  suwaÅki  (, ) is a town in northeastern poland with 69,210 inhabitants (2011). the czarna haÅcza river flows through the town. it is the capital of suwaÅki county and one of the most important centers of commerce in the podlaskie voivodeship. until 1999 the town was the capital of suwaÅki voivodeship. suwaÅki is located about  from the southwestern lithuanian border. the town gives its name to the polish protected area known as suwaÅki landscape park. suwaÅki is the largest city and the capital of the historical suwaÅki region. ==history==  the area of suwaÅki had been populated by local yotvingian and prussian tribes since the early middle ages. however, with the arrival of the teutonic order to yotvingia, their lands were conquered and remained largely depopulated in the following centuries. ===17th century=== the village was founded by camaldolese monks, who in 1667 were granted the area surrounding the future town by the grand duke of lithuania and the king of poland john ii casimir. soon afterward the monastic order built its headquarters in wigry, where a monastery and a church were built. the new owners of the area started fast economic exploitation and development of the forests and brought enough se
BiaAystok_Voivodeship_(1919a39) Cities_and_towns_in_Podlaskie_Voivodeship City_counties_of_Poland SuwaAki_Governorate