Editing Katowice (section)

===Metropolitan area===
Katowice lies in the centre of [[Katowice urban area|the largest conurbation]] in Poland, [[List of urban areas in the European Union|one of the largest in the European Union]], numbering about 2.7&nbsp;million. The [[Katowice metropolitan area]] consists of about 40 adjacent cities and towns, the whole [[Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area]] (mostly within the [[Upper Silesian Coal Basin]]) over 50 cities or towns and a population of 5,008,000. In 2006, Katowice and 14 adjacent cities united as the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia (predecessor to the current [[Metropolis GZM]]). Its population was 2 million and its area was 1,104&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. In 2006–2007 the union planned to unite these cities in one city under the name "Silesia", but this proved unsuccessful.<ref>{{in lang|pl}} [http://www.dziennik.pl/Default.aspx?TabId=14&ShowArticleId=24596 dziennik.pl – "17 śląskich miast chce się połączyć w Silesię", 11 December 2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930031513/http://www.dziennik.pl/Default.aspx?TabId=14&ShowArticleId=24596 |date=30 September 2007 }}</ref>

{{Adjacent communities|width=auto|state=expanded
| Centre = Katowice
| N = [[Siemianowice Śląskie]]
| NE = [[Sosnowiec]]
| E = [[Mysłowice]]
| SE = [[Lędziny]]
| S = [[Tychy]]
| SW = [[Mikołów]]
| W = [[Ruda Śląska]]
| NW = [[Chorzów]]
}}

The Katowice conurbation comprises settlements which have evolved because of the mining of metal ores, coal and raw rock materials.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Post-industrial Cultural Heritage Sites in the Katowice conurbation, Poland|journal=Environmental & Socio-Economic Studies|first=Marzena|last=Lamparska|date=1 June 2013|volume=1|issue=2|pages=36–42|doi=10.1515/environ-2015-0011|doi-access=free|bibcode=2013ESES....1b..36L }}</ref> The establishment of mining and heavy industry which have developed for the past centuries has resulted in the unique character of the cityscape; its typical aspects are the [[Architecture of Poland|red brick housing estates]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staypoland.com/about_katowice.htm|title=Katowice – Tourism – Tourist Information – Katowice, Poland -|first=StayPoland Sp. z|last=o.o.|access-date=16 March 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316205004/http://www.staypoland.com/about_katowice.htm|archive-date=16 March 2017}}</ref> constructed for the poorer working class, factory chimneys, manufacturing plants, power stations and [[quarry|quarries]]. The inhabitants of a large mining community like Katowice, and local administrations within the conurbation, which have only evolved due to mining, are a subject to overall decline after the liquidation of coal mines and factories. This is one of the reasons which led to the development of the service sector, including office spaces, shopping centres and tourism.

[[File:Górnośląski Związek Metropolitalny.svg|right|450px|Map of the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia, with Katowice highlighted near its centre.]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- align=center
!District||Population<ref name="auto3">{{cite web|url=http://demografia.stat.gov.pl/bazademografia/Tables.aspx|title=GUS – Baza Demografia: Wyniki badań bieżących: Stan i struktura ludności: Ludność: 2017: Ludność stan w dniu 30 VI: Ludność według płci i miast: Śląskie|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20141015142423/http://demografia.stat.gov.pl/bazademografia/Tables.aspx|archive-date=15 October 2014}}</ref> (30 June 2017) ||Area (km<sup>2</sup>)||Density (km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
| Katowice||297,197||164.67||1,896
|-
| [[Sosnowiec]]||204,958||91.06||2,444
|-
| [[Gliwice]]||181,715||133.88||1,474
|-
| [[Zabrze]]||175,016||80.40||2,352
|-
| [[Bytom]]||168,968||69.44||2,661
|-
| [[Ruda Śląska]]||138,754||77.73||1,860
|-
| [[Tychy]]||128,191||81.64||1,590
|-
| [[Dąbrowa Górnicza]]||121,387||188.73||682
|-
| [[Chorzów]]||109,151||33.24||3,420
|-
| [[Jaworzno]]||92,215||152.67||626
|-
| [[Mysłowice]]||74,600||65.75||1,139
|-
| [[Siemianowice Śląskie]]||67,710||25.5||2,809
|-
| [[Piekary Śląskie]]||55,820||39.98||1,477
|-
| [[Świętochłowice]]||50,529||13.31||4,097
|}