| Rzeczpospolita Polska Republic of Poland | ||||||
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| Anthem: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Polish) Dąbrowski's Mazurka | ||||||
 Location of Poland (orange) – on the European continent (camel & white) | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) | Warsaw | |||||
| Official languages | Polish² | |||||
| Demonym | Pole/Polish | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary republic | |||||
| - | President | Lech Kaczyński | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Donald Tusk | ||||
| Formation | ||||||
| - | Christianisation4 | 14 April 966 | ||||
| - | Redeclared | 11 November 1918 | ||||
| EU accession | 1 May 2004 | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 312,679 km² (69th³) 120,728 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 3. The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width the upper one white and the lower one red The White Eagle (Orzeł Biały is the national Coat of arms of Poland. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (ma'zurɛk dɔmbrɔf'skʲɛgɔ " Dąbrowski's Mazurka " is the National anthem of Poland. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Demographics of Poland describe the make-up of the country of Poland Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The President of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, shorter form Prezydent RP) is the Polish Head of ˈlɛx alɛˈksandɛr kaˈtʂɨɲskʲi (born 18 June 1949 is the President of the Republic of Poland a politician of the conservative party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość The Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland represents the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet and directs their work supervises territorial self-government Donald Franciszek Tusk (ˈdɔnalt franˈtɕiʃɛk ˈtusk born April 22 1957, Gdańsk) is a Center-right Polish politician co-founder The Baptism of Poland (Chrzest Polski was the event in 966 that signified the beginning of the Christianization of Poland, commencing with the Baptism Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in 966 was a year in the 10th century. Events By Place Europe April 14 or April 30 — Mieszko The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 07 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2007 census | 38,518,241 | ||||
| - | Density | 122/km² (83rd) 319. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² 9/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2007 (IMF)[1] estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $631. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 8 billion (24th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $17,815 (52nd) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 (IMF) estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $413. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 3 billion (24th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $11,693 (49th) | ||||
| HDI (2005) | ▲ 0. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 870 (high) (37th) | |||||
| Currency | Złoty (PLN) | |||||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .pl5 | |||||
| Calling code | +48 | |||||
| 1 See, however, Unofficial mottos of Poland. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The złoty (/ˈzwɔtɨ/, plural for numbers ending in 2 3 and 4 (except 12 13 and 14 złote /ˈzwɔtɛ/ plural for all other numbers złotych /ˈzwɔtɨx/ ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Poland does not have an official state motto, ie one that is declared as such by national Law. ² Although not official languages, Belarusian, Kashubian, Lithuanian and German are used in 20 communal offices. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Kashubian or Cassubian (Kashubian kaszëbsczi jãzëk, pòmòrsczi jãzëk, kaszëbskò-słowińskô mòwa; język kaszubski is one of Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The bilingual status of gminas (communes in Poland is regulated by the Act of 6 January 2005 on National and Ethnic Minorities and on the Regional Languages, ³ The area of Poland according to the administrative division, as given by the Central Statistical Office,[1] amounts to 312,679 km²: land area (311 888 km²) and part of internal waters (791 km²) cut by the coast line. The area of Poland's territory, including all internal waters and the territorial sea, is 322 575 km². 4 The adoption of Christianity in Poland is seen by many Poles, regardless of their religious affiliation, as one of the most significant national historical events; the new religion was used to unify the tribes in the region. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings 5 Also .eu, as Poland is a member of the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in | ||||||
Poland (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Rzeczpospolita ( pronounced) is a Polish word for " Republic " or " Commonwealth " a Calque translation of the Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Kaliningrad Oblast (Калинингра́дская о́бласть Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (ru Янта́рный край meaning Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The total area of Poland is 312,679 km² (120,728 sq mi),[1] making it the 69th largest country in the world and 9th in Europe. The following numbers characterize the area of Poland Area of Polish territory - 322 575 km² ( Land area, Internal waters area and Territorial The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. Poland has a population of over 38. 5 million people, which makes it the 33rd most populous country in the world. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. [2]
The establishment of a Polish state is often identified with the adoption of Christianity by its ruler Mieszko I in 966 (see Baptism of Poland), when the state covered territory similar to that of present-day Poland. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Life In 965 Mieszko married Dobrawa (Dobrava Dubrawka daughter of Boleslav I, Duke of Bohemia. The Baptism of Poland (Chrzest Polski was the event in 966 that signified the beginning of the Christianization of Poland, commencing with the Baptism Poland became a kingdom in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by uniting to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Kingdom of Poland ( pol Królestwo Polskie, lat Regnum Poloniae, ukr The term Polish–Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795, and its territory was partitioned among Prussia, Russia, and Austria. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Poland regained its independence in 1918 after World War I but lost it again in World War II, occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Poland lost over six million citizens in World War II, and emerged several years later as a socialist republic within the Eastern Bloc under a strong influence of the Soviet Union. The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 In 1989 communist rule was overthrown and Poland became what is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic". Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based "Fall of Communism" redirects here For the fall of the Soviet Union itself see History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991. Poland is a unitary state made up of sixteen voivodeships (Polish: województwo). Voivodeship The voivodeship or province (województwo has been a high-level Administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Poland is also a member of the European Union, NATO and OECD. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The North Atlantic Treaty
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Geography
Poland’s territory extends across several geographical regions. Poland is a country in Central Europe, east of Germany. Generally speaking Poland is an unbroken plain reaching from the Baltic Sea in the north Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets In the northwest is the Baltic seacoast, which extends from the Bay of Pomerania to the Gulf of Gdansk. The Bay of Pomerania or Pomeranian Bay (Polish Zatoka Pomorska; German Pommersche Bucht) is a basin in the southwestern Baltic Sea, off the Gdańsk Bay or the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska Gduńskô Hôwinga Гданьская бухта also known as Danzig Bay (Danziger Bucht is a southeastern This coast is marked by several spits, coastal lakes (former bays that have been cut off from the sea), and dunes. A spit is a deposition Landform found off Coasts. At one end spits connect to land while at the far end they exist in open water The largely straight coastline is indented by the Szczecin Lagoon, the Bay of Puck, and the Vistula Lagoon. The Lagoon of the Oder River is an inland water basin situated in the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea. The Bay of Puck or Puck Bay (Zatoka Pucka Pùckô Hôwiga historically also known as the Bay of Putzig (Putziger Wiek is a shallow western branch of the The Vistula Lagoon (Zalew Wiślany or Zatoka Fryska in 1910 Калининградский залив or Kaliningradskiy Zaliv; Frisches Haff Aismarės is a The center and parts of the north lie within the Northern European Lowlands. Rising gently above these lowlands is a geographical region comprising the four hilly districts of moraines and moraine-dammed lakes formed during and after the Pleistocene ice age. Moraine refers to any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris (soil and rock which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions such as those A moraine-dammed lake occurs when a terminal moraine has prevented some Meltwater from leaving the valley The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets These lake districts are the Pomeranian Lake District, the Greater Polish Lake District, the Kashubian Lake District, and the Masurian Lake District. The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland (Pojezierze Mazurskie Masurische Seenplatte is a Lake district in northeastern Poland containing The Masurian Lake District is the largest of the four and covers much of northeastern Poland. The lake districts form part of the Baltic Ridge, a series of moraine belts along the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. South of the Northern European Lowlands lie the regions of Silesia and Masovia, which are marked by broad ice-age river valleys. Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people Masovia or Mazovia (Mazowsze is a geographic and historic region situated in eastern Poland 's Masovian Plain. Farther south lies the Polish mountain region, including the Sudetes, the Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, and the Carpathian Mountains, including the Beskids. The Sudetes (suˈdiːtiːz is a Mountain range in Central Europe. Świętokrzyskie Mountains ( Holy Cross Mountains) ( Polish,) are a Mountain range in central Poland, in the vicinity of the city of The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати The Beskids (Beskidy Beskydy Beskydy Rusyn: Бескиды Бескиди is a traditional name for a series of Mountain ranges in the northeastern Czech The highest part of the Carpathians is the Tatra Mountains, along Poland’s southern border. Panorama tatierjpg|thumb|right|300px|Panorama of Tatras]]The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra ( Tatry in both Polish and Slovak)
Rivers
The longest rivers are the Vistula (Polish: Wisła), 1,047 km (678 miles) long; the Oder (Polish: Odra) – which forms part of Poland’s western border – 854 km (531 miles) long; its tributary, the Warta, 808 km (502 miles) long; and the Bug – a tributary of the Vistula – 772 km (480 miles) long. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The Oder (known in Czech and Polish as Odra) is a River in Central Europe. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The Warta (Warthe Varta is a River in western-central Poland, a tributary of the Oder river The Bug or Buh River (Bug; Західний Буг Zakhidnyy Buh; Захо́дні Буг Zakhodni Buh; Западный Буг Zapadnyy Bug The Vistula and the Oder flow into the Baltic Sea, as do numerous smaller rivers in Pomerania. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The Łyna and the Angrapa flow by way of the Pregolya to the Baltic, and the Czarna Hańcza flows into the Baltic through the Neman. Łyna can refer to Łyna River (Alle a river in Poland and Russian Kaliningrad Oblast (Лава Lava) Łyna (village Angrapa (Węgorapa Анграпа Angerapp is a river in northeastern Poland and Russia ( Kaliningrad Oblast) The Pregolya or Pregola (Преголя Pregel Prieglius is a River in the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast exclave Czarna Hańcza Podlaskie Voivodeship Czarna Hańcza (Juodoji Ančia is the largest river of the Suwałki Region of north-eastern Poland. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. While the great majority of Poland’s rivers drain into the Baltic Sea, Poland’s Beskids are the source of some of the upper tributaries of the Orava, which flows via the Váh and the Danube to the Black Sea. Orava ( is the name of a 609 km long River in north-western Slovakia passing through a picturesque country in the Orava county. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The eastern Beskids are also the source of some streams that drain through the Dniester to the Black Sea. The Dniester (Дністер translit Dnister; Nistru is a river in Eastern Europe.
