Bieszczady County ( Polish : powiat bieszczadzki ) is a unit of territorial administration and local government ( powiat ) in Subcarpathian Voivodeship , in the extreme south-east of Poland , on the border with Ukraine . It takes its name from the Bieszczady mountain range. The county was created on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. In 2002 the western part of the county was split off to form Lesko County . The only town in Bieszczady County is now Ustrzyki Dolne , the county seat, which lies 80 kilometres (50 mi) south-east of the regional capital Rzeszów .
6-524: The county covers an area of 1,138.17 square kilometres (439.4 sq mi). As of 2019 its total population is 21,799, of which the population of Ustrzyki Dolne is 9,097, and the rural population is 12,702. Its average population density of 19.0 persons per square kilometre (49 persons/sq mi) makes it the least densely populated county in Poland. The county includes the greater part of Bieszczady National Park ( Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy ), and of
12-674: Is the third-largest national park in Poland , located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship in the extreme southeast corner of the country. In 2021, the national park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site (as an extension to the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe ). The park was created in 1973. At the time it covered only 59.55 square kilometres (22.99 sq mi), but over
18-613: The Polish part of the UNESCO -designated East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve . Bieszczady County is bordered by Lesko County to the west and Przemyśl County to the north. It also borders Ukraine to the east and south. The county is subdivided into three gminas (one urban-rural and two rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population. Bieszczady National Park Bieszczady National Park ( [bʲɛˈʂt͡ʂadɨ] ; Polish : Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy )
24-557: The park and its surrounding areas became part of the UNESCO East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve , which has a total area of 2,132.11 square kilometres (823.21 sq mi) and includes parts in Slovakia and (since 1998) Ukraine. Forests cover about 80% of Bieszczady National Park. The woods are mainly natural; in some cases they have preserved their pristine character. The highest peak in
30-459: The park, Tarnica , is 1,346 metres (4,416 ft) above sea level . Animal life is abundant with several species of endangered animals thriving in the area, among them brown bears , grey wolf , European wildcat , wild boar , European beavers , European otter , and European lynx as well as deer (such as moose ) and European bison (over 500 live in the area). The park contains interesting bird species, including eagles and owls , and
36-471: The years it was enlarged four times. The last enlargements took place in 1996 (when the park incorporated the former villages of Bukowiec , Beniowa and Carynskie) and in 1999 (when the former villages of Dzwiniacz, Tarnawa and Sokoliki were added). It occupies 292.02 square kilometres (112.75 sq mi), covering the highest areas of the Polish part of the Bieszczady Mountains . In 1992
#930069