Giżycko 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 Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...

, northern 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 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms of 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Giżycko

Gizycko

Giżycko is a town in northeastern Poland with 29,796 inhabitants . It is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship , having previously been in the Suwałki Voivodeship . It is the seat of Giżycko County.-History:...

, which lies 88 kilometres (55 mi) east of the regional capital Olsztyn

Olsztyn

Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...

. The only other town in the county is Ryn

Ryn

Ryn is a town in Poland located 19 km southwest of Giżycko, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Until the reorganization of 1999 it had been assigned to Suwałki Voivodeship. It had a population of 3,062 inhabitants as of December 31, 2004....

, lying 18 km (11 mi) south-west of Giżycko.

The county covers an area of 1118.74 square kilometres (431.9 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 56,863, out of which the population of Giżycko is 29,667, that of Ryn is 3,006, and the rural population is 24,190.

Until 2002 Giżycko County also included the three 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 which now form Węgorzewo County

Wegorzewo County

Węgorzewo County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland, on the border with Russia. It was created in 2002 out of the northern part of Giżycko County. Its administrative seat and only town is Węgorzewo, which lies north-east...

.

Neighbouring counties

Giżycko County is bordered by Węgorzewo County

Wegorzewo County

Węgorzewo County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland, on the border with Russia. It was created in 2002 out of the northern part of Giżycko County. Its administrative seat and only town is Węgorzewo, which lies north-east...

 to the north, Gołdap County to the north-east, Olecko County

Olecko County

Olecko County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Its administrative seat and only town is Olecko, which lies east of the regional capital Olsztyn....

 and Ełk County to the east, Pisz County

Pisz County

Pisz County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern 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 Pisz, which lies east...

 to the south, and Mrągowo County

Mragowo County

Mrągowo County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern 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 Mrągowo, which lies ...

 and Kętrzyn County

Ketrzyn County

Kętrzyn County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland, on the border with Russia. 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...

 to the west.

Administrative division

The county is subdivided into six 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, one urban-rural and four rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.

Gmina	Type	Area (km²)	Population (2006)	Seat
Giżycko Gizycko Giżycko is a town in northeastern Poland with 29,796 inhabitants . It is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship , having previously been in the Suwałki Voivodeship . It is the seat of Giżycko County.-History:...	urban	13.9	29,667
Gmina Giżycko Gmina Gizycko Gmina Giżycko is a rural gmina in Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the town of Giżycko, although the town is not part of the territory of the gmina....	rural	289.8	7,671	Giżycko Gizycko Giżycko is a town in northeastern Poland with 29,796 inhabitants . It is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship , having previously been in the Suwałki Voivodeship . It is the seat of Giżycko County.-History:...  *
Gmina Wydminy Gmina Wydminy Gmina Wydminy is a rural gmina in Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the village of Wydminy, which lies approximately east of Giżycko and east of the regional capital Olsztyn....	rural	233.5	6,650	Wydminy Wydminy Wydminy is a village in Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Wydminy. It lies approximately east of Giżycko and east of the regional capital Olsztyn.Before 1945 the area was part of Germany .The village has a population of...
Gmina Ryn Gmina Ryn Gmina Ryn is an urban-rural gmina in Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the town of Ryn, which lies approximately south-west of Giżycko and east of the regional capital Olsztyn....	urban-rural	211.2	5,986	Ryn Ryn Ryn is a town in Poland located 19 km southwest of Giżycko, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Until the reorganization of 1999 it had been assigned to Suwałki Voivodeship. It had a population of 3,062 inhabitants as of December 31, 2004....
Gmina Miłki	rural	169.4	3,861	Miłki
Gmina Kruklanki Gmina Kruklanki Gmina Kruklanki is a rural gmina in Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the village of Kruklanki, which lies approximately north-east of Giżycko and east of the regional capital Olsztyn....	rural	201.0	3,028	Kruklanki Kruklanki Kruklanki is a village in Giżycko County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Kruklanki...
* seat not part of the gmina