Poland’s rivers have been used since early times for navigation. The Vikings, for example, traveled up the Vistula and the Oder in their longships. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Longships, or longboats were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxon people to raid coastal and inland settlements during the European In the Middle Ages and in early modern times, when Poland-Lithuania was the breadbasket of Europe, the shipment of grain and other agricultural products down the Vistula toward Gdańsk and onward to eastern Europe took on great importance. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland For an overview of Polish rivers, see Category:Rivers of Poland.
Geology
The geological structure of Poland has been shaped by the continental collision of Europe and Africa over the past 60 million years, on the one hand, and the Quaternary glaciations of northern Europe, on the other. High Tatras or High Tatra (Slovak and Czech Vysoké Tatry, Polish Tatry Wysokie) are a Mountain range on the borders between Slovakia Continental collision is a phenomenon of the Plate tectonics of Earth. Overview The term Quaternary ("fourth" was proposed by Giovanni Arduino in 1759 for alluvial deposits in the Po river valley in northern "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Both processes shaped the Sudetes and the Carpathians. The Sudetes (suˈdiːtiːz is a Mountain range in Central Europe. The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати The moraine landscape of northern Poland contains soils made up mostly of sand or loam, while the ice-age river valleys of the south often contain loess. Moraine refers to any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris (soil and rock which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions such as those Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles Loam is Soil composed of Sand, Silt, and Clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively considered An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets Loess is a homogeneous typically non stratified porous Friable,slightly coherent often calcareous fine-grained Silty pale yellow or buff windblown ( aeolian The Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, the Pieniny, and the Western Tatras consist of limestone, while the High Tatras, the Beskids, and the Karkonosze are made up mainly of granite and basalts. The Polish Jura Chain, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland, or Kraków-Częstochowa Jurassic Highland Chain (Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska is part of Pieniny is a Mountain range in Poland and Slovakia. The Pieniny mountain range is divided into three parts &ndash Pieniny Spiskie (Spišské The Western Tatras (Západné Tatry Tatry Zachodnie are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish - Slovak Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 High Tatras or High Tatra (Slovak and Czech Vysoké Tatry, Polish Tatry Wysokie) are a Mountain range on the borders between Slovakia The Beskids (Beskidy Beskydy Beskydy Rusyn: Бескиды Бескиди is a traditional name for a series of Mountain ranges in the northeastern Czech The Karkonosze ( Polish) or Krkonoše ( Czech) also known as the Giant Mountains (Riesengebirge is a Mountain range in the Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland is one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth. The Polish Jura Chain, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland, or Kraków-Częstochowa Jurassic Highland Chain (Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska is part of
Mountains and topography
Poland has 21 mountains over 2,000 metres (6,561 ft) in elevation, all in the High Tatras. Pieniny is a Mountain range in Poland and Slovakia. The Pieniny mountain range is divided into three parts &ndash Pieniny Spiskie (Spišské High Tatras or High Tatra (Slovak and Czech Vysoké Tatry, Polish Tatry Wysokie) are a Mountain range on the borders between Slovakia The Polish Tatras, which consist of the High Tatras and the Western Tatras, is the highest mountain group of Poland and of the entire Carpathian range. The Western Tatras (Západné Tatry Tatry Zachodnie are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish - Slovak The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати In the High Tatras lies Poland’s highest point, the northwestern peak of Rysy, 2,499 metres (8,199 ft) in elevation. Rysy (Tengerszem-csúcs Meeraugspitze is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, at the Polish - Slovak border At its foot lies the mountain lake, the Morskie Oko. Morskie Oko (Slovak Morské oko; literally "Eye of the Sea" is the largest and fourth deepest Lake in the Tatra Mountains. The second-highest mountain group in Poland is the Beskids, whose highest peak is Babia Góra, at 1,725 metres (5,659 ft). The Beskids (Beskidy Beskydy Beskydy Rusyn: Бескиды Бескиди is a traditional name for a series of Mountain ranges in the northeastern Czech The next highest mountain group is the Karkonosze, whose highest point is Śnieżka, at 1,602 metres (5,256 ft). The Karkonosze ( Polish) or Krkonoše ( Czech) also known as the Giant Mountains (Riesengebirge is a Mountain range in the Among the most beautiful mountains of Poland are the Bieszczady Mountains in the far southeast of Poland, whose highest point in Poland is Tarnica, with an elevation of 1,346 metres (4,416 ft). See also Bieszczady County and Bieszczady National Park. Bieszczady, or Bieszczadzkie Mountains (lat Tarnica is a peak in the Bieszczady Mountains in southern Poland. Tourists also frequent the Gorce Mountains in Gorce National Park, with elevations around 1,300 metres (4,300 ft), and the Pieniny in Pieniny National Park, with elevations around 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). Gorce National Park (Gorczański Park Narodowy is a national park in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. Pieniny is a Mountain range in Poland and Slovakia. The Pieniny mountain range is divided into three parts &ndash Pieniny Spiskie (Spišské The lowest point in Poland—at 2 metres (7 ft) below sea level—is at Raczki Elbląskie, near Elbląg in the Vistula Delta. Elbląg (Elbing Elbinga is a City in northern Poland with 127892 inhabitants (2006 For a list of the most important mountain ranges of Poland, see the Category:Mountain ranges of Poland.
Lakes
With almost ten thousand closed bodies of water covering more than one hectare (2. 47 acres) each, Poland has one of the highest numbers of lakes in the world. In Europe, only Finland has a greater density of lakes. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The largest lakes, covering more than 100 square kilometers (38. 6 square miles), are Lake Śniardwy and Lake Mamry in Masuria, as well as Lake Łebsko and Lake Drawsko in Pomerania. Śniardwy ( is a Lake in the Masurian Lake District in Warmia-Masuria, Poland. Mamry (Mauersee is a Lake in the Masurian Lake District of Poland 's Warmia-Mazury Province. Łebsko Lake (Lebasee is a coastal Lake in Pomeranian Voivodship, Poland. Drawsko may refer to Drawsko (village, in the Greater Poland voivodeship (western Poland seat of the Gmina Drawsko Drawsko County In addition to the lake districts in the north (in Masuria, Pomerania, Kashubia, Lubuskie, and Greater Poland), there is also a large number of mountain lakes in the Tatras, of which the Morskie Oko is the largest in area. Kashubians/Kashubs/Kaszubians (Kaszëbi Kaszubi also called Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic Ethnic group of north-central Greater Poland or Great Poland, Polish Wielkopolska (Großpolen Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland The lake with the greatest depth—of more than 100 metres (328 ft) —is Lake Hańcza in the Wigry Lake District, east of Masuria in Podlaskie Voivodship. Hańcza is a Lake in Suwałki Region, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland.
Among the first lakes whose shores were settled are those in the Greater Polish Lake District. The stilt house settlement of Biskupin, occupied by more than one thousand residents, was founded before the seventh century BC by people of the Lusatian culture. Stilt houses or pile dwellings are houses raised on Piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water Biskupin is an archaeological site and a life-size model of an Iron Age fortified settlement in north-central Poland ( Kuyavian-Pomeranian The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age ( 1300 BC - 500 BC) in eastern Germany, most of Poland The ancestors of today’s Poles, the Polanie, built their first fortresses on islands in these lakes. The Polans (also known as Polanes, Polanians or Polians; Polanie were a West Slavic tribe inhabiting the Warta river basin The legendary Prince Popiel is supposed to have ruled from Kruszwica on Lake Gopło. Popiel Lublin Voivodeship Prince Popiel (or Duke Popiel legendary 9th century ruler of the Polanie or Goplanie tribe Kruszwica (Kruschwitz is a town in central Poland and is situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (since 1999 previously in Bydgoszcz Voivodeship Gopło is a Lake in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-central Poland, near the city of Gniezno. The first historically documented ruler of Poland, Duke Mieszko I, had his palace on an island in the Warta River in Poznań. Life In 965 Mieszko married Dobrawa (Dobrava Dubrawka daughter of Boleslav I, Duke of Bohemia. Poznań Lublin Voivodeship This article is about the city in Poland
For the most important lakes of Poland, see the Category:Lakes of Poland.
