Silesia, << sih LEE zhuh, >> is a region in southwestern Poland, eastern Germany, and the northern part of the Czech Republic. It includes the upper Oder River Valley and the Sudeten Mountains. It covers about 19,000 square miles (49,000 square kilometers) and has a population of about 10 million. Katowice and Wroclaw, Poland, are the main cities. Silesia manufactures machinery, metals, and other products. Its minerals include coal and iron. Farmers grow grains, potatoes, and sugar beets.
The region became part of Poland in the 900’s. Austria took over Silesia in 1526, and Prussia seized northern Silesia from Austria in 1742. In 1919, after World War I, Germany and Poland divided northern Silesia, and southern Silesia became part of Czechoslovakia. Poland gained control of the entire northern part in 1945, after World War II. In 1993, the Czechoslovak section became part of the Czech Republic.
