Partner Regions


Partner Regions:

The Podkarpackie Voivodship 



The Podkarpackie Voivodship

Area: 17,890 km2 (5.7% of the country’s total area)
Population: 2.1 million (5.8% of the country’s total population)

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship is located in south-eastern part of Poland. To the west it borders the Malopolskie Voivodeship (with its capital city of Krakow) and the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship (with its capital city of Kielce), and to the north the Lubelskie Voivodeship. The southern and eastern borders of the region, with total length of 370 km, are at the same time Poland’s national borders with the Ukraine and Slovakia. Two international roads pass through the region: the E-40 from Germany to the Ukraine and the E-371 from Warsaw to Slovakia. On the two international borders there are 3 rail crossings ( in Medyka, Kroscienko and Lupkow) and nine road crossings (e.g. in Barwinek) that include those for what is known as light traffic (in Radoszyce, Lipowiec and Ozenna).

In Jasionka nearby Rzeszow there is an airport adapted to service international passenger traffic, others for local transportation are located in Mielec, Krosno, Turbia near Stalowa Wola and on Mount Krajna (Commune of Bircza, near Arlamow).

The capital of the region is Rzeszow with over 165,000 inhabitants. It is the most important and also the largest city of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, which is the seat of the Voivodeship’s authorities as well as state government local units. In Rzeszow there are 7 colleges, the Wanda Siemaszkowa Theatre (which has a lively collaboration with cultural institutions in particular in Koszyce) and the “Maska” Puppet and Actor Theatre, the Philharmonic, the regional centre of the Polish Broadcasting Corporation TVP SA. There are also cultural events taking place that are nation-wide or event international significance, for example the World Festival of Polish Folk Music and Folklore Groups.

The territory of the region has many natural resources: sulphur, crude oil, natural gas and mineral reserves of: sandstone, limestone, gypsum, ceramic clay, sand, gravel, as well as turf, mineral and spa waters.

Industry in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is dominated by agriculture and food processing, electrical machinery and chemistry. The vehicle, aircraft, mineral, light and furniture industries are also of major significance. After the administration reforms that have taken place private small and medium-sized companies are more and more contributing to production. On the one hand they secure a continuous raising of the competitiveness of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship and on the other the employment of specialists in a variety of sectors.

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship’s tradition of heavy industry, which dominated the inter-war period, is connected with the Central Industrial Zone that was established at that time here. The high level of production of the companies from the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is confirmed by the allocation of the ISO 9000 certificates. Year after year, companies originating in the region aim at the implementation of the systems ensuring the quality control under the ISO 9000 standards.

The clean and unpolluted natural environment makes it possible for the region to engage in the future in agricultural production of high ecological standards. The greatest opportunities are seen in the production of health foods and in the improvement of the sector of agricultural and food processing production.

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship is one of the most attractive tourist regions in Poland, or even in Europe as a whole, because of its natural and cultural assets. Each of the three geographical areas of which it is made up: the Bieszczady Mountains, the Low Beskid Range and the Sandomierz Basin create suitable conditions both for recreation and outdoors tourism.

The tourists enjoying the hospitality of our region are becoming more and more numerous. The well-prepared tourism infrastructure, the raising quality and extension of the range of services rendered, the increasing availability from the transportation point of view, encourage to visit and wander among the most interesting places of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. For several years it has also been the fashion to spend a peaceful holiday in an agrotourist farm, where you can spend your leisure time very pleasantly and actively in a home and family atmosphere, at no great expense, with the owner providing a whole range of different attractions.

But tourism in our region comprises also many kilometres of hiking, horseback riding and bike routes, overnight accommodation suitable to every pocket and many cultural and sporting events which are up to international standards.
   

 


Lubelskie Voivodship 


Lubelskie Voivodship

Lubelskie voivodship is located in Eastern part of Poland; bordering with Ukraine and Belarus on the length of 457 km. After Poland accession to EU it will compose the extern border of enlarged European Union. Nowadays, thanks to the investments related to the adaptation process of the border to the European standards the additional stimulation of economic development is observed..
On the territory of Lubelskie 6 main border crossings are located, which ensures the realization up to 60% of goods and  50% of passengers going to the East.

