Podlaskie Voivodeship
Encyclopedia
Podlaskie Voivodeship is a voivodeship
in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship
to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship
to the south, the Belarusssian
Voblasts
of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian
Counties
of Alytus
and Marijampolė
to the northeast, and the Kaliningrad Oblast
of Russia
to the north. Its capital is Białystok. It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Białystok and Łomża Voivodeships and the eastern half of the former Suwałki Voivodeship, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998.
, Padljašša (Падляшша) in Belarusian
, Pidlissja (Підлісся), Pidljasije (Підлясіє), Pidlyashya (Підляшшя) or Pidljakhija (Підляхія) in Ukrainian
, Palenkė in Lithuanian
, Podljas’e (Подлясье) in Russian
, and Podlachia in Latin
.
There are two opinions regarding the origin of the region's name. People often derive it from the Slavic
les or las, meaning "forest", i.e., it is an area "by the wood(s)" or an "area of forests", which would bring Podlasie close in meaning to adjacent Polesia
. This theory has been questioned, as it does not properly take into consideration the vowel shifts "a" > "e" > "i" in various Slavic languages (in fact, it mixes vowels form different languages). Heavily-wooded Podlasie is home to the primal Białowieża Forest and National Park, habitat of the European wisent
bison and tarpan
.
A second view holds that the term comes from the expression pod Lachem, i.e., "under the Poles" (see: Lechia
). Some claim it to mean "under Polish rule", which does not seem historically sound, as the area belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
until 1569, and the southern part of it—until 1795.
A better variant of the latter theory holds that the name originates from the period when the territory was within the Trakai Voivodeship
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, along the border with Mazovia
Province, primarily a fief of the Poland of the Piasts, and later part of the Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons. Hence pod Lachem would mean "near the Poles", "along the border with Poland". The historical Lithuanian name of the region, Palenkė, has exactly this meaning.
The vast forests and forests (Białowieża, Augustów, Knyszyń, Puszcza Kurpiowska), some of which are the only ones in Europe have retained their original character, you can meet a unique wealth of flora and fauna. The vegetation of the region is extremely rich and diverse, which contributes to the richness of the animal world. Visitors can also see moose, wolves, lynx and bison living in the Bialowieża Forest
and Knyszyń Forest
.
Podlaskie has the lowest population density of the sixteen Polish voivodeships, and its largely unspoiled nature is one of its chief assets. Around 30% of the area of the voivodeship is under legal protection. The Polish part of the Białowieża Forest biosphere reserve
(also a World Heritage Site
) is in Podlaskie. There are four National Park
s (Białowieża
, Biebrza
, Narew
and Wigry
), three Landscape Parks
(Knyszyń Forest
, Łomża and Suwałki), 88 nature reserves, and 15 protected landscape areas
. The voivodeship constitutes a part of the ecologically clean area known as "the Green Lungs of Poland".
Podlaskie has a Warm Summer Continental or Hemiboreal
climate (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification
system, which is characterized by warm temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters. It is substantially different from most of the other Polish lowlands. The region is one of the coldest in Poland, with the average temperature in January being --5 °C. The average temperature in a year is 7 °C (45 °F). The number of frost days ranges from 50 to 60, with frost from 110 to 138 days and the duration of snow cover from 90 to 110 days. Mean annual rainfall values oscillate around 550 millimetres (21.7 in), and the vegetation period lasts 200 to 210 days.
Podlaskie is the coldest region of Poland, located in the very northeast of the country near the border with Belarus
and Lithuania
. The region has a continental climate
which is characterized by high temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters. The climate is affected by the cold fronts which come from Scandinavia
and Siberia
. The average temperature in the winter ranges from -15°C (5°F) to -4°C (24.8°F).
s): 3 city counties and 14 land counties. These are further divided into 118 gminas
.
Metropolitan Białystok was designated by the Voivodeship of the Regulation No. 52/05 of 16 May 2005 in order to help economically develop the region. In 2006, the metropolitan area population was 450,254 inhabitants. It covers an area of 1.521 km ². For one km2, there are about 265 people. Among urban residents are more women - 192 thousand. on 100 men, 108 women on average. The municipalities adjacent to Białystok are slowly losing their agricultural character, becoming the residential suburban neighborhoods.
lands, while westward ethnically non-West
Ruthenian
(Ukrainian
and Belarus
ian) and non-Lithuania
n lands too. Today, mainly Polish
and Ruthenian
(Ukrainian
and Belarusian
) is spoken in Podlaskie, while Lithuanian
is preserved by the small but compact Lithuanian minority
concentrated in the Sejny County.
