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Poland
*** Shopping-Tip: Poland
{{otheruses}}{{Infobox_Country|
native_name = ''Rzeczpospolita Polska'' |
conventional_long_name = Republic of Poland |
common_name = Poland |
flag_border = true|
image_flag = Flag of Poland.svg |
image_coat = Herb Polski.svg |
image_map = LocationPoland.png |
national_motto = none{{ref|1}}|
national_anthem =
Polish language Polish: ''
Mazurek DÄ…browskiego''
(
Translation: "
Jan Henryk DÄ…browski DÄ…browski's Mazurka")|
official_languages =
Polish language Polish{{ref|2}}|
capital =
Warsaw |
latd=52|latm=13|latNS=N|longd=21|longm=02|longEW=E|
largest_city =
Warsaw |
government_type=
Republic |
leader_titles =
President of Poland PresidentPrime minister of Poland Prime minister |
leader_names =
Lech Kaczyński Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz |
area_rank = 68th |
area_magnitude = 1 E11 |
area=312,685 |
areami²= 120,728|
percent_water = 2.6% |
population_estimate = 38,123,000 |
population_estimate_year = 2006 |
population_estimate_rank = 32nd |
population_census= 38,230,080|
population_census_year=2002 |
population_density = 123.5 |
population_densitymi² =319.9 |
population_density_rank = 64th|
GDP_PPP_year=2005 |
GDP_PPP = $489.3 billion |
GDP_PPP_rank = 26th |
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $13,570 |
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 51st |
HDI_year = 2003 |
HDI = 0.858 |
HDI_rank = 36th |
HDI_category =
high |
sovereignty_type =
Independence |
established_events = •
Baptism of Poland Christianisation Date{{ref|3}}
• Declared
•
Partitions of Poland Redeclared |
established_dates =
966
10th century
November 11,
1918 |
currency =
ZÅ‚oty |
currency_code = PLN |
time_zone=
Central European Time CET |
utc_offset= +1 |
time_zone_DST=
Central European Summer Time CEST |
utc_offset_DST= +2 |
cctld=
.pl (also
.eu as part of the European Union) |
calling_code = 48 |
footnotes =1{{note|1}} See also
unofficial mottos of Poland.
2{{note.html">Belarusian language
Belarusian,
Cassubian language Cassubian,
German language German and
Ukrainian language Ukrainian are used in five
gmina communal offices; however, they are not
official languages.
3{{note|3}}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 '''Republic of Poland''' (
Polish language Polish: ''
Rzeczpospolita wikt:polska#Adjective Polska'') is a country located in
Central Europe, between
Germany to the west, the
Czech Republic and
Slovakia to the south,
Ukraine and
Belarus to the east, and the
Baltic Sea,
Lithuania, and
Russia (in the form of the
Kaliningrad Oblast exclave) to the north.
The Polish
state was formed over 1,000 years ago under the
Piast dynasty, and reached its
Polish Golden Age golden age near the end of the 16th century under the
Jagiellonian dynasty, when Poland was one of the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful countries in Europe. In 1791 the
Sejm of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted the
Constitution of May 3, Europe's first modern codified
constitution, and the second in the world after the
Constitution of the United States. Soon afterwards, the country ceased to exist after being
partitions of Poland partitioned by its neighbours
Russia,
Austria, and
Prussia. It regained independence in 1918 in the aftermath of the
First World War as the
Second Polish Republic. Following the
Second World War it became a
Communism communist satellite state of the
Soviet Union known as the
People's Republic of Poland. In 1989 the first partially-free
elections in Poland's post-
World War II history concluded the
Solidarity (''Solidarność'') movement's struggle for freedom and resulted in the defeat of Poland's communist rulers. The current Third Polish Republic was established, followed a few years later by the drafting of a
Constitution of Poland new constitution in 1997. In 1999 Poland acceded to
NATO, and in 2004 it joined the
European Union.
History
{{seesubarticle|History of Poland}}
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
Catholicism Catholic Christianity as the country's new official religion, to which the bulk of the population converted in the course of the next century. In the 12th century Poland fragmented into several smaller states, which were later ravaged by the
Mongol armies of the
Golden Horde in 1241. In 1320
Wladislaus I of Poland Władysław I became the King of the reunified Poland. His son
Casimir III of Poland Kazimierz Wielki repaired the Polish economy, built new castles and won the war against the
Halych-Volhynia Ruthenian dukedom (
Lwów became a Polish City).
The
Black Death which affected most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351 did not come to Poland.