Important communication routs are running through Lubelskie Region, such as strategic highway A2  from Paris to Moscow. Very important role in future will play planned express routs from Scandinavia to Kiev and Odessa in Ukraine. According to the expectations of the Regional Development Strategy the territory along mentioned routs will consider very attractive for local and foreign investors. Taking advantages of this potential region a real acceleration of economic development should appear.

Basic data
Area – 25.115 km sq.
Population – 2 242 000 inhabitants
Over 50 % of population lives in rural area.

Natural resources
Among natural sources the biggest importance have the deposits of hard coal, crude soil, natural gas, mineral water, limestone, marl, chalk and phosphorities. On the territory of Lubelskie is located coal mine in Bogdanka, the sole coal mine in Poland having positive financial result.

Tourism & Natural environment
The real advantage of our voivodship is clean, not devastated natural environment. Lubelskie consists in approximately 25% of protected area, such as national parks, landscapes and other special areas. On its territory 2 National Parks, 17 landscape parks, 17 area of protected landscape, 82 nature reserves are located on its territory.

Generosity of nature as well as cultural heritage, place the Lubelskie voivodship in the group of the most attractive tourist regions in Poland not entirely developed yet. Here are regions of outstanding recreational values:
· so called Puławy – Nałęczów – Kazimierz Dolny triangle, with unique architecture and climate of Kazimierz Dolny, ravines and gorges, cardiology health centre in Nałęczów;
· Łęczyńsko – Włodawskie Lake District, with numerous lakes and peat bogs;
· Roztocze, with the bewitching towns of Krasnobród and Zwierzynieccharacteristic dammed stream waters, peculiar rock formations.

Lublin is the capital of the region and a biggest the academic centre in South – Eastern Poland. More then 72.000 students attend  12 schools of higher education in Lubelskie voivodship, including two Universities (UMCS and KUL), Polytechnic, Agriculture and Medical Academy etc.

Regional economy.
The biggest part of the population is involved in agriculture. Lubelskie is the leading hop producer in Europe – 80% of national production and 15% of sugar production in Poland; the biggest producer of „soft fruits” raspberries, currents, strawberries and apples.
On the territory of lubelskie 120 thousand economic entities operating over one million people employed. The main industry products are: cars, helicopters, cement, footwear, furniture, clothes, bearings and fertilizers.

Lubelskie is one of the five regions in Poland having positive balance in foreign trade. The most important foreign partners belong to:
UE – 45% of export and 55% of import
And former soviet countries – 35 % of export and 30% of import
The characteristic for lubelskie foreign trade is very high level of SME sector involvement in export. According to the data for 1999 it consists 63,3% (in comparison the average in Poland – 47,6%)

Big potential is the most important trump card of lubelskie voivodship.
Others main advantages of its high investment attractiveness are:
- Cross border location as “a gate for the East” ensures good location for developing business in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia
- Relatively low labor costs, with wide range of qualified workforce may guarantee high quality of the production
- Low prices of land and buildings in comparison to the other regions of Poland
- Investors friendly conditions
- Very good science and research basis
- Very good basis for food industry thanks to high quality of agriculture goods
- Ensured necessary infrastructure for business; good network of banks, financial institutions, business developing centers trade chamber
- Perspectives of the strong investment input within the framework of the Structural Funds


Volyn Oblast 


Volyn oblast

The Volyn oblast was formed on 4 December 1939. It is situated in the north western part of Ukraine within geographical area called Polissia. It borders on Poland to the west, Belarus to the north, Rivne and Lviv oblasts of Ukraine to the east and south.

The oblast takes an advantageous geographical position at crossing of important European trade routes. The shortest motorways connecting Kyiv, Warsaw and Berlin run through the oblast.

The oblast covers the area of 20.2 square kilometres (3.3 per cent of total Ukraine’s territory); it stretches for 187 km from the north to the south and for 163 km from the west to the east.

