| Sandomierz Basin | |
|---|---|
 | |
 |
Sandomierz Basin (Polish:Kotlina Sandomierska) is a lowland, located in southeastern Poland, between theLesser Poland Upland,Lublin Upland and the WesternCarpathians. Its name comes from the historical city ofSandomierz, and the basin has a triangular shape with the size of around 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi). It is drained by theVistula River, as well as its eastern tributary, theSan (both rivers make its northern border). Among major cities located in the Sandomierz Basin areDębica,Jarosław,Mielec,Przemyśl,Przeworsk,Rzeszów,Stalowa Wola,Sandomierz,Tarnobrzeg, andTarnów.
Sandomierz Basin lies mostly on the territory of three Polish provinces –Lesser Poland Voivodeship (northeastern corner),Podkarpacie Voivodeship (southwestern corner), andLublin Voivodeship (northwestern corner). Easternmost part of it is also inLviv Oblast in Ukraine. It is densely inhabited, with the exception of theNiepołomice Forest and theSandomierz Forest. The basin is divided into the following geographical subregions:
The basin is rich with natural resources, such as salt (Bochnia, Wieliczka), gypsum, sulphur (Tarnobrzeg), natural gas (Husow, Jarosław) and petroleum. It is crossed byEuropean route E40, along which goes a main west–east rail line from Kraków to Lwów. Average annual temperature in the Vistula river valley is 8 °C, and annually, there are 90 to 100 days with temperatures below freezing (since mid-October until late April). In the winter, there are approximately 2 hours of sunshine a day, while in the summer approximately 5 hours. In the valleys of the Vistula and the Raba there are frequent fogs. Annual precipitation is 800 mm, with snow staying on the ground for 50 to 60 days annually. The climate of Sandomierz Basin is marked by frequent changes.