The coast
The Polish Baltic coast is approximately 528 kilometres (328 miles) long and extends from Świnoujście on the islands of Usedom and Wolin in the west to Krynica Morska on the Vistula Spit in the east. Słowiński National Park (Słowiński Park Narodowy is a National Park in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Świnoujście (Swinemünde is a City and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland Usedom (Usedom, Uznam) is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. Krynica Morska ( Polish formerly Łysica (1945-1958 Kahlberg is a town and coextensive municipality ( Gmina) in northern Poland The Vistula Spit (Mierzeja Wiślana Балтийская коса Frische Nehrung is a spit, or peninsular stretch of land which cuts the Vistula Lagoon off For the most part, Poland has a smooth coastline, which has been shaped by the continual movement of sand by currents and winds from west to east. This continual erosion and deposition has formed cliffs, dunes, and spits, many of which have migrated landwards to close off former lagoons, such as Łebsko Lake in Słowiński National Park. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Deposition is the geological process by which material is added to a Landform or land mass A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral The largest spits are Hel Peninsula and the Vistula Spit. Hel Peninsula ( Mierzeja Helska Półwysep Helski Hélskô Sztremlëzna Halbinsel Hela or Putziger Nehrung) is a 35-km-long Sand bar Peninsula The largest Polish Baltic island is Wolin. The largest port cities are Gdynia, Gdańsk, Szczecin, and Świnoujście. Gdynia (Gdingen (until 1939 Gotenhafen (1939-1945 Gdiniô is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important Seaport Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland The main coastal resorts are Sopot, Międzyzdroje, Kołobrzeg, Łeba, Władysławowo, and the Hel Peninsula. Sopot (Zoppot Kashubian: Sopòt) is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland Międzyzdroje (Misdroy is a town and a Seaside resort in northwestern Poland on the island of Wolin on the Baltic coast Kołobrzeg (Kolberg Kòłobrzeg Cholbergensis is a City in Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland with some 50000 inhabitants (as of Łeba ( Kashubian / Pomeranian: Leba; Leba is a town in Middle Pomerania, Poland, located near Łebsko Lake and Władysławowo ( Kashubian / Pomeranian: Wiôlgô Wies, Großendorf is a town on the south coast of the Baltic Sea in the Kashubia
The Desert
Błędów Desert is a desert located in Southern Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship and stretches over the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region. Błędów Desert (Pustynia Błędowska is an area of sands between Błędów (part of Dąbrowa Górnicza in Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union) and the Błędów Desert (Pustynia Błędowska is an area of sands between Błędów (part of Dąbrowa Górnicza in Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union) and the Silesian Voivodeship (also known as Silesia Province or by its Polish name of województwo śląskie or simply Śląskie) is a Voivodeship Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (literally Coal Fields of Dąbrowa;) is a historical and geographical region in Poland. It has a total area of 32 km². It is the only desert located in Poland. It is one of only five natural deserts in Europe. It is the warmest desert that appears at this latitude. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the It was created thousands of years ago by a melting glacier. The specific geological structure has been of big importance - the average thickness of the sand layer is about 40 meters (maximum 70 m), which made the fast and deep drainage very easy. In recent years the desert has started to shrink. The phenomenon of mirages has been known to exist there. A mirage is a naturally-occurring Optical phenomenon, in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky
Land use
Forests cover 28% of Poland’s land area. More than half of the land is devoted to agriculture. While the total area under cultivation is declining, the remaining farmland is more intensively cultivated.
More than 1% of Poland’s territory — 3,145 square kilometres (1,214 square miles) — is protected within 23 national parks. There are currently 23 National Parks in Poland. These were formerly run by the Polish Board of National Parks ( Krajowy Zarząd Parków Narodowych) but in 2004 responsibility In this respect, Poland ranks first in Europe. Three more national parks are projected for Masuria, the Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, and the eastern Beskids. The Polish Jura Chain, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland, or Kraków-Częstochowa Jurassic Highland Chain (Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska is part of The Beskids (Beskidy Beskydy Beskydy Rusyn: Бескиды Бескиди is a traditional name for a series of Mountain ranges in the northeastern Czech Most Polish national parks are located in the southern part of the country. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution In addition, wetlands along lakes and rivers in central Poland are legally protected, as are coastal areas in the north. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog There are also over 120 areas designated as landscape parks, and numerous nature reserves and other protected areas. In Poland, a Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy is a type of Protected area similar to a National Park, but with less stringent restrictions on development nature reserve ( natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is a Protected area of importance for Wildlife, flora Protected areas in Poland include the following types as defined by the Act on protection of nature of 16 April 2004: 23
Flora and fauna
Phytogeographically, Poland belongs to the Central European province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The wisent (ˈviːzənt or European bison ( Bison bonasus) is a Bison Species and the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe Białowieża Primaeval Forest, known as Belaveskaya Pushcha (Белавеская пушча or Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus Phytogeography, also called geobotany is the branch of Biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of Plant Species, or more generally Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003jpg|thumb|right| Vaccinium vitis-idaea ]]Alnus-viridis Rhododendron-palustreJPG|thumb|right| Rhododendron tomentosum ]]The Boreal Kingdom or Holarctic Kingdom ( Holarctis) is a Floristic kingdom According to the WWF, the territory of Poland can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Baltic mixed forests, Central European mixed forests and Carpathian montane conifer forests. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or "
Many animals that have since died out in other parts of Europe still survive in Poland, such as the wisent in the ancient woodland of the Białowieża Forest and in Podlachia. The wisent (ˈviːzənt or European bison ( Bison bonasus) is a Bison Species and the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe ‘ Ancient Woodland ’ is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to Woodland dating back to 1600 or before in England and Wales Białowieża Primaeval Forest, known as Belaveskaya Pushcha (Белавеская пушча or Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus Podlachia, Podlesia, or Podlasie is a historical region in the eastern part of Poland and western Belarus. Other such species include the brown bear in Białowieża, in the Tatras, and in the Beskids, the gray wolf and the Eurasian lynx in various forests, the moose in northern Poland, and the beaver in Masuria, Pomerania, and Podlachia. The Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos) is an Omnivorous Mammal of the family Ursidae, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests where it is one of the predators The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family. Beavers are two primarily nocturnal semi-aquatic species of Rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe In the forests, one also encounters game animals, such as red deer, roe deer, and boars. The Red Deer ( Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest Deer species The European Roe Deer ( Capreolus capreolus) is a Deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. In eastern Poland there are a number of ancient woodlands, like Białowieża, that have never been cleared by people. There are also large forested areas in the mountains, Masuria, Pomerania, and Lower Silesia. Lower Silesia (Niederschlesien Silesia Inferior Dolny Śląsk is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to
Poland is the most important breeding ground for European migratory birds. The White Stork ( Ciconia ciconia) is a large wading Bird in the Stork family Ciconiidae, breeding in the warmer parts of Europe Out of all of the migratory birds who come to Europe for the summer, one quarter breed in Poland, particularly in the lake districts and the wetlands along the Biebrza, the Narew, and the Warta, which are part of nature reserves or national parks. Biebrza Podlaskie Voivodeship Biebrza ( Bobra) is a River in north-eastern Poland, a tributary of the Narew river (near Wizna) with Narew Podlaskie Voivodeship The river Narew ( Belarusian: Нараў, Lithuanian: Naura) in western Belarus and north-eastern The Warta (Warthe Varta is a River in western-central Poland, a tributary of the Oder river In Masuria, there are villages in which storks outnumber people.
Climate
The climate is mostly temperate throughout the country. The climate is oceanic in the north and west and becomes gradually warmer and continental as one moves south and east. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year Summers are generally warm, with average temperatures between 20 °C (68 °F) and 27 °C (80,6 °F). Winters are cold, with average temperatures around 3 °C (37,4 °F) in the northwest and –8 °C (17,6 °F) in the northeast. Precipitation falls throughout the year, although, especially in the east; winter is drier than summer. The warmest region in Poland is Lesser Poland located in Southern Poland where temperatures in the summer average between 23 °C (73,4 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F) but can go as high as 32 °C (89,6 °F) to 38 °C (100,4 °F) on some days in the warmest month of the year July. Lesser Poland Voivodeship (also known as Małopolska Province or by its Polish name województwo małopolskie or simply Małopolskie) is a Voivodeship The warmest city in Poland is Tarnów. Tarnów (Tarnau טארנא- Turna) is a city in southeastern Poland with 118128 inhabitants (2006 The city is located in Lesser Poland; it is the hottest place in Poland all year round. Lesser Poland (also "Little Poland" Polish: Małopolska, Latin: Polonia Minor) is one of the historical regions of Poland The average temperatures being 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer and 4 °C (39,2 °F) in the winter. Tarnów also has the longest summer in Poland spreading from mid May to mid September. Also it has the shortest winter in Poland which often lasts from January to March, less than the regular three-month winter. The coldest region of Poland is in the Northeast in the Podlachian Voivodeship near the border of Belarus. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east The climate is efficient due to cold fronts which come from Scandinavia and Siberia. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The average temperature in the winter in Podlachian ranges from -15 °C (5 °F) to -4 °C ( 24,8 °F).
Demographics
- For more details on this topic, see Demographics of Poland. The Demographics of Poland describe the make-up of the country of Poland
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Poland, with 38. Western Pomerania is a translation of "Vorpommern" (also "Hither Pomerania" both redirect here World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 5 million inhabitants, has the eighth-largest population in Europe and the sixth-largest in the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in It has a population density of 122 inhabitants per square kilometer (328 per square mile).
Poland historically contained many languages, cultures and religions on its soil. Historical demography of Poland shows that in the past Poland's Demography was much more diverse then at present The country had a particularly large Jewish population prior to the Second World War, when the Nazi Holocaust caused Poland's Jewish population, estimated at 3 million before the war, to drop to just 300,000. The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The outcome of the war, particularly the westward shift of Poland's borders to the area between the Curzon line and the Oder-Neisse line, coupled with post-war expulsion of minorities, gave Poland an appearance of homogeneity. The territorial changes of Poland after World War II were very extensive The Curzon Line was a Demarcation line proposed in 1920 by the British Foreign Secretary George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston The Oder-Neisse line (Granica na Odrze i Nysie Łużyckiej Oder-Neiße-Grenze was drawn in the aftermath of World War II as the eastern border of Germany and World War II evacuation and expulsion refers to forced deportation mass evacuation and displacement of peoples spurred on by the hostilities between Axis and Allied powers and the border
As of 2002, 36,983,700 people, or 96. 74% of the population consider themselves Polish (Census 2002), while 471,500 (1. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Polish census of 2002 (Narodowy Spis Powszechny 2002 was a Census in Poland taken from 21 May to 8 June 2002 23%) declared another nationality. 774,900 people (2. 03%) did not declare any nationality. The largest nationalities and ethnic groups in Poland are Silesians, Germans (most in the former Opole Voivodeship), Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Belarusians. Silesians ( Silesian: Ślůnzoki; Ślązacy Slezané Schlesier are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the This article is about the German diaspora See Germans for the German ethnicity in general Opole Voivodeship (also known as Opole Province or by its Polish name of województwo opolskie or simply Opolskie; Woiwodschaft Oppeln/Oppelner Schlesien Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also The Polish language, a member of the West Slavic branch of the Slavic languages, functions as the official language of Poland. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The West Slavs are Slavic peoples speaking West Slavic languages. The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English and German are the most common second languages studied and spoken.
