Upper Silesian Industrial Region

This article is about the industrial region. For the geographic urban areas, see Katowice urban area and Upper Silesian metropolitan area. For the political and economic association of local municipalities, see Silesian Metropolis.

Central part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region - Upper Silesian Metropolis.

The location of Katowice in Poland

The Upper Silesian Industrial Region (Polish: Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy, pronounced [gurnɔˈɕlɔ̃skʲi ˌɔkrɛŋk pʂɛmɨˈswɔvɨ], Polish abbreviation: GOP [gɔp]; German: Oberschlesisches Industriegebiet) is a large industrial region in Poland. It lies mainly in the Silesian Voivodeship, centered on Katowice.

It is situated in the northern part of Upper Silesian Coal Basin a home of altogether 5 million people (Silesian metropolitan area), the southwest border of the Rybnik Coal Area (Polish: Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy, ROW) and west borders with the Ostrava urban area. Covers 3,200 km² and about 3 million people.

The Upper Silesian Industrial Region is located in the province of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland in a basin between the Vistula and Oder rivers.

Upper Silesian Industrial Region is an area with enormous concentration of industry. Dominates here:

• Mining industry (more than a dozen active coal mines, mainly as Katowicki Holding Węglowy and Kompania Węglowa)
• Iron and steel industry (more than a dozen active iron and nonferrous metals)
• Transport industry (example General Motors Manufacturing Poland and Fiat Auto Poland, Konstal, Bumar Łabędy)
• The energy industry (more than a dozen plants)
• Mechanical engineering
• Chemical industry

See also

• Upper Silesian Metropolis
• Rybnik Coal Area

Literature

• (in Polish) "Katowice i Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy" - Krystyna Szaraniec & Lech Szaraniec & Karol Szarowski, Katowickie Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne, Katowice 1980
• (in Polish) "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy: liczby, fakty, problemy" - Marek Grabania, Wydawnictwo Śląsk, Katowice 1964
• (in Polish) "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy w świetle nowych opracowań zachodnioniemieckich" - Marian Frank, Silesian Institute in Katowice, Katowice 1960