DOLNOSLASKIE VOIVODSHIP - Economy
The Dolnoslaskie Voivodship is one of the most economically developed voivodships. In 2000, gross domestic product per capita amounting to EUR 4.6 thousand, ranked the voivodship fourth in the country, following the voivodships of Mazowieckie (EUR 6.7 thousand), Slaskie (EUR 4.9 thousand) and Wielkopolskie (EUR 4.7 thousand).
In terms of gross domestic product per capita, subregions were significantly differentiated -' this ratio was two times higher in the subregion Wroclaw city than in the surrounding Wroclawski subregion.
Labour productivity, measured by gross value added per employed person, was almost 15% higher in 2000 than the average in Poland. In the creation of gross value added in 1995-2000, a downward trend is observed in industry and construction as well as in agriculture, hunting and forestry; fishing while the share of services has increased.
In 2001 almost 282 thousand entities of the national economy were registered in the REGON register in Lower Silesia, which corresponds to 8.5% of all entities in the country, of which 96.1% operated in the private sector. For every 10 thousand residents, there were 214 legal persons and organisational entities without legal personality in 2001; a higher number was noted only in the voivodships of Mazowieckie, Pomorskie and Zachodniopomorskie.
The number of natural persons conducting economic activity per 10 thousand population was more than 9% higher than the national average, amounting to 1 051 in the Wroclaw city subregion and being one of the highest among all subregions in Poland (after Poznan city subregion - 1 054).
Of the 14.7 thousand registered commercial companies, 31% (4.6 thousand) were companies with foreign capital participation. More than one third of this capital originated from Germany, with Great Britain, Netherlands, and United States contributing more than 10% each. Swedish, French, Canadian and Austrian capital was also present on the market.
Dolnoslaskie Voivodship is characterised by soil and climate conditions favourable for the development of agriculture (more than 40% of the soil is classified as I-III quality class soils). Agricultural land accounts for more than 58% of the voivodship's area, slightly less than the national average.
In the structure of agricultural land, arable land accounted for more than 77% of the area. Its share in agricultural land in individual subregions was considerably differentiated - from 85.4% in the Wroclaw subregion to 71.2% in the Jeleniogórsko-Walbrzyski subregion.
In 2001, 87% of agricultural land in the voivodship was owned by private sector entities. The average agriculture land area in private farm was 10.9 ha (8.0 ha nationally).
Basic cereals accounted for more than 60% of the region's total crop area (57.1% nationally), among which the cultivation of wheat dominated (64% in the voivodship, 37% nationally). Rape and agrimony, the share of which in sown area exceeds 8%, which is more than two times the national average, are also major crops.
In 2001, harvests of basic grains in the voivodship accounted for more than 8% of the country's total harvests, including 13% of wheat (highest percentage in the country). The share of rape and agrimony was also relatively high. Yields of major crops were higher than the national averages.
However, the voivodship's share in domestic animal output is decidedly smaller. The stock of cattle accounted for approximately 2.5% of the cattle stock in Poland, while the stock per 100 ha of agricultural land was 2.5-times smaller than the national average. In terms of pig stocks, Lower Silesia ranks next to last, just before Podkarpackie Voivodship.
Agricultural potential as well as the structure of crop and animal output is reflected in the amount of gross agricultural output and Lower Silesia's share in domestic output. In 2001 this share amounted to 6.8% in gross crop output and 3.5% in gross animal output.
Dolnoslaskie Voivodship is one of the most industrialised regions of the country. Sold production of industry totalled EUR 9 784.4 million in 2001, which corresponded to 7.2% of Poland's industrial output. Industry located in the region is diversified.
Copper is mined and processed in the region. The entire production cycle: mines, processing plants, a mill as well as a number of service and auxiliary facilities are all managed by a single enterprise KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. Dolnoslaskie Voivodship meets 100% of the country's demand for copper (as well as silver recovered from the copper ore). Copper is also exported, primarily to France, England, Germany and Sweden.
The voivodship's contribution to the manufacture of household appliances is significant. More than 60% of household refrigerators and freezers as well as every tenth washing machine is made in Lower Silesia. The region also has a substantial share in the manufacture of building materials and household chemicals.
Investment outlays borne in the Dolnoslaskie Voivodship (EUR 2 996 million), accounted for 9.1% of national outlays. Outlays calculated per capita amounted to EUR 1 009 (18% more than the national average), which ranked the voivodship second in the country (after Mazowieckie Voivodship). Of total investment outlays, 40% was designated for industry, 16% for real estate, renting and business activities and 11% for transport, storage and communications.
Expenditures on research and development activity accounted for 7.0% of the country's total expenditures for this purpose. Per capita, these expenditures were below the national average, but are growing.
A centre for technology transfer is located in the voivodship, one of only three in the country.
In 2001, 1 861 km of railway lines were in use in Lower Silesia, and their density, amounting to 9.3 km per 100 km2 was among the highest in the country. However, the railway lines of Lower Silesia are also among the most outdated in the country.
The voivodship is characterised by a well-developed road network. The length of hard surface public roads totalled 18.1 thousand km, corresponding to 90.7 km per 100 km2 (79.4 km nationally).
Having an adequate number of road links with neighbours is particularly important for Lower Silesia, located as it is at the junction of three countries - Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. In 2001, 23.4 million people were cleared on the southern border crossings of the voivodship, and therefore 31.2% of clearances on the border with the Czech Republic occurred in Lower Silesia. The highest amount of border traffic was noted at the Kudowa, Slone, Jakuszyce, Porajów-Hradek and Lubawka crossings. The voivodship's share on the western border, at which 18.7 million people were cleared at crossing points in the Dolnoslaskie Voivodship, amounted to 20.6% of the clearings on this border. The largest number of people crossed the border at Zgorzelec and Jedrzychowice.
An international airport is located in Wroclaw, with connections to Warsaw as well as Frankfurt am Main, Copenhagen, Munich and Vienna. In 2001, 238 thousand people departed from and arrived to the airport, of which more than 30% were passengers travelling abroad.
The scenic, climatic and health resort properties of Lower Silesia are the basis for the unusual attractiveness of this region in terms of tourism and recreation. In 2001, 883 collective tourist accommodation establishments were located in the voivodship (11.6% of all such facilities in Poland; more than 80% of the facilities are located in the Jeleniogórsko-Walbrzyski subregion), where 55.5 thousand beds are available (accounting for 8.8% of the beds in the country). People taking advantage of overnight accommodations in the tourist accommodation establishments of Lower Silesia accounted for 11.9% of the total number of people staying in domestic tourist accommodation establishments.
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