Mazovia

Mazovia or Masovia () is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It goes across the North European Plain. It is between Łódź and Białystok. Warsaw is the unofficial capital city. Warsaw is also the largest city in the region. Throughout the centuries, Mazovia made a different culture than other Polish cultures.

Historical Mazovia existed from the Middle Ages until the partitions of Poland. It was made up of three voivodeships with the capitals in Warsaw, Płock and Rawa. The main city of the region was Płock.Mazowsze: Obraz Etnograficzny, Volume 1, by Wojciech Gerson and Oskar Kolberg, BiblioBazaar, 2009 – 372 pages At the time, Płock was the capital of Poland. Later, however, Płock lost its importance to Warsaw. Warsaw then became the capital of Poland. From 1138, Mazovia was led by a branch of the Piast dynasty. When the last ruler of the independent Duchy of Mazovia died, it became fully part of the Polish Crown in 1526. The Mazovian Governorate was made in 1816. It had land in the south part of the region along with Łęczyca Land and south-eastern Kuyavia. The Mazovian Governorate lasted until 1844. The old ethnic group of Mazovia are the Masurians. They settled in Masuria in southern Prussia in the Late Middle Ages. There they converted to Protestantism in the Reformation era.

The Mazovian Voivodeship was created in 1999. The borders of this voivodeship are not the same as the region of Mazovia. This is because the borders do not have the Mazovian cities of Łomża and Łowicz, but do have the Lesser Polish cities of Radom and Siedlce.

 Main cities and towns 
The following table lists the cities in Mazovia with a population greater than 20,000 (2015):
CityPopulation (2015)Voivodeship in 1750Voivodeship in 2016Additional information1.34x34px Warsaw1 724 40424x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipCapital of Poland, former royal city of Poland.2.26x26px Płock122 81524x24px Płock Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipHistorical capital of Masovia, former capital of Poland, former royal city of Poland.3.21x21px Łomża62 71124x24px Masovian Voivodeship22x22px Podlaskie VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.4.20x20px Pruszków59 57024x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.5.24x24px Legionowo54 23124x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.6.24x24px Ostrołęka52 91724x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.7.23x23px Skierniewice48 63424x24px Rawa Voivodeship25x25px Łódź VoivodeshipFormer private bishop town of Poland.8.29x29px Otwock45 04424x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.9.22x22px Piaseczno44 86924x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland, part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.10.23x23px Ciechanów44 79724x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.11.25x25px Żyrardów41 09624x24px Rawa Voivodeship24x24px Masovian Voivodeship12.23x23px Mińsk Mazowiecki39 88024x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.13.26x26px Wołomin37 50524x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.14.24x24px Sochaczew37 48024x24px Rawa Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.15.21x21px Ząbki31 88424x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.16.22x22px Mława30 88024x24px Płock Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.17.24x24px Grodzisk Mazowiecki29 90724x24px Rawa Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer private town of the Mokronoski family, part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.18.23x23px Łowicz29 42024x24px Rawa Voivodeship25x25px Łódź VoivodeshipTemporary de facto capital of Poland in years 1572–1573, former private bishop town.19.23x23px Marki29 03224x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.20.24x24px Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki28 28724x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer private town, part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.21.23x23px Wyszków27 22224x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer private bishop town of Poland.22.24x24px Piastów22 82624x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.23.23x23px Ostrów Mazowiecka22 79624x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.24.22x22px Płońsk22 49424x24px Płock Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.25.24x24px Zambrów22 45124x24px Masovian Voivodeship22x22px Podlaskie VoivodeshipFormer royal city of Poland.26.25x25px Grajewo22 24624x24px Masovian Voivodeship22x22px Podlaskie VoivodeshipNorthernmost and easternmost town of Mazovia. It borders the regions of Podlachia and Masuria.27.24x24px Kobyłka20 85524x24px Masovian Voivodeship24x24px Masovian VoivodeshipPart of the Warsaw metropolitan area.

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 References 

 Other websites 

 Summer in Mazowsze

Category:Regions of Poland