of the most attractive for tourists. It is characterized by incredible diversity of the landscape: beaches, hundreds of lakes, and forests full of wildlife (e.g. Wkrzanska Forest), spreading mainly up the hills of the glacial lakes areas. West Pomerania is also rich in various forms and styles of architecture that were built during the Middle Ages as well as the Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance periods. There is a diverse repertoire of theaters, festivals, museums and galleries. During a few-day long annual Sea Festival in

, a number of free open-air concerts take place. In

during the summer, the

FAMA FAMA () is a Hong Kong hip hop duo consisting of members C Kwan and Luk Wing (6-Wing). Formed in 2002, the duo have since released 10 studio albums and EPs. Known for their quick-wit and humour, along with the use of lyrics and music to reflect ...

Academic Youth Arts Festival takes place – an event with several years of tradition, which attracts not only young people but also older alumni. In

, there is a Festival Of The Stars, which draws many popular actors. In Wolin, a Viking Festival takes place, which draws "Vikings" from all across Europe. Another draw to the area is a wide array of health resorts. Brine and

peloid Peloid is mud, or clay used therapeutically, as part of balneotherapy, or therapeutic bathing. Peloids consist of humus and minerals formed over many years by geological and biological, chemical and physical processes. Numerous peloids are ava ...

, discovered in the 19th century, together with geothermal water resources, are popular attractions in Świnoujście, Kamień Pomorski and Połczyn Zdrój. A notable phenomenon on a worldly scale is the Crooked Forest outside the town of Gryfino.

Cities and towns

Drawienski Park Narodowy - ptactwo wodne

The voivodeship contains 5 cities and 61 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019): The Polish districts of the historical region

Western Pomerania Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (german: Vorpommern), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, West ...

(the 3 westernmost districts of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship) had a population of about 520,000 in 2012 (cities of

and

Police County __NOTOC__ Police County ( pl, powiat policki, ) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western Poland, on the Polish- German border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a re ...

combined) – while the

German districts In all German states, except for the three city states, the primary administrative subdivision higher than a '' Gemeinde'' (municipality) is the (official term in all but two states) or (official term in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia ...

had a population of about 470,000 in 2012 ( Vorpommern-Rügen and

Vorpommern-Greifswald Vorpommern-Greifswald is a district in the east of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Rügen, the Baltic Sea, Poland ( West Pomeranian Voivo ...

combined). So overall, about 1 million people live in the historical region of Western Pomerania today, while the

Szczecin agglomeration Szczecin agglomeration or Stettin agglomeration is the urban agglomeration of the city of Szczecin and surrounding towns in the Polish-German border area. The Larger Urban Zone defined by Eurostat includes 777,806 people living on 5249 km ...

reaches even further.

Administrative division

West Pomeranian Voivodeship is divided into 21 counties (

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 ...

s): 3 city counties and 18 land counties. These are further divided into 114

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. The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population in 2019):

Protected areas

Protected areas in West Pomeranian Voivodeship include two

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 ...

s and seven Landscape Parks. These are listed below. * Drawno National Park (partly in

Lubusz Lebus ( pl, Lubusz) is a historic town in the Märkisch-Oderland District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is the administrative seat of '' Amt'' ("collective municipality") Lebus. The town, located on the west bank of the Oder river at the border wit ...

and Greater Poland Voivodeships) *

Wolin National Park Wolin National Park ( pl, Woliński Park Narodowy) is one of 23 national parks in Poland, situated on the island of Wolin in the far north-west of the country, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It was established on 3 March 1960 and covers an area ...

* Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park (partly in Lubusz Voivodeship) *

Cedynia Landscape Park Cedynia Landscape Park ( pl, Cedyński Park Krajobrazowy) is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in north-western Poland, bordering Germany. It was established on 1 April 1993, by order of the governor ( voivode) of the then Szczecin Voivodeship. ...

* Drawsko Landscape Park * Ińsko Landscape Park *

Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park (''Park Krajobrazowy Dolina Dolnej Odry'') is a designated Polish Landscape Park protected area, located in West Pomeranian Voivodeship of northwestern Poland. Geography The Landscape Park is on the eastern banks ...

