Opole Voivodeship

Voivodeship in Poland

Opole Voivodeship Województwo opolskie
Voivodeship
Flag Coat of arms
Location within Poland
Division into counties
Coordinates (Opole): 50°40′N 17°56′E / 50.667°N 17.933°E / 50.667; 17.933
Country	Poland
Capital	Opole
Counties	1 city, 11 land counties, further divided into 71 gminas Opole Brzeg County Głubczyce County Kędzierzyn-Koźle County Kluczbork County Krapkowice County Namysłów County Nysa County Olesno County Opole County Prudnik County Strzelce County
Area
• Total	9,412.5 km2 (3,634.2 sq mi)
Population (31-12-2014)
• Total	1,000,858
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
• Urban	549,334
• Rural	495,012
Car plates	O
HDI (2017)	0.841[1] very high · 11th
Website	http://www.umwo.opole.pl/

Opole Voivodeship, or Opole Province^[2] (Polish: województwo opolskie [vɔjɛˈvutstfɔ ɔˈpɔlskʲɛ], German: Woiwodschaft Oppeln, Czech: Opolské vojvodství), is the smallest and least populated voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province's name derives from that of the region's capital and largest city, Opole. It is part of Upper Silesia. A relatively large German minority, with representatives in the Sejm, lives in the voivodeship, and the German language is co-official in 28 communes.

Opole Voivodeship is bordered by Lower Silesian Voivodeship to the west, Greater Poland and Łódź Voivodeships to the north, Silesian Voivodeship to the east, and the Czech Republic (Olomouc Region and Moravian-Silesian Region) to the south.

Opole Province's geographic location, economic potential, and its population's level of education make it an attractive business partner for other Polish regions (especially Lower Silesian and Silesian Voivodeships) and for foreign investors. Formed in 1997, the Praděd/Pradziad Euroregion has facilitated economic, cultural and tourist exchanges between the border areas of Poland and the Czech Republic.

Contents

• 
  1 History
  


• 
  2 Geography
  
  
  
  • 
    2.1 Protected areas
    
  
  
  • 
    2.2 Climate
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  3 Administrative division
  


• 
  4 Cities and towns
  


• 
  5 Demographics
  


• 
  6 Economy
  
  
  
  • 
    6.1 Tourism
    
  
  
  • 
    6.2 International tourism
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  7 Transportation
  


• 
  8 Universities
  


• 
  9 Surnames
  


• 
  10 Former Opole voivodeships
  
  
  
  • 
    10.1 Opole Voivodeship (1975-1999)
    
  
  
  • 
    10.2 Opole Voivodeship (1950–1975)
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  11 See also
  


• 
  12 References
  


• 
  13 External links
  

History

Voivodeships between 1975-1998 superseded with the present borders of the Opole Voivodeship

Opole Voivodeship was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Opole Voivodeship and parts of Częstochowa Voivodeship, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998.
Originally, the government, advised by prominent historians, had wanted to disestablish Opolskie and partition its territory between the more historically Polish regions of Lower Silesia and Silesian Voivodeship (eastern Upper Silesia and western Malopolska. The plan was that Brzeg and Namysłów, as the Western part of the region, were to be transferred to Lower Silesia, while the rest was to become, along with a part of the Częstochowa Voivodeship, an integral part of the new 'Silesian' region. However, the plans resulted in an outcry from the German minority population of Opole Voivodeship, who feared that should their region be abolished, they would lose all hope of regional representation (in the proposed Silesian Region, they would have formed a very small minority among a great number of ethnic Poles). To the surprise of many of the ethnic Germans in Opole however, the local Polish Silesian population and groups of ethnic Poles also rose up to oppose the planned reforms; this came about as a result of an overwhelming feeling of attachment to the voivodeships that were scheduled to be 'redrawn', as well as a fear of 'alienation' should one find themselves residing in a new, unfamiliar region.

The solution came in late 1999, when Olesno was, after 24 years apart, finally reunited with the Opole Voivodeship to form the new legally defined region. A historic moment came in 2006 when the town of Radłów changed its local laws to make German, alongside Polish, the district's second official language; thus becoming the first town in the region to achieve such a feat.

Geography

The voivodeship lies in southwestern Poland, the major part on the Silesian Lowland (Nizina Śląska). To the east, the region touches upon the Silesian Upland (Silesian Uplands, Wyżyna Śląska) with the famous Saint Anne Mountain; the Sudetes range, the Opawskie Mountains, lies to the southwest. The Oder River cuts across the middle of the voivodeship. The northern part of the voivodeship, along the Mała Panew River, is densely forested, while the southern part consists of arable land.

