Geography
Biecz lies on the Ropa River, on a pass through the Carpathian mountains. Up until the 19th century, the River ran through the heart of the city. With the construction of the railroad, however, the river's course was altered so that it ran alongside the city instead.
| Municipal land use | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | ha | % | |||
| Agricultural | 1330 | 74,72 | |||
| Forests & wooded areas | 271 | 15,22 | |||
| Water | 20 | 1,12 | |||
| Urban development | 75 | 4,22 | |||
| Transportation | 77 | 4,33 | |||
| Unused | 7 | 0,39 | |||
| Other | - | 0,00 | |||
Despite the relatively small size of the city, there is a significant grade in elevation. The highest point lies at 368.7 metres (1,210 ft) above sea level, while the lowest lies at 243 metres (797 ft). Biecz borders Binarowa, Głęboka, Grudna Kępska, Korczyna, Libusza, and Strzeszyn.
In the Biecz and the surrounding area there are a number of oil deposits.
Biecz lies in the Western part of Poland, approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the Slovakian border and 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Ukrainian border. The distance from Biecz to the most important Polish cities is:
- Nowy Sącz - 50 km (31 mi)
- Tarnów - 55 km (34 mi)
- Kraków - 125 km (78 mi)
- Katowice - 200 km (120 mi)
- Lublin - 250 km (160 mi)
- Łódź - 350 km (220 mi)
- Warszawa - 355 km (221 mi)
- Poznań - 575 km (357 mi)
- Bydgoszcz - 647 km (402 mi)
- Gdańsk - 705 km (438 mi)
- Szczecin - 770 km (480 mi)
The city lies within the borders of the historical region of Małopolska. Throughout history, the territory was also a part of the region of Kraków. Biecz's importance during his medieval and renaissance heyday resulted in the city receiving administrative control over a significant amount of surrounding territory (Latin: Terra Biecensis).
Read more about this topic: Biecz
Famous quotes containing the word geography:
“At present cats have more purchasing power and influence than the poor of this planet. Accidents of geography and colonial history should no longer determine who gets the fish.”
—Derek Wall (b. 1965)
“Ktaadn, near which we were to pass the next day, is said to mean “Highest Land.” So much geography is there in their names.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Yet America is a poem in our eyes; its ample geography dazzles the imagination, and it will not wait long for metres.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)