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The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland is divided into voivodeships (provinces); these are further divided into powiats (counties), and these in turn are divided into gminas (communes or municipalities). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. Poland currently has 16 voivodeships, 379 powiats (including 65 cities with powiat status), and 2,478 gminas.
[edit] Voivodeships
Division of Poland into voivodeships and powiats
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Poland is currently divided into 16 provinces known as voivodeships (Polish: województwa, singular województwo). Administrative authority at voivodeship level is shared between a government-appointed governor, called the voivode (usually a political appointee), an elected assembly called the sejmik, and an executive chosen by that assembly. The leader of that executive is called the marszałek.
[edit] Powiats
Division into voivodeships, powiats and gminas
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Each voivodeship is divided into a number of smaller entities known as powiats (counties). The number of powiats per voivodeship ranges from 12 (Opole Voivodeship) to 42 (Masovian Voivodeship). This includes both powiats proper (known as land counties, Polish powiaty ziemskie), and cities with powiat status (city counties, Polish powiaty grodzkie or more formally miasta na prawach powiatu). Land counties have an elected council (rada powiatu), which elects an executive headed by the starosta. In city counties the functions of these instutitions are performed by the city's own council and executive.
[edit] Gminas
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The third level of administrative division is the gmina (also called commune or municipality). A powiat is typically divided into a number of gminas (between three and 19), although the city counties constitute single gminas. A gmina may be classed as urban (consisting of a town or city), urban-rural (consisting of a town together with its surrounding villages and countryside), or rural (not containing a town). A gmina has an elected council as well as a directly-elected mayor (known as prezydent in large towns, burmistrz in most urban and urban-rural gminas, and wójt in rural gminas).
[edit] Smaller units
Gminas are generally sub-divided into smaller units, called osiedle or dzielnica in towns, and sołectwo in rural areas. However these units are of lesser importance and are subordinate in status to the gmina.
[edit] Historical
Map showing voivodeships of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations (1569-1795)
Administrative division of Congress Poland, 1907
Polish voivodeships, 1922-1939.
Polish territory has been subject to significant changes over the course of Polish history. Therefore the modern Polish administrative division, while on some levels similar to some historical ones, is quite different from others. Historical Polish administrative divisions can be divided into the following periods:
[edit] See also
