Polish version         

     POLAND

Poland is located in central Europe, east of Germany and West of Belarus, Lithuania and the Ukraine. The terrain is mostly dominated by lowlands (the average altitude is 173 m above sea level) with mountains to be found only along the southern border (Mount Rysy in the Tatra Mountains is the most elevated point with 2 499 m above sea level). The northern boarder runs along the Baltic see and Russia (the Kaliningrad enclave).

About 29 % of the country are covered with forests and 1 % of the area is under protection of National Parks. The Masurian Lakeland, which is very famous because of its extraordinary natural values, is situated in the northern part of Poland. The Suwalki region is situated partly on the Lithuanian and the Masurian Lakeland hence it is very rich in lakes too.

    The Suwalki Region

The the Suwalki Region is situated in the north-eastern part of Poland with the administration in Bialystok. Suwalki is the second biggest town in the Podlaskie Province. In terms of natural and cultural values the area around Suwalki builds a region called Suwalszczyzna (Suwalki Region), which is one of the most natural and multicultural areas of Poland - it is a place where four different countries meet! The region shares its borders with Russia, Lithuania and Belarus and can look back on a long and fruitful co-operation, especially with the neighbours from Lithuania.

The Suwalki Region has the lowest population density (~46 people per sq. km) and one of the most unspoilt nature of whole Poland. The climate is characterised by continental features, which means hot and dry summers and very cold and snowy winters. Not for nothing it is called the Siberia of Poland (the longest heating period in Poland).

With the lowest population density goes also the lowest industry-rate. The economic under-development of the region is somehow one of the reasons why the nature stayed almost untouched. Nowadays the intact nature is regarded as an important factor for the development of the region, and several different forms of protection have been established to guard the nature. 

These are the Wigry National Park (founded in 1989) and the Suwalski Landscape Park together with smaller reserves. Some of the nature’s objects have even found their way to international lists of protection! Due to the sound condition of the nature some endangered species still live a “normal” life in this region and the oldest forests in Europe can be found in and near this area. The biggest and most interesting forest complex in the Suwalszczyzna is the Augustowski Forest, which together with Dainavska and Byelorussian forests builds the biggest forest complex in Europe covering more than 200 000 hectares. In the Ausgustow Forest we can find last remains of European primeval forests and such rare animals like the lynx.

next