Situated in south-western Poland along its borders with Germany and Bohemia, Silesia has been a region with exceptionally turbulent history. It had been under the rule of many different states, hence the ethnic diversity which has created its interesting cultural mosaic. The name Silesia was derived from the Slesanian tribe in the area of Mount Ślęża along the River Ślęża which empties into the Odra in the vincinity of Wrocław.