Biłgoraj County
Biłgoraj County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lublin Voivodeship, eastern Poland. It was established on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Biłgoraj, which lies south of the regional capital Lublin.
History
Contemporary Biłgoraj County's territories before the Partitions of Poland were located at the border of two Voivodeships. Most of the county was part of the Ruthenian Voivodeship, within the lands of Chełm and Przemyśl. A smaller portion of the county, including the areas of today's towns: Biłgoraj, Goraj, and Frampol, was part of the Lublin Voivodeship.In 1807, the Duchy of Warsaw was established. The new administrative division was based on departments, subdivided into counties. The territory of today's Biłgoraj County became part of Tarnogród County in 1810, which was incorporated within the Lublin Department.
Congress Poland
In 1866, following the failure of the January Uprising, the administrative division of Congress Poland was reformed. Tarnogród County was abolished, and in its place, Biłgoraj County was established.Second Polish Republic
When Poland regained independence in 1918, Biłgoraj County became one of the 19 counties of the Lublin Voivodeship, which was established on August 14, 1919.General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region
According to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Biłgoraj region, along with the rest of the Polish territories east of the Vistula and San rivers, was to be ceded to the Soviet Union. However, changes were made to the occupiers' arrangements. On October 26, 1939, Biłgoraj County was placed under German civilian administration as Landkreis Biłgoraj.Polish People's Republic
In 1944, the administrative division of Poland was restored to its pre-war shape.According to the 1952 administrative division, Biłgoraj County was part of the Lublin Voivodeship.
As a result of the administrative reform of 1975, on June 1 of that year, Biłgoraj County was abolished. Its gminas were incorporated into the newly established Zamość Voivodeship.
Third Polish Republic
The administrative reform of 1999 restored Biłgoraj County within the borders of the new Lublin Voivodeship.Geography
Biłgoraj County alongside Tomaszów County is the southernmost county in the Lublin Voivodeship. It borders Lublin County and Krasnystaw County to the north, Zamość County and Tomaszów Lubelski County to the east, Lubaczów County and Przeworsk County to the south, Leżajsk County to the south-west, Nisko County to the west, and Janów Lubelski County to the north-west.Protected areas
Protected areas of the county include the following categories:Special Protection Area: Solska Forest.
Landscape parks: Krasnobród Landscape Park, Solska Forest Landscape Park, Szczebrzeszyn Landscape Park.
National Parks: Roztocze National Park.
Nature reserve: Czartowe Pole Nature Reserve, Obary Nature Reserve, Szum Nature Reserve.
Special Area of Conservation: Dolina Dolnej Tanwi, Uroczyska Puszczy Solskiej.
Rivers
Following is a list of rivers, which are at least partially, if not predominantly located within county.| Rank | Name | Total length | Outflow |
| 1 | Tanew | 114.3 | San |
| 2 | Łada | 62.8 | Tanew |
| 3 | Bukowa | 54.5 | San |
| 4 | Pór | 46.7 | Wieprz |
| 5 | Wirowa | 36.0 | Tanew |
| 6 | Złota | 33.1 | San |
| 7 | Czarna Łada | 26.3 | Łada |
| 8 | Sopot | 24.3 | Tanew |
| 9 | Gorajka | 23.0 | Pór |
| 10 | Szum | 22.3 | Tanew |
| 11 | Kurzynka | 20.2 | Tanew |
| 12 | Złota Nitka | 19.2 | Tanew |
| 13 | Lubienia | 19.2 | Tanew |
| 14 | Borowina | 18.9 | Tanew |
| 15 | Rakowa | 18.5 | Bukowa |
| 16 | Nitka | 16.4 | Wirowa |
| 17 | Luchówka | 15.2 | Złota |
| 18 | Studzienica | 14.9 | Tanew |
