Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area in the context of "Częstochowa"

Katowice metropolitan area, also known as Upper Silesian metropolitan area (Polish: górnośląski obszar metropolitalny), is the metropolitan area of Katowice and its urban area, with a population of around 2.5 million (2023). It lies within the areas of the historic regions of Upper Silesia, Kraków Basin [pl] and Dąbrowa Basin. It is sometimes considered a part of the polycentric Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area, which has a population of 5.3 million people (2002). Also this is (with Kraków metropolitan area among others) a part of Kraków-Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan region [Wikidata], which has a population of around 6.8 million.

Gliwice (Polish: [ɡliˈvit͡sɛ] ; Silesian: Glywice, Czech: Hlivice; German: Gleiwitz) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder). It lies approximately 25 km (16 mi) west from Katowice, the regional capital of the Silesian Voivodeship.

Gliwice is the westernmost city of the Metropolis GZM, a conurbation of 2.0 million people, and is the third-largest city of this area, with 175,102 permanent residents as of 2021. It also lies within the larger Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area which has a population of about 5.3 million people and spans across most of eastern Upper Silesia, western Lesser Poland and the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic. Gliwice is bordered by three other cities and towns of the metropolitan area: Zabrze, Knurów and Pyskowice. It is one of the major college towns in Poland, thanks to the Silesian University of Technology, which was founded in 1945 by academics of Lwów University of Technology. Over 20,000 people study in Gliwice. Gliwice is an important industrial center of Poland. Following an economic transformation in the 1990s, Gliwice shifted from steelworks and coal mining to automotive and machine industry.

Sosnowiec is an industrial city county in the Dąbrowa Basin of southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, which is also part of the Metropolis GZM municipal association. Located in the eastern part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, Sosnowiec is one of the cities of the Katowice urban area, which is a conurbation with a total population of 2.7 million people; as well as the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5.3 million people. The population of the city is 189,178 as of December 2022.

Chorzów (/ˈxɒʒuːf/ KHOZH-oof; Polish: [ˈxɔʐuf] ; Silesian: Chorzōw) is a city in the Silesia region of southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central cities of the Metropolis GZM – a metropolis with a population of 2 million. It is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Rawa River (a tributary of the Vistula).

Administratively, Chorzów is in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, previously Katowice Voivodeship, and before then, the Silesian Voivodeship. Chorzów is one of the cities of the 2.7 million conurbation – the Katowice urban area and within a greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area with a population of about 5,294,000 people. The population within the city limits is 105,628 as of December 2021.

Świętochłowice (Polish: [ɕfjɛntɔxwɔˈvit͡sɛ] ; German: Schwientochlowitz; Silesian: Świyntochłowice) is a city with powiat rights in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also one of the central cities of the Metropolis GZM, with a population of 2 million, and is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Rawa River (tributary of the Vistula).

It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999, previously in Katowice Voivodeship, and before then, of the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship. Świętochłowice is one of the cities of the 2.7 million conurbation – Katowice urban area and within a greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people. The population of the city is 49,762 (2019).

Ruda Śląska (German: Ruda O.S.; Silesian: Ślōnsko Ruda) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a city in the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica River (tributary of the Oder).

It has been part of the Silesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Previously, it was in Katowice Voivodeship, and before then, part of the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship. Ruda Śląska is one of the cities in the Katowice urban area (population 2.7 million) and within the greater Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area (population 5,294,000). The population of the city is 135,008 (December 2021).

Rybnik (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɨbɲik] ; Silesian: Rybńik) is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, around 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Katowice, the region's capital, and around 19 km (12 mi) from the Czech border. It is one of the major cities of the Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area with a population of 5.3 million and the main city of the so-called Subregion Zachodni, previously also known as the Rybnik Coal Area. With a population of 135,994 as of January 1, 2022, it is the 25th most-populous city in Poland.

Rybnik is the center of commerce, business, transportation and culture for the southwestern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, a consolidated city-county and the seat of a separate suburban Rybnik county. Rybnik is particularly recognized for its contributions to music, with the Szafrankowie School of Music musicians such as Henryk Górecki or Lidia Grychtołówna, among others. It is also a seat of the Rybnik Philharmonic Orchestra.