It was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Cracow, Tarnow, Nowy Sacz and parly Bielsko-Biala and Katowice voivodships as a result of Local Government Reogranization Act of 1998. The voivodship's name recalls the region's traditional name of Lesser Poland (Malopolska).
It bounded by the Gory Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross Mountains) on the north, the
broad range of hills stretching down from Czestochowa to Cracow (Jura
Cracowsko-Czestochowska) on the west, and the Tatra,
Pieniny Mountains and Beskidy Mountains on the south.
It is an ancient region
forming, together with Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) and Silesia (Slask), the
early medieval Polish state. Almost all of Lesser Poland lies in the Vistula river
catchment area. The structure of the Tatra Euroregion allows border
co-operation between areas of Poland and Slovakia. The Lesser Poland voivodship
features diversified industries, a developing advanced technology sector, great
scientific and cultural potential, diversified tourist and sports areas, an
active population and a business-friendly environment. The city of Cracow, the
ancient capital of Poland and for centuries the residence of Polish kings, is a
convenient place for meetings, conferences, as well as for trade and cultural
exchanges. It is a city where two Nobel Prize winners in the field of
literature, Wislawa Szymborska and Czeslaw Milosz, come from. Following
the decision of the European Union's Ministers of Culture, Cracow was one of
the European Cities of Culture of the year 2000.
Cracow has convenient
railway and road connections with Katowice (expressway), Warsaw,
Wroclaw and Rzeszow. It lies at the crossroads of major international
routes linking Dresden with Kiev, and Gdansk with Budapest. The
second (after Warsaw) largest international airport in Poland - the John Paul II International Airport - is located here.
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2 Universities 3 Tourism 4 Administrative division 5 Major cities and towns 6 External links: |
Voivodships of Poland:
Economy
The most visible feature of the region's economy is its great diversity. All
significant branches of economy are represented here - from high technologies
and banking to chemical and metallurgical industries, coal, ore, food
processing, spirit and tobacco industries. The most industrialised city of the
voivodship is Cracow. The largest regional enterprise is operating here - the
Tadeusz Sendzimir Steelworks employing 17,000 people. Another major industrial
centre is located in the west, in the neighbourhood of Chrzanow (production of
railway engines) and Oswiecim (chemical works). Cracow Park Technologiczny,
a special economic zone, has been established within the voivodship. There are
almost 210,000 registered economic entities operating in the voivodship, mostly
small and medium-sized, of which 234 belong to the state-owned sector. Foreign
investment, constantly growing in the region, reached approximately USD 1,5
billion by the end of 1997.Universities
Cracow's scientific potential is a powerful asset. 102,000 students attend
fifteen Cracow academic institutions. The Jagiellonian University, the
biggest university in the city (27,000 students), was founded in 1364 and
enjoys a well-deserved reputation. Nicholas Copernicus and Karol Wojtyla
(the Pope, John Paul II) graduated from it. The Mining and Steelwork
Academy (18,700 students) is considered to be the best technical university in
Poland. The Academy of Economics, the Pedagogical University, the Cracow
Technical University and the Agricultural Academy are also very highly
regarded. There are also the Fine Arts Academy, the State Theatre University
and the Musical Academy. Nowy Sacz has become a significant scientific and
educational centre in the region thanks to its Higher School of Business and
Administration, with an American curriculum, founded in 1992. The school,
considered to be the best private educational establishment in Poland, has
2,200 students. There are also two private higher schools in Tarnow.Tourism
Four national parks and numerous sanctuaries have been established in the
voivodship in order to protect and save the exceptional values of the natural
environment of Lesser Poland. The region has superb tourist and recreational
areas, including Zakopane (the most popular Polish winter resort) and the
Tatra, Pieniny and Beskidy Mountains. The abundant natural landscape features
many historical places and sites. The salt mine in Wieliczka, the pilgrimage town of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Cracow's
Old Town are ranked by UNESCO among the most precious sites of the world
heritage. In Wadowice, the birthplace of John Paul II (50 kilometres
south-west from Cracow) one can visit a museum dedicated to the Pope's
childhood. The area of Oswiecim, the former Nazi concentration camp
(Auschwitz-Birkenau), is visited by about half a million visitors annually.Administrative division
Major cities and towns
Capital city: Krakow
Major cities and towns: (population in 1995):
External links:
Greater Poland Voivodship | Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship | Lesser Poland Voivodship | Lodz Voivodship | Lower Silesian Voivodship | Lublin Voivodship | Lubusz Voivodship | Masovian Voivodship | Opole Voivodship | Subcarpathian Voivodship | Podlasie Voivodship | Pomeranian Voivodship | Swietokrzyskie Voivodship | Silesian Voivodship | Warmian-Masurian Voivodship | West Pomeranian Voivodship