In recent years, Poland's population has decreased because of an increase in emigration and a sharp drop in the birth rate. In 2006, the census office estimated the total population of Poland at 38,536,869, a slight rise on the 2002 figure of 38,230,080. Since Poland's accession to the European Union, a significant number of Poles have emigrated to Western European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland in search of work. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Some organizations have stated that Polish emigration is primarily due to Poland's high unemployment rate (10. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 5%), with Poles searching for better work opportunities abroad. In April 2007, the Polish population of the United Kingdom had risen to approximately 300,000 and estimates place the Polish population in Ireland at 65,000. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world
However lately it has been reported that large numbers of Polish citizens who had previously emigrated to other parts of the EU for better prospects are in fact returning due to the dramatic increase in standards of living for Poles in their own country as well as sharp increases in wages. The Central Statistical Office of the Polish government recently published figures which gave evidence that there is now a net inflow of people into the country.
Polish minorities are still present in the neighboring countries of Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania, as well as in other countries (see Poles for population numbers). Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Altogether, the number of ethnic Poles living abroad is estimated to be around 20 million. The largest number of Poles outside of the Poland can be found in the United States. Polonia, the name for Poland in Latin and many Romance and other languages refers in modern Polish to the Polish Diaspora The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Urban Areas
The largest metropolitan areas in Poland are the Upper Silesian Coal Basin centred on Katowice (3. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe GZW is a Coal basin in Silesia, mostly in Poland but also partly in the Katowice (Katovice Kattowitz is a City in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica 5 million inhabitants); the capital, Warsaw (3 million);Kraków (1. Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland 3 million) Łódź (1. Łódź is Poland 's third largest city with population of 753192 in 2007 (lost its second rank to Krakow in 2007 3 million); the Tricity of Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia in the Vistula delta (1. Tricity (or Tri-City, also called Treble City, in Polish Trójmiasto) is an Urban area Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland Sopot (Zoppot Kashubian: Sopòt) is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland Gdynia (Gdingen (until 1939 Gotenhafen (1939-1945 Gdiniô is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important Seaport 1 million); Poznań (0. Poznań Lublin Voivodeship This article is about the city in Poland 9 million); Wrocław (0. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia 9 million); and Szczecin (0. 7 million). For an overview of Polish cities, see List of cities in Poland. This page contains a list of cities and towns in Poland, preceded by a table of major Polish cities
Ethnicity and religion
In terms of ethnicity, Poland has been a homogeneous state since the end of World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This is a major departure from much of Polish history. Due to the Holocaust and the flight and expulsion of German and Ukrainian populations, Poland has become almost uniformly Catholic. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as This article is about the 1947 deportation of Ukrainians by the Polish government About 97% of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, with 58% as practising Catholics according to 2005 survey by the Centre for Public Opinion Research. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej (CBOS (Centre for Public Opinion Research is an Opinion polling institute in Poland, based in Warsaw. [3] Though rates of religious observance are currently lower than they have been in the past, Poland remains one of the most devoutly religious countries in Europe. Religious minorities include Polish Orthodox (1. History The establishment of the church was undertaken after the Treaty of Riga left large amount of territory previously under the Russian Empire, as part 3% or about 509,500), Jehovah’s Witnesses (0. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination 3% or about 123,034), Eastern Catholics (0. This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See 2%), Lutherans (0. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther 2%), and smaller minorities of Mariavites, Polish Catholics, Pentecostals, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jews, Muslims (including the Tatars of Białystok) and various Protestants (about 86,880 in the largest Evangelical-Augsburg Church, plus about as many in smaller churches). The Mariavite Church is an independent Christian church that emerged from the Roman Catholic Church of Poland at the turn of the 20th century The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. The first noticeable presence of Islam in Poland began in the 14th century Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Białystok Lublin Voivodeship Białystok (also known by alternative names) is the largest City in northeastern Poland. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession in Poland (Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej the largest Protestant body in Poland, is Resulting from the socio-political emancipation of the county, freedom of religion has become guaranteed by the 1989 statute of the Polish constitution,[4] allowing for the emergence of additional denominations. [5] However, due to pressure from the Polish Episcopate, exposition of doctrine has entered public education system as well, drawing criticism from the popular media, as unconstitutional. The episcopate is the collective body of all Bishops of a church Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the [6][7] According to 2007 survey, 72% of respondents were not against the fostering of catechism in public schools; nevertheless, the alternative courses in ethics have become available only in one percent of the entire public educational system. A catechism (ˈkætəkɪzəm κατηχισμός is a summary or exposition of Doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament [8]
Poles (including Silesians and Kashubians) make up an overwhelming 99. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Silesians ( Silesian: Ślůnzoki; Ślązacy Slezané Schlesier are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the Kashubians/Kashubs/Kaszubians (Kaszëbi Kaszubi also called Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic Ethnic group of north-central 3% majority of the Polish population. According to the 2002 census, the remainder of the population is made up of small minorities of Germans (152,897), Belarusians (c. The German minority in Poland consists of 152900 people according to a 2002 census Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also 49,000), and Ukrainians (c. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens 30,000), as well as Tatars, Lithuanians, Roma, Lemkos, Russians, Karaites, Slovaks, and Czechs. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Lemkos (Лeмки Lemko: Лeмкы translit Lemky; sing Лeмкo Lemko) one of several quantitatively and territorially small nationalities The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is Czechs (Češi ˈt͡ʃɛʃɪ archaic Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic Among foreign citizens, the Vietnamese are the largest ethnic group, followed by Greeks, and Armenians. The Vietnamese people (người Việt or vi ''người Kinh'' are an Ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large
History
Prehistory
Historians have postulated that throughout Late Antiquity, many distinct ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now known as Poland. Highly developed agricultural people have lived in the area that is now Poland for the last 7500 years the Slavic people have settled in this territory for over 1500 years and the Dates and most important events in Polish history from prehistoric times up to the present day The prehistory of Poland, or the history of Poland until 966 AD covers the period from the appearance of humans on the lands of today's Poland to the establishment of the In the first centuries of its existence the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers who converted the Poles to Christendom, created a strong Central European The Jagiellon Era 1385&ndash1569 was dominated by the union of Poland with Lithuania under the Jagiellon Dynasty, founded by the Lithuanian grand duke See also Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth The Nihil novi act adopted by the Polish Diet in 1505 transferred all Legislative power Partitions Summary Although the majority of the Szlachta was reconciled to the end of the Commonwealth in 1795 the possibility of See also Second Polish Republic The History of interwar Poland starts with the recreation of independent Poland in 1918 and ends with the occupation of The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses the German invasion of Poland through to the end of World War II The history of Poland from 1945 to 1989 spans the period of Soviet Communist dominance over the People's Republic of Poland following World In the 1970s and 1980s tension grew between the people of Poland and its Communist government as with the rest of the Eastern bloc as the influence of the Soviet The Culture of Poland is closely connected with its intricate 1000 year history. Historical demography of Poland shows that in the past Poland's Demography was much more diverse then at present The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. Poland is considered to currently have one of the fastest growing economies in Central European nations with an annual growth rate of over 6 The politics of Poland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca Head of State ( Naczelnik Państwa, 1918-1922 Marshal Józef Klemens Piłsudski ( 14 November 1918 - Polish Army ( Polish: Wojsko Polskie) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. Below is a list of military conflicts in which Polish armed forces participated or took place on Polish territory History In the period following the emergence of Poland in the 10th century the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers of the Piast dynasty, who The territorial changes of Poland after World War II were very extensive Highly developed agricultural people have lived in the area that is now Poland for the last 7500 years the Slavic people have settled in this territory for over 1500 years and the The prehistory of Poland, or the history of Poland until 966 AD covers the period from the appearance of humans on the lands of today's Poland to the establishment of the Late Antiquity (c 300-600 is a Periodization used by historians to describe the transitional centuries from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in The exact ethnicity and linguistic affiliation of these groups has been hotly debated; in particular the time and route of the original settlement of Slavic peoples in these regions has been the subject of much controversy.
The most famous archeological find from Poland's prehistory is the Biskupin fortified settlement (now reconstructed as a museum), dating from the Lusatian culture of the early Iron Age, around 700 BC. The prehistory of Poland, or the history of Poland until 966 AD covers the period from the appearance of humans on the lands of today's Poland to the establishment of the Biskupin is an archaeological site and a life-size model of an Iron Age fortified settlement in north-central Poland ( Kuyavian-Pomeranian The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age ( 1300 BC - 500 BC) in eastern Germany, most of Poland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man.
