Poland
Warsaw
Republic of Poland {Rzeczpospolita Polska}
Anthem: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dąbrowski's Mazurka)
Capital (and largest city): Warsaw, 52°13′N 21°02′E
Ethnic groups (2002): 96.7% Poles, 3.3% others and
unspecified
Demonym: Pole/Polish
Government: Parliamentary republic
- President Bronisław Komorowski
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk
Formation
- Christianisation[c] April 14, 966
- First Republic July 1, 1569
- Second Republic November 11, 1918
- People's Republic December 31, 1944
- Third Republic of Poland January 30, 1990
Area
- Total 312,685 km2 (69th), 120,696.41 sq mi
- Water (%) 3.07
Population
- 2010 estimate 38,186,860[1] (34th)
- 2002 census 38,231,000
- Density 120/km2 (83rd), 319.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate
- Total $754,097 billion[2] (20th)
- Per capita $19,752[3] (40th)
GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate
- Total $468.539 billion[4]
- Per capita $12,300[4]
Gini (2002): 34.5
HDI (2011): increase 0.813 (very high) (39th)
Currency: Złoty (PLN)
Time zone: CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the right
ISO 3166 code PL
Internet TLD: .pl
Calling code: 48
Poland (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska; Kashubian: Pòlskô Repùblika; Silesian: Polsko Republika), is a country in Central Europe 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 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), 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 world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member. 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, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Economic Area, International Energy Agency, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Atomic Energy Agency and G6.
On 1 July 2011, Poland replaced Hungary as the holder of the rotating Presidency of the Council 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, over the 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 ceased to exist in 1795 as the Polish lands were partitioned among the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Austria. Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic in 1918. Two decades later, in September 1939, World War II started with the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invasion on Poland. Over six million Polish citizens died in the war. Poland reemerged several years later within the Soviet sphere of influence as the People's Republic in existence until 1989. During the Revolutions of 1989, communist rule was overthrown and soon after, Poland became what is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic".
Despite the vast destruction the country experienced in World War II, Poland managed to preserve much of its cultural wealth. Since the end of the communist period, Poland has achieved a "very high" ranking in terms of human development and standard of living.
Tourism
The city of Zamość is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one
of the main tourist attractions of Lublin Voivodeship.
Poland is a major part of the global tourism market and is currently experiencing an upward trend in its number of visitors; this began shortly after joining the European Union. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy and makes up a relatively large proportion of the country's service market. The most attractive urban destinations for tourists are Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Lublin and Toruń; in addition to these the historic site of the Auschwitz concentration camp near Oświęcim is a noteworthy place of pilgrimage and a now constitutes a major monument to the prevention of war and suffering in Southern Poland. Popular areas of natural beauty include northeast Poland's Masurian Lake District and Białowieża Forest. Poland's main tourist offerings are thought to be based around city-sightseeing and extra-urban historical monuments, business trips, qualified tourism, agrotourism, and mountain hiking, among others.
Poland was the 17th most visited country by foreign tourists in 2008.
Sports
The Tall Ships' Races 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.