| 19 | Niepryszka | 11.5 | Szum |
| 20 | Łazowna | 11.3 | Tanew |
| 21 | Gruszec | 10.4 | Bukowa |
| 22 | Szpisznica | 10.2 | Tanew |
| 23 | Ratwica | 10.0 | Czarna Łada |
| 24 | Osa | 9.4 | Łada |
| 25 | Mucha | 8.7 | Tanew |
| 26 | Bicz | 7.7 | Kurzynka |
| 27 | Smolnik | 7.4 | Czarna Łada |
| 28 | Stok | 7.3 | Braszczka |
| 29 | Braszczka | 6.8 | Czarna Łada |
| 30 | Pasternik | 6.4 | Lubienia |
| 31 | Studczek | 6.2 | Czarna Łada |
| 32 | Kiełbasówka | 5.6 | Ratwica |
| 33 | Czarna | 5.6 | Sopot |
| 34 | Nitka | 5.4 | Złota Nitka |
| 35 | Potok | 4.7 | Luchówka |
| 36 | Szarka | 3.2 | Czarna Łada |
| 37 | Świrek | 2.8 | Szum |
Highest points
– 337,5 meters above sea level, Tłomska Góra – 325 meters above sea level, Sawina – 325 meters above sea level, Łysiec – 325 meters above sea level, Góra Kopczyna – 311,5 meters above sea level.Towns and villages
Administrative division
The county is subdivided into 14 gminas. These are listed in the following table, in alphabetical order.| Gmina | Type | Area | Population | Seat |
| Aleksandrów | rural | 54.26 | 3,140 | Aleksandrów |
| Biłgoraj | urban | 21.10 | 24,543 | Biłgoraj |
| Biłgoraj | rural | 262.64 | 13,465 | Biłgoraj |
| Biszcza | rural | 106.31 | 3,679 | Biszcza |
| Frampol | urban-rural | 107.61 | 5,587 | Frampol |
| Goraj | urban-rural | 67.87 | 3,820 | Goraj |
| Józefów | urban-rural | 126.46 | 6,277 | Józefów |
| Księżpol | rural | 141.28 | 6,651 | Księżpol |
| Łukowa | rural | 148.72 | 3,862 | Łukowa |
| Obsza | rural | 113.23 | 3,986 | Obsza |
| Potok Górny | rural | 111.16 | 4,910 | Potok Górny |
| Tarnogród | urban-rural | 114.25 | 6,121 | Tarnogród |
| Tereszpol | rural | 144.01 | 3,771 | Tereszpol |
| Turobin | urban-rural | 162.19 | 5,407 | Turobin |
Demographics
As of 2024, the county had a total population of 95,219 residents, accounting for almost 5% of the Lublin Voivodeship's total population, making it the 6th most populous county in the voivodeship. Around 65% of the county's population lives in rural areas, while 35% resides in urban zones.The total fertility rate in 2024 was estimated at 0,985 children per woman. Biłgoraj County's population reached its peak in 1998. The total population is expected to decline by 30% by 2060.
In 2024, about 46,840 of the county's residents were men, and 48,379 were women. Approximately 17.1% of the population was under the age of 17; 58.2% were between the ages of 18 and 64 for men, and 18 and 59 for women; and 24.7% were above the age of 64 for men and 60 for women. In the same year, the county had a population density of 56.753 people per square kilometer.
Politics
The executive board
The executive body of Biłgoraj County is the executive board. It consists of the starosta, the deputy starosta, and other members. The board is elected by the district council. The current board was elected on May 6, 2024.- Andrzej Szarlip — Starosta of Biłgoraj County,
- Beata Strzałka — Deputy Starosta of Biłgoraj County,
- Tomasz Rogala — Full-time Member of the County Board,
- Bartłomiej Świtała — Full-time Member of the County Board,
- Jan Małysza — Member of the Board,
- Małgorzata Liwosz-Rudy — Secretary of Biłgoraj County.
The district council
| Political party | Members | Affiliation |
| Law and Justice | 12 | Government |
| Third Way | 3 | Opposition |
| KWW — Biłgorajszczyzna | 3 | Opposition |
| KWW — Prawicowa Polska Marcina Romanowskiego | 3 | Opposition |
| Total | 21 | — |
National elections
Biłgoraj County is part of Sejm constituency no. 7 for the lower house of the Polish Parliament.For the upper house of the Parliament of Poland, Biłgoraj County is part of the Senate constituency of Zamość.
For elections to the European Parliament, Biłgoraj County is part of the Lublin constituency.