Report on the Baltic coastal zone areas – Poland Length and type of coast line The north part of Poland, bordered with the Baltic Sea, is a part of South Baltic Shore- lands (Pol. Pobrzeża Południowobałtyckie), which are divided into three macroregions – Szczecin Shoreland (Pol. Pobrzeże Szczecioskie), Koszalin Shoreland (Pol. Pobrzeże Koszalioskie) and Gdansk Shoreland (Pol. Pobrzeże Gdaoskie). The region is a belt-shape, wide in a several dozen kilometres along the southern shores of the Baltic Sea. It stretches from the Bay of Kiel in the west to the Vistula Lagoon in the east and occupies in Poland app. 19 thous. km2. The total length of the Polish coastline is 775 km. The coastline is rather smooth and regular. Fig. 5. Poland’s coast of the Baltic Sea (source: www.turystyka.gazeta.pl) The Szczecin Shoreland (the westernmost part of the Polish coast) occupies territories around the Szczecin Lagoon, the estuary of the Odra River and Pomeranian Bay shores. On the Polish territory it takes about 8 thous. km2. The region consists eleven mezoregions: Wolin and Usedom Islands (Pol. Wyspy Wolin i Uznam), Trzebiatowski Coast (Pol. Wybrzeże Trzebia- towskie), Gryfice Flatland (Pol. Równina Gryficka), Goleniow Flatland (Pol. Równina Golen- iowska), Nowogard Flatland (Pol. Równina Nowogardzka), Pyrzyce-Stargard Flatland (Pol. Rown- ina Pyrzycko-Stargardzka), Beech Hills (Pol. Wzgórza Bukowe), Lower Odra Valley (Pol. Dolina Dolnej Odry), Szczecin Prominences (Pol. Wzniesienia Szczecioskie), Weltyn Flatland (Pol. Równ- ina Wełtyoska), Wkrzanska Flatland (Pol. Równina Wkrzaoska). The Koszalin Shoreland occupies an area of about 6.5 thous. km2 and is divided into six mezoregions: Slovincy Coast (Pol. Wybrzeże Słowioskie), Bialogard Flatland (Pol. Równina Bia- łogardzka), Slupsk Flatland (Pol. Równina Słupska), Damnica Height (Pol. Wysoczyzna Dam- nicka), Reda-Leba Proglacial Stream Valley (Pol. Pradolina Redy-Łeby), Zarnowiec Height (Pol. Wysoczyzna Żarnowiecka). The easternmost part of Poland’s Baltic coast, Gdansk Shoreland, is situated around the Gulf of Gdansk, vast delta of the Vistula River and Vistula Lagoon. Characteristic spits are lo- cated in the region, which covers about 4.5 thous. km2. It includes seven mezoregions: Hel Pen- insula (Pol. Mierzeja Helska), Kaszuby Schoreland (Pol. Pobrzeże Kaszubskie), Vistula Spit (Pol. Mierzeja Wiślana), Old-Prussian Coast (Pol. Wybrzeże Staropruskie), Vistula Depression (Pol. Żuławy Wiślane), Elblag Height (Pol. Wysoczyzna Elbląska), and Warmia Flatland (Pol. Równina Warmioska). Fig. 6. Physic-Geographical regionalization of the Polish schoreland (source: www.commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Physico-Geographical_Regionalization_of_Poland.png) There are four types of coastal landscape in Poland – dune, deltaic, lacustrine-lagoon- swamp and seaside cliffs. All of them were formed during the youngest geomorphic processes occurring in coastal zones. Fig. 7. Types of coastal landscape (klify – cliffs, wydmy – dunes, brzeg płaski – flat shore) (source: www.ztikm.univ.szczecin.pl/projekty/atlas/atlas.htm) The landscape of dune and sand forms a narrow strip of coastal occurring with short in- tervals along the whole Polish coast and creating dry, locally with saline soils, grassy or woody environment. The flatland deltaic landscape is present in estuary areas of the Vistula and Odra rivers. It is built of river inflows and is characterized by alluvial soil and a predominant share of cultivated fields and meadows. For the third type of coastal landscape shallow and salty lagoon are typical (those are Szczecin Lagoon and Vistula Lagoon), as well as rare shallow coastal lakes (like Lebsko and Gardno lakes), with mixed fresh and salty waters, overgrowing by water or marshland flora and narrow spits (Hel Peninsula and Vistula Spit). The South Baltic Shorelands includes also cliffs (the best known cliffs are situated near Cape Rozewie and on the Wolin Is- land, where is located the highest Polish cliff, reaches 95 m above sea-level) and a moraine flat- lands with few hills, cutted by a system of proglacial stream valleys. Fig. 8. Population density in Poland’s shoreland area (source: www.nationmaster.com) Closeness to the sea greatly affects the climate of this region, which is characterized by mild winters and hot summers. 