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Poland (), officially the
Republic of Poland (
Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in
Central Europe http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/gegn23wp48.pdfhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.html 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. The total
area of Poland is , making it the
69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the
34th most populous country in the worldNationMaster.com 2003–2007,
Poland, Facts and figures and the sixth most populous
member of the European Union.
The establishment of a Polish state is often identified with the adoption of
Christianity by its ruler
Mieszko I in 966, when the state covered territory similar to that of present-day Poland. The
Kingdom of Poland was formed in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long
association with the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the
Union of Lublin, forming the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795, and
Poland's territory was partitioned among the
Kingdom of Prussia, the
Russian Empire, and
Austria. Poland regained its independence as the
Second Polish Republic in 1918, after
World War I, but two decades later it was occupied by
Nazi Germany and the
Soviet Union at the outbreak of
World War II in September 1939. Poland lost over six million citizens in the war and emerged several years later as the
People's Republic of Poland under
Soviet influence.
During the
Revolutions of 1989,
communist rule was overthrown, and soon after Poland became what is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic". Poland is a
unitary state, made up of sixteen
Voivodeships (), Poland is a member of the
European Union,
NATO, the
United Nations, the
World Trade Organization, and the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Etymology
The source of the name Poland
Polenia by
Thietmar of Merseburg Chronicle,
1002. (
German:
Polen} and the
ethnonyms for the
PolesPolani by
John Canaparius,
Vita sancti Adalberti episcopi Pragensis, or
Life of St. Adalbert of Prague,
999. include
endonyms (the way Polish people refer to themselves and their country) and
exonyms (the way other peoples refer to the Poles and their country). Endonyms and most exonyms for Poles and Poland derive from the name of the
West Slavic tribe of
Polans (
Polanie), while in some languages the exonyms for Poland derive from the name of another tribe – the
Lendians (
Lędzianie).
History
Prehistory
Historians have postulated that throughout
Late Antiquity, many distinct ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now known as Poland. The
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 and protohistory is the
Biskupin fortified settlement (now reconstructed as a museum), dating from the
Lusatian culture of the early
Iron Age, around 700 BC.
Piast dynasty
in 966]]
Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the 10th century under the
Piast dynasty.
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. In the 12th century, Poland fragmented into several smaller states. In 1320,
Władysław I became the King of
a reunified Poland. His son,
Casimir III, is remembered as one of the greatest
Polish kings.
(late 1240–1241) culminated in the
battle of Legnica.]]
Poland was also a centre of migration of peoples. The
Jewish community began to settle and flourish in Poland during this era (see
History of the Jews in Poland). The
Black Death which affected most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351 did not reach Poland.Teeple, J. B. (2002).
Timelines of World History. Publisher: DK Adult.
Jagiellon dynasty
Under the
Jagiellon dynasty Poland forged a
union with its neighbour, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1410, a Polish-Lithuanian army inflicted a decisive defeat on the
Teutonic Knights, both countries' main adversary, in the
battle of Grunwald. After the
Thirteen Years' War, the Knight's state became a Polish vassal. The Jagiellons at one point also established dynastic control over the kingdoms of
Bohemia (1471 onwards) and
Hungary (from 1490 onwards)."
Jagiellon dynasty (European history)". Encyclopædia Britannica.
Polish culture and economy flourished under the Jagiellons, and the country produced such figures as astronomer
Nicolaus Copernicus and poet
Jan Kochanowski. 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 at that time. Seventy-five
Tatar raids were recorded into Poland and Lithuania between 1474–1569.Davies (2007).
Warfare, State and Society on the Black Sea Steppe,1500–1700.. p.17. Some historians estimate that
Crimean Tatar slave-raiding cost Poland one million of its population from 1494 to 1694."
The Crimean Tatars and their Russian-Captive Slaves" (PDF). Eizo Matsuki,
Mediterranean Studies Group at Hitotsubashi University.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
at the
Battle of Vienna]]
A
golden age ensued during the sixteenth century after the
Union of Lublin which gave birth to the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The
szlachta (nobility) of Poland, far more numerous than in
Western European countries, took pride in
their freedoms and
parliamentary system. For 10 years between 1619 and 1629 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was at its greatest geographical extent in history, incorporating most of what today is Poland,
Ukraine,
Belarus,
Lithuania,
Latvia,
Estonia, and some parts of modern
Russia. The period starts in 1619 when the Russo-Polish
Truce of Deulino came into effect, whereby Russia conceded Commonwealth control over
Smolensk and several other border territories. In 1629 the Swedish-Polish
Truce of Altmark came into effect, whereby the Commonwealth conceded Swedish control over most of
Livonia, which the Swedes had invaded in 1626.
