1. About the Mazovia Region... By Ania Pomierny

2. Location Mazovia Province covers an area of 35,597 square kilometers and is the largest administrative region of the country. Its area accounts for 11.4% of Poland's territory. From the west Mazovia Province borders on Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Łódzkie Provinces; from the north on Warmińsko- Mazurskie; from the east on Podlaskie and Lubelskie, and from the south - on Świętokrzyskie Province. The location on the Mazovia Lowland, whose main water network is established by the Vistula River along with its tributaries the Pilica, Bug and Narew, is conducive to the development of farming, which is why as much as 2.4 million hectares in Mazovia Province falls to farmland. On the national scale it accounts for 12.9% of the area used for agriculture. Primarily potatoes and cereal are cultivated.Mazovia Province is also the largest fruit-growing region in the country; concentrating 28% of the whole acreage of Polish orchards. It means that every third fruit tree grows right here! The highest percentage of farmland, exceeding 60% of the whole area, can be found in Ciechanów, Płock, Płońsk and Sierpc poviats (districts) - located in the north-western part of Mazovia Province, as well as in Lipsk and the neighboring Zwoleńsk poviat (district). Forests of Mazovia Province constitute an average of 22% of its area. The most wooded poviats (districts), where forests cover more than 30% of the total area include: Legionowo, Ostrołęka, Otwock, Wyszków - located in the historical Biała, Łochowskie and Ceranowskie Forests, which are part of the On-the-Bug-River Landscape Park, as well as Przysusz and Szydłowiec poviats(districts). The areas with the highest level of urbanization are focused in Warsaw. A metropolis of almost 2-million which fulfills the requirements of Poland's capital and of the Warsaw-area communities. The other highly urbanized areas of Mazovia Province include the cities of Płock and Radom. There are a total of 83 towns and 8,824 villages in the region. Piastów, Legionowo and Warsaw are the most populated cities. As regards technical infrastructure Mazovia Province does not differ from the country's average. The number of telephone subscribers, exceeding the average by 1.5 times, is an exception.

3. The map of Mazovia

4. Administration structure In accordance with the administration reform binding from January 1, 1999 Mazovia Province consists of 38 poviats(districts), 4 cities with poviat(district) rights and 325 communities (gminas). Warsaw is the capital of the region. The area of Mazovia Province is 35,597 square kilometers; population amounts to 5,065,000 people.

5. Economy Mazovia Province is the unquestionable business leader. It concentrates nearly 18% of all businesses registered in the country. There are 8,926 enterprises in the public sector, which accounts for only 2.1%. The remainder, almost 330,000, are private companies. Types of activity (%) (chart):  39% - retail  13.5% - manufacturing  12.6% - servicing of real estate and business  10.2% - construction  8,5% - transportation, telecommunication, storing The highest concentration of Mazovia Province business potential can be found in Warsaw; there are 41,823 businesses per 100 square kilometers. This average of this index for the whole province amounts to 1,197 businesses per 100 square kilometers. The lowest saturation of business potential is characterized by Ostrołęka (118), Siedlce (174) and Płock (214) poviats(districts).

6. Warsaw... The capitol of Mazovia... Warsaw – Poland’s largest city which has been the capital for four centuries – with a rich history, interesting historical monuments and a fascinating present, is located in the heart of Poland, close to the geometrically calculated centre of Europe. Warsaw today is a busy metropolis, the seat of the highest national authorities, the most important administrative, scientific and cultural centre of the country as well as one of the main industrial and business centres. Foreign and international agencies are located here, as well as the seats of national political, professional, economic, social, artistic and religious organisations

7. Population Mazovia Province is populated by 13.1% of all Polish citizens, which is 5,065,000 people, making this region the largest in the country as regards population. Population density is also almost record- breaking: 142.4 people per 1 square kilometer; only Śląskie, Małopolskie, Dolnośląskie and Łódzkie Provinces are more densely populated. Warsaw residents accounting for 32.1% of the total population of the region constitute the largest group of Mazovia Province. The majority of Mazovia residents are women (3.6% more than men). Women dominate mostly in the Warsaw poviat(district) - there are 7.4% more women than men. The community of Mazovia Province differs slightly from the country's average as regards age profile. There are fewer children and young people by 1.6%, fewer working people by 0.3% and more older people in their post-productive age by 1.9%. These proportions look better in the Ostrołęka and Radom poviats(districts), where population in the so-called pre-productive age exceeds 30% of all residents. The Lipsk poviat(district), where older people account for 20% of all inhabitants is the "oldest" one. There are 2,933,500 people working in Mazovia Province, which means that every fifth resident of Poland employed in the national economy comes from Mazovia.

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