Name:

Wielkopolska Province

Area:

29 826 km2 (ranked 2nd, with 9.53% of the entire area of Poland)

Population:

3,350,000 inhabitants (ranked 3rd, with 8.66% of the total population), of which 58 % live in towns.

Environment

Most of Wielkopolska region lies between 80 and 100 metres above see level, with the highest point Kobyla Góra 284 m a.s.l. and the lowest point the estuary of Noteć river to Warta river 21 m a.s.l. The landscape of Wielkopolska is dominated by vast flat fields and a great multitude of postglacial landforms: countless channels, hills, frontal-moraine mounds, ground-moraine flats that constitute the open countryside. Warta river which is third in length in Poland and the biggest tributary of Odra river is the main river of Wielkopolska. Moreover there are 779 lakes, abundance of meadows and forests - the forests occupy 25,4% of the total area of Wielkopolska. The environmentally protected area makes 32% of the total area, with 0,3% of national parks, 0,2% reserves, 5% landscape parks, 26% areas of protected landscape. Between the Warta and Noteć rivers stretches the Puszcza Notecka, one of the largest forests in Poland (135,000 ha). The Wielkopolska National Park, south of Poznań, is famous of the Europe's largest group of centuries-old oak trees (945 specimens).

Administration

The province consists of 35 districts (including: 31 territorial districts and 4 cities with district status - Poznań, Kalisz, Konin and Leszno) and 266 communities.

The biggest towns

From among 108 towns, the biggest are: Poznań , the capital of Wielkopolska, with 580 000 inhibitants, Kalisz (160700 inhibitants), Konin (83400 inhibitants), Piła (76600 inhibitants), Ostrów Wielkopolski (74800 inhibitants), Gniezno (71200 inhibitants) and Leszno (62200 inhibitants).

Economy

About 235,000 companies are active in Wielkopolska, that makes 9,2% of totality of Polish companies, and they employ 8,3% of employees of Poland. Diverse industry, highly productive agriculture and well-developed network of services, esp. financial and trade, are the pillars of regional economy.

Agricultural production

Wielkopolska is the leading region of the whole country as regards animal production esp. swine; livestock population is one fourth part of the domestic livestock population. Two third part of Wielkopolska area is the arable land. The structure of agriculture has changed in last years, the cultivation of cereal and swine and cattle breeding is preferred.

Industry

Agricultural and food processing industry dominates. Production of mechanical vehicles belongs to the most important developing groups of industry. Other branches of considerable importance are: founding, pharmacy, furniture, lighting and household equipment, ceramic and glass, plastic elements for building industry, tyre, textile and clothing. In Konin region the brown coal mining, metallurgy and energy production play also important role.

Main natural resources:

brown coal (Konin region), natural gas (regions: Góra Śląska, Nowy Tomyśl - Grodzisk Wlkp. - Opalenica - Buk, Duszniki - Kaźmierz - Tarnowo Podgórne, Zaniemyśl - Śrem, Odolanów - Mikstat, Radlin, Klęka - Kotlin), rock-salt (Kłodawa), crude oil (resources are not large, however exploited), peat (Kanał Morzysławski).

International trade

Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy and USA are the biggest trade partners of Wielkopolska. Within the structure of trade exchange the products of electro machinery industry have the biggest share. The others are: consumer goods, wood and paper products, food.

Foreign investment

Nearly 3 thousand companies with the foreign capital share are functioning now in Wielkopolska. To name the biggest: Reemtsma Cigaretten, Beiersdorf, Volkswagen, Neoplan, MAN, Glaxo Wellcome, Wrigley Company, Exide, Bridgestone, Matsushita, Nestle, Philips. They have invested c.a. USD 4 billion, mainly in food industry, transport means, machinery and equipment, paper processing and printing.

Science

There are 21 universities in Wielkopolska plus 6 religion academies, in which 90 thousand people studies, and more than 6.5 thousand academic teachers and 1.5 thousand researchers are employed. Poznań as the academic centre is ranked third in Poland after Warszawa and Kraków. The branch of Polish Academy of Science together with its 21 institutions, 27 government institutes and research and development centres are also located here. The biggest universities are: Adam Mickiewicz University, Economic Academy, Technical University and Agricultural University.

Culture

There are 8 dramatic and music theatres and philharmonic in Poznań. To the most important culture events belong: International Theatre Festival "Malta" in Poznań, International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznań, International Jazz Piano Festival and Street Theatre Festival "La Strada" in Kalisz. Numerous museums offer interesting exhibitions. Amongst 56 museums are: National Museum - Gallery of Painting and Sculpture, Archeological Museum, Musical Instruments Museum, Motorization Museum of Automobilklub Wielkopolska, Museum of Army Poznań, Kórnik Arboretum, Adam Mickiewicz Museum in ŚmiełÃ³w, Museum of First Piasts on Lednica - Lednogóra, Museum of Beginnings of Polish State, Palace in Rogalin, Castle in Gołuchów and art galleries.

Tourism and recreation

The main tourist attractions: remains of pre-Romanesque and Romanesque buildings from the period of arising of Polish State (monuments of Poznań, Gniezno and archaeological reserves in Giecz and on Ostrów Lednicki near Gniezno, and on Zawodzie in Kalisz), "Szlak Piastowski" (Piast Route) connecting Poznań and Gniezno - first capitals of Poland, monuments of Poznań: cathedral with tombstones of first Polish sovereigns, Fara Church and Town Hall which aspires to be called the most beautiful secular Renaissance construction in Central Europe; monuments of Gniezno: one thousand year cathedral - the place of coronation of five Polish kings and known in Europe mainly for its shrine of the martyred St Adalbert. The saint is buried in a sarcophagus inside the cathedral dating back to the 10th century. Another highlight is the famous 12th-century bronze doors with bas-reliefed scenes from the life of St Adalbert, one of the best examples of Romanesque art in Europe.
The national parks, in which the whole nature is the subject of protection, characterize themselves the highest scientific, natural and cultural value. There are two national parks in Wielkopolska: Wielkopolski National Park of the area 7,6 tys. ha and the part of Drawieński National Park of the total area 11,3 tys. ha, 94 reserves of the total area c.a. 5,4 tys. ha, between them mainly forest reserves (49), 12 landscape parks of the total area 174 tys. ha. They constitute wealthy base for tourism and recreation. Wielkopolska is known of breed horse farming. The most famous farms and horse-riding centres are in Racot, Iwno, Sieraków, Pępowo, Posadowo, on "Wola" in Poznań.

Wielkopolska in Internet

http://www.wielkopolska-region.pl

Based of information published in:

Wielkopolska OnLine http://www.wielkopolska-region.pl
Informator Sejmiku i Urzędu Marszałkowskiego Województwa Wielkopolskiego http://www.wielkopolska.mw.gov.pl