Masovian Voivodeship^[a] orMazowieckie Province (Polish:województwo mazowieckie,pronounced[vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔmazɔˈvjɛt͡skʲɛ]^ⓘ) and any variation thereof,^[4][5][6][7] is avoivodeship (province) in east-centralPoland, containing Poland's capitalWarsaw.

Masovian Voivodeship Województwo mazowieckie
Voivodeship
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Motto:  "Serce Polski" (Heart of Poland)
Location within Poland
Division into counties
Coordinates (Warsaw):52°13′N21°0′E / 52.217°N 21.000°E /52.217; 21.000
Country	Poland
Capital	Warsaw
Counties	5 cities, 37 land counties * Ostrołęka Płock Radom Siedlce Warsaw Białobrzegi County Ciechanów County Garwolin County Gostynin County Grodzisk Mazowiecki County Grójec County Kozienice County Legionowo County Lipsko County Łosice County Maków County Mińsk County Mława County Nowy Dwór County Ostrołęka County Ostrów Mazowiecka County Otwock County Piaseczno County Płock County Płońsk County Pruszków County Przasnysz County Przysucha County Pułtusk County Radom County Siedlce County Sierpc County Sochaczew County Sokołów County Szydłowiec County Warsaw West County Węgrów County Wołomin County Wyszków County Żuromin County Zwoleń County Żyrardów County
Government
• Body	Executive board
• Voivode	Mariusz Frankowski (PO)
• Marshal	Adam Struzik (PSL)
• EP	Masovian constituency Warsaw constituency
Area
• Total	35,579 km2 (13,737 sq mi)
Population  (2019)
• Total	5,411,446[1]
• Density	151/km2 (390/sq mi)
GDP [2]
• Total	€150.3 billion (2022)
• Per capita	€27,300 (2022)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	PL-14
Vehicle registration	W, A
HDI (2022)	0.931[3] very high ·1st
Website	www.mazovia.pl
further divided into 314gminas

Masovian Voivodeship has an area of 35,579 square kilometres (13,737 sq mi) and had a 2019 population of 5,411,446, making it Poland's largest and most populous province.^[1] Its principal cities areWarsaw (1.783 million) in the center of theWarsaw metropolitan area,Radom (212,230) to the south,Płock (119,709) to the west,Siedlce (77,990) to the east, andOstrołęka (52,071) to the north. It borders six other provinces:Warmian-Masurian to the north,Podlaskie to the northeast,Lublin to the southeast,Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) to the south,Łódź to the southwest, andKuyavian–Pomeranian to the northwest.

The name of the province recalls the region's traditional name,Mazovia (in PolishMazowsze, also spelled Masovia), with which it is roughly coterminous. However, the province's southern part, including Radom, historically belonged toLesser Poland; whileŁomża with environs, though historically part of Mazovia, is now part ofPodlaskie Voivodeship.

Masovian Voivodeship is Poland's prime center ofscience, research, education, industry, andinfrastructure.^[8] It has Poland's lowest unemployment rate and is a very high-income province.^[8] It is also popular with tourists due to the many historical monuments and its over 20% forested area ofpine andoak.^[9] The province'sKampinos National Park is aUNESCObiosphere reserve.

In theEarly Middle Ages, the territory was inhabited by theMasovians, an oldPolish tribe. It formed part of Poland since its establishment in the 10th century, with the then-regional capitalPłock being the capital of Poland from 1079 to 1138. TheWzgórze Tumskie ("Cathedral Hill") in Płock with thePłock Castle and theCatholic Cathedral, seat of one of the oldest Polish dioceses, est. in 1075, which contains the sarcophagi of a number ofPolish monarchs, is listed as aHistoric Monument of Poland.^[10] Later, Płock, Warsaw andCzersk were medieval ducal seats of thePiast dynasty.

In 1505, Radom hosted the session of theSejm (Polish Parliament), which enacted theNihil novi act, and in the 16th century, Warsaw hosted several sessions of the Sejm,^[11] before KingSigismund III Vasa moved the Polish capital fromKraków to Warsaw in 1596.

Following the late-18th-centuryPartitions of Poland, the region witnessed several uprisings against foreign rule: theKościuszko Uprising of 1794, theNovember Uprising of 1830–1831, and theJanuary Uprising of 1863–1864.

In theinterbellum, the region was part of reborn independent Poland. In 1920, the region wasinvaded by Soviet Russia, but Poland secured its freedom in the victoriousBattle of Warsaw. The southern part of the current province was rapidly industrialized as part of theCentral Industrial Region of Poland.

