Subdivisions of the Kingdom of Poland evolved over several centuries as the fortunes of the several entities known as the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...

ebbed and flowed. The early Kingdom of Poland was split in the 11th century by the

Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller nov ...

into several provinces (''

prowincja Province was the largest territorial subdivision in medieval and Renaissance-era Poland, and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The term designated each of the two largest constituents of the state: depending on the period, includin ...

''). The 14th century Wiślica Statutes and

Statutes of Casimir the Great Statutes of Casimir the Great or Piotrków-Wiślica Statutes ( pl, Statuty wiślicko-piotrkowskie) - a collection of laws issued by Casimir III the Great, the king of Poland, in the years 1346-1362 during congresses in Piotrków and Wiślica. It ...

also used the term province. Eventually, during the unification of Poland after the fragmentation, the provinces - some of them for a period known as duchies (e.g. the

Duchy of Masovia Duchy of Masovia was a district principality and a fiefdom of the Kingdom of Poland, existing during the Middle Ages. The state was centered in Mazovia in the northeastern Kingdom of Poland, and during its existence, its capital was located in ...

) - became known as lands (''

ziemia Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers (or ...

''). According to the 15th century ''Annales seu cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae'' ("Annals or chronicles of the famous Kingdom of Poland" of

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histor ...

, the Kingdom of Poland was divided into following lands: * ziemia krakowska (

latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''Terra Cracoviensis'') * ziemia poznańska (lat. ''Terra Posnaniensis'') * ziemia sandomierska (lat. ''Terra Sandomiriensis'') * ziemia kaliska (lat. ''Terra Calisiensis'') * ziemia lwowska (lat. ''Terra Leopoliensis'') * ziemia sieradzka (lat. ''Terra Siradiensis'') *

ziemia lubelska Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers (or ...

(lat. ''Terra Lubliniensis'') *

ziemia łęczycka Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers ( ...

(lat. ''Terra Lanciciensis'') * ziemia przemyska (lat. ''Terra Premisliensis'') * ziemia bełska (lat. ''Terra Belzensis'') *

ziemia kujawska Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers (or ...

(lat. ''Terra Cuyaviensis'') *

ziemia chełmska Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers (or ...

(lat. ''Terra Chelmensis'') * ziemia pomorska (lat. ''Terra Pomoranie'') *

ziemia chełmińska Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalization, capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urb ...

(lat. ''Terra Culmensis'') *

ziemia michałowska Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers (or ...

(lat. ''Terra Michaloviensis'') * ziemia halicka (lat. ''Terra Halicensis'') *

ziemia dobrzyńska Land is a historical unit of administration in Poland and Ruthenia. In the Polish language, the term is not capitalized (''ziemia chełmińska'', Chelmno Land; not ''Ziemia Chełmińska''). All ''ziemias'' are named after main urban centers (or ...

(lat. ''Terra Dobriensis'') * ziemia podolska (lat. ''Podolia'') * ziemia wieluńska (lat. ''Terra Wyelunensis'') Most of these administrative regions (''ziemia'') in turn were transformed into

voivodeship A voivodeship is the area administered by a voivode (Governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in western medieval ...

s (''województwo'') around the 14th and 15th centuries (see

voivodeships of Poland A voivodeship (; pl, województwo ; plural: ) is the highest-level administrative division of Poland, corresponding to a province in many other countries. The term has been in use since the 14th century and is commonly translated into English as ...

). The administrative division became more clear in the

Crown of the Polish Kingdom The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Korona Królestwa Polskiego; Latin: ''Corona Regni Poloniae''), known also as the Polish Crown, is the common name for the historic Late Middle Ages territorial possessions of the King of Poland, includi ...

(see also

Administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...

See also