At the end of 2009 in Podlaskie Voivodeship
there were 1189.7 thousand inhabitants, 3.1 per cent of the
total population of Poland. The average density of the population, the number of the population per 1 km2,
was 59. The urban population in the same period was 60.2 per cent of the total number of inhabitants of the voivodeship, where the percentage of females in the total population amounted to 51.3 per cent. A statistical inhabitant of Podlasie was 37.7 years old, whereas in 2008 – 37.5 years old. The latest population projection predict consistent decrease in the population in Podlaskie Voivodeship. In the next 26 years it will decrease by 117 thousand persons due to the aging of the population.
The area has been inhabited for centuries by members of different nations and religions: Belarusians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Russyns, Gypsies, Tatars, Jews and Filipons.
Many places of religious worship remain:
According to REGON register in the year 2002 there were around 95 thousand companies registered in Podlaskie region (97 % of them in private sector), dealing with;
constitutes around 60% of the total area of the region – most of which is ploughland (around 40%), forests, meadows and pastures. Over 120 000 farms are registered, roughly half of which are small farms of 1–5 ha
and medium-sized farms of 5–10 ha. The smaller farms prefer intensive production (gardening, orcharding), whereas the larger ones engage in cattle and crop production. The cattle-raising farms are mainly oriented towards milk production.
The natural conditions of the region are conducive to the development of organic growing, which at present is practised by around 100 farms. Over 600 farms in the region offer agritourist
services.
(sejmik
) and of the executive elected by that assembly, headed by the voivodeship marshal (marszałek województwa). Administrative powers and competences are statutorily divided between these authorities.
Voivodeships of Poland
The voivodeship, or province, called in Polish województwo , has been a high-level administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century....
in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship
Masovian Voivodeship
-Administrative division:Masovian Voivodeship is divided into 42 counties : 5 city counties and 37 "land counties"...
to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...
to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship
Lublin Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lublin Voivodeship is divided into 24 counties : 4 city counties and 20 land counties. These are further divided into 213 gminas....
to the south, the Belarusssian
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
Voblasts
Regions of Belarus
At the top level of administration, the Eastern European country of Belarus is divided into six voblasts and the city of Minsk, which has a special status being the capital of Belarus...
of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
Counties
Counties of Lithuania
The territory of Lithuania is divided into 10 counties , all named after their capitals. The counties are divided into 60 municipalities : 9 city municipalities, 43 district municipalities and 8 municipalities...
of Alytus
Alytus County
Alytus County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is the southernmost county, and its capital is the city of Alytus. Its territory lies within the ethnographic region of Dzūkija...
and Marijampolė
Marijampole County
Marijampolė County is one of the ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the south of the country in the historical Suvalkija region, and its capital is the town Marijampolė...
to the northeast, and the Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to the north. Its capital is Białystok. It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Białystok and Łomża Voivodeships and the eastern half of the former Suwałki Voivodeship, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998.
Etymology
The voivodeship takes its name from the historic region called Podlasie, Podlasko or Podlasze in PolishPolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Padljašša (Падляшша) in Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
, Pidlissja (Підлісся), Pidljasije (Підлясіє), Pidlyashya (Підляшшя) or Pidljakhija (Підляхія) in Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, Palenkė in Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
, Podljas’e (Подлясье) in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, and Podlachia in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
There are two opinions regarding the origin of the region's name. People often derive it from the Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
les or las, meaning "forest", i.e., it is an area "by the wood(s)" or an "area of forests", which would bring Podlasie close in meaning to adjacent Polesia
Polesia
Polesia is one of the largest European swampy areas, located in the south-western part of the Eastern-European Lowland, mainly within Belarus and Ukraine but also partly within Poland and Russia...
