The Voïvodie of Small-Poland (in Polish Województwo małopolskie ) is one of the 16 administrative areas (Voïvodie S) of the Poland. Cracow is the chief town of the voïvodie.

The voïvodie was created on January 1st 1999 starting from old the voïvodies of Cracow, Tarnów and Nowy Sącz, as well as parts of old the voïvodies of Bielsko-Biała and Katowice, following a law of 1998 reorganizing the administrative cutting of the country. It is divided into 22 districts ( powiats ), including 3 cities having of the rights of district, and 182 communes. The name of the voïvodie refers to the historical area of Petite Poland ( Małopolska ).

The voïvodie has a Superficie of 15.108 km ² and counts 38.167.000 inhabitants (2005).

Situation

The voïvodie is located at the south of Poland, with the foot of the Carpates, close to the border with the Slovakia.

The area has an advantageous localization on the level of transport. Formerly, trade route crossed there. Currently, the way transeuropéen of transport TINA III passes by the voïvodie. One of the most important European railway lines uniting the west of Europe in south-east also crosses the voïvodie. Road frontier passages ensure an easy access to the Slovakia and further, with the countries of the area of the Balkans. The international airport of Cracow (Balice) accommodates each year of the hundreds of thousands of passengers.

It is bordered in north by the mountains of the Holy-Cross, in the west by the Polish Jura (extending from Częstochowa to Cracow), in the south by the Tatras, the Beskides and the Pieniny.

The historical area of Small Poland

Small Poland (or Small-Poland, in Polish Małopolska , in Latin Polonia Minor ) is a historical area of Poland. It was located at the south of Poland, around the towns of Cracow and Tarnów. It was larger than the territory of the current voïvodie, also recovering the Voïvodie of Low-Carpates the, the Voïvodie of Holy-Cross, the Voïvodie de Lublin and the oriental party of the Voïvodie of Silesia.

Policy

The diétine (Sejmik) of Small-Poland is in the following way made up:

• Right and justice, 9 seats.

• Left social democrat Poland and Union Work, 8 seats.
• Civic platform, 8 seats.
• League of the Polish families, 6 seats.
• Association of Small-Poland, 4 seats.
• Polish Popular party, 2 seats.
• Without parties, 2 seats.

More big cities

(Population in 2003)

• Cracow ( Kraków ) (733 100 inhabitants)

• Tarnów (121 600 inhabitants).
• Nowy Sącz (84 500 inhabitants).
• Oświęcim (Auschwitz) (43 300 inhabitants)
• Chrzanów (41 600 inhabitants)
• Olkusz (39 700 inhabitants)
• Nowy Targ (35 200 inhabitants)
• Bochnia (30 400 inhabitants)
• Gorlice (30 000 inhabitants)
• Zakopane (29 700 inhabitants)

Economy

Principal sectors D ¹ activity:

• trade and services

• mining
• chemical industry and metallurgical industry
• agro-alimentary
• tourism and leisures
• sector of high technologies

Tourism and culture

• Cracow: the medieval city, the castle and the cathedral of the Wawel, the old Jewish district of Kazimierz, the museums (Museum of the city, Museum of Czartoryski,…).

• Zakopane, the capital of the Tatras.
• the monastic complex of the Bernardins Fathers to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, registered on the List of the world heritage of UNESCO.
• Auschwitz and its museum of the death camp, also registers on the list of the world heritage of UNESCO.
• Mine of salt of Wieliczka, one of the wonders of the world.
• Many Catholic churches and orthodoxe built out of wood.
• 6 national parks, 11 natural parks, 10 protected natural zones, 77 environmental reserves and 1775 natural monuments.
• Health resorts and thermal.

Education

The voïvodie account 26 universities. More than 100.000 students the 16 higher establishments of Cracow attend. Most important are the Université Jagellonne (27 000 students) and the University of Sciences and Technology (18 700 students).

The most frequent family names

• 1. Nowak: 23.671

• 2. Wójcik: 13.347
• 3. Zając: 10.206

The directory of Cracow in 1907

In 1907, there were 25.000 people who appeared in the Annuaire directory of Cracow,

The most frequent patronyms in 1907

• 1. Nowak: 92
• 2. Horowitz: 72
• 3. Pram: 60
• 4. Kowalski: 49
• 5. Friedmann: 43
• 6. Klein: 42
• 7. Müller: 42
• 8. Grabowski: 38
• 9. Fischer: 37
• 10. Large: 34

Be-X-old: Малапольскаеваяводзтва