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Subnational Flags (Poland)

Voivodships and Counties (Powiatu)

Poland is divided into 16 Voivodships (provinces), which are in turn divided into 314 Powiatu (counties)
and 65 "miasta na prawach powiatu" (cities with powiat status).

The counties are in turn divided into "gminy" (translated as districts or communes), which are of 3 types:

gmina miejska, or urban district, consisting of a town
gmina miejsko-wiejska, or urban-rural, consisting of a town ("miasto") and the surrounding rural area ("obszar wiejski")
gmina wiejska, or rural district, consisting of several villages.

In many cases two districts will share the same name, one for the town, and one for the surrounding rural area.

New Polish voivodships
Old and new voivodships
Common patterns in county flags
The development of the Polish city flags in the centuries

See also:

Poland
County and municipal flags (alphabetic indices)

New polish voivodships and counties (powiatu)

Dolnośląskie (DS) (Lower Silesia) - capital: Wrocław
Dolnośląskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Bolesławiec, Dzierżoniów, Głogów, Góra Śląska, Jawor, Jelenia Góra, Kamienna Góra, Kłodzko, Legnica, Lubań, Lubin, Lwówek, Milicz, Oleśnica, Oława, Polkowice, Strzelin, Środa Śląska, Świdnica, Trzebnica, Wałbrzych, Wołów, Wrocław, Ząbkowice, Zgorzelec, Złotoryja. 166 communes
Cities with county status: Jelenia Góra, Legnica, Wrocław,

Kujawsko-pomorskie (KP) (Kujavia-Pomerania) - capitals: Bydgoszcz & Toruń
Kujawsko-pomorskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Aleksandrów Kujawski, Brodnica, Bydgoszcz, Chełmno, Golub Dobrzyń, Grudziądz, Inowrocław, Lipno, Mogilno, Nakło, Radziejów, Rypin, Sępólno, Świecie, Toruń, Tuchola, Wąbrzeżno, Włocławek, Żnin. 140 communes
Cities with county status: Bydgoszcz, Grudziądz, Toruń, Włocławek,

Lubuskie (LB) - capitals: Gorzów Wielkopolski & Zielona Góra
Lubuskie voivodship subdivisions.

Counties: Gorzów Wielkopolski, Krosno Odrzańskie, Międzyrzecz, Nowa Sól, Słubice, Strzelce-Drezdenko, Sulęcin, Świebodzin, Wschowa, Żagań, Żary, Zielona Góra. 81 communes
Cities with county status: Gorzów Wielkopolski, Zielona Góra,

Łódzkie (LD) - capital: Łódź
Łódzkie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Bełchatów, Brzeziny, Kutno, Łask, Łęczyca, Łowicz, Łódź East, Opoczno, Pabianice, Pajęczyn, Piotrków Trybunalski, Poddębice, Radomsko, Rawa Mazowiecka, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Wieluń, Wieruszów, Zduńska Wola, Zgierz. 174 communes
Cities with county status: Łódź, Piotrków Trybunalski, Skierniewice,

Lubelskie (LU) - capital: Lublin
Lubelskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Biała Podlaska, Biłgoraj, Chełm, Hrubieszów, Janów Lubelski, Kraśnik, Krasnystaw, Łęczna, Lubartów, Lublin, Łuków, Opole Lubelskie, Parczew, Puławy, Radzyń Podlaski, Ryki, Świdnik, Tomaszów Lubelskie, Włodawa, Zamość. 209 communes
Cities with county status: Biała Podlaska, Chełm, Lublin, Zamość.

Mazowieckie (MA) (Mazovia) - capital: Warsaw/Warszawa
Mazowieckie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Białobrzegi, Ciechanów, Garwolin, Gostynin, Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Grójec, Kozienice, Legionowo, Lipsko, Łosice, Maków, Mińsk Mazowiecki, Mława, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Ostrołęka, Ostrów Mazowiecka, Otwock, Piaseczno, Płock, Płońsk, Pruszków, Przasnysz, Przysusz, Pułtusk, Radom, Siedlce, Sierpc, Sochaczew, Sokołów Podlaski, Szydłowiec, Warsaw West, Węgrów, Wołomin, Wyszków, Zwoleń, Żuromin, Żyrardów. 309 communes.
Cities with county status: Ostrołęka, Płock, Radom, Siedlce, Warsaw,

Małopolskie (MP) (Little Poland) - capital: Kraków
Małopolskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Bochnia, Brzesko, Chrzanów, Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Gorlice, Kraków, Limanowa, Miechów, Myślenice, Nowy Sąc, Nowy Targ, Olkusz, Oświęcim, Proszowice, Susko, Tarnów, Tatra, Wadowice, Wieliczka. 179 communes
Cities with county status: Kraków, Nowy Sącz, Tarnów,

Opolskie (OP) - capital: Opole
Opolskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Brzeg, Głubczyce, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Kluczbork, Krapkowice, Namysłów, Nysa, Olesno, Opole, Prudnik, Strzelce Opolskie. 70 communes
City with county status: Opole,

Podlaskie (PD) - capital: Białystok
Podlaskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Augustów, Białystok, Bielsk Podlaski, Grajewo, Hajnówka, Kolno, Łomża, Mońki, Sejny, Siemiatycze, Sokółka, Suwałki, Wysokie Mazowieckie, Zambrów. 115 communes
Cities with county status: Białystok, Łomża, Suwałki.

