Greater Poland

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Greater Poland or Great Poland (translation of , Großpolen, Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland.

Name of the region

Wielkopolska was the core of the early medieval Polish state, is often termed "the cradle of Poland", and at times has simply been called "Poland" (Latin: Polonia). The name of Great Poland is first mentioned in the Latin form Polonia Maior in 1257, and in Polish ("w Wielkej Polszcze") in 1449. The region's name may be construed as referring to old Poland, as opposed to the new Poland, Lesser Poland (Polish: Małopolska; Latin: Polonia Minor), a region in southeastern Poland with its capital at Kraków.

Geography

Great Poland comprises much of the area drained by the Warta River and its tributaries, including the Noteć River. There are two major geographic regions: a lake district in the north, characterized by post-glacial lakes and hills, and a rather flat plain in the south.

Administratively, most of the historical region now forms Greater Poland Voivodeship (województwo wielkopolskie), although some parts lie in Lubusz, Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Łódź Voivodeships.

For more information on the present-day administrative division and a list of cities and towns, see the article Greater Poland Voivodeship.

References

• Information on Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) at University at Buffalo, State University of New York

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Last updated on Sunday March 09, 2008 at 06:10:38 PDT (GMT -0700)
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