Łódź (Łódzkie) Province

The province is situated in the center of both Europe and Poland. Some of its specific cultural heritage derives from the province having been inhabited by people of several nations: the Poles, Russians, Germans and Jews. Traces of these different cultures can still be found in many parts of the region. The population of the Łódź province is approximately 1.2 million people and 68.8% of these people inhabit the province's capital - Łódź. Though the province has beautiful river valleys, with the Warta and Pilica valleys exhibit interesting landscapes, and boast 85 nature reserves and 7 landscape parks, the region is best known as an industrial powerhouse. During the 19th century it became one of the largest textile centers in Europe and was one of the most famous and largest industrial regions in the country. Although today textiles remains one of the principal industries of the province, other industries, such as the chemical, machinery and food-processing, have developed in there in recent years.