DuringWorld War II, it wasoccupied by Germany, with the occupiers committing their genocidal policies againstPoles andJews in the region, withexpulsions, massacres of civilians andprisoners of war, including atCiepielów,Śladów,Zakroczym,Ostrów Mazowiecka,Palmiry,Firlej,Skłoby,Nur,Ochota,Wola, andLipniak-Majorat. Germany operated numerous prisons,forced labour camps, theTreblinka extermination camp, in which some 700,000–900,000 people were murdered, and severalprisoner-of-war camps for Polish,Italian,French, Soviet, and Romanian prisoners of war.^[12]

Masovian Province was created on 1 January 1999, under thePolish local-government reforms adopted in 1998, out of the former provinces ofWarsaw,Płock,Ciechanów,Ostrołęka,Siedlce, andRadom.

Masovian Voivodeship is divided into 42counties, including fivecity counties and 37 land counties. These are subdivided into 314gminas (municipalities), which include 85 urban gminas.

The counties, shown on the numbered map, are described in the table below.

The voivodeship contains 10 cities and 78 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019):^[1]

•  
  Warsaw is the capital of Poland.
•  
  Radom is part of historicalLesser Poland.
•  
  Płock is the historical capital ofMasovia and former Polish capital.
•  
  Siedlce is part of historical Lesser Poland.
•  
  Pruszków is part of theWarsaw metropolitan area.
•  
  Legionowo is one of the youngest cities in the province.
•  
  Ostrołęka is part of the ethnocultural region ofKurpie.
•  
  Piaseczno is part of theWarsaw metropolitan area, and a formerroyal town.
•  
  Ciechanów is a formerroyal city.
•  
  Mińsk Mazowiecki is part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
•  
  Żyrardów is one of the youngest cities in the voivodeship, established in 1830.
•  
  Pułtusk is one of the oldest towns in Poland.

The Masovian voivodeship's government is headed by the province'svoivode (governor) who is appointed by thePolish Prime Minister. Thevoivode is then assisted in performing his duties by thevoivodeship's marshal, who is the appointed speaker for thevoivodeship's executive and is elected by thesejmik (provincial assembly). The currentvoivode of Masovia isMariusz Frankowski.

The Sejmik of Masovia consists of 51 members.

Protected areass include oneNational Park and nineLandscape parks. These are shown below.

• Kampinos National park (aUNESCO-designatedbiosphere reserve)
• Bolimów Landscape park (partly inŁódź Voivodeship)
• Brudzeń Landscape Park
• Bug Landscape Park
• Chojnów Landscape Park
• Górzno-Lidzbark Landscape Park (partly inKuyavian-Pomeranian andWarmian-Masurian Voivodeships)
• Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park (partly in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship)
• Kozienice Landscape Park
• Masovian Landscape Park
• Podlaskie Bug Gorge Landscape Park (partly inLublin Voivodeship)

Masovia Voivodeship, 1526–1795 (Polish:Województwo Mazowieckie) was an administrative region of theKingdom of Poland, and of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, from the 15th century until thepartitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1795). Together withPłock andRawa Voivodeships, it formed the province (prowincja) ofMasovia.

Masovian Voivodeship was one ofthe voivodeships of Congress Poland. It was formed from theWarsaw Department and transformed into theMasovia Governorate.

Three major international road routes pass through the voivodeship: Cork–Berlin–Poznań–Warszawa–Minsk–Moscow–Omsk (European route E30), Prague–Wrocław–Warsaw–Białystok–Helsinki (E67) and Pskov–Gdańsk–Warsaw–Kraków–Budapest (E77).

Currently, there are various stretches ofhighways in the area, with theA2 highway connecting the region, and therefore the capital city, with the rest of Europe. The highway passes directly through the voivodeship from west to east, connecting it with Belarus and Germany. However, the A2 is yet to be built east of Warsaw to connect Poland with Belarus. TheS7 expressway runs through Poland from the north to the south passing through Warsaw, theS8 connects Warsaw withBiałystok, in the neighboring north-eastern province, also forming part of theVia Baltica which heads on to Lithuania, and toWrocław in the south-west, and theS17 being built to connect Warsaw with Lublin in the south-east and on to Ukraine.

The two main railway carriers operating in the region are the regionalKoleje Mazowieckie and nationwidePKP Intercity. Three of ten busiest railway stations of Poland are located in the voivodeship:Warszawa Centralna,Warszawa Wschodnia,Warszawa Zachodnia.^[20]

The main international airport in the region isWarsaw Frederic Chopin Airport.

