Tarnobrzeg ( -
Jikov) is a city in south-eastern
Poland (historic
Lesser Poland), on the east bank of the river
Vistula, with 49,419 inhabitants, as of December 31, 2009. Situated in the
Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Polish:
Województwo Podkarpackie) since 1999, it had previously been the capital of
Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship (1975–1998). Tarnobrzeg lies in the
Sandomierz Basin, and directly borders the town of
Sandomierz. Its history dates back to the year 1593, when it was granted
Magdeburg rights, and belonged to the
Tarnowski family. For centuries Tarnobrzeg remained a small town, which did not develop until the post-
World War II period, when it became center of an industrial area, based on rich
sulfur deposits.