Greater Poland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Greater Poland (loose translation of Polish: Wielkopolska (help·info), German: Großpolen, Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland.
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[edit] Name of the region
Wielkopolska was the core of the early medieval Polish state, is often termed "the cradle of Poland," and at times has simply been called "Poland" (Latin: Polonia). The name of Greater Poland is first mentioned in the Latin form, "Polonia Maior," in 1257, and in Polish ("w Wielkej Polszcze") in 1449. The region's name may be construed as referring to old Poland, as opposed to the new Poland, Lesser Poland (Polish: Małopolska; Latin: Polonia Minor), a region in southeastern Poland with its capital at Kraków, rather than the whole of Poland as a state and country.
[edit] Geography
Greater Poland comprises much of the area drained by the Warta River and its tributaries, including the Noteć River. There are two major geographic regions. In the north, the lake district, full of post-glacial lakes and hills. In the south, the rather flat plain.
Administratively, the historical area is divided into the voivodeships of Greater Poland, and parts of Lubusz, Kuyavia-Pomerania and Łódź.
[edit] Major cities and towns
(population 2003)
- Poznań (581,200)
- Kalisz (106,500)
- Konin (83,600)
- Piła (76,800)
- Ostrów Wielkopolski (74,500)
- Gniezno (71,600)
- Leszno (63,500)
- Śrem (31,000)
- Turek (30,700)
- Krotoszyn (29,100)
- Września (28,900)
- Swarzędz (28,200)
- Jarocin (26,000)
- Kościan (24,500)
- Wągrowiec (24,500)
- Koło (24,300)
- Luboń (23,800)
- Środa Wielkopolska (22,200)
- Rawicz (21,700)
- Gostyń (20,800)
- Chodzież (20,500)
[edit] References
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| Historical administrative divisions Duchy of Greater Poland (12th-13th centuries) • Poznań Voivodeship and Kalisz Voivodeship (until 1768) • Poznań Voivodeship, Kalisz Voivodeship, Gniezno Voivodeship, and Netze District (until 1793) • South Prussia (until 1806) • Poznań Department, Kalisz Department and Bydgoszcz Department (until 1815) • Grand Duchy of Poznań (until 1846) • Province of Posen (until 1918) • Poznań Voivodeship (until 1939) • Reichsgau Posen (1939) • Reichsgau Wartheland (until 1945) • Poznań Voivodeship (until 1975) • Poznań Voivodeship, Kalisz Voivodeship, Leszno Voivodeship, Konin Voivodeship and Piła Voivodeship (until 1998) • Greater Poland Voivodeship |
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