. This theory has been questioned, as it does not properly take into consideration the vowel shifts "a" > "e" > "i" in various Slavic languages (in fact, it mixes vowels form different languages). Heavily-wooded Podlasie is home to the primal Białowieża Forest and National Park, habitat of the European wisent
Wisent
The wisent , Bison bonasus, also known as the European bison or European wood bison, is a species of Eurasian bison. It is the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe; a typical wisent is about long, not counting a tail of long, and tall. Weight typically can range from , with an occasional big...
bison and tarpan
Tarpan
Tarpan is an extinct subspecies of wild horse. The last individual of this subspecies died in captivity in Russia in 1909....
.
A second view holds that the term comes from the expression pod Lachem, i.e., "under the Poles" (see: Lechia
Lechia
Lechia is the historical and/or alternative name of Poland., stemming from the word Lech . It is still present in several European languages and some languages of Central Asia and the Middle East:...
). Some claim it to mean "under Polish rule", which does not seem historically sound, as the area belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
until 1569, and the southern part of it—until 1795.
A better variant of the latter theory holds that the name originates from the period when the territory was within the Trakai Voivodeship
Trakai Voivodeship
Trakai Voivodeship, Trakai Palatinate, or Troki Voivodeship , was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1413 until 1795.-History:...
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, along the border with Mazovia
Mazovia
Mazovia or Masovia is a geographical, historical and cultural region in east-central Poland. It is also a voivodeship in Poland.Its historic capital is Płock, which was the medieval residence of first Dukes of Masovia...
Province, primarily a fief of the Poland of the Piasts, and later part of the Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons. Hence pod Lachem would mean "near the Poles", "along the border with Poland". The historical Lithuanian name of the region, Palenkė, has exactly this meaning.
Geography
Varied landscape, shaped in the north of the Baltic glaciation, the rest of the Middle Poland glaciation. The highest peaks are in the north (Rowelska Top - 298 m), where the landscape is dominated by hilly lake district. Lakeland: Zachodniosuwalskie, Wschodniosuwalskie, Ełckie) and sandrowy lake district (Augustów Plain) in the central and southern plains prevail peryglacjalne (plateaus: Kolneńska, Białystok, Wysokomazowiecka, Drohiczynska, Sokólskie Hills, Międzyrzecko łomżyński, Plain Bielsko), varied in wcinającymi not kotlinami and river valleys, lies on the west edge of the outwash plains Kurpiowska. Predominate on the surface of sand, gravel, clay, moraine, and in the valleys and basins of the rivers silt, sand and peat river.The vast forests and forests (Białowieża, Augustów, Knyszyń, Puszcza Kurpiowska), some of which are the only ones in Europe have retained their original character, you can meet a unique wealth of flora and fauna. The vegetation of the region is extremely rich and diverse, which contributes to the richness of the animal world. Visitors can also see moose, wolves, lynx and bison living in the Bialowieża Forest
Bialowieza Forest
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża Forest, in Belarus and Puszcza Białowieska in Poland, is an ancient woodland straddling the border between the two countries, located north of Brest and south-east of Białystok...
and Knyszyń Forest
Puszcza Knyszynska Landscape Park
Puszcza Knyszyńska Landscape Park is a protected area in north-eastern Poland, established in 1988, covering an area of ....
.
Podlaskie has the lowest population density of the sixteen Polish voivodeships, and its largely unspoiled nature is one of its chief assets. Around 30% of the area of the voivodeship is under legal protection. The Polish part of the Białowieża Forest biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
(also a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
) is in Podlaskie. There are four National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s (Białowieża
Bialowieza Forest
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża Forest, in Belarus and Puszcza Białowieska in Poland, is an ancient woodland straddling the border between the two countries, located north of Brest and south-east of Białystok...
, Biebrza
Biebrza National Park
Biebrza National Park is a national park in Podlaskie Voivodeship, northeastern Poland, situated along the Biebrza River.The largest of Poland’s 23 National Parks, the Biebrza National Park was created on September 9, 1993...
, Narew
Narew National Park
Narew National Park is a National Park in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, traversed by the Narew River. The total area of the Park is , of which only 20.57 km² is state-owned. Narew National Park was created in 1996....
and Wigry
Wigry National Park
Wigry National Park is a National Park in Podlaskie Voivodeship in north-eastern Poland. It covers parts of the Masurian Lake District and Augustów Primeval Forest . It is named after lake Wigry, the largest of the Park's many lakes...
