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Malopolskie
Voivodeship - the region around
Krakow
Malopolska is one of Poland’s 16
administrative provinces (wojewodztwo), with Krakow as the
capital city, and comprises 8.3% of the
country’s population. It has its own provincial
parliament and the executive, albeit both with
limited powers.
The Malopolska province makes up the
chief part of Poland’s larger historical region
of Malopolska bordering on the Ukraine to the
east and Slovakia to the south, and on the Polish
regions of Slask to the west and Mazowsze to the
north. It is an area of charming beauty, with
copious medieval towns and castles dotting the
hillsides and the Carpathian Mountains covered
with lush vegetation. A perfect place for those
fond of diverse scenery with great walks, hikes,
skiing, biking, fishing, camping out in the open,
etc.
Geography
The Malopolska province is placed right
in the center of Europe and makes Poland’s
south. The region takes up the upper Vistula
river basin. Half of the province lies 500 m or
more above sea level, including the highest
Polish peak, Rysy (2499 m), in the scenic
Alps-like range of the Tatra mountains.
Economy
Services flourish, industry carries on, and
agriculture lingers on in the Malopolska
province. Five universal banks have their
headquarters here (namely in Krakow) in addition
to over 100 local cooperative banks. Further 25
big banks operate in the province via their
branches, outposts of multinational giants as
Deutsche and Citicorp in that number.
Some
246,000 industrial jobs account for 26.5% of the
province’s total, with metals, steel,
machinery, chemicals, tobacco and wearable goods
being the staples. Among others, the Malopolska province is home
to Europe's fourth biggest maker of cables (Krakow's Tele-Fonika),
Europe's third largest producer of synthetic rubber (Oswiecim's
Dwory), and the world's second biggest maker of roof windows (Nowy
Sacz's Fakro).
The
high-tech gets high profile by day in the
Malopolska province that already boasts
Poland’s biggest computer maker, most-visited
internet portal and largest fiberglass cable producer as well as Motorola’s European R&D
center. Besides the local media
Malopolska is home to the nation’s most popular
radio network and the biggest regional TV station. It has one
special economic zone (Krakow Technological Park,
meant for major high-tech investments), 4
enterprise incubators, 3 commercial-fair grounds,
8 higher economics schools.
Malopolska's accounts
for 5.5 percent of Poland's exports. In 2003 the province's
businesses sold abroad goods worth over 2.6 billion euros (or
808 euros per capita). Machines made up 30.4 percent of of the
exports value, steel and other metal products 16.4 percent,
plastics 7.3 percent, motor industry 6.5 percent, chemicals
6.2 percent, foods 5.7 percent, and paper 4.7 percent. The
European Union accounted for 60.6 percent of the Malopolska
exports with Germany as the main importing nation with its
27.8-percent share, while combined Eastern Europe bought 29
percent.
Over
857,000 ha of arable land takes up 56.6% of the
provinces territory divided among 222,500
farms–average 3.2 ha per farm.
Foreign
Direct Investment
The Malopolska province is the fourth most
popular destination of FDI among Poland’s
regions in absolute terms. Over 70% of its $1.5
billion intake went to Krakow. Germans were
investing in the Malopolska province most often,
yet Americans outspent everybody. Major investors
proved Germany’s Hypo-Vereinsbank and Deutsche Bank 24 (banking), US
Philip Morris (tobacco), Croatia’s Pliva
(pharmaceuticals), France’s Electricite de
France (power generation), Coca Cola (beverages),
Turkey’s Rumeli (cement) and Denmark’s
Carlsberg (beer). Foreign-controlled companies
provide some 45,000 jobs, about 8,000 newly
created.
Transport
Krakow’s Balice International Airport is
Poland’s second biggest. There are 1002 km of
national, 1540 km of provincial, and 6483 km of
county roads in the Malopolska province. Four
border passages lead abroad, to Slovakia and
farther south to Austria, Hungary, France, Italy,
Switzerland, the Balkans, and so on. The province
is also crisscrossed with 997 km of railway
lines, and has a cross-border rail passage.
Tourism
The Malopolska province embodies Polish prime
tourist destinations, be it summer or winter.
There are such obvious musts as Krakow, Tatra Mountains, Auschwitz, Wieliczka or Jura.
At the same time the best hiking, skiing,
bird-watching, biking, water sports, fishing,
sightseeing, etc. can be found in the region. And
the Malopolska’s abundant mineral-water and
thermal springs together with bracing climate
gave rise to many health resorts. Also agrotourism (i.e. tasting peasant life in
comfort) proves ever more popular. Plus colorful
and varied folklore.
Wildlife
The Malopolska province boasts more wildlife
sanctuaries than any region in Poland. Its six
national parks
– Gorce Park, Babia Gora Park,
Ojcow Park, Pieniny Park, Tatra Park and Magura
Park– cover 37,678 hectares, i.e. 2.5% of the
province’s territory. Additional 2,300 ha form
80 wildlife reserves, while 157,000 ha make up 10
landscape parks. And some 650,000 ha rank as the
protected landscape areas, which amounts to 42.5%
of the Malopolska province. Woods cover 432,000
ha, i.e. 28.5% of the province, of which about
210,000 ha are protected forests.
Numbers
Area: 15,144 sq. km, 22 counties (3
municipal), 182 communes, 52 cities (25 under
10,000 and just one, Krakow, above 500,000),
2,635 villages.
Population:
3,2 million, 212,4 per sq. km, growth 0.23% a
year, 58.6% school age and younger, 14.3%
elderly, 50.6% urban.
Unemployment: 14.4% of the workforce
in January 2002 (8.3% in the city of Krakow).
Infrastructure:
9,025 km of roads, 997 km of railway lines, 18,5
phone lines per 100 inhabitants, 85,500 beds in
86 hotels and 2,300 other lodgings (1999),
886,155 apartments with 56,071,490 sq. meters of
floor space.
Health: 45
hospitals with 17,235 beds, 67,200 spa patients a
year in 66 sanatoriums.
Higher Education: Over 150,000 students
of 19 universities.
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Poland
In
the proximity of Krakow
Krakow is Poland's tourist mecca, and
also a gateway to many other must-see sites in
the region.
Biggest Corporations in the Malopolska Province
Polish
National Parks in Malopolska province
Malopolska
Province map
Poland
map
City
of Krakow map
Health
resorts in the Malopolska region
Krakow
Poland's prime tourist attraction and a
must in Central Europe boasts numerous
world-class monuments, charming vistas,
delightful atmosphere, and the best restaurants.
Good
hotels in Krakow
Best
restaurants of Krakow
Krakow
geography
Krakow
politics
Krakow
economy
Krakow
history
Krakow
environment
Krakow
wildlife
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