Lubusz Voivodeship

Infobox Settlement
name = Lubusz Voivodeship
native_name=Województwo lubuskie
settlement_type=

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image_shield = POL województwo lubuskie COA.svg

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map_caption = Location within Poland

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map_caption1 = Division into counties
subdivision_type=Country
subdivision_name=POL
seat_type=Seats
seat = Gorzów Wielkopolski (governor)
Zielona Góra (assembly)
parts_type = Counties
parts=2 cities, 12 land counties *
p1=Gorzów Wielkopolski|p2=Zielona Góra|p3=Gorzów County|p4=Krosno Odrzańskie County|p5=Międzyrzecz County|p6=Nowa Sól County|p7=Słubice County|p8=Strzelce-Drezdenko County|p9=Sulęcin County|p10=Świebodzin County|p11=Wschowa County|p12=Żagań County|p13=Żary County|p14=Zielona Góra County
area_total_km2 = 13985
total_type=Total
population_total = 1008424
population_as_of = 2006
population_density_km2 = auto
population_urban= 645991
population_blank1_title=Rural
population_blank1= 362433
blank_name=Car plates
blank_info=F
website=http://www.lubuskie.pl/en/index.php$
footnotes = * further divided into 83 gminas

Lubusz Voivodeship (also known as Lubusz Province, or by its Polish name of "województwo lubuskie" IPA-pl| [|w|o|j|e|'|w|u|c|t|f|o|-|l|u|'|b|u|sIPA-pl|k|j|e| or simply "Lubuskie") is a voivodeship (province) in western Poland.

It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra Voivodeships, pursuant to the 1998 Local Government Reorganization Act. The province's name recalls the historic Lubusz Land ("Lebus" or "Lubus"), although part of the voivodeship in fact belongs to the historic region of Silesia.

The functions of regional capital are shared between two cities: Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra. Gorzów serves as the seat of the centrally appointed voivode or governor, while Zielona Góra is the seat of the elected regional assembly (sejmik) and the executive elected by that assembly, headed by the "marszałek".

The region is mainly flat, with many lakes and woodlands. In the south, around Zielona Góra, grapes are cultivated.

Lubusz Voivodeship borders West Pomeranian Voivodeship to the north, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the east, Lower Silesian Voivodeship to the south, and Germany to the west.

History

By conquest the first leaders of the Polans, Mieszko I and especially Boleslaw I added a number of surrounding territories to the newly established core Polish state, and Lebus Land or Lubusz in Lusatia came under Polish rule. Part of the historic province was located on the western bank of the Oder River, where the main settlement Lubusz, later known as the German town of Lebus, was located.

In 1226 Lebus Land came under direct jurisdiction of the empire, and around 1250 it was acquired by the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg. It was thus sometimes referred to by Polish communists as "the first Polish province to fall to German expansionism" (see "Drang nach Osten").

In 1945, the conquest of eastern Germany by the Soviet Union was followed by the redrawing of Poland's borders. The east part of the Lubusz (Lebus) region was transferred to Poland, which refers to it as part of the "Regained" or "Recovered Territories".

In the administrative reforms of 1998, the original proposals made no provision for a separate Lubusz voivodeship – Gorzów would have been part of West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Zielona Góra would have been in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, and other parts of the region were assigned to Greater Poland Voivodeship. However, as a result of popular protests, these proposals were eventually amended to increase the number of voivodeships to 16, leading to the creation of Lubusz Voivodeship.

Cities and towns

The voivodeship contains 42 cities and towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2006 [http://www.stat.gov.pl/gus/45_655_PLK_HTML.htm] ):1. Gorzów Wielkopolski (125,204)
2. Zielona Góra (118,201)
3. Nowa Sól (40,351)
4. Żary (38,967)
5. Żagań (26,580)
6. Świebodzin (21,679)
7. Międzyrzecz (18,722)
8. Sulechów (17,862)
9. Kostrzyn nad Odrą (17,725)
10. Słubice (17,199)
11. Gubin (16,974)
12. Lubsko (14,767)
13. Wschowa (14,573)
14. Szprotawa (12,613)
15. Krosno Odrzańskie (12,100)
16. Drezdenko (10,332)
17. Strzelce Krajeńskie (10,143)
18. Skwierzyna (10,010)
19. Sulęcin (9,972)
20. Kożuchów (9,592)
21. Witnica (6,849)
22. Rzepin (6,499)
23. Zbąszynek (5,087)
24. Nowogród Bobrzański (5,036)
25. Jasień (4,526)
26. Bytom Odrzański (4,365)
27. Babimost (4,150)
28. Czerwieńsk (4,138)
29. Iłowa (3,975)
30. Sława (3,893)
31. Ośno Lubuskie (3,769)
32. Kargowa (3,641)
33. Małomice (3,623)
34. Gozdnica (3,454)
35. Dobiegniew (3,187)
36. Nowe Miasteczko (2,828)
37. Cybinka (2,668)
38. Łęknica (2,641)
39. Torzym (2,456)
40. Trzciel (2,363)
41. Lubniewice (1,929)
42. Szlichtyngowa (1,348)

Administrative division

Lubusz Voivodeship is divided into 14 counties (powiats): 2 city counties and 12 land counties. These are further divided into 83 gminas.

The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population).

Protected areas

Protected areas in Lubusz Voivodeship include two National Parks and eight Landscape Parks. These are listed below.
*Drawno National Park (partly in Greater Poland and West Pomeranian Voivodeships)
*Ujście Warty National Park
*Ujście Warty Landscape Park (partly in West Pomeranian Voivodeship)
*Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park (partly in West Pomeranian Voivodeship)
*Gryżyna Landscape Park
*Krzesin Landscape Park
*Łagów Landscape Park
*Muskau Bend Landscape Park
*Przemęt Landscape Park (partly in Greater Poland Voivodeship)
*Pszczew Landscape Park (partly in Greater Poland Voivodeship)

ee also

*Prussia’s Neumark

External links

* [http://poland.gov.pl/Mieszko,I,and,Boleslaw,Chrobry,(Boleslaus,the,Brave),326.html Polish Government Link, Lands conquered by Mieszko I and Boleslaw I ]
* [http://www.lubuskie.pl/en/index.php Official website of Lubusz Voivodeship]
* [http://www.lubusz.eu Pictures of Lubusz]