Zawiercie County
Zawiercie County (Polish: powiat zawierciański) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Zawiercie, which lies 41 kilometres (25 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice. The county contains five other towns: Poręba, 6 km (4 mi) west of Zawiercie, Łazy, 8 km (5 mi) south of Zawiercie, Ogrodzieniec, 9 km (6 mi) south-east of Zawiercie, Szczekociny, 33 km (21 mi) north-east of Zawiercie, and Pilica, 18 km (11 mi) east of Zawiercie.
The county covers an area of 1,003.27 square kilometres (387.4 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 124,127, out of which the population of Zawiercie is 52,926, that of Poręba is 8,784, that of Łazy is 7,139, that of Ogrodzieniec is 4,465, that of Szczekociny is 3,912, that of Pilica is 1,971, and the rural population is 44,930.
Zawiercie
Zawiercie [zaˈvʲɛrt͡ɕɛ] (German: Warthenau) is a city in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland with 51,880 inhabitants (2011). It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland near the source of the Warta River. The city has also historically been known by the names Zaveyurchy, Zavertse, Zavirtcha, and Zavyerche. The town lies near the historical region of Silesia, but belongs to Lesser Poland. In 1945, it was made a part of the Katowice Voivodeship. Zawiercie is home to a sports club Warta Zawiercie, established in 1921.
Name and location
Zawiercie, even though currently associated with Silesia, belongs to Lesser Poland. The town lies near the source of the Warta river, and its name probably comes from the location. The inhabitants of the ancient village of Kromołów, to reach another village located on the other side of the river, would go behind the Warta, or in Polish - za Wartę. From the perspective of Kromołów, Zawiercie is located behind the Warta. The town is a gateway to the Polish Jura, where several castles, which used to defend western border of Lesser Poland, are located.
