województwo

Województwo is the highest-level administrative division in Poland, commonly translated as voivodeship or province. The name derives from the title voivode, a medieval regional governor, and denotes the land governed by a voivode.

There are two parallel authorities within a voivodeship. The voivode, representing the central state, is appointed by the prime minister and oversees national policies, public order, and supervision of subordinate units. The regional self-government is elected as a sejmik (voivodeship regional assembly) and an executive board led by a marszałek, responsible for regional development, budgeting, and administration.

In the local government system, the voivodeship sits above the powiat (county) and gmina (municipality). The voivodeship coordinates policies in areas such as education, healthcare, transport, environment, and regional development, and it administers a portion of European Union funds designated for the region.

Since a 1999 reform, Poland is divided into 16 voivodeships. This reform created larger units to improve decentralization and administrative efficiency. Examples of voivodeships and their capitals include Masovian Voivodeship (capital: Warsaw), Silesian Voivodeship (Katowice), Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Kraków), Greater Poland Voivodeship (Poznań), and Pomeranian Voivodeship (Gdańsk). The voivodeship remains a central element of Poland’s modern administrative structure, balancing representation of local needs with national governance.