Lesser Poland Voivodeship

voivodeship of Poland

Lesser Poland Voivodeship, or Małopolska Province,[1] is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland. It is 15,108 square kilometres (5,833 sq mi), and as of 2006, has 3,267,731 residents. It was created on 1 January 1999. The capital of the province is Kraków.

Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Województwo małopolskie
Flag of Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Coat of arms of Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Location within Poland
Location within Poland
Division into counties
Division into counties
Coordinates (Kraków): 50°3′41″N 19°56′18″E / 50.06139°N 19.93833°E / 50.06139; 19.93833
CountryPoland
CapitalKraków
Counties
3 cities, 19 land counties *
  • Kraków
  • Nowy Sącz
  • Tarnów
  • Bochnia County
  • Brzesko County
  • Chrzanów County
  • Dąbrowa County
  • Gorlice County
  • Kraków County
  • Limanowa County
  • Miechów County
  • Myślenice County
  • Nowy Sącz County
  • Nowy Targ County
  • Olkusz County
  • Oświęcim County
  • Proszowice County
  • Sucha County
  • Tarnów County
  • Tatra County
  • Wadowice County
  • Wieliczka County
Area
 • Total15,108 km2 (5,833 sq mi)
Population
 (2006)
 • Total3,267,731
 • Density220/km2 (560/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,619,235
 • Rural
1,648,496
Car platesK
Websitewww.malopolskie.pl
  • further divided into 182 gminas

The province's natural borders are Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Góry Świętokrzyskie) on the north, Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska (a broad range of hills stretching from Kraków to Częstochowa) on the west, and the Tatra, Pieniny and Beskidy Mountains on the south. The provinces and countries it is bordered by are the Silesian Voivodeship to the west, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship to the north, Subcarpathian Voivodeship to the east, and the country of Slovakia to the south.

Protected areas

Czarny Staw in the High Tatras
The spa town of Szczawnica in the Pieniny Mountains

Protected areas in Lesser Poland Voivodeship include six National Parks and 11 Landscape Parks. These are listed below.

  • Babia Góra National Park (a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve)
  • Gorce National Park
  • Magura National Park (partly in Subcarpathian Voivodeship)
  • Ojców National Park
  • Pieniny National Park
  • Tatra National Park (part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve shared with Slovakia)
  • Bielany-Tyniec Landscape Park
  • Ciężkowice-Rożnów Landscape Park
  • Dłubnia Landscape Park
  • Eagle Nests Landscape Park (partly in Silesian Voivodeship)
  • Kraków Valleys Landscape Park
  • Little Beskids Landscape Park (partly in Silesian Voivodeship)
  • Pasmo Brzanki Landscape Park (partly in Subcarpathian Voivodeship)
  • Poprad Landscape Park
  • Rudno Landscape Park
  • Tenczynek Landscape Park
  • Wiśnicz-Lipnica Landscape Park

References

Other websites

Media related to Lesser Poland Voivodeship at Wikimedia Commons