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Bytom

Bytom
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church
Flag of Bytom
Flag
Coat of arms of Bytom
Coat of arms
Bytom is located in Poland
Bytom
Bytom
Coordinates: 50°23′N 18°54′E / 50.383°N 18.900°E / 50.383; 18.900
Country Poland
Voivodeship Silesian
County city county
Established 12th century
Town rights 1254
Government
 • Mayor Damian Bartyla
Area
 • City 69.44 km2 (26.81 sq mi)
Highest elevation 330 m (1,080 ft)
Lowest elevation 249 m (817 ft)
Population (2009)
 • City 183,251
 • Urban 2,746,000
 • Metro 4,620,624
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 41-900–41-936
Area code(s) +48 32
Car plates SY
Website http://www.um.bytom.pl

Bytom (Polish pronunciation: [ˈbɨtɔm]; Silesian: Bytůń, German: Beuthen) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the central-western district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population of 2 million. Bytom is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river (tributary of the Kłodnica).

The city has belonged to the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Previously it was in Katowice Voivodeship. Bytom is one of the cities within the conurbation of the Katowice urban area (total population approximately 2.7 million) as well as within a greater Silesian metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people. The population of the city is 183,251 (June 2009).

Bytom is located on the range "Bytom-Katowice", in the Upland of , which is in turn a central part of the Silesian Upland. The city straddles between north latitudes 50°19′ i 50°26′ and east longitudes 18°47′ i 18°58′. It reaches 346 m (1,135 ft) at the highest point, in wildlife reserve of Segiet, plunging to the lowest point 249 m (817 ft) above sea level, in a valley of river Bytomka, giving an average altitude of 280 to 290 m (919 to 951 ft) above sea level. The city itself is not placed exclusively in the Upland of , where only the central part of the town stands. The rest of the city reaches as far as the valleys of Drama and Szarlejka to the north, Brynica to the north and east and the river Bytomka to the south.

The bedrock of the Upland of consists primarily of sandstones and slates. The rocks are punctuated with abundant natural resources of coal and iron ore from the Carboniferous period. In the north part of the upland, in the Bytom basin lays the broad range of the triassic rocks, from sandstones to limestones, with rich ore, zinc and lead reserves. The upper layer is composed of clay, sand and gravel.


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