The Voïvodie de Lubusz (in Polish Województwo lubuskie ) is one of the sixteen administrative areas (Voïvodie S) of the Poland. Gorzów Wielkopolski is the chief town of the voïvodie and Zielona Góra is the seat of the regional diet.

Voïvodie was created on January 1st 1999 old Voïvodies of Zielona Góra and Gorzów Wielkopolski, following a law of 1998 reorganizing the administrative cutting of the country. It is divided into fourteen districts ( powiats ), including two cities having of the rights of district, and 83 communes. The name of Voïvodie refers to the historical area of the Country of Lubusz, an old Polish province, although the border zones incorporate today territories of Silesia and Large-Poland. The area is rich in forests, lakes and rivers.

Voïvodie has a Superficie of 13.985 km ² and counts 1.009.005 inhabitants (2004).

Voïvodie is located in Western Poland. It has borders with Voïvodies of Poméranie Western, Large-Poland and Low-Silesia, like with the German areas of Brandebourg and Saxony.

More big cities

(Population in 2003)

• Gorzów Wielkopolski (125 780 inhabitants)

• Zielona Góra (118 730 inhabitants)
• Nowa Sól (40 805 inhabitants)
• Żary (39 043 inhabitants)

History

The Polish name of Country of Lubusz is drawn from old writings in Latin which speak about the will terra lubusiana . Into 1250, the loss of the Walk of Landsberg by Poland and the creation of the New Walk of Brandebourg in 1303, directed by the Margrave S of the Brandebourg, transformed the area which was germanisée. After a few centuries spent under the Germanic administration, it makes since 1945 part of Poland. This area is an economic and cultural crossroads between German and Polish.

Economy

Principal branches of industry:

• industry

• agriculture
• tourism

The most frequent family names

• 1. Nowak: 5.444

• 2. Kaczmarek: 3.121
• 3. Kowalski: 2.904