In the mid-seventeenth century, a
Swedish invasion (
"The Deluge") and the
Cossacks'
Chmielnicki Uprising which ravaged the country marked the end of the golden age. Famines and epidemics followed hostilities, and the
population dropped from roughly 11 to 7 million."
Poland – The 17th-century crisis". Britannica Online Encyclopedia.
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. Despite the erosion of its power, the Commonwealth was able to deal a crushing defeat to the
Ottoman Empire in 1683 at the
Battle of Vienna.
The reforms, particularly those of the
Great Sejm, which passed the
Constitution of May 3, 1791—the world's second modern constitution and the first in Europe—were thwarted with the three
partitions of Poland (1772, 1793, and 1795) which culminated in Poland's being erased from the map of Europe and its territories being divided between Russia,
Prussia, and
Austria.
Partitions of Poland
Poles
rebel several times against the partitioners, particularly near the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. One of the most famous and successful battle for Poland was at
Racławice where
Tadeusz Kosciuszko lead
peasants and some polish armies into battle against Russia, in 1794. In 1807,
Napoleon I of France 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. The eastern portion was ruled by the Russian
tsar as a
Congress Kingdom which possessed
a liberal constitution.
However, the tsars 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.
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. Shortly after the
armistice with Germany in November 1918, Poland regained its independence as the
Second Polish Republic (
II Rzeczpospolita Polska). 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.
. In the battle, which lasted 63 days, more than 200,000 people died.]]
The 1926
May Coup of
Józef Piłsudski turned rule of the Second Polish Republic over to the
Sanacja movement.
World War II
The Sanacja movement controlled Poland until the start of
World War II in 1939, when
Nazi Germany invaded on 1 September and the
Soviet invasion of Poland followed by breaking the
Soviet–Polish Non-Aggression Pact on 17 September.
Warsaw capitulated on 28 September 1939. As agreed in the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Poland was split into two zones,
one occupied by Germany while the eastern provinces fell under
the control of the Soviet Union.
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. Poland made the fourth-largest troop contribution to the
Allied war effort, after the
Soviets, the
British and the
Americans. The Polish expeditionary corps played an important role in the
Italian Campaign, particularly at the
Battle of Monte Cassino.
At the war's conclusion, Poland's borders
were shifted westwards, pushing the
eastern border to the
Curzon Line. Meanwhile, the western border was moved to the
Oder-Neisse line. The new Poland emerged 20% smaller by . The shift
forced the migration of millions of people, most of whom were
Poles,
Germans,
Ukrainians, and
Jews."
European Refugee Movements After World War Two". BBC - History.
Postwar communist Poland
, June 4, 1989 – political poster featuring
Gary Cooper to encourage votes for the
Solidarity party in the
1989 elections. }}]]
The Soviet Union instituted a new
communist government in Poland, analogous to much of the rest of the
Eastern Bloc. Military alignment within the
Warsaw Pact throughout the
Cold War was also part of this change. The
People's Republic of Poland (
Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa)
was officially proclaimed in 1952.
In 1956, the régime of
Władysław Gomułka became temporarily more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. A similar situation repeated itself in the 1970s under
Edward Gierek, but most of the time persecution of
anti-communist opposition persisted.
Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent
trade union "
Solidarity" ("
Solidarność"), which over time became a political force. 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.
Lech Wałęsa, a Solidarity candidate, eventually
won the presidency in 1990. The Solidarity movement heralded the
collapse of communism across Eastern Europe.
Present day Poland
A
shock therapy programme of
Leszek Balcerowicz during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into a
market economy. As with all other post-communist countries, Poland suffered temporary slumps in social and economic standards, but it became the first post-communist country to reach its pre-1989
GDP levels, which it achieved by 1995 because of its booming economy.