Podkarpackie (PK) (Subcarpathia) - capital: Rzeszów
Podkarpackie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Bieszczadzki, Brzozów, Dębica, Jarosław, Jasło, Kolbuszowa, Krosno, Łańcut, Lesko, Leżajsk, Lubaczów, Mielec, Nisko, Przemyśl, Przeworsk, Ropczyce-Sędziszów, Rzeszów, Sanok, Stalowa Wola, Strzyżów, Tarnobrzeg. 156 communes
Cities with county status: Krosno, Przemyśl, Rzeszów, Tarnobrzeg,

Pomorskie (PM) (Pomerania) - capital: Gdańsk
Pomorskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Bytów, Chojnice, Człuchów, Gdańsk, Kartuzy, Kościerzyna, Kwidzyń, Lębork, Malbork, Nowy Dwór Gdański, Puck, Słupsk, Starogard, Sztum, Tczew, Wejherowo. 119 communes
Cities with county status: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Słupsk, Sopot,

Śląskie (SL) (Silesia) - capital: Katowice
Śląskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Będzin, Bielsko-Biała, Bieruń-Lędziny, Cieszyn, Częstochowa, Gliwice, Kłobuck, Lubliniec, Mikołów, Myszkow, Pszczyna, Racibórz, Rybnik, Tarnowskie Gory, Wodzisław, Zawiercie, Żywiec. 148 communes
Cities with county status: Bielsko-Biala, Bytom, Chorzów, Częstochowa, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Gliwice, Jastrzębie, Jaworzno, Katowice, Mysłowice, Piekary Śląskie, Ruda Śląska, Rybnik, Siemianowice Śląskie, Sosnowiec, Świętochłowice, Tychy, Zabrze, Żory.

Świętokrzyskie (SW) (Holy Cross, after the Holy Cross mountains) - capital: Kielce
Świętokrzyskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Busko-Zdrój, Jędrzejów, Kazimierza Wielka, Kielce, Końskie, Opatów, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Pińczów, Sandomierz, Skarżysko-Kamienna, Starachowice, Staszów, Włoszczowa. 101 communes
City with county status: Kielce,

Warmińsko-mazurskie (WM) (Warmia - Masuria) - capital: Olsztyn
Warmińsko-mazurskie voivodship subdivsions

Counties: Bartoszyce, Braniewo, Działdowo, Elbląg, Ełk, Giżycko, Gołdap, Iława, Kętrzyn, Lidzbark, Mrągowo, Nidzica, Nowe Miasto, Olecko, Olsztyn, Ostróda, Pisz, Szczytno, Węgorzewo, 114 communes
Cities with county status: Elbląg, Olsztyn,

Wielkopolskie (WP) (Great Poland) - capital: Poznań
Wielkopolskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Chodzież, Czarnkowsko-Trzcianecki, Gniezno, Gostyń, Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Jarocin, Kalisz, Kępno, Koło, Konin, Kościan, Krotoszyn, Leszno, Międzychód, Nowy Tomyśl, Oborniki, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Ostrzeszów, Pila, Pleszew, Poznań, Rawicz, Słupca, Szamotuły, Śrem, Środa Wielkopolska, Turek, Wągrowiec, Wolsztyn, Września, Złotów. 275 communes
Cities with county status: Kalisz, Konin, Leszno, Poznań,

Zachodniopomorskie (ZP) (West Pomerania) - capital: Szczecin
Zachodniopomorskie voivodship subdivisions

Counties: Białogard, Choszczno, Drawsko Pomorskie, Goleniów, Gryfice, Gryfino, Kamień Pomorski, Kołobrzeg, Koszalin, Łobez, Myślibórz, Police, Pyrzyce, Sławno, Stargard Szczeciński, Świdwin, Szczecinek, Wałcz. 114 communes
Cities with county status: Koszalin, Świnoujście, Szczecin,

Info by Gwidon S. Naskrent, 15 Dec 2000

Old and new voivodships

On July 18, 1998, the Sejm, which is the lower house of Polish Parliament, approved legislation transforming Poland's 49 provinces into 16 new ones, a process which is part of an administrative reform. The Sejm voted 326-45-41 for the measure, one of many in a package of legislation aimed at doing away with the communist era administration and shifting power to local governments. On July 27, 1998, President Aleksander Kwasniewski signed into law a bill dividing Poland into 16 new provinces. On August 7, 1998, the government decided there will be 308 counties (powiaty) in Poland. A number of cities (65 of them) will have county rights. The decentralization, being a result of territorial reform which will take effect on January 1, 1999, has broad support. These decisions ended the argument concerning administrative reform. (Info from this site)
Jarig Bakker, 31 Aug 2000

Common patterns in county flags

Why do some Polish counties have a triangular fly and others do not? Do they represent some specific region, and therefore the shape is indicative of this situation?
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 30 Oct 2001

County flags have been designed only since the regional reorganization of 1999, so it's quite early to look for common patterns. So far there are two regional patterns:
1. Małopolskie voivodship: some counties, but by no means all, use the civic Małopolskie flag with the Coat of Arms of the county in the center.
2. Wielkopolskie voivodship: the Wielkopolskie flag has the trapezoid pattern, now taken over by several (but not all) counties.
Jarig Bakker, 30 Oct 2001

The development of the Polish city flags in the centuries

Throughout the centuries, banners were developed as symbols of municipal self-government.
During the times of the 1st Republic, the municipal banners were, most often, sort of the battle-recognition's signs and were commonly showing the Arms on a
piece of cloth. In the 19th century it became more common to use the colors taken from the Arms.
Between the two World Wars, in the reborn 2nd Republic, the municipal were seen more and more often.
After World War II, during the so-called "People's Republic" and the communist antipathy to anything heraldic, they didn't cease to exist somehow, and after 1990, in the re-established independent 3rd Republic they continue to appear in wide numbers.
Source: this website.
Chris Kretowicz, 16 Jan 2006