Category:Folklore of Silesia

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Silesia (pronounced /saɪˈliːʒə/ or /saɪˈliːʃə/; Polish: Śląsk [ɕlɔ̃sk]; German: Schlesien (help·info); Silesian German: Schläsing; Czech: Slezsko; Silesian: Ślůnsk [ɕlonsk]; Latin: Silesia) is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest cities are Wrocław, its historical capital, and Katowice in Poland, and Ostrava in the Czech Republic. Its main river is the Oder (in German; Polish, Czech: Odra).

Silesia's borders and national affiliation have changed radically over time, both when it was an hereditary possession of noble houses and after the rise of modern nation-states. The first known states to hold power there were those of Greater Moravia and Bohemia. In the 10th century Silesia was incorporated into the early Polish state, but it later broke into independent duchies, coming under increasing German influence.