Kościan 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 Greater Poland Voivodeship

Greater Poland Voivodeship

Wielkopolska Voivodeship , or Greater Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Piła and Leszno Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998...

, west-central 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 and largest town is Kościan

Koscian

Kościan is a town on the Obra canal in west-central Poland, with a population of 24 059 inhabitants in June 2009. Situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship , previously in Leszno Voivodeship , it is the capital of Kościan County...

, which lies 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-west of the regional capital Poznań

Poznan

Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

. The county contains three other towns: Śmigiel

Smigiel

Śmigiel is a town in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,420 inhabitants .While part of the Prussian Province of Posen, the town was administered within Kreis Schmiegel.-People:...

, 13 km (8 mi) south-west of Kościan, Czempiń

Czempin

Czempiń is a town in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,093 inhabitants ....

, 13 km (8 mi) north-east of Kościan, and Krzywiń

Krzywin

Krzywiń is a small town in the centre of Poland in the Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, located at the Obra canal.Krzywiń was first referred to in scripts as Crivin in 1181. But it was not until 1237 that the area's reputation grew as a prominent marketplace. It was then that it was...

, 18 km (11 mi) south-east of Kościan.

The county covers an area of 722.53 square kilometres (279 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 77,760, out of which the population of Kościan is 24,102, that of Śmigiel is 5,452, that of Czempiń is 5,135, that of Krzywiń is 1,547, and the rural population is 41,524.

Neighbouring counties

Kościan County is bordered by Poznań County

Poznan County

Poznań County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central 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 city of Poznań, although the city...

 to the north, Śrem County

Srem County

Śrem County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central 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 Śrem, which lies ...

 to the east, Gostyń County

Gostyn County

Gostyń County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central 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 Gostyń, which lies ...

 to the south-east, Leszno County

Leszno County

Leszno County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central 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 city of Leszno, although the city...

 to the south, Wolsztyn County

Wolsztyn County

Wolsztyn County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central 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 Wolsztyn, which lies ...

 to the west and Grodzisk Wielkopolski County

Grodzisk Wielkopolski County

Grodzisk Wielkopolski County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central 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...

 to the north-west.

Administrative division

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

Gmina	Type	Area (km²)	Population (2006)	Seat
Kościan Koscian Kościan is a town on the Obra canal in west-central Poland, with a population of 24 059 inhabitants in June 2009. Situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship , previously in Leszno Voivodeship , it is the capital of Kościan County...	urban	8.8	24,102
Gmina Śmigiel Gmina Smigiel Gmina Śmigiel is an urban-rural gmina in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Śmigiel, which lies approximately south-west of Kościan and south-west of the regional capital Poznań.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...	urban-rural	189.9	17,465	Śmigiel Smigiel Śmigiel is a town in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,420 inhabitants .While part of the Prussian Province of Posen, the town was administered within Kreis Schmiegel.-People:...
Gmina Kościan Gmina Koscian Gmina Kościan is a rural gmina in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Kościan, although the town is not part of the territory of the gmina....	rural	202.3	15,042	Kościan Koscian Kościan is a town on the Obra canal in west-central Poland, with a population of 24 059 inhabitants in June 2009. Situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship , previously in Leszno Voivodeship , it is the capital of Kościan County...  *
Gmina Czempiń Gmina Czempin Gmina Czempiń is an urban-rural gmina in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Czempiń, which lies approximately north-east of Kościan and south of the regional capital Poznań....	urban-rural	142.5	11,259	Czempiń Czempin Czempiń is a town in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,093 inhabitants ....
Gmina Krzywiń Gmina Krzywin Gmina Krzywiń is an urban-rural gmina in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Krzywiń, which lies approximately south-east of Kościan and south of the regional capital Poznań....	urban-rural	179.2	9,892	Krzywiń Krzywin Krzywiń is a small town in the centre of Poland in the Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, located at the Obra canal.Krzywiń was first referred to in scripts as Crivin in 1181. But it was not until 1237 that the area's reputation grew as a prominent marketplace. It was then that it was...
* seat not part of the gmina