Most visibly, there were numerous improvements in
human rights, such as the
freedom of speech. In 1991, Poland became a member of the
Visegrád Group and joined the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance in 1999 along with the
Czech Republic and
Hungary. Poles then voted to join the
European Union in
a referendum in June 2003, with Poland becoming a full member on 1 May 2004.
On April 10, 2010, the President of the Republic of Poland,
Lech Kaczyński, along with 89 other high-ranking Polish officials
died in a plane crash near
Smolensk,
Russia.
Geography
]]
Poland’s territory extends across several geographical regions. In the northwest is the Baltic seacoast, which extends from the
Bay of Pomerania to the
Gulf of Gdansk. This coast is marked by several
spits, coastal lakes (former bays that have been cut off from the sea), and dunes. The largely straight coastline is indented by the
Szczecin Lagoon, the
Bay of Puck, and the
Vistula Lagoon. The center and parts of the north lie within the
North European Plain.
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. 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 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. 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 highest part of the Carpathians is the
Tatra Mountains, along Poland’s southern border.
Geology
outcrops at
Silesian Stones Mountain in southwestern Poland]]
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. Both processes shaped the
Sudetes and the
Carpathian Mountains. 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. 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 is one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth.
Rivers
in
Modlin]]
The longest rivers are the
Vistula (), long; the
Oder () which forms part of Poland’s western border, long; its tributary, the
Warta, long; and the
Bug, a tributary of the Vistula, long. The Vistula and the Oder flow into the
Baltic Sea, as do numerous smaller rivers in Pomerania.
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. 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. The eastern Beskids are also the source of some streams that drain through the
Dniester to the Black Sea.
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. In the
Middle Ages and in early modern times, when the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was the breadbasket of Europe; the shipment of grain and other agricultural products down the Vistula toward
Gdańsk and onward to
Western Europe took on great importance.
Lakes
in southeastern Poland]]
With almost ten thousand closed bodies of water covering more than each, Poland has one of the highest number of lakes in the world. In Europe, only
Finland has a greater density of lakes. The largest lakes, covering more than , are
Lake Śniardwy and
Lake Mamry in
Masuria, and
Lake Łebsko and
Lake Drawsko in
Pomerania.
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. The lake with the greatest depth—of more than —is
Lake Hańcza in the Wigry Lake District, east of Masuria in
Podlaskie Voivodeship.
]]
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.
The ancestors of today’s Poles, the
Polanie, built their first fortresses on islands in these lakes. The legendary Prince
Popiel is supposed to have ruled from
Kruszwica on
Lake Gopło. The first historically documented ruler of Poland, Duke
Mieszko I, had his palace on an island in the Warta River in
Poznań.
For the most important lakes of Poland, see the .
Mountains
]]
Poland has 21 mountains over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in elevation, all in the
High Tatras. 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. In the High Tatras lies Poland’s highest point, the northwestern peak of
Rysy, in elevation. At its foot lies the mountain lake
Morskie Oko.
The second highest mountain group in Poland is the
Beskids, whose highest peak is
Babia Góra, at . The next highest mountain group is the
Karkonosze, whose highest point is
Sněžka, at . 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 .
Tourists also frequent the Gorce Mountains in
Gorce National Park, with elevations around , and the
Pieniny in
Pieniny National Park, with elevations around . The lowest point in Poland—at below sea level—is at Raczki Elbląskie, near
Elbląg in the Vistula Delta.
For a list of the most important mountain ranges of Poland, see the .
Coast
(Zatoka Pucka) in Poland]]
The Polish Baltic coast is approximately 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. 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.
The largest spits are
Hel Peninsula and the Vistula Spit. The largest Polish Baltic island is Wolin. The largest port cities are
Gdynia,
Gdańsk,
Szczecin, and Świnoujście. The main coastal resorts are
Sopot,
Międzyzdroje,
Kołobrzeg,
Łeba,
Władysławowo, and the Hel Peninsula.
Desert
]]
Błędów Desert is a desert located in southern Poland in the
Silesian Voivodeship and stretches over the
Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region. It has a total area of . 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.
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 , with a maximum of , which made the fast and deep drainage very easy.