Piast dynasty
Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the tenth century under the Piast dynasty. In the first centuries of its existence the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers who converted the Poles to Christendom, created a strong Central European Piast dynasty is the name used since the 17th century for Polish Royal Dynasty that ruled Poland from its beginnings as Duchy ruled by Mieszko Poland's first historically documented ruler, Mieszko I, was baptized in 966, adopting Catholic Christianity as the nation's new official religion, to which the bulk of the population converted in the course of the next centuries. Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca Life In 965 Mieszko married Dobrawa (Dobrava Dubrawka daughter of Boleslav I, Duke of Bohemia. The Baptism of Poland (Chrzest Polski was the event in 966 that signified the beginning of the Christianization of Poland, commencing with the Baptism As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially In the twelfth century, Poland fragmented into several smaller states. In the first centuries of its existence the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers who converted the Poles to Christendom, created a strong Central European In 1320, Władysław I became the King of a reunified Poland. Władysław the Short or Elbow-high (or Ladislaus I of Poland) ( Władysław I Łokietek) (1261 - March 2 1333 was a King of Poland. The Kingdom of Poland ( pol Królestwo Polskie, lat Regnum Poloniae, ukr His son, Kazimierz III, is remembered as one of the greatest Polish kings. Casimir III the Great (Kazimierz Wielki April 30 1310 – November 5 1370 last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty (1333–1370 was the son of King Władysław Poland, or at least its nucleus was ruled at various times either by książęta (Dukes(ca
Poland was also a centre of migration of peoples and the Jewish community began to settle and flourish in Poland during this era (see History of the Jews in Poland). PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. The Black Death which affected most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351 did not reach Poland. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia [9]
Jagiellon dynasty
Under the Jagiellon dynasty Poland forged an alliance with its neighbour, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Jagiellon Era 1385&ndash1569 was dominated by the union of Poland with Lithuania under the Jagiellon Dynasty, founded by the Lithuanian grand duke The Jagiellons (Jogailaičiai Jagiellonowie were a royal Dynasty originating from Lithuanian House of Gediminas dynasty that reigned in Central European The term Polish–Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje In 1410, a Polish-Lithuanian army inflicted a decisive defeat on the Teutonic Knights, both countries' main adversary, in the battle of Grunwald. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by After the Thirteen Years War, the Knight's state became a Polish vassal. The Thirteen Years' War was also the name of an Austrian-Ottoman War Thirteen Years War in Hungary The Thirteen Years' War (Dreizehnjähriger Krieg Wojna trzynastoletnia Polish culture and economy flourished under the Jagiellons, and the country produced such figures as astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and poet Jan Kochanowski. Life Kochanowski was born at Sycyna, near Radom, Poland. Little is known of his early education Compared to other European nations, Poland was exceptional in its tolerance of religious dissent, allowing the country to avoid the religious turmoil that spread over Western Europe in that time.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
A golden age ensued during the sixteenth century after the Union of Lublin which gave birth to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. See also Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth The Nihil novi act adopted by the Polish Diet in 1505 transferred all Legislative power Polish Golden Age refers to the times from 15th century Jagiellon Poland to mid-17th century when in 1648 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was ravaged by the The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The szlachta (nobility) of Poland, far more numerous than in Western European countries, took pride in their freedoms and parliamentary system. Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' Golden Liberty ( Latin: Aurea Libertas; Polish: Złota Wolność) sometimes referred to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles' Democracy During the Golden Age period, Poland expanded its borders to become the largest country in Europe.
In the mid-seventeenth century, a Swedish invasion ("The Deluge") and Cossack's Chmielnicki Uprising which ravaged the country marked the end of the golden age. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Deluge ( Polish: Potop, full Polish name is Potop Szwedzki Deluge''' is the name commonly assigned in the History The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern The term Khmelnytsky Uprising (also Khmel'nyts'kyi/Chmielnicki Uprising or Khmelnytsky / Chmielnicki Rebellion) refers to a Rebellion or Numerous wars against Russia coupled with government inefficiency caused by the Liberum Veto, a right which had allowed any member of the parliament to dissolve it and to veto any legislation it had passed, marked the steady deterioration of the Commonwealth from a European power into a near-anarchy controlled by its neighbours. Liberum veto ( Latin: I freely forbid) was a parliamentary device in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that allowed any deputy to Anarchy (from αναρχία anarchía, "without ruler " may refer to any of the following "Absence of government a state of lawlessness The reforms, particularly those of the Great Sejm, which passed the Constitution of May 3, 1791, the world's second modern constitution, were thwarted with the three partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, and 1795) which ended with Poland's being erased from the map and its territories being divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm ( Polish: respectively Sejm Wielki or Sejm Czteroletni; Lithuanian Didysis The Constitution of May 3 1791 (Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija Канстытуцыя трэцьега траўня is generally recognized as The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich
Partitions of Poland
Poles would resent their fate and would several times rebel against the partitioners, particularly in the nineteenth century. Partitions Summary Although the majority of the Szlachta was reconciled to the end of the Commonwealth in 1795 the possibility of Below is a list of military conflicts in which Polish armed forces participated or took place on Polish territory In 1807 Napoleon recreated a Polish state, the Duchy of Warsaw, but after the Napoleonic wars, Poland was again divided in 1815 by the victorious Allies at the Congress of Vienna. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Duchy of Warsaw (Księstwo Warszawskie Duché de Varsovie Herzogtum Warschau Варшавское герцогство was a Polish state established by Napoleon The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich The eastern portion was ruled by the Russian Czar as a Congress Kingdom, and possessed a liberal constitution. Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye The Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland (Konstytucja Królestwa Polskiego was granted to the 'Congress' Kingdom of Poland by Tsar of Russia and King of Poland However, the Czars soon reduced Polish freedoms and Russia eventually de facto annexed the country. Later in the nineteenth century, Austrian-ruled Galicia, particularly the Free City of Kraków, became a centre of Polish cultural life. Galicia (Галичина ( Halychyna) Galicja is a historical region in East Central Europe, currently divided between Poland and Ukraine, The Free Independent and Strictly Neutral City of Kraków (Cracow with its Territory
Reconstitution of Poland
During World War I, all the Allies agreed on the reconstitution of Poland that United States President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed in Point 13 of his Fourteen Points. See also Second Polish Republic The History of interwar Poland starts with the recreation of independent Poland in 1918 and ends with the occupation of World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States to a joint session of the United Shortly after the surrender of Germany in November 1918, Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic (II Rzeczpospolita Polska). Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. It reaffirmed its independence after a series of military conflicts, the most notable being the Polish-Soviet War (1919–1921) when Poland inflicted a crushing defeat on the Red Army. Below is a list of military conflicts in which Polish armed forces participated or took place on Polish territory The Battle of Warsaw (Russian Варшáвское сражéние Polish: Bitwa Warszawska sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, Polish The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya
The 1926 May Coup of Józef Piłsudski turned the reins of the Second Polish Republic over to the Sanacja movement. The May Coup d'Etat ( Polish: Przewrót majowy or zamach majowy) was a Coup d'état successfully carried out in Poland by Józef Sanacja (Sanation was a Coalition Political movement in the Interbellum Second Polish Republic.
World War II
The Sanacja movement controlled Poland until the start of World War II in 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded on September 1 and the Soviet Union followed on September 17. The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses the German invasion of Poland through to the end of World War II Sanacja (Sanation was a Coalition Political movement in the Interbellum Second Polish Republic. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939 during the early stages of World War II, sixteen Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Warsaw capitulated on September 28, 1939. The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army ( Armia Warszawa) garrisoned and entrenched in the Capital Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As agreed in the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, Poland was split into two zones, one occupied by Germany while the eastern provinces fell under the control of the Soviet Union. At the beginning of World War II, significant Polish areas were annexed by Nazi Germany in contrary to Hague Convention IV 1907 and put under German civil After the Soviet invasion of Poland following the corresponding German invasion that marked the start of World War II in 1939 the Soviet Union annexed
Of all the countries involved in the war, Poland lost the highest percentage of its citizens: over six million perished, half of them Polish Jews. World War II was humanity's deadliest war causing tens of millions of deaths This article deals with the occupation of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union during the Second World War (1939–1945 The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a Millennium. Poland made the fourth-largest troop contribution to the Allied war effort, after the Soviets, the British and the Americans. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Polish expeditionary corps played an important role in the Italian Campaign, particularly at the Battle of Monte Cassino. The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war. Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. At the war's conclusion, Poland's borders were shifted westwards, pushing the eastern border to the Curzon line. The territorial changes of Poland after World War II were very extensive The term Kresy, meaning Outskirts or Borderlands, was first used to define the Polish eastern frontier The Curzon Line was a Demarcation line proposed in 1920 by the British Foreign Secretary George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston Meanwhile, the western border was moved to the Oder-Neisse line. The Oder-Neisse line (Granica na Odrze i Nysie Łużyckiej Oder-Neiße-Grenze was drawn in the aftermath of World War II as the eastern border of Germany and The new Poland emerged 20% smaller by 77,500 square kilometres (29,900 sq mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The shift forced the migration of millions of people, most of whom were Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, and Jews. World War II evacuation and expulsion refers to forced deportation mass evacuation and displacement of peoples spurred on by the hostilities between Axis and Allied powers and the border The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The main German Nazi death camps were in Poland. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Of a pre-war population of 3,300,000 Polish Jews, 3,000,000 were killed during the Holocaust. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as
Postwar Communist Poland
The Soviet Union instituted a new Communist government in Poland, analogous to much of the rest of the Eastern Bloc. The history of Poland from 1945 to 1989 spans the period of Soviet Communist dominance over the People's Republic of Poland following World The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Communist state is a term used by many Political scientists to describe a Form of government in which the State operates under a one-party system During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were Military alignment within the Warsaw Pact throughout the Cold War was also part of this change. The Warsaw Pact (see Nomenclature) was an organization of Communist states in Central and Eastern Europe. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The People's Republic of Poland (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) was officially proclaimed in 1952. The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian The Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland (also known as July Constitution or Constitution of 1952 was passed on 22 July 1952 In 1956, the régime of Władysław Gomułka became temporarily more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. Władysław Gomułka ( February 6, 1905, Krosno - September 1, 1982) was a Polish Communist leader Similar situation repeated itself in the 1970s under Edward Gierek, but most of the time persecution of communist opposition persisted. Edward Gierek ( January 6 1913 - July 29 2001) was a Polish communist politician Anti-communist resistance in Poland can be divided into two types the violent partisan struggle mostly led by some former Armia Krajowa and Narodowe Siły
Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" ("Solidarność"), which over time became a political force. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Despite persecution and imposition of martial law in 1981, it eroded the dominance of the Communist Party and by 1989 had triumphed in parliamentary elections. Martial law in Poland (Stan wojenny w Polsce refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983 The Polish United Workers' Party (PUWP Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza - PZPR was a Communist party in the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1990 Contract Sejm (Sejm kontraktowy is a term commonly applied to the Polish Parliament elected in the Polish parliamentary elections of 1989. Lech Wałęsa, a Solidarity candidate, eventually won the presidency in 1990. Presidential elections were held in Poland on Sunday November 25 (first round and Sunday December 9, 1990 (second round The Solidarity movement heralded the collapse of communism across Eastern Europe. "Fall of Communism" redirects here For the fall of the Soviet Union itself see History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991.
