Bielsko County is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat

Powiat

A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...

) in Silesian Voivodeship

Silesian Voivodeship

Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...

, southern Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Bielsko-Biała

Bielsko-Biała

-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...

, although the city is not part of the county (it constitutes a separate city county). The county contains three towns: Czechowice-Dziedzice

Czechowice-Dziedzice

Czechowice-Dziedzice is a town in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 34,867 inhabitants . It lies on the northeastern edge of the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia...

, 13 km (8 mi) north-west of Bielsko-Biała, Szczyrk

Szczyrk

Szczyrk is a town in the Beskid Śląski mountains of southern Poland, situated in the valley of the Żylica river. It is part of the Silesian Voivodeship , previously being part of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship . It has a population of 5,810 people .The town is a popular winter sports centre, with...

, 14 km (9 mi) south of Bielsko-Biała, and Wilamowice

Wilamowice

Wilamowice is a small town in southern Poland, situated in the Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship . The endangered language of Wymysorys is spoken here by about 70 native speakers, the majority of them elderly...

, 12 km (7 mi) north-east of Bielsko-Biała.

The county covers an area of 457.23 square kilometres (176.5 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 150,764, out of which the population of Czechowice-Dziedzice is 34,811, that of Szczyrk is 5,860, that of Wilamowice is 2,818, and the rural population is 107,275.

Neighbouring counties

Apart from the city of Bielsko-Biała

Bielsko-Biała

-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...

, Bielsko County is also bordered by Pszczyna County

Pszczyna County

Pszczyna County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is Pszczyna, which lies south of...

 and Oświęcim County

Oswiecim County

Oświęcim County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Oświęcim, which lies ...

 to the north, Wadowice County

Wadowice County

Wadowice County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the town of Wadowice, the birthplace of...

 to the east, Żywiec County

Zywiec County

Żywiec County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland, on the Slovak border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is Żywiec,...

 to the south, and Cieszyn County

Cieszyn County

Cieszyn County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland, on the Czech and Slovak border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998...

 to the west.

Administrative division

The county is subdivided into 10 gmina

Gmina

The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...

s (one urban, two urban-rural and seven rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.

Gmina	Type	Area (km²)	Population (2006)	Seat
Gmina Czechowice-Dziedzice Gmina Czechowice-Dziedzice Gmina Czechowice-Dziedzice is an urban-rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Czechowice-Dziedzice, which lies approximately north-west of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice.The gmina covers an area of , and as of...	urban-rural	66.3	43,248	Czechowice-Dziedzice Czechowice-Dziedzice Czechowice-Dziedzice is a town in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 34,867 inhabitants . It lies on the northeastern edge of the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia...
Gmina Jasienica Gmina Jasienica Gmina Jasienica is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland, in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia...	rural	91.7	20,373	Jasienica Jasienica, Silesian Voivodeship Jasienica is a village and the seat of Gmina Jasienica, Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has a population of 4,872 . It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia and was first mentioned in a written document in 1305....
Gmina Wilamowice Gmina Wilamowice Gmina Wilamowice is an urban-rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Wilamowice, which lies approximately north-east of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...	urban-rural	56.7	15,166	Wilamowice Wilamowice Wilamowice is a small town in southern Poland, situated in the Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship . The endangered language of Wymysorys is spoken here by about 70 native speakers, the majority of them elderly...
Gmina Porąbka Gmina Porabka Gmina Porąbka is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Porąbka, which lies approximately east of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	64.6	14,703	Porąbka Porabka, Silesian Voivodeship Porąbka is a village in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Porąbka. It lies approximately east of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....
Gmina Wilkowice Gmina Wilkowice Gmina Wilkowice is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Wilkowice, which lies approximately south of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice...	rural	33.9	12,329	Wilkowice Wilkowice, Bielsko County Wilkowice is a village in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Wilkowice. It lies approximately south of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....
Gmina Kozy Gmina Kozy Gmina Kozy is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Kozy, which lies approximately east of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	26.9	11,556	Kozy Kozy Kozy is a large village of over 11,000 population, located in southern Poland between Kęty and Bielsko-Biała and about 2 hours ride by car from Katowice and Kraków The village was first mentioned in the year 1326 AD as "Duabuscapris seu Siffridivilla", which means "two goats"...
Gmina Buczkowice Gmina Buczkowice Gmina Buczkowice is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Buczkowice, which lies approximately south of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	19.3	10,580	Buczkowice Buczkowice Buczkowice is a village in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Buczkowice. It lies approximately south of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....
Gmina Bestwina Gmina Bestwina Gmina Bestwina is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Bestwina, which lies approximately north of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	37.6	10,412	Bestwina Bestwina Bestwina is a village in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Bestwina. It lies approximately north of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....
Gmina Jaworze Gmina Jaworze Gmina Jaworze is a rural gmina in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Jaworze, which lies approximately west of Bielsko-Biała and south of the regional capital Katowice....	rural	21.3	6,537	Jaworze Jaworze, Silesian Voivodeship Jaworze is a village and the seat of Gmina Jaworze in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has a population of 6,195. It lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia and was first mentioned in a written document in 1305....
Szczyrk Szczyrk Szczyrk is a town in the Beskid Śląski mountains of southern Poland, situated in the valley of the Żylica river. It is part of the Silesian Voivodeship , previously being part of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship . It has a population of 5,810 people .The town is a popular winter sports centre, with...	urban	39.1	5,860