The Pomeranian Voivodship (in Polish województwo pomorskie) is an administrative region or voivodship in northern Poland within the historic region of Eastern Pomerania.

Pomeranian voivodship since 1999

(1) Pomeranian voivodship (1999-), administrative and local government unit of the Republic of Poland established on January 1, 1999 out of former voivodships of Gdansk (German:Danzig), Elblag and Slupsk, as a result of Local Government Reogranization Act of 1998. The voivodship's name recalls the region's traditional name of Pomerania (Pomorze).

Along the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship it spreads along the Baltic coast (on the east). The independent town Gdansk is the center of the voivodeship. It forms a part of the so-called tricity: Sopot, Gdansk, and Gdynia. Narrow Hel Peninsula belongs to the voivodship. Other well-known tourist destinations: Puck, Krynica Morska , Ustka, Jastarnia , Rozewie , or Kuźnica with many fishing ports and lighthouses.

Major cities of this region :

(population 2003)

• Tricity (1035,000)
  • Gdansk (456,700) included in Tricity
  • Gdynia (259,900) included in Tricity
  • Sopot (41,300) included in Tricity
• Slupsk (102,000)
• Tczew (61,600)
• Starogard Gdanski (50,500)
• Wejherowo (46,900)
• Rumia (44,200)
• Chojnice (40,900)
• Kwidzyn (40,400)
• Malbork (40,100)
• Lebork (37,400)
• Koscierzyna (24,000)
• Pruszcz Gdanski (22,300)

Administrative division

• Bytow County , Bytow
• Chojnice County , Chojnice
• Czluchow County, Czluchow
• Gdansk City County
• Gdansk County, Pruszcz Gdański
• Gdynia City County
• Kartuzy County, Kartuzy
• Koscierzyna County, Koscierzyna
• Kwidzyn County, Kwidzyn
• Lebork County , Lebork
• Malbork County, Malbork
• Nowy Dwor Gdanski County , Nowy Dwor Gdanski
• Puck County, Puck
• Slupsk City County
• Slupsk County , Slupsk
• Sopot City County
• Starogard Gdanski County , Starogard Gdanski
• Sztum County , Sztum
• Tczew County , Tczew
• Wejherowo County, Wejherowo

Major corporations

• Grupa Lotos SA , Gdansk
• International Paper Kwidzyn SA , Kwidzyn
• Energa Gdańska Kompania Energetyczna SA , Gdansk
• STU Ergo Hestia SA , Sopot
• GE Capital Bank SA , Gdansk
• Stocznia Gdynia SA , Gdynia
• Polpharma SA , Starogard Gdanski
• Gdańska Stocznia Remontowa SA , Gdansk
• Destylarnia Sobieski SA , Starogard Gdanski
• Elnord SA , Gdansk
• Elektrociepłownie Wybrzeże SA , Gdansk
• LPP SA , Gdansk
• Zakład Energetyczny Słupsk SA , Slupsk
• Polnord Energobudowa SA , Gdansk

Most popular surnames in the region

• 1. Wiśniewski : 7,446
• 2. Kamiński : 6,752
• 3. Lewandowski : 6,687

Previous Pomeranian Voivodships

(2) Pomeranian voivodship (1945-1950)

was a unit of administration and local government in Poland established 1945 from most of pre-war Pomeranian Voivodship (3), later renamed Bydgoszcz Voivodship

Capital city: Bydgoszcz

List of counties in 1946
English county name, Polish county name, capital city

• Bydgoszcz City, miasto Bydgoszcz
• Torun City, miasto Toruń
• Brodnica County , powiat brodnicki, Brodnica
• Bydgoszcz County , powiat bydgoski, Bydgoszcz
• Chelmno County , powiat chełmiński, Chelmno
• Chojnice County , powiat chojnicki, Chojnice
• Grudziadz County , powiat grudziądzki, Grudziadz
• Inowroclaw County , powiat inowroclawski, Inowroclaw
• Lipno County , powiat lipnowski/lipieński?, Lipno
• Lubawa County, powiat lubawski, Lubawa
• Nieszawa County , powiat nieszawski, Nieszawa
• Rypin County , powiat rypiński, Rypin
• Sepolno County , powiat sępoleński, Sepolno Krajenskie
• Swiecie County , powiat świecki, Swiecie
• Szubin County , powiat szubiński, Szubin
• Torun County, powiat toruński, Torun
• Tuchola County , powiat tucholski, Tuchola
• Wabrzezno County , powiat wąbrzeski, Wabrzezno
• Wloclawek County , powiat włocławski, Wloclawek
• Wyrzysk County , powiat wyrzyski, Wyrzysk

Pomeranian Voivodship 1919-1939

(3) Pomeranian voivodship (1919-1939)

was a unit of administration and local government in the Republic of Poland (II Rzeczpospolita) established in 1919 after WWI from the majority of the Prussian province of West Prussia which fell to Poland. Capital was initially in Torun. In 1938-39 voivodship extended to the south at the expense Poznan Voivodship and Warsaw Voivodship, and called Great Pomerania afterwards. The capital was moved to Bydgoszcz.

During WWII occupied by Nazi Germany and renamed Reich province of Gdansk-West Prussia (Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreussen). In 1945 returned to Poland and superseded by Gdansk and Bydgoszcz voivodships. In years 1975-98 reorganized into voivodships of Gdansk, Elblag, Bydgoszcz, Torun and Wloclawek.

(4) Pomeranian voivodship (1466-1772)

The Pomeranian Voivodship (Polish: Województwo Pomorskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland since 1454/1466 till the partitions in 1772/1795. Together with the Chelmno Voivodship and Malbork Voivodship it formed the historical province of Royal Prussia. Capital in Gdansk. Renamed to the Prussian province of West Prussia (1772-1919)

Voivodship Governor (Wojewoda) seat:

• Gdańsk

Regional council (sejmik generalny )

• Gniew

Regional councils (sejmik poselski i deputacki)

• Człuchów
• Tuchola
• Świecie
• Starogród
• Puck

Administrative division:

• Człuchów County, (Powiat Człuchowski), Człuchów
• Gdańsk County, (Powiat Gdański), Gdańsk
• Koscierzyna County, (Powiat Kościerzyński), Kościerzyna
• Mirachowo County , (Powiat Mirachowski), Mirachowo
• Nowe County , (Powiat Nowski), Nowe
• Puck County, (Powiat Pucki), Puck
• Skarszewy County , (Powiat Skarszewski), Skarszewy
• Stargard County , (Powiat Starogrodzki) Starogard Gdański
• Świecie County , (Powiat Świecki), Świecie
• Tczew County , (Powiat Tczewski), Tczew
• Tuchola County , (Powiat Tucholski), Tuchola

(5) Pomeranian voivodship (1294-1308)

was a province of the Kingdom of Poland. After the extinction of the local dukes 1294 the province fell to Przemysl II of Poland.