), three Landscape Parks
Landscape Park (Poland)
A Landscape Park is the name given in Poland to a type of protected area, of lower status than a National Park and with less stringent restrictions on development and economic use....
(Knyszyń Forest
Puszcza Knyszynska Landscape Park
Puszcza Knyszyńska Landscape Park is a protected area in north-eastern Poland, established in 1988, covering an area of ....
, Łomża and Suwałki), 88 nature reserves, and 15 protected landscape areas
Protected areas of Poland
Protected areas of Poland include the following types, as defined by the Act on Protection of Nature of 16 April 2004:* 23 National Parks...
. The voivodeship constitutes a part of the ecologically clean area known as "the Green Lungs of Poland".
Podlaskie has a Warm Summer Continental or Hemiboreal
Hemiboreal
Hemiboreal means halfway between the temperate and subarctic zones. The term is most frequently used in the context of ecosystems.-Botany:...
climate (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
system, which is characterized by warm temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters. It is substantially different from most of the other Polish lowlands. The region is one of the coldest in Poland, with the average temperature in January being --5 °C. The average temperature in a year is 7 °C (45 °F). The number of frost days ranges from 50 to 60, with frost from 110 to 138 days and the duration of snow cover from 90 to 110 days. Mean annual rainfall values oscillate around 550 millimetres (21.7 in), and the vegetation period lasts 200 to 210 days.
Podlaskie is the coldest region of Poland, located in the very northeast of the country near the border with Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. The region has a continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
which is characterized by high temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters. The climate is affected by the cold fronts which come from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. The average temperature in the winter ranges from -15°C (5°F) to -4°C (24.8°F).
Subdivisions and Białystok Metropolitan Region
Podlaskie Voivodeship is divided into 17 counties (powiatPowiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
s): 3 city counties and 14 land counties. These are further divided into 118 gminas
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
.
Metropolitan Białystok was designated by the Voivodeship of the Regulation No. 52/05 of 16 May 2005 in order to help economically develop the region. In 2006, the metropolitan area population was 450,254 inhabitants. It covers an area of 1.521 km ². For one km2, there are about 265 people. Among urban residents are more women - 192 thousand. on 100 men, 108 women on average. The municipalities adjacent to Białystok are slowly losing their agricultural character, becoming the residential suburban neighborhoods.
Demographics
Podlaskie is the land of the confluence of cultures – Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian – and is indicative of the ethnic territories limits. Eastward of Podlaskie lie ethnically non-PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
lands, while westward ethnically non-West
Ruthenian
Ruthenians
The name Ruthenian |Rus']]) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially, it was the ethnonym used for the East Slavic peoples who lived in Rus'. Later it was used predominantly for Ukrainians...
(Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian) and non-Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n lands too. Today, mainly Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
and Ruthenian
Ruthenian language
Ruthenian, or Old Ruthenian , is a term used for the varieties of Eastern Slavonic spoken in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later in the East Slavic territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth....
(Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
and Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
) is spoken in Podlaskie, while Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
is preserved by the small but compact Lithuanian minority
Lithuanian minority in Poland
Lithuanian minority in Poland consists of 5,639 people living chiefly in the Podlaskie Voivodeship in the north-eastern part of Poland...
concentrated in the Sejny County.
At the end of 2009 in Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship to the south, the Belarusssian Voblasts of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian Counties of Alytus and...
there were 1189.7 thousand inhabitants, 3.1 per cent of the
total population of Poland. The average density of the population, the number of the population per 1 km2,
was 59. The urban population in the same period was 60.2 per cent of the total number of inhabitants of the voivodeship, where the percentage of females in the total population amounted to 51.3 per cent. A statistical inhabitant of Podlasie was 37.7 years old, whereas in 2008 – 37.5 years old. The latest population projection predict consistent decrease in the population in Podlaskie Voivodeship. In the next 26 years it will decrease by 117 thousand persons due to the aging of the population.
Culture
Podlaskie is the most diverse of all Polish voivodships.The area has been inhabited for centuries by members of different nations and religions: Belarusians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Russyns, Gypsies, Tatars, Jews and Filipons.
Many places of religious worship remain:
- An 18th-century former Carmelite monastery on Wigry Lake
- A former jesuit monastery complex in DrohiczynDrohiczynDrohiczyn is a small historic town in Siemiatycze County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. The town with population 2,110 is situated on a bank of the Bug River.- History :...
