Pomeranian Voivodeship

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Pomerania Voivodeship (Polish: województwo pomorskie) is an administrative region or voivodeship in northern Poland within the historic region of Eastern Pomerania. Capital city: Gdańsk.

It was established January 1, 1999, out of the former voivodeships of Gdańsk, Elbląg and Słupsk, pursuant to the Local Government Reorganization Act of 1998. The voivodeship's name recalls the region's traditional name, Pomerania.

The area borders, to the west, on the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, and extends eastward along the Baltic Sea.

Gdańsk, in the center of the voivodeship, forms part of the "tricity" of Sopot, Gdańsk and Gdynia. Also part of the voivodeship is the narrow Hel Peninsula. Other well-known tourist destinations include Puck, Krynica Morska, Ustka, Jastarnia, Rozewie and Kuźnica, with many fishing ports and lighthouses.

Major cities of this region :

(population 2003)
*Tricity (1,035,000)
**Gdańsk (456,700) included in Tricity
**Gdynia (259,900) included in Tricity
**Sopot (41,300) included in Tricity
*Słupsk (102,000)
*Tczew (61,600)
*Starogard Gdański (48,500)
*Wejherowo (46,900)
*Rumia (44,200)
*Chojnice (40,900)
*Kwidzyń (40,400)
*Malbork (40,100)
*Lębork (37,400)
*Kościerzyna (24,000)
*Pruszcz Gdański (22,300)

Administrative division

* Bytów County, Bytów
* Chojnice County, Chojnice
* Człuchow County, Człuchow
* Gdańsk City County
* Gdańsk County, Pruszcz Gdański
* Gdynia City County
* Kartuzy County, Kartuzy
* Kościerzyna County, Kościerzyna
* Kwidzyn County, Kwidzyn
* Lębork County, Lębork
* Malbork County, Malbork
* Nowy Dwór Gdański County, Nowy Dwór Gdański
* Puck County, Puck
* Słupsk City County
* Słupsk County, Słupsk
* Sopot City County
* Starogard Gdański County, Starogard Gdański
* Sztum County, Sztum
* Tczew County, Tczew
* Wejherowo County, Wejherowo

Major corporations

* Grupa Lotos SA, Gdańsk
* International Paper Kwidzyń SA, Kwidzyń
* Energa Gdańska Kompania Energetyczna SA, Gdańsk
* STU Ergo Hestia SA, Sopot
* GE Capital Bank SA, Gdańsk
* Stocznia Gdynia SA, Gdynia
* Polpharma SA, Starogard Gdański
* Gdańska Stocznia Remontowa SA, Gdańsk
* Destylarnia Sobieski SA, Starogard Gdański
* Elnord SA, Gdańsk
* Elektrociepłownie Wybrzeże SA, Gdańsk
* LPP SA, Gdańsk
* Zakład Energetyczny Słupsk SA, Słupsk
* Polnord Energobudowa SA, Gdańsk

Most popular surnames in the region

* 1. Wiśniewski : 7,446
* 2. Kamiński : 6,752
* 3. Lewandowski : 6,687

Previous Pomeranian Voivodeships

Pomeranian voivodeship (1945-1950)

This was a unit of administration and local government in Poland established in 1945 from most of the pre-war Pomeranian Voivodeship, later renamed Bydgoszcz Voivodeship.

Capital city: Bydgoszcz

List of counties in 1946
English county name, Polish county name, capital city
* Bydgoszcz City, miasto Bydgoszcz
* Toruń City, miasto Toruń
* Brodnica County, powiat brodnicki, Brodnica
* Bydgoszcz County, powiat bydgoski, Bydgoszcz
* Chełmno County, powiat chełmiński, Chełmno
* Chojnice County, powiat chojnicki, Chojnice
* Grudziądz County, powiat grudziądzki, Grudziądz
* Inowrocław County, powiat inowroclawski, Inowrocław
* Lipno County, powiat lipnowski/lipnieński?, Lipno
* Lubawa County, powiat lubawski, Lubawa
* Nieszawa County, powiat nieszawski, Nieszawa
* Rypin County, powiat rypiński, Rypin
* Sępolno County, powiat sępoleński, Sępolno Krajenskie
* Świecie County, powiat świecki, Świecie
* Szubin County, powiat szubiński, Szubin
* Toruń County, powiat toruński, Toruń
* Tuchola County, powiat tucholski, Tuchola
* Wąbrzeźno County, powiat wąbrzeski, Wąbrzeźno
* Włocławek County, powiat włocławski, Włocławek
* Wyrzysk County, powiat wyrzyski, Wyrzysk

Pomeranian Voivodeship 1919-1939

Pomeranian voivodeship (1919-1939)

This was a unit of administration and local government in the Republic of Poland (II Rzeczpospolita) established in 1919 after WWI from the majority of the Prussian province of West Prussia which fell to Poland. Toruń was the capital. In 1938-39 the voivodeship extended to the south at the expense of Poznań Voivodeship and Warsaw Voivodeship, and was called Great Pomerania afterwards.

During WWII it was occupied by Nazi Germany and renamed Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia "(Reich province of Gdańsk-West Prussia)." In 1945 it was returned to Poland and superseded by Gdańsk and Bydgoszcz voivodeships. In the years 1975-98 it was reorganized into the voivodeships of Gdańsk, Elbląg, Bydgoszcz, Toruń and Włocławek.

Pomeranian voivodeship (1466-1772)

This was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland from 1454/1466 until the partitions in 1772/1795. Together with the Chelmno Voivodeship and Malbork Voivodeship it formed the historical province of Royal Prussia. The capital was at Gdańsk. It was renamed to the Prussian province of West Prussia (1772-1919).

Voivodeship Governor (Wojewoda) seat:
* Gdańsk

Regional council (sejmik generalny)
* Gniew

Regional councils (sejmik poselski i deputacki)
* Człuchów
* Tuchola
* Świecie
* Starogród
* Puck

Administrative divisions:
* Człuchów County, (Powiat Człuchowski), Człuchów
* Gdańsk County, (Powiat Gdański), Gdańsk
* Koscierzyna County, (Powiat Kościerzyński), Kościerzyna
* Mirachowo County, (Powiat Mirachowski), Mirachowo
* Nowe County, (Powiat Nowski), Nowe
* Puck County, (Powiat Pucki), Puck
* Skarszewy County, (Powiat Skarszewski), Skarszewy
* Stargard County, (Powiat Starogrodzki) Starogard Gdański
* Świecie County, (Powiat Świecki), Świecie
* Tczew County, (Powiat Tczewski), Tczew
* Tuchola County, (Powiat Tucholski), Tuchola

Pomeranian voivodeship (1294-1308)

This was a province of the Kingdom of Poland. After the extinction of the local dukes in 1294, the province fell to Przemysł II of Poland.