Pogorzans (; also known as Western Pogorzans and Eastern Pogorzans), form a distinctive subethnic group of Poles that mostly live in the Central Beskidian Range of the Subcarpathian highlands. The Pogorzans inhabit the central and the southern half of the Beskids in Poland, including the CiÃÂà ¼kowickie, Strzyà ¼owskie and Dynowskie Plateau as well as Doà Ây Jasielsko-Sanockie, from the White River (Biaà Âa) in the west to the San River in the east.
They represent the major population group inhabiting the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, living alongside German and Rusyn people. Historically, this region formed part of Galicia.
Pogorzans are neighbours with: the to the west; and to the north; and (vale-dwellers) and Lemkos (both Rusyn subgroups) to the south.
Cultural subdivisions of the Pogorzans distinguish the western Pogorzans (the area of Gorlice, Jasà Âo and Dukla) from the eastern Pogorzans (Strzyà ¼Ã³w, Krosno and Brzozów). The border between those two groups lies on the west from Krosno and Strzyà ¼Ã³w. The differences between western and eastern groups were especially seen in architecture and in clothing.
Traditional occupations of the Pogorzans included agriculture, oil-mining and the military; today these are joined by the service and petroleum industries, and by agrotourism. Polish scholars regard the Pogórzan dialect as part of the Lesser Polish dialect cluster.
In 1854 in the village Bóbrka near Krosno, the first oil field in the world began production.