View source for Subdivisions of the Second Polish Republic

[[File:PolishRepublicAdminMap1930.png|thumb|250px|right|Administrative division of Second Polish Republic, 1930. Colors denote voivodeships, division into powiats visible on the lower level.]]
[[File:Poland administrative division 1922 literki.svg|thumb|273x273px|Polish voivodeships, 1922–1939.]]
[[File:PolishRepublicAdminMap1939.png|thumb|right|250px|Administrative Map in 1939 showing April 1938 voivodship revisions and Slovak border changes]]
'''Subdivisions of the Second Polish Republic''' became an issue immediately after the creation of the [[Second Polish Republic]] in 1918. The [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] had been [[partitions of Poland|partitioned]] in the late 18th century. The various parts of what was now Polish territory had belonged to different states with different administrative structures: [[Austria-Hungary]] (mostly forming part of the [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria]]), the [[German Empire]] (specifically the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]) and the [[Russian Empire]].

In 1919 the first [[Voivodeships of Poland|voivodeships]] of interwar Poland were created; in addition, the [[Capital (political)|capital]] of [[Warsaw]] had the status of an independent city-voivodeship. In the years 1919–1921 additional voivodeships were created, as borders of Poland were still fluid, with events such as the [[Silesian Uprisings]] in the West and the [[Polish-Soviet War]] in the East. Eventually by 1921 Poland would have 15 voivodeships, the Warsaw capital city-voivodeship and the [[Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship]] (the system known as 15+1+1). Additionally, the creation of the new [[Sandomierz Voivodeship (1939)|Sandomierz Voivodeship]] was planned for late 1939.

The lower level of administration, below voivodeships, were [[powiat]]s (counties). They were subject to several reforms, particularly in early and late 1930s. Below them were [[gmina]]s and [[gromada]]s. Shortly before the [[Second World War]], in April 1939, Poland had 264 powiats, 611 urban and 3195 rural gminas and 40533 gromads.

The division was based on a three-tier system. On the lowest rung were the {{lang|pl|gminy}}, which were little more than local town and village governments. These were then grouped together into {{lang|pl|powiaty}} which were then arranged into {{lang|pl|województwa}}.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Polish voivodeships in the {{lang|la|interbellum}} <br/> (data as of April 1, 1937)
|- style="background:#efefef" align="center"
! [[Car plates]]<br/> (since 1937)
!Coat of arms
! Voivodeship<br/> Separate city
! Capital
! Area<br/> in 1000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (1930)
! Population <br/> in 1000s (1931)
|-
| 00-19
|[[File:POL Warszawa COA.svg|center|84x84px]]
| align="left" | [[Capital city of Warsaw (1919–39)|City of Warsaw]]
| align="left"| Warsaw
| 0.14
| 1179.5
|-
| 85-89
|[[File:POL województwo warszawskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939)|warszawskie]]
| align="left"| [[Warsaw]]
| 31.7
| 2460.9
|-
| 20-24
|[[File:POL województwo białostockie II RP COA.svg|center|55x55px]]
| align="left" | [[Białystok Voivodeship (1919–1939)|białostockie]]
| align="left"| [[Białystok]]
| 26.0
| 1263.3
|-
| 25-29
|[[File:POL województwo kieleckie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)|kieleckie]]
| align="left"| [[Kielce]]
| 22.2
| 2671.0
|-
| 30-34
|[[File:POL województwo krakowskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Kraków Voivodeship (1919–1939)|krakowskie]]
| align="left"| [[Kraków]]
| 17.6
| 2300.1
|-
| 35-39
|[[File:POL województwo lubelskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Lublin Voivodeship (1919–1939)|lubelskie]]
| align="left"| [[Lublin]]
| 26.6
| 2116.2
|-
| 40-44
|[[File:POL województwo lwowskie COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Lwów Voivodeship|lwowskie]]
| align="left"| [[Lwów]]
| 28.4
| 3126.3
|-
| 45-49
|[[File:POL województwo łódzkie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Łódź Voivodeship (1919–1939)|łódzkie]]
| align="left"| [[Łódź]]
| 20.4
| 2650.1
|-
| 50-54
|[[File:POL województwo nowogródzkie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Nowogródek Voivodeship (1919–1939)|nowogródzkie]]
| align="left"| [[Nowogródek]]
| 23.0
| 1057.2
|-
| 55-59
|[[File:POL województwo poleskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Polesie Voivodeship|poleskie]]
| align="left"| [[Brest-Litovsk|Brześć nad Bugiem]]
| 36.7
| 1132.2
|-
| 60-64
|[[File:POL województwo pomorskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–1939)|pomorskie]]
| align="left"| [[Toruń]]
| 25.7
| 1884.4
|-
| 65-69
|[[File:POL województwo poznańskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Poznań Voivodeship (1921–1939)|poznańskie]]
| align="left"| [[Poznań]]
| 28.1
| 2339.6
|-
| 70-74
|[[File:POL województwo stanisławowskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Stanisławów Voivodeship|stanisławowskie]]
| align="left"| [[Ivano-Frankivsk|Stanisławów]]
| 16.9
| 1480.3
|-
| 75-79 ?
|[[File:POL województwo śląskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship|śląskie]] (autonomous)
| align="left"| [[Katowice]]
| 5.1
| 1533.5
|-
| 80-84
|[[File:POL województwo tarnopolskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Tarnopol Voivodeship|tarnopolskie]]
| align="left"| [[Tarnopol]]
| 16.5
| 1600.4
|-
| 90-94
|[[File:POL województwo wileńskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Wilno Voivodeship (1923–1939)|wileńskie]]
| align="left"| [[Wilno]]
| 29.0
| 1276.0
|-
| 95-99
|[[File:POL województwo wołyńskie II RP COA.svg|center|56x56px]]
| align="left" | [[Wołyń Voivodeship (1921–1939)|wołyńskie]]
| align="left"| [[Lutsk|Łuck]]
| 35.7
| 2085.6
|-
|}

