Belostok

Białystok

Flag	Seal
Coat of arms

Białystok

Coordinates: 53°07′N 23°09′E / 53.117°N 23.150°ECoordinates: 53°07′N 23°09′E / 53.117°N 23.150°E

Country

city county

Established

1437

Town rights

1692

Districts

Government

• City president

Tadeusz Truskolaski (PO)

Area

• City

102.12 km² (39.43 sq mi)

Highest elevation

160 m (520 ft)

Lowest elevation

120 m (390 ft)

Population (2014)

• City

295,459

• Metro

370,000

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postal code

15-001

Area code(s)

+48 85

Car plates

Website

www.bialystok.pl

Białystok [bʲaˈwɨstɔk] (byah-WIH-stock; Belarusian: Беласток Bielastok, Lithuanian: Balstogė, Russian: Белосток Belostok, Yiddish: ביאַליסטאָק‎ Byalistok) is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

Located in the Białystok Uplands (Polish: Wysoczyzna Białostocka) of the Podlaskie Plain (Polish: Nizina Północnopodlaska) on the banks of the Biała River, Białystok ranks second in terms of population density, eleventh in population, and thirteenth in area, of the cities of Poland. It has historically attracted migrants from elsewhere in Poland and beyond, particularly from Central and Eastern Europe. This is facilitated by the fact that the nearby border with Belarus is also the eastern border of the European Union, as well as the Schengen Area. The city and its adjacent municipalities constitute Metropolitan Białystok. The city has a Warm Summer Continental climate, characterized by warm summers and long frosty winters. Forests are an important part of Białystok's character, and occupy around 1,756 ha (4,340 acres) (17.2% of the administrative area of the city) which places it as the fifth most forested city in Poland.

The first settlers arrived in the 14th century. A town grew up and received its municipal charter in 1692. Białystok has traditionally been one of the leading centers of academic, cultural, and artistic life in Podlaskie and the most important economic center in northeastern Poland. In the 19th century Białystok was an important center for light industry, which was the reason for the substantial growth of the city's population. But after the fall of communism in Poland in 1989 many of these factories faced severe problems and subsequently closed down. Through the infusion of EU investment funds, the city continues to work to reshape itself into a modern metropolis. Białystok in 2010, was on the short-list, but ultimately lost the competition to become a finalist for European Capital of Culture in 2016.

...
Wikipedia