poviat

A poviat is a unit of territorial division in Poland, roughly equivalent to a county in the United States or a district in the United Kingdom. It is the second-level administrative division of the country, below the voivodeship (province). Poviats are composed of smaller administrative units called gminas. There are 380 poviats in Poland, including 66 urban poviats (cities with poviat rights).

The primary responsibilities of a poviat government include public services such as education, healthcare, social welfare, road maintenance, and spatial planning. Each poviat is governed by a poviat board (rada powiatu), elected by citizens in a direct vote, and headed by a poviat staroste (starosta powiatowy), who is appointed by the board. Poviats play a crucial role in providing localized public administration and services, bridging the gap between national and municipal levels of government.