BELCHATOW

city, Piotrkw wojewdztwo (province), south-central Poland, forming part of the industrial triangle of Belchatw, Szczercw, and Kamiensk. Belchatw is 15 miles (25 km) west of the provincial capital, the city of Piotrkw Trybunalski. Linen is the city's major product, and the surrounding farmlands produce rye and potatoes. A major lignite deposit was discovered in 1960 near Belchatw, and work on a mining and power-generating project was begun there in 1975 as part of the development of an industrial complex. Belchatw's population quadrupled between the mid-1970s and the mid-1980s. Pop. (1993 est.) 58,300.