The sea’s activity in
Słowiński National Park created
sand dunes which in the course of time separated the bay from the
Baltic Sea. As waves and wind carry sand inland the dunes slowly move, at a speed of meters per year. Some dunes are quite high – up to . The highest peak of the park — Rowokol (
above sea level) — is also an excellent observation point.
Land use
]]
cover 28.8% 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, , is protected within 23
national parks. In this respect, Poland ranks first in Europe. Three more national parks are projected for
Masuria, the
Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, and the eastern Beskids. Most
Polish national parks are located in the southern part of the country. In addition,
wetlands along lakes and rivers in central Poland are legally protected, as are coastal areas in the north. There are over 120 areas designated as
landscape parks, along with numerous
nature reserves and other
protected areas.
Flora and fauna
in the
Białowieża Forest]]
Phytogeographically, Poland belongs to the Central European province of the
Circumboreal Region within the
Boreal Kingdom. According to the
World Wide Fund for Nature, the territory of Poland can be subdivided into three
ecoregions: the Baltic mixed forests, Central European mixed forests and Carpathian montane conifer forests.
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. 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.
, a national bird in Poland ]]
In the forests, one also encounters game animals, such as
Red Deer,
Roe Deer and
Wild Boars. 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,
Lubusz Land and
Lower Silesia.
Poland is the most important breeding ground for European migratory birds. 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.
Climate
temperature at sea level along the Baltic coast is ]]
The climate is mostly
temperate throughout the country. The climate is
oceanic in the north and west and becomes gradually warmer and
continental towards the south and east. Summers are generally warm, with average temperatures between and . Winters are cold, with average temperatures around in the northwest and in the northeast.
Precipitation falls throughout the year, although, especially in the east; winter is drier than summer.
The warmest region in Poland is
Lower Silesian located in south-western Poland where temperatures in the summer average between and but can go as high as to on some days in the warmest month of July and August. The warmest cities in Poland are
Tarnów, which is situated in
Lesser Poland and
Wrocław, which is located in
Lower Silesian. The average temperatures in
Wrocław being in the summer and in the winter, but
Tarnów has the longest summer in whole Poland, which lasts for 115 days, from mid-May to mid-September. The coldest region of Poland is in the northeast in the
Podlaskie Voivodeship near the border of
Belarus. Usually the coldest city is
Suwałki. The climate is affected by cold fronts which come from
Scandinavia and
Siberia. The average temperature in the winter in Podlachian ranges from to .
Government
Bronisław Komorowski]]
]]
Poland is a
democracy, with a
president as a
head of state, whose current
constitution dates from 1997. The government structure centers on the
Council of Ministers, led by a
prime minister. The president appoints the
cabinet according to the proposals of the prime minister, typically from the majority coalition in the
Sejm. The president is elected by popular vote every five years. The current acting president is
Bronisław Komorowski. Komorowski replaced President
Lech Kaczynski following an April 10, 2010
air crash which claimed the life of President Kaczynski, his wife, and 94 other people, during a visit to western Russia for events marking the 70th anniversary of the
Katyn massacre. The current prime minister is
Donald Tusk.
Polish voters elect a
bicameral parliament consisting of a 460-member lower house (Sejm) and a 100-member Senate (
Senat). The Sejm is elected under
proportional representation according to the
d'Hondt method, a method similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. The Senat, 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.
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. When sitting in joint session, members of the Sejm and Senat form the
National Assembly (the
Zgromadzenie Narodowe). 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 because of the state of his health is declared. To date only the first instance has occurred.
The
judicial branch plays an important role in decision-making. Its major institutions include the
Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland (
Sąd Najwyższy); the
Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Poland (
Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny); the
Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland (
Trybunał Konstytucyjny); and the
State Tribunal of the Republic of Poland (
Trybunał Stanu). On the approval of the Senat, the Sejm also appoints the
ombudsman or the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (
Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich) for a five-year term. 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.
Administrative divisions
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. The new units range in area from less than for Opole Voivodeship to more than for 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.
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). 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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Military
F-16 Fighting Falcon]]
The Polish armed forces are composed of four branches:
Land Forces (
Wojska Lądowe),
Navy (
Marynarka Wojenna),
Air Force (
Siły Powietrzne) and
Special Forces (
Wojska Specjalne).