The region has the warmest climate in the country.

Protected areas

Protected areas in Opole Voivodeship include the following three areas designated as Landscape Parks:

• Opawskie Mountains Landscape Park


• Góra Świętej Anny Landscape Park


• Stobrawa Landscape Park

Climate

Climate data for Opole
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	2 (36)	3 (37)	8 (46)	15 (59)	20 (68)	22 (72)	25 (77)	25 (77)	20 (68)	15 (59)	8 (46)	3 (37)	13.8 (56.8)
Average low °C (°F)	−3 (27)	−3 (27)	0 (32)	4 (39)	8 (46)	11 (52)	14 (57)	14 (57)	10 (50)	5 (41)	1 (34)	−2 (28)	4.9 (40.8)
Source: MeteoBlue

Administrative division

Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties (powiats): 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.

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

Opole, the voivodeship's capital

Nysa, the third-largest town by population in the south-west

Brzeg, a popular tourist attraction for its Renaissance Town Hall and Castle

Prudnik, with its preserved medieval town centre

Kluczbork serves as a key rail line junction in the north-east of the region

English and Polish names	Area (km²)	Population (2006)	Seat	Other towns	Total gminas
City counties
Opole	96	128,034			1
Land counties
Nysa County powiat nyski	1,224	145,640	Nysa	Głuchołazy, Paczków, Otmuchów, Korfantów	9
Opole County powiat opolski	1,587	134,874	Opole *	Ozimek, Niemodlin, Prószków	13
Kędzierzyn-Koźle County powiat kędzierzyńsko-kozielski	625	102,118	Kędzierzyn-Koźle		6
Brzeg County powiat brzeski	877	92,361	Brzeg	Grodków, Lewin Brzeski	6
Strzelce County powiat strzelecki	744	80,828	Strzelce Opolskie	Zawadzkie, Kolonowskie, Leśnica, Ujazd	7
Kluczbork County powiat kluczborski	852	70,082	Kluczbork	Wołczyn, Byczyna	4
Olesno County powiat oleski	974	68,269	Olesno	Praszka, Dobrodzień, Gorzów Śląski	7
Krapkowice County powiat krapkowicki	442	67,926	Krapkowice	Zdzieszowice, Gogolin	5
Prudnik County powiat prudnicki	571	59,931	Prudnik	Głogówek, Biała Prudnicka	4
Głubczyce County powiat głubczycki	673	50,326	Głubczyce	Kietrz, Baborów	4
Namysłów County powiat namysłowski	748	43,957	Namysłów		5
* seat not part of the county

Cities and towns

The voivodeship contains 35 cities and towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2006^[3]):

1. 
   Opole (128,034)


2. 
   Kędzierzyn-Koźle (65,572)


3. 
   Nysa (47,283)


4. 
   Brzeg (38,303)


5. 
   Kluczbork (25,910)


6. 
   Prudnik (23,133)


7. 
   Strzelce Opolskie (20,059)


8. 
   Krapkowice (18,112)


9. 
   Namysłów (16,557)


10. 
    Głuchołazy (14,887)


11. 
    Głubczyce (13,333)


12. 
    Zdzieszowice (13,329)


13. 
    Olesno (10,106)


14. 
    Ozimek (9,944)


15. 
    Grodków (8,771)


16. 
    Zawadzkie (8,331)


17. 
    Praszka (8,230)


18. 
    Paczków (8,147)


19. 
    Niemodlin (6,849)


20. 
    Kietrz (6,365)


21. 
    Wołczyn (6,139)


22. 
    Gogolin (6,077)


23. 
    Lewin Brzeski (5,826)


24. 
    Głogówek / Oberglogau (5,816)


25. 
    Otmuchów (5,261)


26. 
    Dobrodzień / Guttentag (4,168)


27. 
    Byczyna (3,677)


28. 
    Kolonowskie / Colonnowska (3,432)


29. 
    Baborów (3,175)


30. 
    Leśnica / Leschnitz (2,945)


31. 
    Prószków / Proskau (2,713)


32. 
    Biała Prudnicka / Zülz (2,653)


33. 
    Gorzów Śląski (2,606)


34. 
    Korfantów (1,883)


35. 
    Ujazd / Ujest (1,652)

Demographics

The Opole Voivodeship is the smallest region in the administrative makeup of the country in terms of both area and population.

About 15% of the one million inhabitants of this voivodeship are ethnic Germans, which constitutes 90% of all ethnic Germans in Poland. As a result, many areas are officially bilingual in Opolskie, and the German language and culture play a significant role in education in the region.