Democratic Poland
A shock therapy programme of Leszek Balcerowicz during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into a market economy. In the 1970s and 1980s tension grew between the people of Poland and its Communist government as with the rest of the Eastern bloc as the influence of the Soviet In Economics, shock therapy refers to the sudden release of price and currency controls withdrawal of state subsidies and immediate trade liberalization within a country usually Leszek Balcerowicz (pronounced ['lεʃεk balʦε'rɔviʧ]) (born January 19 1947 is a Polish Economist and the former chairman of A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a As with all other post-communist countries, Poland suffered temporary slumps in social and economic standards, but became the first post-communist country to reach its pre-1989 GDP levels. Most visibly, there were numerous improvements in other human rights, such as free speech. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. In 1991, Poland became a member of the Visegrad Group and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance in 1999 along with the Czech Republic and Hungary. The Visegrad Group, also called the Visegrad Four or V4, is an alliance of four Central European states &ndash the Czech Republic, The North Atlantic Treaty The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Poles then voted to join the European Union in a referendum in June 2003, with Poland becoming a full member on May 1, 2004. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in There have been several Referendums in history of Poland. 1989-present There have been four referendums in the modern Poland Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
Politics
Poland is a democracy, with a President as a Head of State, whose current constitution dates from 1997. The politics of Poland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister Poland became a full member of NATO in March 1999 and of the European Union in May 2004 Wojsko Polskie ( WP, Polish Army) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997 is Poland 's current Constitution. The government structure centres on the Council of Ministers, led by a prime minister. The Council of Ministers (cabinet or Polish government consists of ministers heads of departments of ministerial rank and heads of central institutions The Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland represents the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet and directs their work supervises territorial self-government The president appoints the cabinet according to the proposals of the prime minister, typically from the majority coalition in the Sejm. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. The president is elected by popular vote every five years. The President of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, shorter form Prezydent RP) is the Polish Head of The current president is Lech Kaczyński, the current prime minister is Donald Tusk. ˈlɛx alɛˈksandɛr kaˈtʂɨɲskʲi (born 18 June 1949 is the President of the Republic of Poland a politician of the conservative party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość Donald Franciszek Tusk (ˈdɔnalt franˈtɕiʃɛk ˈtusk born April 22 1957, Gdańsk) is a Center-right Polish politician co-founder
Polish voters elect a bicameral parliament consisting of a 460-member lower house (Sejm) and a 100-member Senate (Senat). In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The Senate ( Senat) is the upper house of the Polish Parliament. The Sejm is elected under proportional representation according to the d'Hondt method, a method similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes The D'Hondt method (mathematically but not operationally equivalent to Jefferson's method, and Bader-Ofer method) is a Highest averages method for The Senate, on the other hand, is elected under a rare plurality bloc voting method where several candidates with the highest support are elected from each constituency. A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty With the exception of ethnic minority parties, only candidates of political parties receiving at least 5% of the total national vote can enter the Sejm. Political parties in Poland lists current political parties in Poland, as well as former parties dating back as far as 1918 When sitting in joint session, members of the Sejm and Senate form the National Assembly (the Zgromadzenie Narodowe). The National Assembly ( Zgromadzenie Narodowe) is the name of both chambers of the Polish Parliament, the Sejm and the The National Assembly is formed on three occasions: when a new President takes the oath of office; when an indictment against the President of the Republic is brought to the State Tribunal (Trybunał Stanu); and when a President's permanent incapacity to exercise his duties due to the state of his health is declared. An oath of office is an Oath or Affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an Office, usually a position in government or within a religious The State Tribunal (Trybunał Stanu of the Republic of Poland is the judicial body which rules on the constitutional liability of people holding the highest offices of state To date, only the first instance has occurred.
The judicial branch plays an important role in decision-making. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Its major institutions include the Supreme Court of Poland (Sąd Najwyższy); the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland (Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny); the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland (Trybunał Konstytucyjny); and the State Tribunal of Poland (Trybunał Stanu). The Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy of the Republic of Poland supervises the adjudication in General courts - these are district regional and appeal The Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Poland (Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny is the Court of last resort in administrative cases e The Constitutional Tribunal (Trybunał Konstytucyjny of the Republic of Poland is a judicial body established to resolve disputes on the constitutionality of the activities The State Tribunal (Trybunał Stanu of the Republic of Poland is the judicial body which rules on the constitutional liability of people holding the highest offices of state On the approval of the Senate, the Sejm also appoints the Ombudsman or the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich) for a five-year term. Polish Ombudsman (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich literally Ombudsman for Citizen Rights often abbreviated RPO) is an independent central office of the Republic The Ombudsman has the duty of guarding the observance and implementation of the rights and liberties of Polish citizens and residents, of the law and of principles of community life and social justice. This article deals with personal residence in a given place For other uses see Residency (disambiguation and Resident.
Administrative divisions
- For more details on this topic, see Administrative division of Poland. The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision
Poland's current voivodeships (provinces) are largely based on the country's historic regions, whereas those of the past two decades (to 1998) had been centred on and named for individual cities. Voivodeship The voivodeship or province (województwo has been a high-level Administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century The new units range in area from less than 10,000 km² (Opole Voivodeship) to more than 35,000 km² (Masovian Voivodeship). Administrative authority at voivodeship level is shared between a government-appointed voivode (governor), an elected regional assembly (sejmik) and an executive elected by that assembly. A voivode or waywode is a Slavic title that originally denoted the principal commander of a military force A voivodeship sejmik (sejmik województwa is a regional council composed of elected Councillors in each of the 16 voivodeships (provinces of
The voivodeships are subdivided into powiats (often referred to in English as counties), and these are further divided into gminas (also known as communes or municipalities). A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County The gmina or Municipality (frequently translated commune) plural gminy, is the principal unit (lowest level of territorial division in Poland Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. Poland currently has 16 voivodeships, 379 powiats (including 65 cities with powiat status), and 2,478 gminas.
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Economy
- For more details on this topic, see Economy of Poland. This article concerns both historical and contemporary voivodeships in various countries Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Greater Poland Voivodeship (also known as Wielkopolska Province or by its Polish name of województwo wielkopolskie or simply Wielkopolskie) is a Poznań Lublin Voivodeship This article is about the city in Poland Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Kuyavia-Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo kujawsko-pomorskie or simply Kujawsko-Pomorskie Bydgoszcz (Bromberg Bydgostia is a city in northern Poland, on the Brda and Vistula rivers with Toruń Lublin Voivodeship Toruń (Thorn Torń Thorunium see also other names) is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River with population Lesser Poland Voivodeship (also known as Małopolska Province or by its Polish name województwo małopolskie or simply Małopolskie) is a Voivodeship Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Łódź Voivodeship (also known as Łódź Province or by its Polish name of województwo łódzkie or simply Łódzkie) is a province ( voivodeship Łódź is Poland 's third largest city with population of 753192 in 2007 (lost its second rank to Krakow in 2007 Lower Silesian Voivodeship (also known as Lower Silesia Province or by its Polish name of województwo dolnośląskie {{IPA-pl|d|o|l|n|o|'|ś|l|ą|s|k|j|e}} Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Lublin Voivodeship (also known as Lublin Province or województwo lubelskie or simply Lubelskie) is a voivodeship, or Province, in eastern Poland Lublin is the largest city in eastern Poland and the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 355954 Lubusz Voivodeship (also known as Lubusz Province or by its Polish name of województwo lubuskie or simply Lubuskie) is a voivodeship (province Gorzów Wielkopolski (abbreviated Gorzów Wlkp; Landsberg an der Warthe is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river with 125780 inhabitants (2005 Zielona Góra Łódź Voivodeship Zielona Góra (Grünberg in Schlesien is a City in Lower Silesia, in western Poland, with 118730 inhabitants within Masovian Voivodeship (also known as Masovia Province or by its Polish name of województwo mazowieckie or simply Mazowieckie) is the largest and most Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. Opole Voivodeship (also known as Opole Province or by its Polish name of województwo opolskie or simply Opolskie; Woiwodschaft Oppeln/Oppelner Schlesien Opole (Oppeln is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River (Odra Białystok Lublin Voivodeship Białystok (also known by alternative names) is the largest City in northeastern Poland. Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo pomorskie {{IPA-pl|p|o|'|m|o|r|s|k|j|e}} or simply Pomorskie Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland Silesian Voivodeship (also known as Silesia Province or by its Polish name of województwo śląskie or simply Śląskie) is a Voivodeship Katowice (Katovice Kattowitz is a City in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica Subcarpathian Voivodeship (also known as Podkarpacie Province or by its Polish name of województwo podkarpackie or simply Podkarpackie) is a Rzeszów (Ряшiв Reichshof Resovia ריישע- Reisha) is a city in south-eastern Poland with a population of 170722 (2008 granted a town charter in 1354 Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (województwo świętokrzyskie or simply Świętokrzyskie) is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces into which Poland Kielce is a city in central Poland with 202609 inhabitants (2006 Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (also known as Warmia-Masuria Province or by its Polish name województwo warmińsko-mazurskie or simply Warmińsko-Mazurskie Olsztyn (Allenstein Olštynas Old Prussian: Alnāsteini) is a City in northeastern Poland, on the River Łyna. West Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known by its Polish name of województwo zachodniopomorskie or simply Zachodniopomorskie) is a voivodeship Poland is considered to currently have one of the fastest growing economies in Central European nations with an annual growth rate of over 6
Poland is considered to have one of the healthiest economies of the post-communist countries, with GDP growing by 6. Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. 1% in 2006. [10] Since the fall of communism, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalising the economy and today stands out as a successful example of the transition from a state-directed economy to a primarily privately owned market economy. "Fall of Communism" redirects here For the fall of the Soviet Union itself see History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991. Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism A planned economy or directed economy is an Economic system in which the Government or Workers' councils manages the Economy. The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different ways first referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations and second A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a
The privatisation of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed the development of an aggressive private sector. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business As a consequence, consumer rights organizations have also appeared. Consumer protection is a form of Government Regulation which protects the interests of Consumers For example a government may require businesses to disclose detailed Restructuring and privatisation of "sensitive sectors" such as coal, steel, railways, and energy has been continuing since 1990. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Between 2007 and 2010, the government plans to float twenty public companies on the Polish stock market, including parts of the coal industry. The Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie is a Stock exchange located in Warsaw, Poland. To date (2007), the biggest privatisations have been the sale of the national telecoms firm Telekomunikacja Polska to France Telecom in 2000, and an issue of 30% of the shares in Poland's largest bank, PKO Bank Polski, on the Polish stockmarket in 2004. Telekomunikacja Polska SA (also known as TPSA or just TP) is a Polish national Telecommunications provider established in December 1991 France Télécom () is the main Telecommunication company in France and one of the largest in the world PKO Bank Polski Spółka Akcyjna (PKO BP SA is Poland 's largest Bank.