* Szczecin Landscape Park *

Ujście Warty Landscape Park Warta Mouth Landscape Park ( pl, Park Krajobrazowy Ujście Warty) is a protected area ( a Landscape Park) in western Poland, along the lower stretches of the Warta river as it approaches its confluence with the Oder river. The Park was established ...

(partly in Lubusz Voivodeship)

Demography

After Germany's defeat in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the region became part of Poland by way of the

Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement (german: Potsdamer Abkommen) was the agreement between three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union on 1 August 1945. A product of the Potsdam Conference, it concerned th ...

, which created territorial changes demanded by the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. In 1948 67 percent of the populace originated from Central Poland,

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest cit ...

and Pomeralia while 25 percent came from the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union. Another 6 percent returned to Poland from Western Europe. About 50,000

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...

were forcefully resettled to West Pomerania in the Operation Vistula in 1947.

Education and science

* University of Szczecin (Polish ''Uniwersytet Szczeciński'') with 35,000 students * Technical University in Koszalin with 14,000 students () *

West Pomeranian University of Technology West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin ( pl, Zachodniopomorski Uniwersytet Technologiczny w Szczecinie, ZUT) is a technical university in Szczecin, Poland. The university was established on January 1. 2009 in Szczecin, from the merg ...

in Szczecin with 15,300 students (), formed as a result of merger of

Szczecin University of Technology Szczecin University of Technology ( pl, Politechnika Szczecińska) was one of the biggest universities in Szczecin, Poland. History Szczecin University of Technology was established on 1 December 1946 as School of Engineering in Szczecin (Polish: ...

() and

University of Agriculture in Szczecin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

() * Pomeranian Medical University with 4,000 students () * The Szczecin Academy of Arts () * Maritime University of Szczecin () * The West Pomeranian Business School with 3,000 students () * Szczeciński Park Naukowo-Technologiczny (

science park A science park (also called a "university research park", "technology park”, "technopark", “technopole", or a "science and technology park" (STP)) is defined as being a property-based development that accommodates and fosters the growt ...

)

Economy

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 18.3 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 3.7% of Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 17,700 euros or 59% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 67% of the EU average.

Industrial, science and technology parks

* Goleniowski Park Przemysłowy (

industrial park An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...

in Goleniów) * Infrapark Police (

in Police, Poland) * Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy (

in Stargard) * Szczeciński Park Naukowo-Technologiczny (

)

Transportation

There are two main international road routes that pass through the voivodeship: National road 3 (Poland) Świnoujście-Szczecin-Gorzów Wielkopolski-Zielona Góra-Legnica-Czech border (part of

European route E65 European route E65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chania, Greece. The road is about in length. Route * **: Malmö ( ) – Ystad *Gap (Baltic Sea) ** Ystad - Świnoujście * **: � ...

from Swedish

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal popul ...

to Chaniá in Greece) and National road 6 (Poland) Szczecin-Koszalin-Słupsk-Gdańsk (part of

European route E28 European route E28 is a west-east intermediate road in the international E-road network. Beginning at the Bundesautobahn 10 (''Berliner Ring'') in Germany, it runs west-east for a length of to Minsk, Belarus. The section between Kaliningra ...

from

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

). Most of the National road 3 in the voivodeship is in a standard of an expressway ( Expressway S3 (Poland)). The National road 6 between German border and Rzęśnica is in the standard of autostrada ( A6 autostrada (Poland)), whereas part between Rzęścnica and Goleniów and bypasses of Goleniów and Nowogard are in standards of an expressway ( Expressway S6 (Poland)). Other important national roads are National road 10 (Poland) (German border-Szczecin-Piła-Bydgoscz-Toruń-Płońsk) and National road 11 (Poland) (Kołobrzeg-Koszalin-Piła-Poznań-Bytom). Apart from the above, some other national roads are located in the voivodeship. The voivodeship possesses also a well-developed network of regional roads. Main railways in the province are line no. 351 Szczecin-Poznań, line no. 273 Szczecin-Wrocław (so-called “Odra railway”), line no. 202 Stargard-Gdańsk, line no. 401 Szczecin-Świnoujście and line no. 404 Kołobrzeg-Szczecinek. The main railway stations of the province are Szczecin main station, Stargard and Koszalin. The stations are served by fast

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 ...

trains which connect them with the capital

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 ...