The most important mission of the Armed Forces is the defence of Polish territorial integrity and Polish interests abroad. Poland's national security goal is to further integrate with
NATO and European defence, economic, and political institutions through the modernization and reorganization of its military. Polish military doctrine reflects the same defensive nature as that of its NATO partners. Poland is also playing an increasing role as a peacekeeping power through various
United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Demographics
Poland, with 38,116,000 inhabitants, has the eighth-largest population in Europe and the sixth-largest in the
European Union. It has a population density of 122 inhabitants per square kilometer (328 per square mile).
in
Gdańsk filled with picturesque Dutch style
tenements is a favourite
meeting place in the
Kashubian capital.]]
Poland historically contained
many languages, cultures and religions on its soil. The country had a particularly
large Jewish population prior to
World War II, when the
Nazi Holocaust caused Poland's
Jewish population, estimated at 3 million before the war, to drop to just 300,000. 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, significantly reduced the country's ethnic diversity.
According to the
2002 census, 36,983,700 people, or 96.74% of the population, consider themselves
Polish, while 471,500 (1.23%) declared another nationality, and 774,900 (2.03%) did not declare any nationality. The largest minority nationalities and ethnic groups in Poland are
Silesians (about 200,000),
Germans (152,897 according to the census, 92% in
Opole Voivodeship and
Silesian Voivodeship),
Belarusians (c. 49,000),
Ukrainians (c. 30,000),
Lithuanians,
Russians,
Roma,
Jews,
Lemkos,
Slovaks,
Czechs, and
Lipka Tatars.
A Short History of the Lipka Tatars of the White Horde Jakub Mirza Lipka Among foreign citizens, the
Vietnamese are the largest ethnic group, followed by
Greeks and
Armenians.
in
Kraków is a heart of
cultural capital of southern Poland.]]
The
Polish language, part of the
West Slavic branch of the
Slavic languages, functions as the
official language of Poland. Until recent decades
Russian was commonly learned as a second language but has been replaced by English and German as the most common second languages studied and spoken.
link The situation of modern language learning and teacing in Europe: Poland
In recent years, Poland's population has decreased because of an increase in emigration and a sharp drop in the birth rate. 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. Some organizations have stated that Polish emigration is primarily caused by Poland's high
unemployment rate (10.5% in 2007), 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. Some sources claim that the number of Polish citizens who emigrated to the UK after 2004 is as high as 2 million.
This, however, is contrasted by a recent trend that shows that more Poles are leaving the country than coming in.
Tide turns as Poles end great migration
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). Altogether, the number of ethnic Poles living abroad is estimated to be around 20 million. The largest number of
Poles outside of Poland can be found in the
United States.
Metropolitan areas
The largest
metropolitan areas that lie in Poland are the
Silesian metropolitan area centred on
Katowice and other cities of
Upper Silesian Coal Basin (over 5 million inhabitants: ~4 million in Poland, ~1 million in Czech Republic); the capital,
Warsaw (~3 million);
Kraków (~1.3 million),
Łódź (~1.2 million); the
Tricity of
Gdańsk–
Sopot–
Gdynia,
Poznań and
Wrocław (each about 1 million). The largest
urban area is
Katowice urban area (~2.7 million inhabitants). For an overview of Polish cities, see
List of cities and towns in Poland.
Religion
of
Licheń.]]
Until
World War II, Poland was a religiously diverse society, in which substantial
Jewish,
Protestant and
Christian Orthodox minorities coexisted with a
Roman Catholic majority. Because of the
Holocaust and the post-World War II
flight and expulsion of German and
Ukrainian populations, Poland has become overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In 2007, 88.4% of the population belonged to the Catholic Church. |date= |accessdate=2009-09-26}} Though rates of religious observance, at 52% to 60%
Weekly Mass Attendance of Catholics in Nations with Large Catholic Populations, 1980–2008 – World Values Survey (WVS), are somewhat lower than in the past, Poland remains one of the most devoutly religious countries in Europe. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej (
Centre for Public Opinion Research (Poland) CBOS). Komunikat z badań; Warszawa, Marzec 2005.
Co łączy Polaków z parafią? Preface. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
.]]
