Masovian Voivodeship

Masovian Voivodeship (Polish: województwo mazowieckie, pronounced [vɔjɛˈvut͡stfɔ mazɔˈvjɛt͡skʲɛ] ^ⓘ) is a voivodeship in east-central Poland, containing Poland's capital Warsaw.

Masovian Voivodeship has an area of 35,579 square kilometres (13,737 sq mi) and had a 2019 population of 5,411,446, making it Poland's largest and most populous province. Its principal cities are Warsaw (1.783 million) in the center of the Warsaw metropolitan area, Radom (212,230) to the south, Płock (119,709) to the west, Siedlce (77,990) to the east, and Ostrołęka (52,071) to the north. It borders six other provinces: Warmian-Masurian to the north, Podlaskie to the northeast, Lublin to the southeast, Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) to the south, Łódź to the southwest, and Kuyavian–Pomeranian to the northwest.

The name of the province recalls the region's traditional name, Mazovia (in Polish Mazowsze, also spelled Masovia), with which it is roughly coterminous. However, the province's southern part, including Radom, historically belonged to Lesser Poland; while Łomża with environs, though historically part of Mazovia, is now part of Podlaskie Voivodeship.

Masovian Voivodeship is Poland's prime center of science, research, education, industry, and infrastructure. It has Poland's lowest unemployment rate and is a very high-income province. It is also popular with tourists due to the many historical monuments and its over 20% forested area of pine and oak. The province's Kampinos National Park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.