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{{short description|Administrative division in several countries of central and eastern Europe}}
{{about|historical voivodeships in various countries|more on the divisions of modern and historical Poland|Voivodeships of Poland}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
A '''voivodeship''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɔɪ|v|oʊ|d|ʃ|ɪ|p}} {{respell|VOY|vohd|ship}}) or '''voivodate''' is the area administered by a [[voivode]] (governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a [[duchy]] in western medieval states, much as the title of voivode was equivalent to that of a [[duke]]. Other roughly equivalent titles and areas in medieval [[Eastern Europe]] included [[Ban (title)|ban]] (bojan, vojin or bayan) and [[Banate (disambiguation)|banate]].

In a modern context, the word normally refers to one of the [[province]]s ({{lang|pl|[[Voivodeships of Poland|województwa]]}}) of Poland. {{As of|2024}}, Poland has 16 voivodeships.

==Terminology==
A [[voivode|voi(e)vod(e)]] (literally, "leader of warriors" or "war leader", equivalent to the [[Latin]] "''Dux Exercituum''") was originally a military commander who stood, in a state's structure, next to the ruler. Later the word came to denote an administrative official.

Words for "voivodeship" in various languages include the {{langx|uk|воєводство}}; the {{langx|pl|województwo}}; the {{langx|ro|voievodat}}; the [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]: ''voivoda'' (войвода); the [[Serbian language|Serbian]]: ''vojvodina'' (војводина), ''vojvodstvo'' (војводство) or ''vojvodovina'' (војводовина); the {{langx|hu|vajdaság}}; the {{langx|be|ваяводства}} (''vajаvodstva''); the {{langx|lt|vaivadija}}. Some of these words, or variants of them, may also be used in English.

The autonomous [[Serbia]]n province of [[Vojvodina]] is named after the word "voivodeship".

Though the word "voivodeship" (other spellings are "voievodship" and "voivodship") appears in English dictionaries such as the [[OED]] and [[Webster's Third New International Dictionary|Webster's]], it is not in common general usage, and voivodeships in Poland and elsewhere are frequently referred to as "[[province]]s".<ref>"''Jednostki podziału administracyjnego Polski tłumaczymy tak: województwo''—province..." ("Polish administrative units are translated as follows:  ''województwo''—[[province]]...").  Arkadiusz Belczyk,{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203627/http://serwistlumacza.com/content/view/27/32/ "Tłumaczenie polskich nazw geograficznych na język angielski"]}} ("[[Translation]] of Polish Geographical Names into English"), 2002-2006. For examples see [http://www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~zbzw/ph/pro/plpro.html New Provinces of Poland (1998)]; [http://www.map-of-Poland.co.uk/ Map of Poland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426190140/http://www.map-of-poland.co.uk/ |date=2011-04-26 }}; {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110716043017/http://serwistlumacza.com/content/view/78/ English names of Polish provinces]}}.</ref> Depending on context, historic voivodeships may also be referred to as "duchies", "palatinates" (the [[Latin]] word "''palatinatus''" was used for a voivodeship in Poland), "administrative districts" or "regions".

==Historical voivodeships==
===in Southeastern Europe===
[[File:Southeastern Europe in the 14th century.jpg|thumb|The voivodeships of Wallachia and Moldavia in the 14th century]]
[[File:Vojvodina03.png|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Serbian Vojvodina|Serbian Voivodina]] (1848–1849)]]
[[File:Map of Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar (1849-1860).png|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat]] (1849-1860)]]
In the territory of modern [[Romania]] and [[Moldova]], the regions of [[Wallachia]], [[Moldavia]] and [[Voivodeship of Transylvania|Transylvania]] were formerly voivodeships. The region of [[Maramureș]], now split between Romania and [[Ukraine]], also used to be its own voivodeship, the [[Voivodeship of Maramureș]].

Historical voivodeships in the territory of modern [[Serbia]] include the [[Salan|Voivodeship of Salan]] (9th–10th centuries), [[Sermon (ruler)|Voivodeship of Sermon]] (11th century), and [[Radoslav Čelnik|Voivodeship of Syrmia of Radoslav Čelnik]] (1527–1530). A voivodeship called [[Serbian Vojvodina]] was established in 1848–1849; this was transformed into the [[Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat]], a land within the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] from 1849 to 1860. This is the origin of the name of the present-day Serbian autonomous province of [[Vojvodina]].