Further information: Germans of Poland

Economy

Opole Główne railway station is a major transportation hub through which much of the region's trade is channelled

The Opole Voivodeship is an industrial as well as an agricultural region. With respect to mineral resources, of major importance are deposits of raw materials for building: limestone (Strzelce Opolskie), marl (near Opole), marble, and basalt. The favourable climate, fertile soils, and high farming culture contribute to the development of agriculture, which is among the most productive in the country.

A total of nineteen industries are represented in the voivodeship. The most important are cement and lime, furniture, food, car manufacturing, and chemical industries. In 1997, the biggest production growth in the area was in companies producing wood and wood products, electrical equipment, machinery and appliances, as well as cellulose and paper products. In 1997, the top company in the region was Zakłady Azotowe S.A. in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, whose income was over PLN 860 million. The voivodship's economy consists of more than 53,000 businesses, mostly small and medium-sized, employing over 332,000 people. Manufacturing companies employ over 89,000 people; 95.7% of all the region's business operate in the private sector.

Tourism

Moszna Castle, near Opole

The Opole Voivodeship is a green region with three large lakes: Turawskie, Nyskie, and Otmuchów (the latter two are connected). The Opawskie Mountains are extremely popular. The region also includes the castle in Brzeg, built during the reign of the Piast dynasty—pearl of the Silesian Renaissance, the Franciscan monastery on top of Saint Anne Mountain, as well as the medieval defence fortifications in Paczków (referred to as the Upper Silesian Carcassonne).

International tourism

According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland, Opole Voivodeship is most frequently visited by international tourists from countries located in Europe (94.6%). The rank was followed by tourists from Asia, compromising 2.4% of the total international tourist figure, followed by that of North America at 1.8%. The general composition of international tourists visiting the Opole Voivodeship remains unchanged, with 46.2% of tourists heading from Germany.

International tourists visiting Opole Voivodeship with an overnight stay according to country of permanent residence:^[4]

Overnight international tourists in Opole Voivodeship (2015)

Country	International tourists (change from 2010)
Austria	600(+33.3%)
Belgium	450(+6.6%)
Czech Republic	2,200(+41.9%)
Denmark	370(+2.7%)
France	1,400(+33.3%)
Hungary	375(+7.1%)
Italy	910(+13.7%)
Netherlands	1,220(-43.4%)
Norway	450(+33.3%)
Romania	450(+44.4%)
Russia	320(-46.0%)
Slovakia	1,000(+40.0%)
Spain	520(+28.9%)
Sweden	320(-12.5%)
United Kingdom	950(-24.2%)
United States of America	600(+25.0%)

Overnight international tourists in Opole Voivodeship (2015)

Country	International tourists (change from 2010)
Germany	18,100(+8.5%)
Ukraine	5,200(+26.9%)

In 2015, a total of c. 90,800 overnight stays were hosted for international tourists, a figure making up 12.4% of the total amount of ovenight stays for Opole Voivodeship. The majority (44.7%) of international overnight stays were hosted in the city of Opole, followed by Kędzierzyn-Koźle County (9.9%) and Nysa County at (9.4%).^[4]

Transportation

The transport route from Germany to Ukraine, the A4, runs through Opole. The region has four border crossings, and direct rail connections to all important Polish cities, as well as to Frankfurt, Munich, Budapest, Kiev, and the Baltic ports.

Universities

There are three state-run universities in the region: the Opole University, the Opole University of Technology, and the State Medical College. All of them are based in the voivodeship's capital. Among the region's private schools, the Opole School of Management and Administration has been certified as a degree-granting institution by the Ministry of National Education.

• Opole University of Technology


• Opole University


• State Medical College


• Opole School of Management and Administration


• Bogdan Jański College


• The State Higher Vocational School in Nysa, PWSZ in NYSA

Surnames

Most popular surnames in Opole Voivodeship:

1. 
   Nowak: 5,538


2. 
   Wieczorek: 2,654


3. 
   Mazur: 2,512

Former Opole voivodeships

Opole Voivodeship (1975-1999)

Opole Voivodeship 1975–1999.

Opole Voivodeship was also a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland between 1975 and 1998.

Major cities and towns (population in 1995):

• 
  Opole, capital city (130,600)


• 
  Kędzierzyn-Koźle (70,700)


• 
  Nysa (49,000)


• 
  Brzeg (39,900)


• 
  Kluczbork (26,900)


• 
  Prudnik (24,300)


• 
  Strzelce Opolskie (21,900)


• 
  Krapkowice (20,100)

Opole Voivodeship (1950–1975)

This administrative region of the People's Republic of Poland (1950–1975) was created as a result of the partition of Katowice Voivodeship in 1950.