2. Different types of interests affecting the Baltic coast 2.1. Financial 2.1.1. Harbours and maritime transport There are four ports of great economic significance at the Polish seaside – Gdaosk, Gdynia, Świnoujście and Szczecin (sometimes also Police are included here). There are also about 10-20 smaller cargo and/or passenger ports. In 2009, Polish seaports’ cargo throughput was over 45 mln tonnes. A share of individual ports in cargo traffic is as follows: Gdaosk – 41.6 % of the total throughput, Gdynia – 25.2 %, Szczecin – 15.5 %, and Świnoujście – 18.6 %. Remaining seaports contributed to 4.7%. The big- gest share in structure of cargo traffic had dry bulk (42.6%), liquid bulk (28.4%) and containers (11.3%). Total amount of cargo handled in international maritime traffic in 2009 was 44.2 million tonnes. Contribution of Polish seaports in international traffic, by partner ports was as follows: European Union – 67.0%, other European countries – 11.4%, North America – 5.0%, South America – 5.4%, Asia – 5.6%, Africa – 5.4%. In 2008 the Polish seaports handled almost 3% of ships calling at the Baltic Sea region seaports that time. Polish participation in intra-regional cargo throughput in the Baltic Sea region is about 6.9%. In 2009, international passenger arrivals at the Poland’s ports amounted to 711 300 people, which was 6.7% less than in the previous year. Polish seaports’ contribution to the pas- senger movements over the Baltic in 2008 was 1.6%. In 2009, most passengers were trans- ported in relation to the ports of Sweden (79.1%), Germany (10.8%) and Denmark (9.0%). In 2009, Polish maritime fleet consisted of 118 ships of total deadweight about 2 630 thousand tonnes and gross tonnage GT app. 1 930 thousand. The majority of the fleet were dry cargo carriers with the number of 92 ships. 18 ships of Polish fleet (of deadweight 37.4 thou- sand tonnes and gross tonnage GT 49.7 thousand) serve under the Polish flag. Also 1 maritime ship, leased from a foreign company, is operated by Polish ship-owners. The Polish foreign trade, maritime transport is 50% of the total turnover, but for exam- ple in trade with Germany, 70% being carried out by land. Sea transport accounts for only 12% of the turnover of Polish-German relations. Polish seaports focused about 12% of intra-speed cargo dry, liquid around 4% and 7% of general cargo. Smaller (around 2%) is the participation of Polish ports to handle passenger traffic. Fig. 9. Distribution of cargo throughput, by seaports, in 2009 (source: www.stat.gov.pl) Seaports are part of the spatial arrangement of the communication network of the country, next to roads and other transport hubs. The harbour itself is a transportation hub, where the lines converge in the maritime transport industry, land, river and transmission. Fig. 10. Polish ports and shipping (rzeki I klasy – Ist class rivers, rzeki II klasy – IInd class rivers, rzeki o zn. turystycznym – rivers of the importance of tourism, małe porty morskie – small seaports, małe porty śródlądowe – small inland ports, małe porty handlowe – small commercial ports, duże porty handlowe – large commercial ports) (source: www.ztikm.univ.szczecin.pl/projekty/atlas/atlas.htm) Polish seaports commercial fishery military Port Marynarki all-purpose specialized Naval Port Port Władysławowo Wojennej w Helu in Hel Port Marynarki Naval Port Wojennej w port Szczecin port Police port Dziwnów in Gdynia Gdyni Port Marynarki port Gdynia Wojennej w port Ustka NavalPort Ś ściu Swinoujscie in port Gdański port Łeba port Świnoujście port Jastarnia Port Elbląg Fig. 11. Division of Polish seaports due to the activity profile (source: maritime.com.pl/port /indexp.php) Naval Port in Świnoujście Fig. 12. Location on Polish seaports with indication of areas subordinate to individuals Maritime Offices (source: maritime.com.pl/port/indexp.php) Port of Gdansk, the biggest Polish harbour, is located on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, operating in the northern part of the city of Gdansk (the city is province’s capital) and in the western part of the Vistula Spit. It is a commercial port with the major part of the cargo turnover of a liquid fuel. The port is comprised of two areas with different naturally operational parameters: the Inner Harbour is located along the Dead Vistula River and North Port with direct access to the Gulf of Gdansk, creating the conditions for han- dling the largest ships. The advantage of the location of the Port of Gdansk is a central location on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Fig. 13. Reloading general cargo in the years 2000-2010 I-III [tons] (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 14. Container handling in the years 2000-2010 I-III [TEU]/right chart (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 15. The number of passengers handled in the years 2000-2010 I-III (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 16. Reloading of liquid fuels in the years 2000-2010 I-III [tons] (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 17. Reloading of coal in the years 2000-2010 I-III [tons] (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 18. Reloading of grain in the years 2000-2010 I-III [tons] (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 19. Reloading of ore in the years 2000-2010 I-III [tons] (source: Port of Gdansk) Fig. 20. Reloading of other mass in the years 2000-2010 I-III [tons] (source: Port of Gdansk) The port of Gdansk is a key link in the Trans-European Transport Corridor No. VI, con- necting Scandinavia and South-eastern Europe. In the port ferry base is located, supporting lines to Finland, Sweden and Germany.