Masovian Voivodeship is the wealthiest province in Poland. Thegross domestic product (GDP) of the province was PLN 596 billion in 2021, accounting for 22.8% of the Polish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was around PLN123,000in the same year.^[21]

The unemployment rate stood at 4.8% in 2017 and was higher than the national and the European average.^[22]

The top tourist destination of the voivodeship is the capital city ofWarsaw with itsOld Town andRoyal Castle, aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site andHistoric Monument of Poland.^[23] Further Historic Monuments in Warsaw include theRoyal Route with several palaces and parks, most notably theŁazienki Palace andWilanów Palace, and theWarsaw Water Filters.

Other historic cities includeRadom with its old center and parks,Pułtusk with the longest paved marketplace of Europe, andPłock, former medieval capital of Poland, with its Old Town andWzgórze Tumskie ("Cathedral Hill") with thePłock Castle and thePłock Cathedral, which contains the sarcophagi of a number of Polish monarchs.

There are several medieval castles, including atCiechanów,Czersk,Liw, Płock, and numerous palaces in the voivodeship, including atOtwock Wielki,Guzów,Radziejowice,Krubki-Górki,Sanniki,Korczew and multiple in Warsaw itself. Unique historic churches include theTemple of Mercy and Charity in Płock, the worldwide headquarters of theMariavite Church, theAbbey Church inCzerwińsk nad Wisłą, one of the best preservedRomanesquefortified churches in Poland, and the Saints Roch and John the Baptist church inBrochów, a Gothic-Renaissance fortified church, place of baptism ofFryderyk Chopin.Otwock,Józefów and Warsaw are home to the localŚwidermajer architectural style. There are also theModlin Fortress andWarsaw Citadel.

The solespa town of the voivodeship isKonstancin-Jeziorna.

There are museums dedicated to composerFryderyk Chopin and chemistMarie Curie at their birthplaces inŻelazowa Wola andWarsaw, respectively. There is also aFryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw. There is a museum dedicated to famousRenaissance poetJan Kochanowski inCzarnolas. The Krasiński Palace inOpinogóra Górna hosts the Museum ofRomanticism.

There are numerousWorld War II memorials, including memorials at the sites of Nazi massacres of Poles, includingPalmiry, andHolocaust memorials, and museums at the sites of the former Nazi GermanTreblinka extermination camp,Pawiak Prison in Warsaw andDulag 121 camp in Pruszków. Two of the few Italian war cemeteries in Poland are located in Warsaw (from both world wars) andNowe Opole (from WW2).^[24]

The highest point in the voivodeship, 408-metre (1,339 ft),Góra Altana, is located south ofSzydłowiec, near the southern boundary with theŚwiętokrzyskie Voivodeship.

Football,handball,volleyball andbasketball enjoy the largest following in the voivodeship. Successful clubs includeLegia Warsaw andPolonia Warsaw in football and basketball, andWisła Płock in handball.

Since the establishment of the province, several major international sports competitions were co-hosted by the province, including the2002 World Weightlifting Championships,2003 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships,2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships,EuroBasket 2009,UEFA Euro 2012,2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship,2017 Men's European Volleyball Championship,2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship,2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships,2023 World Men's Handball Championship.

Deepspot, the world's second deepest swimming pool, is located inMszczonów.

• The voivodeship contains both the current capital of Poland (Warsaw) and one of the former medieval capitals of Poland (Płock).
• In the 17th century, there were sizeableScottish communities in Warsaw,Raciąż,Sierpc andZakroczym, and also smaller ones inIłża,Jedlińsk,Radom,Skrzynno,Szydłowiec andWęgrów.^[25]
• The village ofKrasiniec was the home of the soleKalmyk community of Poland in the interbellum.
• One of the three parish churches of theArmenian Catholic Church in Poland is located in Warsaw (see also:Armenians in Poland).

•  
  Płock Cathedral, burial site of Polish monarchs
•  
  Wilanów Palace inWarsaw
•  
  Liw Castle
•  
  Saint Catherine of Alexandria church inRadom
•  
  Palace in Otwock Wielki
•  
  Szydłowiec Town Hall
•  
  Łyszkiewicz Apartment in Warsaw, birthplace ofMarie Curie, presently amuseum of theNobel Prize winner
•  
  Sobański Palace inGuzów
•  
  Birthplace of Frédéric Chopin inŻelazowa Wola, presently a museum of the composer
•  
  Modlin Fortress
•  
  Czersk Castle
•  
  Abbey Church inCzerwińsk nad Wisłą

• Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939)

• Official website