See also

• Opole cuisine


• Śląsk Opolski


• Upper Silesia


• Silesia

References

1. 
   ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ Arkadiusz Belczyk, Tłumaczenie polskich nazw geograficznych na język angielski Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine [Translation of Polish Geographical Names into English], 2002–2006.
   


3. 
   ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2007-12-11.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
   


4. 
   ^ ^ab "opole.stat.gov.pl" (PDF). TURYŚCI ZAGRANICZNI KORZYSTAJĄCY Z BAZY NOCLEGOWEJ TURYSTYKI WEDŁUG WYBRANYCH KRAJÓW STAŁEGO ZAMIESZKANIA. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
   

External links

• Opolskie - photogallery


• Self-Government of the Opolskie Voivodeship


• 
  Opolski Urząd Wojewódzki Official website

v t e Counties of Opole Voivodeship
City county	Opole (capital)
Land counties	Brzeg Głubczyce Kędzierzyn-Koźle Kluczbork Krapkowice Namysłów Nysa Olesno Opole Prudnik Strzelce

v t e Voivodeships of Poland
Greater Poland Kuyavian-Pomeranian Lesser Poland Łódź Lower Silesian Lublin Lubusz Masovian Opole Podkarpackie Podlaskie Pomeranian Silesian Świętokrzyskie Warmian-Masurian West Pomeranian

v t e Voivodeships of Poland 1975–1998
Biała Podlaska Białystok Bielsko-Biała Bydgoszcz Chełm Ciechanów Częstochowa Elbląg Gdańsk Gorzów Wielkopolski Jelenia Góra Kalisz Katowice Kielce Konin Koszalin Kraków Krosno Legnica Leszno Lublin Łomża Łódź Nowy Sącz Olsztyn Opole Ostrołęka Piła Piotrków Płock Poznań Przemyśl Radom Rzeszów Siedlce Sieradz Skierniewice Słupsk Suwałki Szczecin Tarnobrzeg Tarnów Toruń Wałbrzych Warsaw Włocławek Wrocław Zamość Zielona Góra

v t e Silesia topics
History Offensives Uprisings Wars (First, Second, Third) Upper Silesia plebiscite Treaty of Dresden Treaty of Teschen Book of Henryków Battle of Legnica Battle of Leuthen more...
Geography Areas Jelenia Góra valley Kłodzko Valley Lower Silesian Wilderness Obniżenie Milicko-Głogowskie Ostrava Valley Oświęcim Basin Przedgórze Sudeckie Silesian Walls Silesian Foothills Silesian Lowlands Silesian Przesieka Silesian Upland Silesian-Lusatian Lowlands Silesian-Moravian Foothills Wał Trzebnicki Zielona Góra Acclivity Lakes Jezioro Goczałkowickie Jezioro Otmuchowskie Jezioro Sławskie Nyskie Slezská Harta Dam Mountains Carpathian Silesian Beskids Moravian-Silesian Beskids Sudetes Eastern Central Western Rivers Elbe Divoká Orlice Jizera Úpa Oder Barycz Bóbr Kaczawa Kłodnica Kwisa Liswarta Mała Panew Nysa Kłodzka Olza Ślęza Vistula Biała Brynica Gostynia Przemsza Pszczynka Rawa
Politics Subdivisions Former Duchies Piasts dukes Silesian Voivodeship (1920–39) parliament politicians treasury State country Silesia Province Upper Silesia Lower Silesia Sudetenland New Silesia Austrian Silesia Eastern Silesia Current Jeseník District Moravian–Silesian Region Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis / Görlitz Voivodeships Lower Silesian Lubusz Voivodeships Opole Silesian EP constituencies Lower Silesian and Opole Silesian
Economy Bielski Okręg Przemysłowy Katowice urban area Legnicko-Głogowski Okręg Miedziowy Lower Silesian Coal Basin Upper Silesian Coal Basin Industrial Region Ostrava-Karviná / Rybnik Coal Areas Upper Silesian metropolitan area Tourism
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Coordinates: 50°38′54″N 17°54′02″E / 50.64833°N 17.90056°E / 50.64833; 17.90056

Authority control	BNF: cb12115198v (data) GND: 4116770-3 MusicBrainz: 5bd44f46-e60c-4cc3-9fa7-e45e5fd1bfb7 NKC: ge130315 VIAF: 125435766 WorldCat Identities (via VIAF): 125435766

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