Greater Poland
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Missing image Wlkp_herb.jpg Greater Poland Voivodship modern coats of arms |
Greater Poland Voivodship
modern coats of arms |
Greater Poland (also Great Poland; Polish: Wielkopolska, German: Grosspolen, Latin: Polonia Maior) is one of the historical regions of Poland. It is located in western-central Poland, encompassing much of the area drained by the Warta River and its tributaries.
Name of the region
Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) was the core of the early medieval Polish state, often called the cradle of Poland, and at times was called simply Poland (in Latin: Polonia). The name of Greater Poland is mentioned first in Latin form Polonia Maior in 1257, and in Polish form w Wielkej Polszcze in 1449. The name of the region can be understool as the Old Poland as opposed to the New Poland (Lesser Poland, Małopolska, Polonia Minor, a region in south-eastern Poland with Kraków as its capital) and in opposition to the whole Poland as a state and country. In wide meaning Great Poland consists all Greater Poland Voivodship and parts of Lubusz Voivodship, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship and Lodz Voivodship.
Geography
Great Poland consists two major geographic regions. Lake district full of postglacial lakes and hills on the north, and rather flat plain on south.
Major cities and towns
(population 2003)
- Poznań (581,200)
- Kalisz (106,500)
- Konin, Poland (83,600)
- Piła (76,800)
- Ostrow Wielkopolski (74,500)
- Gniezno (71,600)
- Leszno (63,500)
- Srem (31,000)
- Turek (30,700)
- Krotoszyn (29,100)
- Wrzesnia (28,900)
- Swarzedz (28,200)
- Jarocin (26,000)
- Koscian (24,500)
- Wągrowiec (24,500)
- Kolo (24,300)
- Lubon (23,800)
- Sroda Wielkopolska (22,200)
- Rawicz (21,700)
- Gostyn (20,800)
- Chodzież (20,500)
de:Großpolen (Landschaft)