Poland has a large number of private farms in its agricultural sector, with the potential to become a leading producer of food in the European Union. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency A pension is a steady income given to a person upon Retirement, typically in the form of a guaranteed annuity. Warsaw leads in the Central Europe in foreign investment. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and [11] GDP growth had been strong and steady from 1993 to 2000 with only a short slowdown from 2001 to 2002.
The prospect of closer integration with the European Union has put the economy back on track, with growth of 3. Leopard 6 Litre Roadster is a Polish classical sport-style luxury car produced by Leopard Automobile AB in the city of Mielec. 7% annually in 2003, a rise from 1. 4% annually in 2002. In 2004, GDP growth equaled 5. 4%, in 2005 3. 3% and in 2006 6. 2%. For 2007, the government has set a target for GDP growth at 6. 5 to 7. 0%.
Although the Polish economy is currently undergoing economic development, there are many challenges ahead. Economic development is the development of economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants The most notable task on the horizon is the preparation of the economy (through continuing deep structural reforms) to allow Poland to meet the strict economic criteria for entry into the European Single Currency (Euro). Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e According to the minister of finance Jacek Rostowski Poland is likely to join ERM in 2009 and adopt Euro in 2012[12] or 2013. The European Exchange Rate Mechanism, ERM, was a system introduced by the European Community in March 1979 as part of the European Monetary System (EMS Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e [13]
Average salaries in enterprise sector in April 2008 were 3137PLN (equals to 925 euro or 1434 US dollars)[14] and growing sharply. [15] Salaries varies between the regions: median wage in the capital city Warsaw was 4600 PLN (1200 euro or 2000 US dollars) while in Bialystok only 2400 (670 euro or 1000 US dollars). In Probability theory and Statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample a population or a Probability distribution [16]
Since joining the European Union, many workers have left to work in other EU countries (particularly Ireland and the UK) because of high unemployment, which was the second-highest in the EU (14. 2% in May 2006). [17] However, with the rapid growth of the salaries, booming economy, strong value of Polish currency, and quickly decreasing unemployment (8% in March 2008[18]) exodus of Polish workers seems to be over. In 2008 people who came back outnumbered thoses leaving the country. [19]
Commodities produced in Poland include: electronics, cars (including the luxurious Leopard car), buses (Autosan, Jelcz SA, Solaris, Solbus), helicopters (PZL Świdnik), transport equipment, locomotives, planes (PZL Mielec), ships, military engineering (including tanks, SPAAG systems), medicines (Polpharma, Polfa), food, clothes, glass, pottery (Bolesławiec), chemical products and others. Leopard 6 Litre Roadster is a Polish classical sport-style luxury car produced by Leopard Automobile AB in the city of Mielec. Autosan SA is Polish automobile- Bus producer The company is now located in Sanok town Poland Jelcz SA is a Polish producer of Buses and Trucks located in Jelcz-Laskowice. Solaris Bus & Coach SA is a Bus, coach and Trolleybus manufacturer based in Bolechowo and Środa Wielkopolska near Poznań, Poland Solbus is the fastest growing Polish Bus producer founded 2001 in Solec Kujawski. PZL ( Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze - State Aviation Works was the main Polish Aerospace manufacturer of the Interwar period, based in Warsaw The PT-91 Twardy ("tough" or "resilient" is a Polish Main battle tank. The PZA Loara ( Polish: Przeciwlotniczy Zestaw Artyleryjski or "anti-aircraft artillery system" is a Polish armored Radar -directed
Science, technology and education
Education
The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as the 12th century, and Poland soon became one of the most educated European countries. The library catalogue of the Cathedral Chapter of Kraków dating back to 1110 shows that already in the early 12th century Polish intellectuals had access to the European literature. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland In 1364, in Kraków, the Jagiellonian University, founded by King Casimir III, became one of Europe's great early universities. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland For several academies alternatively called "Krakow Academy" see Education in Kraków The Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Casimir III the Great (Kazimierz Wielki April 30 1310 – November 5 1370 last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty (1333–1370 was the son of King Władysław In 1773 King Stanisław August Poniatowski established his Commission on National Education (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), the world's first state ministry of education. Stanisław II August Poniatowski (born Count Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; January 17 1732 – February 12 1798 was the last King The Commission of National Education (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej abbreviated KEN) was the central educational authority in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, created
Current situation
Today Poland has more than a hundred tertiary education institutions; traditional universities to be found in its major cities of Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Olsztyn, Opole, Poznań, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Toruń, Warsaw, Wrocław and Zielona Góra as well as technical, medical, economic institutions elsewhere, employing around 61,000 workers. Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage third level and' post-secondary education', is the educational level following the completion of a school providing A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Białystok Lublin Voivodeship Białystok (also known by alternative names) is the largest City in northeastern Poland. Bydgoszcz (Bromberg Bydgostia is a city in northern Poland, on the Brda and Vistula rivers with Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland Katowice (Katovice Kattowitz is a City in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Lublin is the largest city in eastern Poland and the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 355954 Łódź is Poland 's third largest city with population of 753192 in 2007 (lost its second rank to Krakow in 2007 Olsztyn (Allenstein Olštynas Old Prussian: Alnāsteini) is a City in northeastern Poland, on the River Łyna. Opole (Oppeln is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River (Odra Poznań Lublin Voivodeship This article is about the city in Poland Rzeszów (Ряшiв Reichshof Resovia ריישע- Reisha) is a city in south-eastern Poland with a population of 170722 (2008 granted a town charter in 1354 Toruń Lublin Voivodeship Toruń (Thorn Torń Thorunium see also other names) is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River with population Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Zielona Góra Łódź Voivodeship Zielona Góra (Grünberg in Schlesien is a City in Lower Silesia, in western Poland, with 118730 inhabitants within There are also around 300 research and development institutes, with about 10,000 more researchers. In total, there are around 91,000 scientists in Poland today.
According to Frost & Sullivan's Country Industry Forecast the country becoming an interesting location for research and development investments. [20] Multinational companies such as: ABB, Delphi, GlaxoSmithKline, Google, Hewlett–Packard, IBM, Intel, LG Electronics and Microsoft, set up their R&D centres in Poland. Motorola in Kraków, Siemens in Wrocław and Samsung in Warszawa are one of the largest owned by those companies. [21] Over 40 R&D centres, and 4,500 of researchers makes Poland biggest R&D hub in the Central and Eastern Europe. [22] Companies chose Poland because of the availability of highly qualified labor force, presence of universities, support of authorities, and the largest market in Central Europe. [23]
According to KPMG report[24] 80% of Poland's current investors are contented with their choice and willing to reinvest. In 2006 Intel decided to double the number of employees in its R&D centre. [25]
The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Poland's education as the 23rd best in the world, being neither significantly higher nor lower than the OECD average. [2]
Telecommunication and IT
The share of the telecom sector in the GDP is 4. 4% (end of 2000 figure), compared to 2. 5% in 1996. Nevertheless, despite high expenditures for telecom infrastructure (the coverage increased from 78 users per 1000 inhabitants in 1989 to 282 in 2000).
The value of the telecommunication market is zl 38. 2bn (2006), and it grew by 12. 4% in 2007 PMR [3]
the coverage mobile cellular is over 1000 users per 1000 people (2007)
- Telephones—mobile cellular: 38. 7 million (Onet. pl & GUS Report, 2007)
- Telephones—main lines in use: 12. 5 million (Telecom Team Report, 2005)
Culture
- For more details on this topic, see Culture of Poland. The Culture of Poland is closely connected with its intricate 1000 year history.