On April 1, 1938, the borders of several western Voivodeships changed considerably. For more information, see [[Territorial changes of Polish Voivodeships on April 1, 1938]].
{{clear-left}}

==Polish Voivodeships 1919–1939==

Total number of Voivodeships - 16, plus the capital city of Warsaw, which was regarded as a separate unit.

===Biggest Voivodeships (as of August 1, 1939)===

* Polesie Voivodeship - area {{convert|36668|km2|abbr=on}}
* Volhynian Voivodeship - area {{convert|35754|km2|abbr=on}}
* Warszawa Voivodeship - area {{convert|31656|km2|abbr=on}}

===Smallest Voivodeships (as of August 1, 1939)===

* miasto stołeczne Warszawa (the capital city of Warsaw) - area {{convert|141|km2|abbr=on}}
* Silesian Voivodeship - area {{convert|5122|km2|abbr=on}}
* Tarnopol Voivodeship - area {{convert|16533|km2|abbr=on}}

===Most populous Voivodeships===

* Lwów Voivodeship - pop. 3 126 300,
* Kielce Voivodeship - pop. 2 671 000,
* Łódź Voivodeship - pop. 2 650 100.

===Least populous Voivodeships===

* Nowogródek Voivodeship - pop. 1 057 200,
* Polesie Voivodeship - pop. 1 132 200,
* miasto stołeczne Warszawa (the capital city of Warsaw) - pop. 1 179 500.

==Polish Counties 1919–1939==

Total number of counties (as of August 1, 1939) - 264, including 23 urban counties.

===Biggest counties (as of August 1, 1939)===

* [[Wilno]] – [[Troki]] county (area {{convert|5967|km2|abbr=on}}),
* [[Łuniniec]] county (area {{convert|5722|km2|abbr=on}}),
* [[Kowel]] county (area {{convert|5682|km2|abbr=on}}).

===Smallest counties (as of August 1, 1939)===

* Warszawa-Srodmiescie (mid-Warsaw) (area {{convert|10|km2|abbr=on}}),
* city of [[Bielsko]] (area {{convert|10|km2|abbr=on}}),
* city of [[Gniezno]] (area {{convert|18|km2|abbr=on}}).

===Most populous counties===

* city of [[Łódź]] county (pop. 604 600),
* Warszawa-North county (pop. 478 200),
* [[Katowice]] county, (pop. 357 300).

===Least populous counties===

* city of Bielsko county, (pop. 25 400),
* city of Gniezno, (pop. 30 700),
* [[Międzychód]] county, (pop. 31 000).

==Sources==

* Mały rocznik statystyczny 1939, Nakładem Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).

{{Voivodeships of Poland 1919–1939}}
{{Administrative division of Poland}}

[[Category:Subdivisions of the Second Polish Republic| ]]
[[Category:Former administrative divisions of Poland]]

[[it:Seconda Repubblica di Polonia#Divisione amministrativa e geografia]]