Puszcza Kurpiowska or Kurpiowska Forest, (ˈpuʂt͡ʂa kurˈpjɔfska, also Kurpie

Kurpie

Kurpie is one of a number of ethnic regions in Poland, noted for its unique traditional customs, such as its own types of traditional costume, traditional dance, and distinctive type of architecture and livelihoods...

 Forest) is the collective name of 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...

's two wilderness areas: Puszcza Biała and Puszcza Zielona

Puszcza Zielona

Puszcza Zielona is a forest in Poland which extends from the Narew River and the border of what was once East Prussia. It is bounded on the east by the Pisa River and on the west by the Orzyc River...

 (White and Green Forests), located in the central basin of Narew

Narew

The Narew River , in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a left tributary of the Vistula river...

 and Kurpiowska Plain. It is bound by the rivers: Pisa

Pisa

Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...

 (east), Narew

Narew

The Narew River , in western Belarus and north-eastern Poland, is a left tributary of the Vistula river...

 (south) and Orzyc (west). The north-end reaches the former border with East Prussia

East Prussia

East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...

. The name comes from the nearby town of Kurpie, Podlaskie Voivodeship

Kurpie, Podlaskie Voivodeship

Kurpie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Piątnica, within Łomża County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland....

.
In the 16th century the Kurpiowska Forest was called Zagajnica, adding to its definition the counties of Lomza

Lomza

Łomża is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately 90 miles from Warsaw and 50 miles from Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river and has been in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it was the capital of the Łomża Voivodeship...

, Ostroleka

Ostroleka

Ostrołęka is a town in northeastern Poland on the Narew river, about northeast of Warsaw, with a population of 53,982 and an area of 29 km2 . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously capital of Ostrołęka Voivodeship . Currently capital of both Ostrołęka County and Ostrołęka City...

 and Przasnyski, in which parts of the forest were located.

In the 18th century the term Kurpiowska Forest was extended to include the Green Forest and White Forest which belonged to the Bishops of Płock. Kurpiowska Forest gradually began to be identified with Puszcza Zielona.

In the late 20th century, forested areas accounted for approximately 33% of the Kurpiowska Forest. Most (95%) of forest areas include pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

, with sparse alder

Alder

Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...

, spruce

Spruce

A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...

, oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

 and birch

Birch

Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...

. The old-growth areas of spruce, pine and alder are protected.

Reserves within the Forest

• Czarnia Reserve
• Kanistan Reserve
• Dark Angle "Ciemny Kąt"
• Elbow "Łokieć"
• Olsy Płoszyckie Reserve