| content | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bielsk Podlaski | |||
|
|||
  Bielsk Podlaski
|
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  Poland |
||
| Voivodeship | Podlaskie | ||
| County | Bielsk | ||
| Gmina | Bielsk Podlaski (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 12th century | ||
| Town rights | 1495 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Eugeniusz Berezowiec | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 26.88 km² (10.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| - Total | 26,577 | ||
| - Density | 988.7/km² (2,560.8/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 17-100 to 17-102 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 085 | ||
| Car plates | BBI | ||
| Website: http://www.bielsk-podlaski.pl | |||
Bielsk Podlaski [ˈbjɛlsk pɔdˈlaski] (
listen) is an Urban Gmina (Polish: gmina miejska) (Town) in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located north-eastern Poland.
Contents |
Geography
Bielsk Podlaski is located in the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie (English: Podlaskie and Belarus Plateau) and the mezoregion known as the Równinę Bielską (English: Bielsk Plain).
The town covers an area of 32.43 square kilometres (12.5 sq mi).
Location
It is located approximately:
- 195 kilometres (121.2 mi) northeast of Warsaw, the capital of Poland
- 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) southwest of Białystok, the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship
Climate
The region has a continental climate which is characterized by high temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters. The average amount of rainfall during the year exceeds 550 millimetres (21.7 in).
| Weather averages for Bielsk Podlaski | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | -3 (29) | -3 (31) | 4 (40) | 11 (52) | 17 (63) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 21 (70) | 16 (61) | 11 (51) | 4 (39) | 1 (33) | 11 (51) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -6 (21) | -6 (21) | -2 (28) | 2 (35) | 7 (45) | 10 (50) | 12 (54) | 11 (52) | 8 (46) | 4 (39) | 0 (32) | -4 (25) | 3 (37) |
| Source: Weatherbase[1] 2008-07-05 | |||||||||||||
History
Bielsk Podlaski was given city status in 1495.
The town is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999); previously, it was in Białystok Voivodeship (1975-1998) (1975-1998). It is the capital of Bielsk County.
The Carmelites Church in Bielsk and monastery was founded in 1641 by Adam Kazanowski (Starost of Bielsk from 1638) and dedicated to the Mother of God of Mount Carmel. The project was also financed by his wife Elżbieta (Halszka) Słuszczanka (about 1619-1671).
Bielsk Podlaski has a rich Jewish history which was wiped out in the Holocaust. More information can be found at Bielsk Podlaski JewishGen including the full text of the English section of the Bielsk Podlaski Memorial Book and documents of the organization of US immigrants from Bielsk Podlaski called The Bielsker Bruderlicher Unterstitzungs Verein. [1]
Demographics
Detailed data as of 31 December 2007:[2]
| Total | Women | Men | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Population | 26,577 | 100 | 13,775 | 51.8 | 12,802 | 48.2 |
| Population Density (persons/km²) |
988.0 | 512.1 | 475.9 | |||
Municipal Government
It is the seat of Gmina Bielsk Podlaski, but is not part of Gmina Bielsk Podlaski.
Executive Branch
The chief executive of the government is the Mayor (Polish: Burmistrz).
Legislative Branch
The legislative portion of the government is the Council (Polish: Rada) comprised of the President (Polish: Przewodniczšcy), the Vice President (Polish: Wiceprzewodniczšcy) and thirteen councilors.
Neighbouring Political Subdivisions
Bielsk Podlaski (town) is bordered by Gmina Bielsk Podlaski.
Transport
Roads and Highways
Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:
- National Road 19 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing (Belarus) - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko - Sokołów Małopolski - Rzeszów
- National Road 66 66 - Zambrów - Brańsk - Bielsk Podlaski - Kleszczele - Czeremcha - Połowce Border Crossing (Belarus)
- Voivodeship Road 689 689 - Bielsk Podlaski - Hajnówka - Białowieża -:CLOSED: Border Crossing (Belarus)
Photo Gallery
 Basilica |
 Orthodox church of The Assumption of the Archangel Michael |
 Orthodox church of St. Mary's Birth |
 Orthodox cathedral Church of The Lord's Resurrection |
 Castle Hill park |
 The Church of the St. Mary the Virgin |
 The Hall. Presently a museum |
 Iconographic school in Bielsk Podlaski |
 Old wooden buildings on the Kościuszki Street |
 Former monasterial building complex. Presently, The School of Music |
 Former monasterial building complex. Presently, The School of Music |
|
|||||||
