Opole Voivodship

Opole Voivodship (since 1999) or Opole Silesia (Polish: województwo opolskie, Śląsk Opolski) is a Polish administrative and local government region created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Opole and parts of Czestochowa voivodships as a result of the Local Government Reorganization Act of 1998. The voivodship's name comes from the regions biggest city.

Geographical location

The Opole voivodship lies in south-western Poland. The major part of the voivodship is on the Silesian Lowland (Nizina Slaska). To the east, the region touches upon the Silesian Upland (Silesian Uplands, Wyzyna Slaska) with the famous Saint Anne Mountain; the Sudeten range, the Opawskie Mountains, lies to the south-west. The Oder river cuts across the middle of the voivodship. The Opole voivodship is the smallest region in the administrative make-up of the country, both in terms of area and in terms of population. However, its geographical location, economic potential, and level of education of its inhabitants make it an attractive partner for cooperation with other Polish regions (especially the Lower Silesian and Silesian Voivodships), as well as with foreign investors. Formed in 1997, the Pradziad Euroregion eases the economic, cultural, and tourist exchange between the border areas of Poland and the Czech Republic. The Opole voivodship has the highest percentage of the ethnic German minority of all voivodships of the country.

The transport connection from Germany to Ukraine goes through Opolskie. The region has four border crossings and direct rail connections to all important Polish cities, as well as to Frankfurt, Munich, Budapest, Kyiv, and the Baltic ports. All of these add to the advantages for potential investors, who want to establish themselves not only on the Polish market but also in Germany, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, and Slovakia.

Administrative division

Brzeg County, Brzeg
Głubczyce County, Głubczyce
Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Kluczbork County, Kluczbork
Krapkowice County, Krapkowice
Namysłów County, Namysłów
Nysa County, Nysa
Olesno County, Olesno
Opole City County, Opole
Opole County, Opole
Prudnik County, Prudnik
Strzelce County, Strzelce Opolskie

Economy

The Opole voivodship is an industrial as well as an agricultural region. With respect to mineral resources, of major importance are deposits of building raw materials: limestone (Strzelce Opolskie), marl (near Opole), marble, and basalt. The favourable climate, fertile soils, and high farming culture contribute to the development of agriculture, which is among the most productive in the country.

A total of nineteen industries are represented in the voivodship. The most important are cement and lime, furniture, food, car manufacturing, and chemical industries. In 1997, the biggest production growth in the area was in companies producing wood and wood products, electrical equipment, machinery and appliances, as well as cellulose and paper products. In 1997, the top company in the region was Zaklady Azotowe S.A. in Kedzierzyn-Kozle, whose income was over PLN 860 million. The voivodship's economy consists of more than 53,000 businesses, mostly small and medium-sized, employing over 332,000 people. Manufacturing companies employ over 89,000 people; 95.7% of all the region's business operate in the private sector.

Universities

There are three state-run universities in the region: the newly-created Opole University, the Technical University of Opole, and the [[State Medical College. All of them are based in the voivodship's capital. Among the region's private schools, the Opole School of Management and Administration has been certified as a degree-granting institution by the Ministry of National Education.

Tourism

The Opole voivodship is a green region with three large lakes: Turawskie, Nyskie, and Otmuchowskie (the latter two are connected). The Opawskie Mountains are extremely popular. The region also includes the castle in Brzeg, built during the reign of Piast dynasty — pearl of the Silesian Renaissance, the Franciscan monastery on top of Saint Anne Mountain, as well as the mediæval defence fortifications in Paczkow (referred to as the Polish Carcassonne).

The region has the warmest climate in the country.

External links

Previous Opole voivodships

The Opole Voivodship (Polish: województwo opolskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland between 1975 and 1998, superseded by Opole Voivodship.

Capital city: Opole

Major cities and towns — (population in 1995):

Opole (130,600)
Kędzierzyn-Koźle (70,700)
Nysa (49,000)
Brzeg (39,900)
Kluczbork (26,900)
Prudnik (24,300)
Strzelce Opolskie (21,900)
Krapkowice (20,100)