The population is 1,060,700 people (2.2 per cent of total number of habitants in Ukraine). More than a half – 50.3 per cent are urban dwellers and 49.7 per cent reside in the countryside. The average population density is 52.5 persons per a square kilometre.

The oblast capital is Lutsk where 208,600 people live.

The leading branch of the regional economy is an agro-industrial sector which ensures nearly half of the oblast gross product. Local agriculture specializes in meat and dairy cattle breeding; crops, sugar beets, vegetables and potato growing. Despite a number of problems and hardships, new economic relations based on private ownership for land and properties have been introduced in agriculture. Almost 100 per cent of agricultural output is ensured by private sector.

167 enterprises are working in an industrial sector. The leading are food, machine building, fuel, chemical and building materials industries. The largest share in the total oblast industrial output belongs to food industry – 58.9 per cent. Local enterprises produce control devices, bearings, machinery for cattle breeding and fodder making, plastics, fabrics, linoleum, soft roofing materials, building bricks, furniture, confectionery, pasta, canned foodstuffs, sausages, alcohol, etc.

There are 3,700 small private enterprises and 28,300 entrepreneurs in the oblast where nearly 10 per cent oblast able-bodied citizens are employed. Small enterprises ensure 9.2 per cent of the oblast gross product and 20 per cent of all budget revenues.

587 explored deposits of natural gas, coal, peat, saprobe, brick-and-tiling raw material, chalk, sand for building and glass making, grainy phosphates, and building stones constitute mineral and raw potential of Volyn.

Favourable geographical location on crossings of significant trade and economic routed contributes to active international economic co-operation of the region. Nowadays the oblast maintains business contacts with 82 countries in the world.

During 1993/2003 nearly $ 65 million originating from 23 countries was invested into the region. The territory of priority development is operating in a coal-mining city Novovolynsk where special procedures for investment activities have been implemented. They grant taxation and customs preferences both for domestic and foreign businessmen in terms of executing investment projects.

The Volyn oblast is the land full of ancient legends, monuments which remind us about our forefathers’ struggle and courage, the land of powerful Volyn-Galytske princedom, the land of deep forests, blue lakes, groves, valleys, slow and rapid rivers. Its towns and villages with ancient history are happy to invite guests. Here visitors will have excellent opportunities to learn the history and culture of Ukraine and Volyn from ancient times till nowadays.

There are over 150 architectural monuments in the oblast. Every year the region holds festivals “Christmas Mystery”, “Polissia Summer and Folklore”, “Oberih”, “Waves of the Svityaz”, various exhibitions and fairs of handicraft works.

The oblast has significant recreational resources: temperate-continental climate, varying landscapes, forests, a dense net of rivers, a great number of lakes (220 small and big ones), resources for therapeutic mudbaths, mineral springs, and phytocuring reserves, which favor tourism and recreation all the year round.

The forest resources take up 695,000 hectares or 27.7% of the total area of the oblast. Local forests are rich in mushrooms, berries, medicinal herbs, birds and animals, and can satisfy various demands for recreation, treatment, health improvement, and general education. There is the regional landscape park “Stokhid-Prypiat”, 16 national nature reserves, 10 monuments of landscape architecture and over 300 nature conserving protected parks.

Close to the borders with Poland and Belarus there is Shatsk National Natural Park, the place that is unique not only in Ukraine but also in Central and Eastern Europe. One of the largest and most beautiful lakes of Ukraine – the Svitaz - is situated on the territory of the park.

The doors of Volyn are wide open for those who want to do business, for those who are interested in its history, culture, customs and traditions, for those who long unforgettable impressions and merry discoveries on its tourist routes.
 

 


Lviv Oblast 


Lviv region

L'viv region was established on the 4th of December 1939. It is situated in the most Western part of Ukraine. There are 20 districts, 43 cities, including cities of regional subordination (L’viv - 6 city districts, Boryslav, Chervonohrad, Drphobych, Sambir, Stryi, and Truskavets), 34 settlements and 1850 villages in L'viv region. 

 The administrative center of the region is the city of L'viv - one of the most ancient and beautiful cities in Ukraine, which also is a big economic, political, social and transportation center.

