Kraków Voivodeship (1919-1939)
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Krakow Voivodeship (Polish: województwo krakowskie) - a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1919-1939. Back then, it covered a big chunk of southern part of the country, including such cities as Krakow, Jaworzno and Tarnow. Capital city: Krakow.
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[edit] Location and area
In early 1939, Voivodeship's area was 17 560 square kilometers. It was located in southern Poland, bordering Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship to the west, Kielce Voivodeship to the north, Lublin Voivodeship, Lwow Voivodeship to the east and Slovakia to the south. Landscape was hilly in the northern part and montainous in south, with the Tatra Mountains located in the very south of the area. Forests covered 20.9%, with the national average 22.2% (as for Jan 1., 1937).
[edit] Population
According to the 1931 Polish census, the population was 2 300 100. Poles made 91.3% of population, Jews - 5.6% and Ukrainians - 2.5%. The Jews preferred to live in the cities and towns - in 1931 they made 19.2% of Voivodeship’s cities inhabitants. Illiterate (in 1931) was 13.7%, lower than the national average of 23.1%.
[edit] Industry
Krakow Voivodeship was very divided in industrial terms. Its western part, with such cities as Jaworzno, Chrzanow or Trzebinia, was to a large degree industrialized and urbanized, with some coalmines. Also Krakow and Tarnow were big industrial centers. Eastern part, on the other hand, was backward, with little industry and underdeveloped agriculture. In mid-1930s Polish government started a huge public works program, called Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy, which was a great boost to overpopulated and poor central and eastern counties.
[edit] Cities and administrative divisions
In 1938, it consisted of 18 powiats (counties). These were as follows:
- Biala Krakowska county (area 635 km², population 139 100),
- Bochnia county (area 877 km², population 113 800),
- Brzesko county (area 849 km², population 102 200),
- Chrzanow county (area 722 km², population 138 100),
- Dabrowa Tarnowska county (area 650 km², population 66 700),
- Debica county (area 1 141 km², population 110 900),
- Gorlice county (area 1 082 km², population 104 800),
- Jaslo county (area 1 055 km², population 116 100),
- city of Krakow county (powiat krakowski grodzki), (area 48 km², population 219 300),
- Krakow county (area 884 km², population 187 500),
- Limanowa county (area 944 km², population 87 300),
- Mielec county (area 901 km², population 77 500),
- Myslenice county (area 988 km², population 102 700),
- Nowy Sacz county (area 1 572 km², population 183 900),
- Nowy Targ county (area 2 069 km², population 131 800),
- Tarnow county (area 881 km², population 142 400),
- Wadowice county (area 1 109 km², population 145 100),
- Zywiec county (area 1 337 km², population 130 900).
According to the 1931 census, biggest cities within the Voivodeship's boundaries were:
- Krakow (pop. 219 300),
- Tarnow (pop. 44 900),
- Nowy Sacz (pop. 30 300),
- Biala Krakowska (pop. 22 700),
- Jaworzno (pop. 19 100),
- Chrzanow (pop. 17 900),
- Zakopane (pop. 16 300),
- Bochnia (pop. 12 100),
- Oswiecim (pop. 12 000).
[edit] References
- Maly rocznik statystyczny 1939, Nakladem Glownego Urzedu Statystycznego, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).