Religious minorities include
Polish Orthodox (about 506,800), various
Protestants (about 150,000),
Jehovah's Witnesses (126,827),
Eastern Catholics,
Mariavites,
Polish Catholics,
Jews, and
Muslims (including the
Tatars of
Białystok). Members of Protestant churches include about 77,500 in the largest
Evangelical-Augsburg Church, and a similar number in smaller
Pentecostal and
Evangelical churches.
Freedom of religion is now guaranteed by the 1989 statute of the Polish constitution, Dr Zbigniew Pasek,
Jagiellonian University, Further reading: Ustawa o gwarancjach wolności sumienia i wyznania z dnia 17 V 1989 z najnowszymi nowelizacjami z 1997 roku. enabling the emergence of additional denominations. Michał Tymiński, However, because of pressure from the Polish
Episcopate, the exposition of
doctrine has entered the public education system as well. Dr. Paweł Borecki, Wirtualna Polska, Wiadomości. According to a 2007 survey, 72% of respondents were not opposed to
religious instruction in public schools; alternative courses in ethics are available only in one percent of the entire public educational system. Olga Szpunar,
Economy and tourism
]]
Poland is considered to have one of the healthiest economies of the post-communist countries and is currently one of the fastest growing countries within the EU. Since the
fall of the communist government, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of
liberalising the economy and today stands out as a successful example of the transition from a
centrally planned economy to a primarily capitalistic
market economy. Poland is the only member of the European Union to have avoided a decline in GDP during the
late 2000s recession. In 2009 Poland has had the greatest GDP growth in the EU. As of November 2009 the Polish economy has not entered the global recession of the late 2000s nor has it even contracted.
The
privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed the development of an aggressive private sector. As a consequence,
consumer rights organizations have also appeared. Restructuring and privatisation of "sensitive sectors" such as
coal,
steel,
rail transport and energy has been continuing since 1990. Between 2007 and 2010, the government plans to float twenty public companies on the
Warsaw Stock Exchange, including parts of the coal industry. The biggest privatisations have been the sale of the national
telecoms firm
Telekomunikacja Polska to
France Télécom in 2000, and an issue of 30% of the shares in Poland's largest bank,
PKO Bank Polski, on the Polish stockmarket in 2004.
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. Structural reforms in
health care,
education, the
pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Warsaw leads
Central Europe in foreign investment."
Poland in the Lead",
The Warsaw Voice, September 2002. Retrieved on August 11, 2007.}}
GDP growth had been strong and steady from 1993 to 2000 with only a short slowdown from 2001 to 2002.
The economy had growth of 3.7% 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%. According to
Eurostat data, Polish PPS GDP per capita stood at 57% of the EU average in 2008.
, situated at
Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the
Baltic Sea, is an important
seaport of Poland.]]
Although the Polish economy is currently undergoing
economic development, there are many challenges ahead. 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
Eurozone. According to the minister of finance Jacek Rostowski, Poland is likely to adopt the euro in 2012Gazeta Wyborcza, "
Szejnfeld: Wejście do strefy euro korzystne dla przedsiębiorców or 2013.Jan Cienski, "
Poland Alters Stance on Euro L'economia va. Investimenti stranieri e Fondi UE. Una chance imperdibile per l'ammodernamento EuropaRussia 30.05.2010. Some businesses may already accept the euro as payment.
Average salaries in the enterprise sector in April 2008 were 3137 PLN (925 euro or 1434 US dollars) |publisher=Stat.gov.pl |date= |accessdate=2010-04-12}} and growing sharply. Salaries vary between the regions: the
median wage in the capital city Warsaw was 4,600 PLN (1,200 euro or 2,000 US dollars) while in
Białystok it was only 2,400 PLN (670 euro or 1,000 US dollars).
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).
Eurostat September 2007 – Euro area and EU27 unemployment down to 7.3%, 31 October, 2007 However, with the rapid growth of the salaries, booming economy, strong value of Polish currency, and quickly decreasing unemployment (6.7% in August 2008)
Eurostat February 2008 – Euro area unemployment stable at 7.1% exodus of Polish workers seems to be over. In 2008 people who came back outnumbered those leaving the country.
The Times: Tide turns as Poles end great migration
is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the main tourist attractions of
Lublin Voivodeship.]]