The history of its origin goes back to the 13th century, when Prince Danylo Halyts’kyi founded it in 1256. UNESCO has recently acknowledged the city as the pearl of Europe. The central historic part of the city was enlisted into World Historic Heritage List.


L'viv is one of the biggest educational centers of Ukraine. There are many outstanding educational establishments here, one of which is L'viv Ivan Franko National University - the oldest University in Ukraine.


L'viv has many achievements in the sphere of international relations. The city (and the region) actively cooperates with neighboring countries. On 14th-15th of May 1999 a Summit of the Presidents of Central European States was held in the city. In June 2001 Pope John Paul II was on a 3-day visit to L'viv, wich was his first visit to a country of the former Soviet Union.

General information about the region:

Square: 21.8 square kilometers, which is 3.6% of the territory of Ukraine, and 17th place among the regions of Ukraine

Distance from L'viv to Kyiv:
· by railway 575km
· by car 535km
Geographical dimensions of the region:
· From the West to the East - 210 kilometers
· From the North to the South - 240 kilometers
Geographical Data:

The region occupies southwestern part of the Eastern-European Hollow and Western part of the Northern macro hill of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Rozluch Mountain (935 meters above the sea level), Parashka Mountain (1271 meters), and Pikui Mountain (1406 meters) are the highest mountain peaks in the region.
The main European watershed of the Baltic and the Black Seas water basins runs through the region. The Western Buh River along with its afflux Poltva runs into the Baltic Sea. The Dnister, Styr and Ikva rivers flow into the Black Sea.


Owing to this and to the diversity of the surface the climate in the region is mild, with warmer temperatures on the hollow and colder temperatures in the mountain region. The average temperature in July is +18.30 C, and in February -4.10 C, and the average precipitations are 645mm.

Population:
The population of the region is approximately 2.75 million people. More than 61% of people live in cities. In gender structure women dominate in the region (more than 52%). The density of population is 120 persons per square kilometer. The biggest cities are L'viv (approximately 800 thousand inhabitants), Drohobych (above 80 thousand people), Chervonohrad (75 thousand people), Stryi (approximately 70 thousand), Sambir (41 thousand), and Boryslav (41 thousand).
L'viv region is nationally homogeneous. Ukrainians represent 90% of the population. Russians are the second largest group in the region. Also there are many other nationalities, which are not so numerous (Polish, German etc.)

Borders:
The region borders Volyn', Rivne, Ternopil', Ivano-Frankivs'k, and Trans-Carpathian (Zakarpattya) Regions, and Republic of Poland.
The length of the State border with Republic of Poland is 278.2 kilometers and it lies within the region limits.
Open border posts as of 01.04.2003 were:
· On the railway 
- Rava-Rus'ka (international, passenger and cargo post) 
- Mostys'ka-2 (international, passenger and cargo post) 
- Khyriv (international, passenger and cargo post)
· On the autoroute 
- Shehyni (international, passenger and cargo post, and walking pass-way) 
- Rava-Rus'ka (international, passenger and cargo post) 
- Krakovets' (international, passenger and cargo post) 
- Smil’nytsya (international, passenger and cargo post)
· Airports
- L'viv Airport (international, passenger and cargo post)
The region has one of the best transportation systems in Ukraine. The most important routes are: L'viv-Kyiv-Prague, and Warsaw-Bucharest. The highways are an integral part of the transportation system of the region.

Socio-economic Data:
L'viv region plays a key role in the social and economic life of the whole western region of Ukraine. The main economic and industrial centers of the region are L'viv, Boryslav, Chervonohrad, Drohobych, and Stryi. The main branches of the industry include machinery, food and chemical industry, wood manufacturing, and production of building materials. Specialized industries of agriculture are grain-crops, potato, vegetables and flax. Livestock, pig, and poultry breading are well developed as well.


The region is known for a variety of excellent recreation zones. South of the region and the area of Carpathians are known for its excellent resorts of Truskavets', Morshyn, and Skhidnytsya. L'viv and other cities with rich architectural heritage and monuments (e.g. Zhovkva, Drohobych, Horodok, Sambir and Zolochiv) are the most visited places in the region.