Warsaw Voivodeship (1919-1939)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warsaw Voivodeship (Polish: Wojewodztwo Warszawskie was a unit of administrative division of interbellum Poland, in the years 1919 - 1939. Its capital and biggest city was Warsaw.
Contents |
[edit] Location and area
In the years 1919-1939, Warsaw Voivodeship covered north-central part of Poland, bordering East Prussia to the north, Pomorze Voivodeship and Lodz Voivodeship to the west, Kielce Voivodeship to the south and both Lublin Voivodeship and Bialystok Voivodeship to the east. Its area, after April 1,1938 (see: Territorial changes of Polish Voivodeships on April 1, 1938) was 31 656 sq. km.Landscape was flat, forests covered only 11.4% of the area (with nation’s average of 22.2%, as for Jan. 1, 1937).
[edit] Population
According to the 1931 Polish census, the population was 2 460 900. Poles made 88.3% of population, Jews - 9.7% and Germans - 1.6%. The Jews and the Germans preferred to live in the cities and towns, especially in Warsaw itself. In Warsaw, in 1931, only 70.7% of population was Polish, with 28.3% Jews. In the whole Voivodeship, 21.8% of population was illiterate (as for 1931).
[edit] Industry
The Voivodeship’s biggest industrial center was the city of Warsaw, together with towns in its suburbs (Zyrardow, Pruszkow, Piaseczno). Warsaw was one of key centers of Polish industry, with numerous factories of various kinds. It was also the biggest city of the country. The Voivodeship’s railroad density was 5.2 km. per 100 sq. km. (with total length of railroads 1 548 km.).
[edit] Cities and administrative divisions
Warsaw Voivodeship in mid-1939 consisted of 22 powiats (counties), 53 cities and towns and 293 villages. The counties were:
- Blonie county (area 1 074 sq. km., pop. 143 900),
- Ciechanow county (area 1 209 sq. km., pop. 78 800),
- Dzialdowo county (area 842 sq. km., pop. 42 700),
- Garwolin county (area 2 044 sq. km., pop. 175 700),
- Gostynin county (area 1 147 sq. km., pop. 81 600),
- Grojec county (area 1 699 sq. km., pop. 132 400),
- Lomza county (area 2 657 sq. km., pop. 168 200),
- Makow Mazowiecki county (area 1 136 sq. km., pop. 65 600),
- Minsk Mazowiecki county (area 1 228 sq. km., pop. 111 100),
- Mlawa county (area 1 486 sq. km., pop. 103 100),
- Ostroleka county (area 2 281 sq. km., pop. 112 600),
- Ostrow Mazowiecka county (area 1 467 sq. km., pop. 99 800),
- Plock county (area 1 485 sq. km., pop. 128 100),
- Plonsk county (area 1 289 sq. km., pop. 81 400),
- Przasnysz county (area 1 410 sq. km., pop. 69 100),
- Pultusk county (area 1 527 sq. km., pop. 118 100),
- Radzymin county (area 1 076 sq. km., pop. 97 500),
- Sierpc county (area 1 204 sq. km., pop. 84 900),
- Sochaczew county (area 1 052 sq. km., pop. 75 200),
- Sokolow Podlaski county (area 1 276 sq. km., pop. 83 900),
- Warszawa county (area 1 766 sq. km., pop. 318 500),
- Wegrow county (area 1 301 sq. km., pop. 88 800).
It must be noted that the city of Warsaw, with the area of 141 sq. km. (134 sq. km. of counties' area plus 7 sq. km. of the Vistula river) and population of 1 179 500 (as for 1931) was considered a separate unit, just like any other Voivodeship. It was divided into 4 counties. These were:
- South Warsaw county (area 50 sq. km., pop. 307 100),
- North Warsaw county (area 31 sq. km., pop. 478 200),
- Warsaw-Praga county (area 43 sq. km., pop. 176 100),
- Central Warsaw county (area 10 sq. km., pop. 218 100. It was the smallest and the most densely populated county in the 1930s Poland. Population density there was 22 415 persons per sq. km.).
The biggest cities of the Voivodeship were (population according to the 1931 Polish census):
- Warsaw (pop. 1 179 500),
- Plock (pop. 33 000),
- Zyrardow (pop. 25 100),
- Lomza (pop. 25 000),
- Pruszkow (pop. 23 700),
- Mlawa (pop. 19 600),
- Ostrow Mazowiecka (pop. 17 600),
- Pultusk (pop. 16 800),
- Grodzisk Mazowiecki (pop. 15 700),
- Otwock (pop. 15 100),
- Ostroleka (pop. 14 100),
- Wolomin (pop. 14 100),
- Ciechanow (pop. 13 900).
(Source: Maly rocznik statystyczny 1939, Nakladem Glownego Urzedu Statystycznego, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).