===In Poland and Lithuania===
For more information about the divisions of Polish lands in particular periods, see [[Administrative divisions of Poland#Historical|Administrative divisions of Poland ("Historical")]].

====Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth====
{{main|Subdivisions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth}}
Voivodeships in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] (1569–1795):
*In the Polish Crown Lands:
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*[[Poznań Voivodeship (14th century – 1793)|Poznań Voivodeship]]
*[[Kalisz Voivodeship (1314–1793)|Kalisz Voivodeship]]
*[[Gniezno Voivodeship]]
*[[Sieradz Voivodeship (1339–1793)|Sieradz Voivodeship]]
*[[Łęczyca Voivodeship]]
*[[Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship]]
*[[Inowrocław Voivodeship]]
*[[Chełmno Voivodeship]]
*[[Malbork Voivodeship]]
*[[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1466–1772)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]]
*[[Płock Voivodeship (1495–1793)|Płock Voivodeship]]
*[[Rawa Voivodeship]]
*[[Masovian Voivodeship (1526–1795)|Masovian Voivodeship]]
*[[Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)|Kraków Voivodeship]]
*[[Sandomierz Voivodeship]]
*[[Lublin Voivodeship (1474–1795)|Lublin Voivodeship]]
*[[Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513–1795)|Podlaskie Voivodeship]]
*[[Ruthenian Voivodeship]] (until 1772; [[Chełm Land|Chełm Voivodeship]] thereafter)
*[[Bełz Voivodeship]]
*[[Volhynian Voivodeship (1569–1795)|Wolhynia Voivodeship]]
*[[Podolian Voivodeship]]
*[[Bracław Voivodeship]]
*[[Kijów Voivodeship]]
*[[Czernihów Voivodeship]]
{{Div col end}}
*In the historical [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]:
{{Div col|small=yes}}
* [[Vilnius Voivodeship]]
* [[Trakai Voivodeship]]
* [[Nowogródek Voivodeship (1507-1795)|Nowogródek Voivodeship]]
* [[Brest-Litovsk Voivodeship]]
* [[Minsk Voivodeship]]
* [[Mścisław Voivodeship]]
* [[Smolensk Voivodeship]]
* [[Vitebsk Voivodeship]]
* [[Połock Voivodeship]]
{{Div col end}}
*In the historical [[Duchy of Livonia]]:
** [[Wenden Voivodeship]] (1598–1620)
** [[Dorpat Voivodeship]] (1598–1620)
** [[Parnawa Voivodeship]] (1598–1620)
** [[Inflanty Voivodeship]] (from the 1620s)

==== Congress Poland (1816–37) ====
{{main|Subdivisions of Congress Poland}}
Voivodeships in [[Congress Poland]] 1816–37.

* [[Augustów Voivodeship]]
* [[Kalisz Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Kalisz Voivodeship]]
* [[Kraków Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Kraków Voivodeship]]
* [[Lublin Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Lublin Voivodeship]]
* [[Masovian Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Masovian Voivodeship]]
* [[Płock Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Płock Voivodeship]]
* [[Podlaskie Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Podlaskie Voivodeship]]
* [[Sandomierz Voivodeship (1816–1837)|Sandomierz Voivodeship]]

====Second Polish Republic====
{{main|Subdivisions of the Second Polish Republic}}
[[File:Poland administrative division 1922 literki.svg|thumb|Voivodeships of Poland, 1921–1938]]
Voivodeships of Poland, 1921–1939:
*[[Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939)|Silesian Voivodeship]] ({{lang|pl|Województwo Śląskie}})
*[[Białystok Voivodeship (1919-1939)|Białystok Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Białostockie}})
*[[Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Kielce Voivodeship]] ({{lang|pl|Województwo Kieleckie}})
*[[Kraków Voivodeship (1919-1939)|Kraków Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Krakowskie}})
*[[Łódź Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Łódź Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Łódzkie}})
*[[Lublin Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Lublin Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Lubelskie}})
*[[Lwów Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Lwowskie}})
*[[Nowogródek Voivodeship (1919-1939)|Nowogródek Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Nowogrodzkie}})
*[[Polesie Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Poleskie}})
*[[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Pomorskie}})
*[[Poznań Voivodeship (1921–1939)|Poznań Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Poznańskie}})
*[[Stanisławów Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Stanisławowskie}})
*[[Tarnopol Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Tarnopolskie}})
*[[Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Warsaw Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Warszawskie}})
*[[Wilno Voivodeship (1923–1939)|Wilno Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Wileńskie}})
*[[Wołyń Voivodeship (1921–1939)|Volhynian Voivodeship]]  ({{lang|pl|Województwo Wołyńskie}})

