Upper Silesian Industrial Region



The Upper Silesian Industrial Region (Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy,, Polish abbreviation: GOP ; Oberschlesisches Industriegebiet) is a large industrial region in Poland. It lies mainly in the Silesian Voivodeship, centered on Katowice.

It is situated in the northern part of Upper Silesian Coal Basin, a home of altogether 5 million people (Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area). In the south-west it borders the Rybnik Coal Area (Polish: Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy, ROW). Covers 3,200 km² and about 3.5 million people.

The Upper Silesian Industrial Region is located in the province of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland in a basin between the Vistula and Oder rivers.

Upper Silesian Industrial Region is an area with enormous concentration of industry. Dominates here:
 * Mining industry (more than a dozen active coal mines, mainly as Katowicki Holding Węglowy, Kompania Węglowa, JSW, Węglokoks)
 * Iron and steel industry (more than a dozen active iron and nonferrous metals)
 * Transport industry (example General Motors Manufacturing Poland and Fiat Auto Poland, Alstom Konstal, Bumar-Łabędy)
 * The energy industry (more than a dozen plants)
 * Mechanical engineering
 * Chemical industry

Literature

 * "Katowice i Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy" - Krystyna Szaraniec & Lech Szaraniec & Karol Szarowski, Katowickie Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne, Katowice 1980
 * "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy: liczby, fakty, problemy" - Marek Grabania, Wydawnictwo Śląsk, Katowice 1964
 * "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy w świetle nowych opracowań zachodnioniemieckich" - Marian Frank, Silesian Institute in Katowice, Katowice 1960