- Christ's Transfiguration Orthodox church on the Holy Mount of Grabarka
- Saint Nicolaus the Miracle Worker Orthodox church in Białystok
- A 17th-century synagogue in TykocinTykocinTykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
- The oldest Polish mosque in KruszynianyKruszynianyKruszyniany is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Krynki, within Sokółka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus....
Renaissance
- The ruins of the Royal CastleTykocin CastleThe Tykocin Royal Castle is a 15th century castle located on the right bank of the river Narew in Tykocin, Poland. It fell into ruin in the 18th century and its reconstruction began in 2002.-History:...
in TykocinTykocinTykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
(15th century) - The Jewish cemetery in TykocinTykocinTykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
(16th century) - Monastery of the Annunciation in SupraslSupraslSupraśl is a town in north-eastern Poland. It is the home of the Supraśl Lavra, one of only six Eastern Orthodox monasteries for males in Poland. Situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship , previously in Białystok Voivodeship . It is located in Białystok County, about 15 km northeast of...
(16th–18th centuries)
Baroque
- Dominican Convent of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in SejnySejnySejny is a town in north-eastern Poland, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, close to the border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwałki Lake Area , on the Marycha river, being a tributary of Czarna Hańcza...
(1610–19) - Old Parish Church in Białystok (1617–26)
- Synagogue (1642) and the Talmud house in TykocinTykocinTykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
(18th century) - Trzewiczkowych Carmelite Monastery with the Church of Our Lady of Mount Caramel in Bielsk PodlaskiBielsk Podlaski-Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko...
(mid-17th century) - Branicki PalaceBranicki PalaceBranicki Palace may refer to:*Branicki Palace, Białystok*Branicki Palace, Warsaw...
in Białystok (17th–18th centuries) - Summer residence Branicki in ChoroszczChoroszczChoroszcz is a town in north-eastern Poland.It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship , having previously been in Białystok Voivodeship ....
(1752–59) - Holy Trinity Church in TykocinTykocinTykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
(1742–50) - Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in SiemiatyczeSiemiatyczeSiemiatycze is a town in north-eastern Poland, with 15,209 inhabitants . It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship ; previously it was in Białystok Voivodeship . It is the capital of Siemiatycze County....
(1719–27) - Monastery of the Dominican church of St. And St. John the Baptist. Stephen Martyr in ChoroszczChoroszczChoroszcz is a town in north-eastern Poland.It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship , having previously been in Białystok Voivodeship ....
(mid-18th century) - Capuchin Monastery in Łomża (1770–98)
- Old Town Hall in Bielsk PodlaskiBielsk Podlaski-Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko...
(1776–80) - Sokółki Palace in Pawłowiczch near Sokółka
- Synagogue in OrlaOrla, Podlaskie VoivodeshipOrla is a village in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Orla. It lies approximately south-east of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok....
- Bernardine Monastery in TykocinTykocinTykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
(1771–91) - The team StawiskiStawiskiStawiski is a town in north-eastern Poland, situated within Kolno County, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, approximately 16 kilometres east of Kolno and 74 km west of the regional capital Białystok. Stawiski is the administrative seat of Gmina Stawiski...
Franciscan monastery (17th-19th centuries)
Classicism
- Basilica. Birth of the Virgin and St. Nicholas in Bielsk PodlaskiBielsk Podlaski-Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko...
(1780) - Cathedral of St.. Nicholas in Białystok (1843–46)
- Church of Sts. Kolnie Anne (1834–39)
- Co-cathedral of St. Alexander in Suwałki (1825)
- Classical brick mansion in Little Płock (1835)
- Church of Sts. Anthony in Sokółka (1848)
- Cemetery Cathedral in Łomża
- Synagogue in KolnoKolnoKolno is a town in northeastern Poland, located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, about 150 km northeast of Warsaw. It is the seat of Kolno County, and the seat of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Kolno, but it is not part of this district, as the town has gmina status in its own...
