LITTLE POLAND UPLANDS

Polish Wyzyna Malopolska lakeland area, southern Poland, having an area of 10,000 sq mi (25,000 sq km). Located south of the Middle Polish Lowlands, it embraces the territory from the CzestochowaKrakw scarplands (Polish Jura) to the Vistula River. The region includes the Silesian Uplands (the SilesianCracovian upthrust), the Nida Basin, and the Gry Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross Mountains), which rise to 2,008 ft (612 m), all within the provinces of Krakw, Czestochowa, Kielce, and Piotrkw Trybunalski. The northern and central parts of the uplands are drained by the Vistula River; the eastern part is drained by the San River, a tributary of the Vistula. The topography of the region is the result of mountain glaciers and continental ice sheets that advanced from the north. There are contrasting areas of sand, glacial till, and loess blown from the northern areas during postglacial times. There are extensive loess deposits, particularly in the Carpathian foothills and on the Lublin Plateau. Fertile brown and black soils have developed on the loess base and yield crops of rye, potatoes, and oats. The land is sandy and marshy at the confluence of the Vistula and San rivers. Meadows and forests are present throughout the uplands. The Little Poland Uplands contain rich deposits of coal in the west (the Silesian Uplands), constituting one of the leading bituminous coalfields of Europe. There are also deposits of iron ore, zinc, and lead in the region. Eleven closely linked cities in Katowice province form the core of the Upper Silesian metropolitan conurbation, Katowice town being the largest centre. Closely connected economically to the Katowice region is the area around Krakw containing Nowa Huta (Lenin Steelworks), Poland's largest industrial establishment; it uses Silesian coal and Russian iron ore. Other important cities in the region are Kielce, Czestochowa, Piotrkw Tribunalski, and Lublin.