====Poland 1945–75====
Voivodeships of Poland, 1945–1975:
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*[[Białystok Voivodeship (1945-1975)|Białystok Voivodeship]]
*[[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]]
*[[Gdańsk Voivodeship (1945–1975)|Gdańsk Voivodeship]]
*[[Katowice Voivodeship]]
*[[Kielce Voivodeship]]
*[[Koszalin Voivodeship (1950–1975)|Koszalin Voivodeship]]
*[[Kraków Voivodeship (1945–1975)|Kraków Voivodeship]]
*[[Łódź Voivodeship]]
*[[Lublin Voivodeship]]
*[[Olsztyn Voivodeship]]
*[[Opole Voivodeship]]
*[[Poznań Voivodeship]]
*[[Rzeszów Voivodeship]]
*[[Szczecin Voivodeship (1946–1975)|Szczecin Voivodeship]]
*[[Warsaw Voivodeship (1945–75)|Warsaw Voivodeship]]
*[[Wrocław Voivodeship]]
*[[Zielona Góra Voivodeship]]
{{Div col end}}

====Poland 1975–98====
Voivodeships of Poland, 1975–1998:
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*[[Biała Podlaska Voivodeship]]
*[[Białystok Voivodeship (1975-1998)|Białystok Voivodeship]]
*[[Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship]]
*[[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]]
*[[Chełm Voivodeship]]
*[[Ciechanów Voivodeship]]
*[[Częstochowa Voivodeship]]
*[[Elbląg Voivodeship]]
*[[Gdańsk Voivodeship (1975–1998)|Gdańsk Voivodeship]]
*[[Gorzów Voivodeship]]
*[[Jelenia Góra Voivodeship]]
*[[Kalisz Voivodeship (1975–1998)|Kalisz Voivodeship]]
*[[Katowice Voivodeship]]
*[[Kielce Voivodeship]]
*[[Konin Voivodeship]]
*[[Koszalin Voivodeship (1975–1998)|Koszalin Voivodeship]]
*[[Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998)|Kraków Voivodeship]]
*[[Krosno Voivodeship]]
*[[Legnica Voivodeship]]
*[[Leszno Voivodeship]]
*[[Łódź Voivodeship]]
*[[Łomża Voivodeship]]
*[[Lublin Voivodeship]]
*[[Nowy Sacz Voivodeship]]
*[[Olsztyn Voivodeship]]
*[[Opole Voivodeship]]
*[[Ostrołęka Voivodeship]]
*[[Piotrków Voivodeship]]
*[[Piła Voivodeship]]
*[[Poznań Voivodeship]]
*[[Przemyśl Voivodeship]]
*[[Płock Voivodeship]]
*[[Radom Voivodeship]]
*[[Rzeszów Voivodeship]]
*[[Siedlce Voivodeship]]
*[[Sieradz Voivodeship]]
*[[Skierniewice Voivodeship]]
*[[Suwałki Voivodeship]]
*[[Szczecin Voivodeship (1975–1998)|Szczecin Voivodeship]]
*[[Słupsk Voivodeship]]
*[[Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship]]
*[[Tarnów Voivodeship]]
*[[Toruń Voivodeship]]
*[[Warsaw Voivodeship (1975-1998)|Warsaw Voivodeship]]
*[[Wałbrzych Voivodeship]]
*[[Wrocław Voivodeship]]
*[[Włocławek Voivodeship]]
*[[Zamość Voivodeship]]
*[[Zielona Góra Voivodeship]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
<references />

{{Polish terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Slavic terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Turkish terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities}}

[[Category:Former subdivisions of Belarus]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Hungary]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Romania]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Latvia]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Moldova]]
[[Category:Geography of Poland]]
[[Category:Types of administrative division]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire]]