Upper Silesian Industrial Region

The location of Katowice in Poland

Bobrek-Centrum coal mine in Bytom

ArcelorMittal ironworks in Sosnowiec

The Upper Silesian Industrial Region (Polish: Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy, pronounced [gurnɔˈɕlɔ̃skʲi ˌɔkrɛŋk pʂɛmɨˈswɔvɨ], Polish abbreviation: GOP [gɔp]; German: Oberschlesisches Industriegebiet) is a large industrial region in Poland.^[1] It lies mainly in the Silesian Voivodeship,^[1] centered on Katowice. It is situated in the northern part of Upper Silesian Coal Basin, a home of altogether 5 million people (Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area). In the south-west it borders the Rybnik Coal Area (Polish: Rybnicki Okręg Węglowy, ROW).^[1] Covers 3,200 km² and about 3.5 million people.^[1] The Upper Silesian Industrial Region is located in the province of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland in a basin between the Vistula and Oder rivers. Upper Silesian Industrial Region is an area with enormous concentration of industry. Dominates here:^[1]

Mining industry (more than a dozen active coal mines, mainly as Katowicki Holding Węglowy, Kompania Węglowa, JSW, Węglokoks)
Iron and steel industry (more than a dozen active iron and nonferrous metals)
Transport industry (example General Motors Manufacturing Poland and Fiat Auto Poland, Alstom Konstal, Bumar-Łabędy)
The energy industry (more than a dozen plants)
Mechanical engineering
Chemical industry

References

(in Polish) "Katowice i Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy" - Krystyna Szaraniec & Lech Szaraniec & Karol Szarowski, Katowickie Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne, Katowice 1980
(in Polish) "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy: liczby, fakty, problemy" - Marek Grabania, Wydawnictwo Śląsk, Katowice 1964
(in Polish) "Górnośląski Okręg Przemysłowy w świetle nowych opracowań zachodnioniemieckich" - Marian Frank, Silesian Institute in Katowice, Katowice 1960