Greater Poland
Encyclopedia : G : GR : GRE : Greater Poland
Greater Poland (also "Great Poland"; Polish: [] ([Media helphelp]·[info]), German: Großpolen, Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland.
Name of the region
Wielkopolska was the core of the early medieval Polish state, is often termed "the cradle of Poland," and at times has simply been called "Poland" (Latin: Polonia). The name of Greater Poland is first mentioned in the Latin form, "Polonia Maior," in 1257, and in Polish ("w Wielkej Polszcze") in 1449. The region's name may be construed as referring to old Poland, as opposed to the new Poland, Lesser Poland (Polish: Małopolska; Latin: Polonia Minor), a region in southeastern Poland with its capital at Kraków, rather than the whole of Poland as a state and country.
Geography
Greater Poland comprises much of the area drained by the Warta River and its tributaries, including the Noteć River. There are two major geographic regions. In the north, the lake district, full of post-glacial lakes and hills. In the south, the rather flat plain.
Administratively, the historical area is divided into the voivodeships of Greater Poland, and parts of Lubusz, Kuyavia-Pomerania and Łódź.
Major cities and towns
(population 2003)
- Poznań (581,200)
- Kalisz (106,500)
- Konin (83,600)
- Piła (76,800)
- Ostrow Wielkopolski (74,500)
- Gniezno (71,600)
- Leszno (63,500)
- Srem (31,000)
- Turek (30,700)
- Krotoszyn (29,100)
- Września (28,900)
- Swarzedz (28,200)
- Jarocin (26,000)
- Koscian (24,500)
- Wągrowiec (24,500)
- Koło (24,300)
- Lubon (23,800)
- Sroda Wielkopolska (22,200)
- Rawicz (21,700)
- Gostyn (20,800)
- Chodzież (20,500)
References
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| Historical administrative divisions Duchy of Greater Poland (12th-13th centuries) • Poznań Voivodship and Kalisz Voivodship (until 1768) • Poznań Voivodship, Kalisz Voivodship and Gniezno Voivodship (until 1793) • South Prussia (until 1806) • Poznań Department, Kalisz Department and Bydgoszcz Department (until 1815) • Grand Duchy of Poznań (until 1846) • Province of Posen (until 1918) • Poznań Voivodship (until 1939) • Reichsgau Posen (1939) • Reichsgau Wartheland (until 1945) • Poznań Voivodship (until 1975) • Poznań Voivodship, Kalisz Voivodship, Leszno Voivodship, Konin Voivodship and Piła Voivodship (until 1998) • Greater Poland Voivodship | |
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