Polish culture has been influenced by both Eastern and Western influences. St Mary's Basilica (Kościół Mariacki is a Brick Gothic church built in the 14th century, adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków The Renaissance Sukiennice ( Cloth Hall, Drapers Hall) in Kraków, Poland, one of the city's most recognizable The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various Cultures social structures and philosophical systems of " the East " The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Today, these influences are evident in Polish architecture, folklore, and art. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Poland is the birthplace of some world famous individuals, including Pope John Paul II, Marie Skłodowska Curie, Kazimierz Pułaski, Nicolaus Copernicus and Frederic Chopin. This is a Partial list of famous Polish or Polish-speaking or -writing persons Pope For things named to honor Kazimierz Pułaski see Pulaski. Kazimierz Pułaski of Clan Ślepowron ( often written Casimir Pulaski
The character of Polish art always reflected world trends. The famous Polish painter, Jan Matejko included many significant historical events in his paintings. Jan Matejko ( (also known as Jan Mateyko; June 24 1838 Free City of Kraków; - November 1 1893 Kraków) was a Polish painter Also a famous person in history of Polish art was Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz. Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, aka "Witkacy" ( February 24, 1885 – September 18, 1939) was a Polish playwright He was an example of a Polish Renaissance Man. Polish literature dates back to 1100s[26] and includes many famous poets and writers such as Jan Kochanowski, Adam Mickiewicz, Bolesław Prus, Juliusz Słowacki, Witold Gombrowicz, Stanisław Lem and, Ryszard Kapuściński. Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. The majority of Polish literature was written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland Life Kochanowski was born at Sycyna, near Radom, Poland. Little is known of his early education Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (pronounced ] in Belarusian, Адам Міцкевіч; in Lithuanian, Adomas Bernardas Mickevičius; December Bolesław Prus (pronounced [bɔ'lεswaf 'prus]; Hrubieszów, August 20 1847 &ndash May 19 1912 Warsaw) whose actual name was Juliusz Słowacki ( 4 September 1809 in Kremenets, Volhynia, Russian Empire now in Ukraine &ndash 3 April Witold Marian Gombrowicz ( August 4, 1904 in Małoszyce, near Kielce, Congress Poland, Russian Empire – July 24 Stanisław Lem ( sta'ɲiswaf lɛm 12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006 was a Polish Science fiction, philosophical and satirical writer Ryszard Kapuściński ( IPA: kapuɕ'ʨiɲski; March 4 1932 - January 23, 2007) was a popular Polish Journalist Writers Henryk Sienkiewicz, Władysław Reymont, Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska have each won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Władysław Stanisław Reymont (May 7 1868 &ndash December 5 1925 was a Polish author and Nobel laureate. Czesław Miłosz; ( June 30, 1911 — August 14, 2004) was a Polish Poet, prose writer and Translator Wisława Szymborska (vʲisˈwava ʃɨmˈbɔrska born July 2, 1923 in Kórnik, Poland) is a Polish poet, Essayist The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred
Many world renowned Polish movie directors include Academy Awards winners Roman Polański, Andrzej Wajda, Zbigniew Rybczyński, Janusz Kamiński and, Krzysztof Kieślowski. Directors Most notable actors and actresses Notable Films See also List of Polish films See also "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Andrzej Wajda (born 6 March 1926 in Suwałki) is an award-winning Polish Film director. Zbigniew Rybczyński (born January 27 1949) is an Academy Award winning Polish Filmmaker who has won numerous prestigious industry awards both Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński, ASC (born June 27 1959) is a two-time Academy Award -winning Polish Cinematographer and Film director ( June 27, 1941 &ndash March 13, 1996) was an influential Oscar -nominated Polish Film director and The traditional Polish music composers include world-renowned pianist Frederic Chopin as well as famous composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Karol Szymanowski, and others. Krzysztof Penderecki (ˈkʂɨʂtɔf pɛndɛrˈɛ͡tski born November 23 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish Composer and conductor of classical Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (ˈxɛnrɨk mʲiˈkɔwaj guˈrɛ͡tski (born December 6 1933 in Czernica, Silesia, Poland) is a Polish Composer Karol Maciej Szymanowski (3 October 1882 in Tymoszówka (present-day Ukraine) – 28 March 1937 was a Polish Composer and Pianist
Notable foods in Polish cuisine include Polish sausage, red beet soup, Polish dumplings, flaczki (tripe soup), cabbage rolls, Oscypek, Polish pork chops, Polish traditional stew, various potato dishes, a fast food sandwich zapiekanka, and many more. Polish cuisine (kuchnia polska is a mixture of Slavic culinary traditions Kielbasa comes from the Polish word kiełbasa for traditional Polish sausage. BORSCHT is an Acronym for '''B'''attery feed '''O'''vervoltage protection '''R'''inging '''S'''upervision '''C'''odec Pierogi (also perogi, perogy, pirohi, piroghi, pirogi, pirogen, pierogy, pidahih,--> or Tripe is a type of edible Offal from the Stomachs of various Domestic animals. Gołąbki are a form of Cabbage rolls They are a traditional Polish dish consisting of boiled Cabbage leaves stuffed with ground Beef Oscypek ( Polish; plural oscypki) is a smoked Cheese made of salted Sheep milk exclusively in the Tatra Mountains region of Poland Polish cuisine (kuchnia polska is a mixture of Slavic culinary traditions Bigos (biˈːgɒs is a traditional Stew typical of Polish cuisine that many consider to be the Polish National dish. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Zapiekanka is a Polish name for halved Baguette topped mainly with Mushrooms and Ham, or other types of meat Cheese and vegetables Traditional Polish desserts include Polish doughnuts, Polish gingerbread and others. Pączki ( Polish: pączki, pronounced MP3 Pronunciation File are traditional Polish Doughnuts Pączki is the Plural form of the Gingerbread is a sweet that can take the form of a Cake or a Cookie in which the predominant flavors are ginger and raw Sugar.
Sports
International rankings
| Index | Rank | Countries reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index 2006 | 37th | 177 |
| OECD Working time | 2nd | 27 |
| Index of Economic Freedom 2007 | 87th | 157 |
| Privacy International Yearly Privacy ranking of countries 2006 | 8th | 36 |
| Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index 2006 | 58th | 168 |
| Summary Innovation Index 2005 | 27th | 33 |
| UNICEF Child Well-being league table | 14th | 21 |
| Networked Readiness Index 2006-2007 | 58th | 122 |
| OICA Automobile Production | 20th | 53 |
See also
References
- ^ a b Central Statistical Office of Poland (2007). Poland's sports include amost all sports in particular Track & field, Basketball, Boxing, Fencing, football (soccer American The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP Working time refers to the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labor The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation to measure the degree of Economic freedom Privacy International (PI is a UK-based Non-profit organisation formed in 1990, "as a Watchdog on Surveillance and Privacy invasions The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946 The World Economic Forum 's Networked Readiness Index (NRI measures the propensity for countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information and communications technology The Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles ( English: International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) commonly called the This is a list of countries by automobile production in 2007 based on OICA accessed in April 2008 This is a Partial list of famous Polish or Polish-speaking or -writing persons There are thirteen UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Poland. The first properties were inscribed in the World Heritage List in 1978 Mały Rocznik Statystyczny 2007. Retrieved on 15 August 2007.
- ^ NationMaster. com 2003-2007, Poland, Facts and figures
- ^ (Polish) Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej (Centre for Public Opinion Research (Poland) CBOS). Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej (CBOS (Centre for Public Opinion Research is an Opinion polling institute in Poland, based in Warsaw. Komunikat z badań; Warszawa, Marzec 2005. Co łączy Polaków z parafią? Preface. Accessed 2007-12-14.
- ^ (Polish) Dr Zbigniew Pasek, Jagiellonian University, Wyznania religijne. For several academies alternatively called "Krakow Academy" see Education in Kraków The Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Retrieved on 2007-09-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Further reading: Ustawa o gwarancjach wolności sumienia i wyznania z dnia 17 V 1989 z najnowszymi nowelizacjami z 1997 roku.
- ^ (Polish) Michał Tymiński, Kościół Zielonoświątkowy. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
- ^ (Polish) Dr. Paweł Borecki, Opinia prawna dotycząca religii w szkole. Kateda Prawa Wyznaniowego Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
- ^ (Polish) Wirtualna Polska, Wiadomości. Polacy przeciwni wliczaniu ocen z religii do średniej. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
- ^ (Polish) Olga Szpunar, „Dorośli chcą religii w szkole”. Gazeta Wyborcza Kraków. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy.
- ^ Teeple, J. B. (2002). Timelines of World History. Publisher: DK Adult.
- ^ Tapping Into Polish Power - Forbes.com
- ^ "Poland in the Lead", The Warsaw Voice, September 2002. Retrieved on August 11, 2007.
- ^ Gazeta Wyborcza, "Szejnfeld: Wejście do strefy euro korzystne dla przedsiębiorców
- ^ Jan Cienski, "Poland Alters Stance on Euro
- ^ OECD Economic Outlook No. 82 - Poland
- ^ OECD Economic Outlook No. 82 - Poland
- ^ Zarobki w Warszawie w 2007 roku
- ^ Eurostat September 2007 - Euro area and EU27 unemployment down to 7.3%, 31 October, 2007
- ^ Eurostat February 2008 - Euro area unemployment stable at 7.1%
- ^ The Times: Tide turns as Poles end great migration
- ^ Newswire Poland Emerges as the European R&D Hub Despite Favorable Conditions in Asia Pacific
- ^ Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency Poland - R&D centre
- ^ Newswire Poland Emerges as the European R&D Hub Despite Favorable Conditions in Asia Pacific
- ^ Newswire Poland Emerges as the European R&D Hub Despite Favorable Conditions in Asia Pacific
- ^ KPMG, Why Poland?
- ^ Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency Poland - R&D centre
- ^ (Polish) Koca, B. (2006). Polish Literature - The Middle Ages (Religious writings). Retrieved on 10 December 2006.
External links
- Poland.gov.pl - Polish national portal
- Polish Information
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Poland at the World Factbook
- Photos from Poland
- Background Note: Poland
- Poland travel guide from Wikitravel
- Commonwealth of Diverse Cultures: Poland's Heritage
Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
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