Commodities produced in Poland include: electronics, cars (including the luxurious
Leopard car), buses (
Autosan,
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.
Poland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors, particularly after joining the European Union.
Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. The most popular cities are
Warsaw,
Kraków,
Wrocław,
Poznań,
Lublin,
Toruń, including the historic site of the
Auschwitz concentration camp near
Oświęcim. Popular destinations include northeast Poland's
Mazury lake district and
Białowieża Forest. Poland's main tourist offers are sightseeing within cities and out-of-town historical monuments, business trips, qualified tourism, agrotourism, and mountain hiking, among others. Poland is the 17th
most visited country by foreign tourists in 2008.
Education, science and technology
Education and science
is the oldest building of the
Jagiellonian University in
Kraków.]]
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 in the early 12th century Polish intellectuals had access to the European literature. In 1364 in Kraków,
Jagiellonian University, founded by King
Casimir III, became one of Europe's great early universities. In 1773 King
Stanisław August Poniatowski established his
Commission of National Education (
Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), the world's first state ministry of education.
. In 1925 she established the first
Radium Institute in Poland. ]]
In the 19th and 20th centuries many Polish scientists worked abroad. The greatest was
Maria Skłodowska-Curie, a physicist and chemist living in France. In the first half of the 20th century, Poland was a flourishing center of mathematics. Outstanding Polish mathematicians formed the
Lwów School of Mathematics and
Warsaw School of Mathematics.
Today Poland has more than a hundred
tertiary education institutions; traditional
universities to be found in its major cities, as well as technical, medical, and economic institutions, employing around 61,000 workers. There are around 300 research and development institutes, with about 10,000 researchers. In total, there are around 91,000 scientists in Poland today.
Research and development
is one of the scientific institutions that developed the
Technology Transfer Centre.]]
According to Frost & Sullivan's Country Industry Forecast the country is becoming an interesting location for
research and development investments.Newswire
Poland Emerges as the European R&D Hub Despite Favorable Conditions in Asia Pacific Multinational companies such as: ABB, Delphi, GlaxoSmithKline, Google, Hewlett–Packard, IBM, Intel, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Motorola, Siemens and Samsung have set up research and development centres in Poland.Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency
Poland – R&D centre Over 40 research and development centers and 4,500 researchers make Poland the biggest research and development hub in Central and Eastern Europe. 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.
According to KPMG reportKPMG,
Why Poland? 80% of Poland's current investors are content with their choice and willing to reinvest. In 2006, Intel decided to double the number of employees in its research and development centre in Gdańsk.
headquarters in
Warsaw.]]
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.
Communications
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 1,000 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. 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
Famous people
, astronomer]]
Polish culture has been influenced by both
Eastern world and
Western world influences. Today, these influences are evident in Polish
architecture,
folklore, and
art. Poland is the birthplace of some
world famous individuals, including
Pope John Paul II,
Marie Skłodowska Curie,
Tadeusz Kościuszko,
Kazimierz Pułaski,
Józef Piłsudski,
Nicolaus Copernicus and
Frederick Chopin. p. 141
, composer]]
The character of Polish art has reflected world trends. Painter
Jan Matejko included many significant historical events in his paintings.
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz was an example of a Polish
Renaissance Man, along with the playwright, painter and poet
Stanisław Wyspiański.
Polish literature dates back to the 12th century and includes many famous poets and writers such as
Jan Kochanowski,
Adam Mickiewicz,
Bolesław Prus,
Juliusz Słowacki,
Witold Gombrowicz,
Stanisław Lem and,
Ryszard Kapuściński. Writers
Henryk Sienkiewicz,
Władysław Reymont,
Czesław Miłosz,
Wisława Szymborska have each won the
Nobel Prize in Literature. Also a renowned Polish-born
English novelist was
Joseph Conrad.
Many world famous
Polish movie directors include
Academy Awards winners
Roman Polański,
Andrzej Wajda,
Zbigniew Rybczyński,
Janusz Kamiński,
Krzysztof Kieślowski,
Agnieszka Holland. World renowned actresses were
Helena Modjeska and
Pola Negri.
