Nowy Sącz County

Nowy Sącz County
Powiat nowosądecki
County
Flag of Nowy Sącz County
Flag
Coat of arms of Nowy Sącz County
Coat of arms
Location within the voivodeship
Location within the voivodeship
Division into gminas
Division into gminas
Coordinates (Nowy Sącz): 49°37′26″N 20°41′50″E / 49.62389°N 20.69722°E / 49.62389; 20.69722
Country Poland
VoivodeshipLesser Poland
SeatNowy Sącz
Gminas
Total 16 (incl. 1 urban)
Area
 • Total
1,550.24 km2 (598.55 sq mi)
Population
 (2006)
 • Total
197,718
 • Density130/km2 (330/sq mi)
 • Urban
36,952
 • Rural
160,766
Car platesKNS
Websitehttp://www.sacz.pl

Nowy Sącz County (Polish: powiat nowosądecki) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland, on the Slovak border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Nowy Sącz, although the city is not part of the county (it constitutes a separate city county). The county contains five towns: Krynica-Zdrój, 31 km (19 mi) south-east of Nowy Sącz, Stary Sącz, 9 km (6 mi) south-west of Nowy Sącz, Grybów, 19 km (12 mi) east of Nowy Sącz, Piwniczna-Zdrój, 21 km (13 mi) south of Nowy Sącz, and Muszyna, 33 km (21 mi) south-east of Nowy Sącz.

The county covers an area of 1,550.24 square kilometres (598.6 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 197,718, out of which the population of Krynica-Zdrój is 11,243, that of Stary Sącz is 8,987, that of Grybów is 6,025, that of Piwniczna-Zdrój is 5,717, that of Muszyna is 4,980, and the rural population is 160,766.

Neighbouring counties

Apart from the city of Nowy Sącz, Nowy Sącz County is also bordered by Nowy Targ County and Limanowa County to the west, Brzesko County and Tarnów County to the north, and Gorlice County to the east. It also borders Slovakia to the south.

Administrative division

The county is subdivided into 16 gminas (one urban, four urban-rural and 11 rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.

Gmina Type Area
(km2) 		Population
(2006) 		Seat
Gmina Chełmiec rural 112.0 24,473 Chełmiec
Gmina Grybów rural 153.0 22,436 Grybów *
Gmina Stary Sącz urban-rural 102.4 22,206 Stary Sącz
Gmina Krynica-Zdrój urban-rural 145.3 16,850 Krynica-Zdrój
Gmina Łącko rural 133.0 14,835 Łącko
Gmina Korzenna rural 106.8 13,377 Korzenna
Gmina Podegrodzie rural 63.7 11,607 Podegrodzie
Gmina Muszyna urban-rural 142.0 11,293 Muszyna
Gmina Piwniczna-Zdrój urban-rural 126.7 10,313 Piwniczna-Zdrój
Gmina Łososina Dolna rural 84.3 9,814 Łososina Dolna
Gmina Kamionka Wielka rural 63.0 9,158 Kamionka Wielka
Gmina Gródek nad Dunajcem rural 88.2 8,896 Gródek nad Dunajcem
Gmina Nawojowa rural 51.1 7,644 Nawojowa
Grybów urban 17.0 6,025  
Gmina Łabowa rural 119.1 5,172 Łabowa
Gmina Rytro rural 41.9 3,619 Rytro
* seat not part of the gmina

Nowy Sacz County in the Past

The history of Nowy Sacz County dates back to late 13th century, when King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia granted Magdeburg rights to Nowy Sacz. The new town quickly became most important administrative center of the region, and the seat of a local castellan and starosta. The county was probably established during the reign of King Kazimierz Wielki, who encouraged settlement in this sparsely populated region of his domain.

Until the Partitions of Poland, Nowy Sacz County belonged to Kraków Voivodeship. Its total area was 3900 sq. kilometers, with 12 towns (as for 1667), including Wojnicz, Czchow, Nowy Targ, Zakliczyn, Muszyna and Grybow.

After the first partition of Poland (1772), Nowy Sacz County became part of Austrian Galicia, in which it remained until 1918 (for more information, see Subdivisions of Galicia). In the Second Polish Republic, Nowy Sacz County was part of Kraków Voivodeship (1919–39); after World War II, the county remained part of Krakow Voivodeship until 1975, when all counties were disbanded (see Administrative division of the Polish People's Republic).

References