Sanok Land (Polish:ziemia sanocka,Latin:terra et districtus sanociensis) was a historical administrative division unit (ziemia) of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 14th-18th centuries. It consisted of land that now belongs to thepowiats (counties) of:Sanok,Brzozów,Lesko and partiallyKrosno andRzeszów. Ziemia Sanocka was a part of theRuthenian Voivodeship (Red Ruthenia ofLesser Poland) with the capital atLwów (nowLviv,Ukraine).
Little is known about the area of Sanok in the early years of Polish history. According to archaeological findings, a number ofgords already existed here when the region was under possible control ofGreat Moravia. Following several Polish - Ruthenian conflicts, Sanok became part ofRed Ruthenia, and in 1150, the town was ransacked in a Hungarian raid. Until 1340, Sanok was part of various Ruthenian duchies, and later theKingdom of Galicia-Volhynia. In 1340, the Land of Sanok, together with whole Red Ruthenia, was annexed by KingKazimierz Wielki. The King introduced Polish administrative structure here, dividing Red Ruthenia into four lands (seeziemia), one of which was the Land of Sanok, consisting of the Countypowiat of Sanok. The existence of Sanok County is confirmed by sources from 1423, and by that time, Sanok also was the seat of astarosta, who resided in a castle.
The term Sanok Land, used to describe a separate administrative unit, appears for the first time in the mid-14th century, after the annexation of Red Ruthenia by theKingdom of Poland. In 1359, theLatin language termcastellania Sanocensi was used, while in 1363, the village of Radoszyce was mentioned as the one which belonged to “districtu Sanocensi”. In 1369, the termterra Sanocensi was used in documents. In 1384, several local villages were described as being under jurisdiction ofcastrum Sanocense.
The Land of Sanok remained a separate administrative unit within theRuthenian Voivodeship until thePartitions of Poland, when it became part of AustrianGalicia. It had its ownstarosta, and its borders changed several times. Historians argue whetherKrosno was at first part ofLesser Poland, or Red Ruthenia. Furthermore, the area ofTyczyn belonged to the Land of Sanok, but some time in the 15th century, it was transferred to thePrzemyśl Land. Another example is the town ofBircza.
Since Sanok Land was sparsely populated, it was not divided intopowiats. Most of its territory was covered by forests of theCarpathian Mountains, and the population was a mix of Poles, Ruthenians, Germans, Hungarians, Slovaks and Wallachians.