(second half of 18th century)
19th century
- Lubomirski Palace in Białystok (second half of 19th century)
- Hasbacha Palace in Białystok (late 19th century)
- The palace and park in Buchholtzów Suprasl (1892–1903)
- Team Becker factory in Białystok (nineteenth and early 20th century)
- The fence and gate parafialno-municipal cemetery in Kolno (1809)
- Church in the Parish and (first half of 19th century)
- Catholic Parish in Grabowie (first half of 19th century)
- The Jewish cemetery in Kolno (1817)
- The Jewish cemetery in Stawiski (first half of 19th century)
- Parish Church p.w. St. Adalbert in m (first half of 19th century)
- The team mail Stawiski (2nd quarter of 19th century)
- Neo-Baroque bell tower at the church brick church. St. Anne Kolnie (1862)
- Buildings of the monastery of SS. Benedictine in Łomża (1863)
- Church of the Assumption in Łomża (1877)
- Roman Catholic Cemetery in Porytem (second half of 19th century)
- Church of the Holy Trinity in Zambrów (1879)
- Church of the Holy Trinity in Grajewo (1882)
- Church of Sts. John the Baptist in Wysokie Mazowiecki (1888)
- Building Seminar in Łomża(1866)
- Town Hall in Łomża (1822–23)
- Numerous monuments Street. Dwornej in Łomża
- Manor in Wojnówce
- Basilica of the Assumption in Białystok (1900–05, neo-Gothic)
- The Church of St.Adalbert in Białystok (1906–12)
- The Church of St. Rocha in Białystok (1926–47, modernist)
- Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Augustów (1905–11 eclectic)
- The Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa and St. Casimir in Mońkach (1921–35)
- Saints' Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Łapy (1918–27)
- Fortress in Osowcu
- Polish Tatar (see "Islam in PolandIslam in PolandThe first ever written account of Poland was recorded by the Muslim Caliphate of Córdoba's 10th-century envoy, Ibrahim ibn Jakub. A continuous presence of Islam in Poland began in the 14th century. From this time it was primarily associated with the Tatars, many of whom settled in the...
") wooden mosqueMosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
and Muslim cemetery in the village of BohonikiBohonikiBohoniki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sokółka, within Sokółka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It lies approximately east of Sokółka and north-east of the regional capital Białystok. The village has a population of...
General Economic Indicators
The following are general economic indicators for Podlaskie:- Population (as of 30 September 2009) - 1190735
- Average paid employment in enterprise sector (November 2009) - 95896
- Average monthly gross wages and salaries in enterprise sector (November 2009) - 2813,05 zł
- Unemployment rate (as of the end of November 2009) - 12,0%
- Dwellings completed (November 2009) - 661
- Procurement of milk (November 2009) - 126,8 mln l
- National economy entities in the REGON register, excluding persons tending private farms (as of the end of November 2009) - 89654
According to REGON register in the year 2002 there were around 95 thousand companies registered in Podlaskie region (97 % of them in private sector), dealing with;
- Trade and servicing – 33.2 %
- Providing services to real estates and companies – 11.8 %
- Construction – 10.5%
- Industrial processing – 9.7 %
- Transport 8.3%
- Agriculture, hunting and forestry 4.5%
Agriculture
Arable landArable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
constitutes around 60% of the total area of the region – most of which is ploughland (around 40%), forests, meadows and pastures. Over 120 000 farms are registered, roughly half of which are small farms of 1–5 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
and medium-sized farms of 5–10 ha. The smaller farms prefer intensive production (gardening, orcharding), whereas the larger ones engage in cattle and crop production. The cattle-raising farms are mainly oriented towards milk production.
The natural conditions of the region are conducive to the development of organic growing, which at present is practised by around 100 farms. Over 600 farms in the region offer agritourist
Agritourism
Agritourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Agritourism has different definitions in different parts of the world, and sometimes refers specifically to farm stays, as in Italy...
services.
Government
The voivodeship's seat is the city of Białystok. Like all voivodeships, it has a government-appointed Provincial Governor , as well as an elected Regional AssemblyPodlaskie Regional Assembly
The Podlaskie Regional Assembly is the regional legislature of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. It is a unicameral body consists of thirty councilors elected in free elections for a 4-year term...
(sejmik
Voivodeship sejmik
A voivodeship sejmik is a provincial-level elected assembly for each of the 16 voivodeships of Poland. Sejmiks are elected to four-year terms, decided during nationwide local elections...
) and of the executive elected by that assembly, headed by the voivodeship marshal (marszałek województwa). Administrative powers and competences are statutorily divided between these authorities.