Mazovia (the Mazowieckie Voivodeship) is the biggest region in Poland – its surface area amounts to 35,598 km2, this constitutes about 11.4% of the total area of the country. Almost the entire voivodeship is located within the Central Polish lowlands. The landscape of the region consists predominantly of lowland areas, and the natural valleys of the large Central-European rivers (Vistula, Bug and Narew) are typical landform features. Although the biggest Polish city (Warsaw) is located in the territory of Mazovia, the region has retained much of its natural character. There are large areas of forests, including the Kampinos Forest – a real marvel on a European scale, which is a National Park and a Biosphere Reserve, designated by UNESCO under its Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MaB).
The fact that over 5 million people live in Mazovia – 13.1% of the population of Poland – makes it the most populous voivodeship. It is also the region where the biggest Polish city, namely Warsaw, is located. The city has about 1.6 million inhabitants, and together with the adjacent areas – 2.5 million. This makes Warsaw one of the biggest cities in this part of Europe. This means that almost 50% of the voivodeship’s population live in the conurbation of Warsaw, and in total, 64% of the region’s population in urban areas. Apart from the definitely dominant Warsaw, the voivodship’s important urban centres include Radom, with its 230,000 inhabitants, and Płock with its 130,000 inhabitants. Others are considerably smaller.
Mazovia is an agricultural region, its agricultural land constitutes about 65% of the voivodeship’s total area (13% of the agricultural areas in Poland). The composition includes: 71% - arable land, 25% - meadows and pastures and 4% - orchards. Mazovia is a horticulture and fruit farming region. About 30% of Polish orchards are located in Mazovia. This constitutes over 40% of domestic fruit production. More than half of the apples and 25% of strawberries produced in Poland are grown in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. Mazovia is also a leading producer of vegetables and second biggest among the grain producers in Poland. The Mazowieckie Voivodeship is also the leader in milk production, and meat production can also be rated among its strengths.
Taking into account the protection of the natural environment, Mazovia puts a lot of emphasis on the sustainable development of the region. These efforts have resulted in a fast growth in ecological production. There are already over 1,000 ecological farms in the voivodeship.
Mazovia is the display window of Polish culture for the world. Due to its turbulent history, not many original places of material culture heritage have survived. Mementoes of the past of Poland include the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the buildings of Warsaw as well as numerous palaces and manor houses of the gentry in the region. Nevertheless, it is modernity that dominates in Warsaw, many projects, which have been surprising people with their daring architectural visions, are being implemented here.
Mazovia is a region that is attractive for investors in Poland. Factors such as the size of the regional and domestic market as well as the location, which is strategic for manufacturing and service activities, are the most important aspects that encourage investment in Mazovia. Other significant reasons include good transport connections with the rest of the country and Europe, a well-developed IT infrastructure, as well as well-educated, highly qualified workforce. The credit for the last aspect goes partly to the schools of higher education and the R&D centres, which operate in the region and are recognised throughout the world.
Mazovia is located not that far away from other European capital cities. It takes slightly over 2 hours to fly to Paris or London, and just over an hour to Berlin. The well-developed network of excellent frequent air and railway connections to the main European capitals makes Mazovia and Warsaw easy accessible places. That is why Mazovia is a good idea for a weekend in a landscape which was such an inspiration for the Romantic composer Frederic Chopin, as well as a place for doing business. It also offers a chance to meet the fascinating Polish culture, to listen to some jazz in Warsaw’s clubs, and taste some of the specialties of Polish cuisine, such as bigos (a stewed dish made of sauerkraut and/or fresh cabbage, meat and mushrooms), żurek (soup made from fermented rye flour) or pierogi (dumplings).