, as well as other major Polish cities. In addition to these fast express services, inter-regional trains and intra-regional trains are operated by the firm

Przewozy Regionalne Polregio (formerly ''Przewozy Regionalne'') is a train operator in Poland, responsible for local and interregional passenger transportation. Each day it runs approximately 3,000 regional trains. In 2002 it carried 215 million passengers. Th ...

. Szczecin main station possesses international train connections with

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. It ...

and Lübeck (operated by

DB Regio DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. DB Regio AG, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and there part of the DB Regio bu ...

). Świnoujście has a direct train connection with

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, N ...

, which is operated by

Usedomer Bäderbahn The Usedomer Bäderbahn (UBB) with its head office in Heringsdorf, northeastern Germany, is a 100 percent-owned subsidiary of the German national railway, Deutsche Bahn and the owner and operator of the railway network on the island of Usedom U ...

. The only domestic and international airport in West Pomeranian Voivodeship is Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport. Also, part of the runway of an abandoned airport in Bagicz (near

) was converted to an airport licensed to service planes carrying not more than 20 passengers on board.

Gallery

File:Sadkowo kościół.JPG, Tychowo Parish File:Golce Wal Pomorski 2007-05b.jpg, Plaque commemorating the battle of the Pomeranian Wall File:2011-08 301 Spore, kościół Najświętszej rodziny (Sparsee Kirche).jpg, Church in Spore, West Pomeranian Voivodeship File:Czaplinek rynek (1).jpg, Czaplinek was once settled by

Templars , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

File:POL 2007 08 04 Jaroslawiec zachodniopomorskie 07.JPG, Jarosławiec (West Province) File:Roscin church.JPG, St. Roch's Church in Roscin, Mysliborz county File:Dworzec Krąg-Buszyno.jpg, Krąg-Buszyno station ruins File:HerbKurBialyZSarkofaguHenrykaVonPodevils.jpg, Tumby relics File:Przyborze-krzyze.jpg, The historic cemetery crosses at Przyborze File:Motaniec Lapidarium.jpg, Lapidarium with remains of an old German cemetery in Motaniec, Poland File:Kobylanka rzezba.jpg, Square in Kobylanka (West Pomeranian Province) File:Trzesącz.JPG, Ruins of the church in Trzęsacz File:Szczecin by night (as seen from Łasztownia).jpg,

- ''Wały Chrobrego'' File:Szczecin filharmonia (1).jpg,

Szczecin Philharmonic Szczecin Philharmonic, officially Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic ( pl, Filharmonia im. Mieczysława Karłowicza), founded in 1948, is a philharmonic of the city of Szczecin, Poland.

File:Klif-gosan-070620056.jpg, Gosań cliff,

File:Kolobrzeg latarnia.jpg,

Lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses m ...

File:Darlowo3.jpg, Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Darłowo File:Ścieżka.JPG,

Dendrological Garden in Przelewice The Dendrological Garden in Przelewice () is a botanical garden, founded in 1933 in Przelewice, Pyrzyce County. It is located to south-east from Pyrzyce, 60 km from the center of the city of Szczecin. The garden occupies 45 hectares. One ...

File:Kamień Pomorski, Kathedrale St. Johannis, innen, y (2011-07-30) by Klugschnacker in Wikipedia.jpg, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Kamień Pomorski File:Wind turbines Cisowo 01.jpg, Wind turbines in Cisowo File:Jezioro Ostrowiec niedaleko Głuska.JPG, Lake Ostrowiec File:Borne Sulinowo - czołg.jpg, Borne Sulinowo

Notes

References

External links

Westpomeranian System of Tourist Information

The Parliament of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship

Marshal's Office of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship

Voivode's Office of the Westpomeranian Voivodeship

Zrot : Official Tourism Site
(Polish, English, German)
Zart : Good Tourism Site
(Polish, English, German) {{Authority control States and territories established in 1999 1999 establishments in Poland Pomerania