Music
Artists from Poland, including famous composers like
Chopin or
Penderecki and traditional, regionalized
folk musicians, create a lively and diverse
music scene, which even recognizes its own
music genres, such as
poezja śpiewana and
disco polo. As of 2006, Poland is one of the few countries in
Europe where
rock and
hip hop dominate over
pop music, while all kinds of
alternative music genres are encouraged.
Cuisine
topped with fried onions.]]
Polish cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries. For centuries the Polish kitchen has been the arena for competing influences from France and Italy, while it also borrowed extensively from more exotic tables: Tartar, Armenian, Lithuanian, Cossack, Hungarian and Jewish. It is rich in meat, especially chicken and pork, and winter vegetables (cabbage in the dish
bigos), and spices, as well as different kinds of
noodles the most notable of which are the
pierogi. It is related to other Slavic cuisines in usage of
kasza and other
cereals. Generally speaking, Polish cuisine is hearty. The preparation of traditional cuisine generally is time intensive and Poles allow themselves a generous amount of time to prepare and enjoy their festive meals, with some meals (like
Christmas eve or
Easter breakfast) taking a number of days to prepare in their entirety.
Notable foods in Polish cuisine include
kiełbasa,
barszcz, pierogi,
flaczki (
tripe soup),
gołąbki,
oscypek, pork chops,
bigos, various
potato dishes, a fast food sandwich (
zapiekanka) and many more. Traditional Polish desserts include
pączki,
gingerbread and others.
Architecture
]]
Polish cities and towns reflect the whole spectrum of European styles.
Romanesque architecture is represented by St. Andrew's Church in Kraków, and characteristic for Poland
Brick Gothic by
St. Mary's Church in Gdańsk. Richly decorated
attics and
arcade loggias are the common elements of the Polish Renaissance architecture, Many designs imitated the arcaded courtyard and arched loggias of the Wawel palace. like in
City Hall in Poznań. For some time the late renaissance, so called
mannerism, most notably in Bishop’s Palace in Kielce, coexisted with the early baroque like in Church of SS. Peter and Paul in Kraków.
The second half of the 17th century is marked by
baroque architecture. Side towers, visible in
Branicki Palace in Białystok are typical for Polish baroque. The classical
Silesian baroque is represented by the University in Wrocław. Profuse decorations of
Branicki Palace in Warsaw are characteristic of
rococo style. The center of Polish classicism was Warsaw under the rule of the last Polish king
Stanisław August Poniatowski. The
Palace on the Water is the most notable example of Polish
neoclassical architecture.
Lublin Castle represents the
Gothic Revival style in architecture, while the Izrael Poznański Palace in Łódź is an example of
eclecticism.
Sports
2007,
Szczecin]]
Many sports are popular in Poland.
Football (soccer) is the country's most popular sport, with a rich history of international competition.
Track and field,
basketball,
boxing,
ski jumping,
fencing,
handball,
ice hockey,
swimming,
volleyball, and
weightlifting are other popular sports. The golden era of
football in Poland occurred throughout the 1970s and went on until the early 1980s when the
Polish national football team achieved their best results in any FIFA World Cup competitions finishing 3rd place in the
1974 and
1982 editions. The team won a gold medal in
football at the
1972 Summer Olympics and also won two silver medals in
1976 and
1992. Poland, along with
Ukraine, will host the
UEFA European Football Championship in 2012.
The
Polish men's national volleyball team is ranked
5th in the world and the
women's volleyball team is ranked
10th.
Mariusz Pudzianowski is a highly successful strongman competitor and has won more
World's Strongest Man titles than any other competitor in the world, winning the event in 2008 for the fifth time. The first Polish Formula One driver,
Robert Kubica, has brought awareness of Formula One Racing to Poland. Poland has made a distinctive mark in motorcycle speedway racing thanks to
Tomasz Gollob, a highly successful Polish rider. The
national speedway team of Poland is one of the major teams in international
speedway and is very successful in various competitions.
The Polish mountains are an ideal venue for hiking, skiing and mountain biking and attract millions of tourists every year from all over the world.
Baltic beaches and resorts are popular locations for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and a broad-range of other water-themed sports.
International rankings
The following are links to international rankings of Poland.
See also
References and notes
External links
; General
; Culture
; Travel
}}
}}