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Silesia

Coordinates: 51°36′N 17°12′E / 51.6°N 17.2°E / 51.6; 17.2
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silesia
Historical region
Flag of Silesia
  Austrian Silesia,
before 1740 Prussian annexation
  Prussian Silesia, 1871
  Oder river
Basemap shows modern national borders.
Coordinates: 51°36′N 17°12′E / 51.6°N 17.2°E / 51.6; 17.2
Country
Largest cityWrocław
Area
 • Total40,000 km2 (20,000 sq mi)
Population
 • Totalc. 8,000,000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Silesia (Polish: Śląsk; German: Schlesien; Latin: Silesia; Silesian: Ślůnsk) is a historical region of Poland. From 1742 to 1945, it was a province in the east of Prussia and later Germany. In 1945, all of Poland was occupied by the Soviet Red Army. In the following years, the communist occupant enacted laws that in effect chased away all of the remaining owners.

Geography

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Silesia is along the upper and middle Oder River, upper Vistula River, and along the Sudetes and the Carpathian Mountains.

The highest point of Silesia is the Śnieżka, in the Sudetes.

Administrative region of Breslau, 1914

Here is a list of cities in Silesia with a population of over 20,000 in 2015:

Name Population Area Country Administrative Historic subregion
1
Wrocław 632,067 293 km2 (113 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
2
Katowice 304,362 165 km2 (64 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
3
Ostrava* 287,968 214 km2 (83 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia/Moravia
4
Gliwice 185,450 134 km2 (52 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
5
Zabrze 178,357 80 km2 (31 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
6
Bielsko-Biała* 173,699 125 km2 (48 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia/Lesser Poland
7
Bytom 173,439 69 km2 (27 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
8
Ruda Śląska 141,521 78 km2 (30 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
9
Rybnik 140,173 148 km2 (57 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
10
Tychy 128,799 82 km2 (32 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
11
Opole 120,146 97 km2 (37 sq mi) Poland Opole Voivodeship Upper Silesia
12
Zielona Góra 118,405 58 km2 (22 sq mi) Poland Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
13
Wałbrzych 117,926 85 km2 (33 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
14
Chorzów 110,761 33 km2 (13 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
15
Legnica 101,992 56 km2 (22 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
16
Jastrzębie-Zdrój 91,235 85 km2 (33 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
17
Jelenia Góra 81,985 109 km2 (42 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
18
Mysłowice 75,129 66 km2 (25 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
19
Lubin 74,053 41 km2 (16 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
20
Havířov 71,200 32 km2 (12 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
21
Głogów 68,997 35 km2 (14 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
22
Siemianowice Śląskie 68,844 25 km2 (10 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
23
Kędzierzyn-Koźle 63,194 124 km2 (48 sq mi) Poland Opole Voivodeship Upper Silesia
24
Żory 62,038 65 km2 (25 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
25
Tarnowskie Góry 60,957 84 km2 (32 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
26
Świdnica 59,182 22 km2 (8 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
27
Opava 57,676 91 km2 (35 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
28
Piekary Śląskie 57,148 40 km2 (15 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
29
Frýdek-Místek* 56,450 52 km2 (20 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia/Moravia
30
Racibórz 55,930 75 km2 (29 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
31
Görlitz** 55,255 68 km2 (26 sq mi) Germany Saxony Free State of Saxony Historically part of Lusatia, Görlitz was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945
32
Karviná 52,128 57 km2 (22 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
33
Świętochłowice 51,824 13 km2 (5 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
34
Wodzisław Śląski 48,731 50 km2 (19 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
35
Nysa 44,899 27 km2 (10 sq mi) Poland Opole Voivodeship Lower Silesia
36
Mikołów 39,776 79 km2 (31 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
37
Nowa Sól 39,721 22 km2 (8 sq mi) Poland Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
38
Bolesławiec 39,603 24 km2 (9 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
39
Knurów 39,090 34 km2 (13 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
40
Oleśnica 37,303 21 km2 (8 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
41
Brzeg 36,980 15 km2 (6 sq mi) Poland Opole Voivodeship Lower Silesia
42
Cieszyn 35,918 29 km2 (11 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
43
Czechowice-Dziedzice 35,684 33 km2 (13 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
44
Třinec 35,002 85 km2 (33 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
45
Dzierżoniów 34,428 20 km2 (8 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
46
Hoyerswerda/Wojerecy** 33,843 96 km2 (37 sq mi) Germany Saxony Free State of Saxony Historically part of Lusatia, Hoyerswerda was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1825–1945
47
Oława 32,240 27 km2 (10 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
48
Zgorzelec** 31,890 16 km2 (6 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Historically part of Lusatia, Zgorzelec was considered part of Lower Silesia in years 1319–1329 and 1815–1945
49
Bielawa 31,186 36 km2 (14 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
50
Kluczbork 24,207 12 km2 (5 sq mi) Poland Opole Voivodeship Lower Silesia
51
Lubliniec 24,105 89 km2 (34 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
52
Krnov 24,079 44 km2 (17 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia
53
Jawor 23,650 19 km2 (7 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
54
Żagań 23,235 40 km2 (15 sq mi) Poland Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
55
Świebodzice 23,197 30 km2 (12 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
56
Nowa Ruda 22,823 37 km2 (14 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
57
Polkowice 22,535 24 km2 (9 sq mi) Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesia
58
Łaziska Górne 22,413 21 km2 (8 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
59
Świebodzin 21,963 11 km2 (4 sq mi) Poland Lubusz Voivodeship Lower Silesia
60
Rydułtowy 21,741 15 km2 (6 sq mi) Poland Silesian Voivodeship Upper Silesia
61
Prudnik 21,472 21 km2 (8 sq mi) Poland Opole Voivodeship Upper Silesia
62
Bohumín 21,340 31 km2 (12 sq mi) Czech Republic Moravian-Silesian Region Czech Silesia

* Only partly in Silesia

Famous people

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There are many famous people who were born in Silesia:

Other websites

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