Będzin County

Będzin County (Polish: powiat będziński) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Będzin, which lies 13 kilometres (8 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice. The county contains four other towns: Czeladź, 3 km (2 mi) west of Będzin, Wojkowice, 7 km (4 mi) north-west of Będzin, Sławków, 20 km (12 mi) east of Będzin, and Siewierz, 18 km (11 mi) north-east of Będzin.

The town of Sławków, which became part of Będzin County in 2002 when it was transferred from Lesser Poland Voivodeship to Silesian Voivodeship, forms an exclave. It is separated from the rest of the county by the cities of Dąbrowa Górnicza and Sosnowiec.

The county covers an area of 368.02 square kilometres (142.1 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 151,122, out of which the population of Będzin is 58,659, that of Czeladź is 34,173, that of Wojkowice is 9,434, that of Sławków is 6,833, that of Siewierz is 5,528, and the rural population is 36,495.

Neighbouring counties

Będzin County is bordered by Myszków County to the north, Zawiercie County to the north-east, the city of Dąbrowa Górnicza and (through Sławków) Olkusz County to the east, the city of Sosnowiec to the south, the cities of Siemianowice Śląskie and Piekary Śląskie to the west, and Tarnowskie Góry County to the north-west.

Administrative division

The county is subdivided into eight gminas (four urban, one urban-rural and three rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.

References

• Polish official population figures 2006