[{{"''One of the greatest calamities in European history began in 1347 when bubonic plague struck, brought to Italy, it is thought, by a group of Genoese returning home through Sicily and Pisa from Caffa in Crimea. Their fortress there had been besieged by Mongol invaders who had suddenly begun to die of a disease that caused black, blood-oozing swellings and immense pain....By 1351, it had spread over most of Europe. The only areas which escaped were Milan, Poland, Belgium, eastern Germany and part of southwest France.''" (Page 235 of "Timelines of World History" by John B. Teeple, ISBN 0-7894-8926-0 www.dk.com Dorling Kindersley).}}]
Under the
Jagiellon dynasty, Poland forged an alliance with its neighbour
Lithuania. A
Polish Golden Age golden age occurred in the 16th century during its union (
Lublin Union) with Lithuania in the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The citizens of Poland took pride in their ancient freedoms and
Sejm Sejm parliamentary system, although the ''
szlachta'' monopolised most of the benefits as most of Poles since the middle of the fourteenth century were
serfs. Landowners gained almost unlimited ownership over serfs. Since that time Poles have regarded
freedom as their most important value. Poles often call themselves the ''nation of the free people''.
Image:Rzeczpospolita.png thumb|left|200px|The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at its greatest extent
In the mid-17th century a Swedish invasion rolled through the country in the turbulent time known as
The Deluge (Polish history) "The Deluge" (''potop''). Numerous wars against the
Ottoman Empire,
Russia,
Cossacks,
Transylvania and
Brandenburg-Prussia ultimately came to an end in 1699. During the following 80 years, the waning of the central government and deadlock of the institutions weakened the nation, leading to anarchistic tendencies and a growing dependency on
Russia. In Polish Democracy every member of parliament was able to break any work or project by shouting 'Liberum Veto' during the session. Russian
tsar tsars took advantage of this unique political vulnerability by offering money to Parliamentary traitors, who in turn would consistently and subversively block necessary reforms and new solutions.
{{Polish statehood}}
The
The Enlightenment Enlightenment in Poland fostered a growing national movement to repair the state, resulting in what is claimed to be the first modern written
constitution in Europe, the
Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791 Constitution of May 3 in 1791. The process of reforms ceased with the
partitions of Poland between
Russia,
Prussia, and
Austria in 1772, 1793 and 1795 which ultimately dissolved the country. Poles resented their shrinking freedoms and several times rebelled against their oppressors (see
List of Polish Uprisings).
Napoleon recreated a Polish state, the
Duchy of Warsaw, but after the
Napoleonic wars, Poland was split again by the Allies at the
Congress of Vienna. The eastern part was
List of Polish rulers ruled by the Russian
tsar as a
Congress Kingdom, and possessed a liberal constitution. However, the tsars soon reduced Polish freedoms and Russia eventually ''de facto'' annexed the country. Later in the 19th century, Austrian-ruled
Galicia (Central Europe) Galicia became the oasis of Polish freedom.
During
World War I all the
Allies agreed on the restitution of Poland that
United States President
Woodrow Wilson proclaimed in point 13 of his
Fourteen Points. Shortly after the surrender of
Germany in November 1918, Poland regained its independence as the
Second Polish Republic (II Rzeczpospolita Polska). It was established after a series of military conflicts, like the 1919-1921
Polish-Soviet War.
Image:Rzeczpospolita 1920.png thumb|left|Poland between 1922 and 1938
The 1926
May Coup of
Józef Piłsudski turned the Second Polish Republic into
Sanacja that lasted until the start of
World War II when
Germany and the
Soviet Union Polish September Campaign invaded Poland. Warsaw capitulated on
September 28 1939. The eastern part of the German occupied zone was transformed into the
General Government area, and the western part was simply incorporated to the German Reich.
Of all the countries involved in the war, Poland lost the highest percentage of its citizens: over 6 million perished, half of them Polish
Jews. Poland also made the 4th largest troops contributions after the US, the British and the Soviets to combat the Germans.
At its conclusion, Poland's borders were shifted westwards, pushing the eastern border to the
Curzon line, even though the defense of Poland was the reason that
France and the
United Kingdom had declared war on Germany. The second aggressor, the
Soviet Union, was given the right to occupy former Polish territory in negotiations, which means that the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was partially confirmed.
On the other hand, the western border of Poland was moved to the
Oder-Neisse line. After the shift, Poland emerged 20% smaller by 77,500 square kilometres (29,900
square mile sq mi); although the important cities of
Gdańsk (Danzig),
Szczecin (Stettin) and
Wrocław (Breslau) were all incorporated into its post-war borders. The shift forced the migration of millions of people – Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, Jews.
As a result of these events, Poland became, for the first time in history, an ethnically unified country. A Polish minority is still present in neighbouring countries of Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania, as well as in other countries (see
Poles article for the population numbers). The largest number of ethnic Poles outside of the country can be found in the
United States.
The Soviet Union instituted a new
Communism 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. In 1948 a turn towards
Stalinism brought in the beginning of the next period of totalitarian rule. The
People's Republic of Poland (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) was officially proclaimed in 1952. In 1956 the régime became more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. In 1970 the government was changed. It was a time when the economy was more modern, and the government had large credits. Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent
trade union, "
Solidarity", which over time became a political force. It eroded the dominance of the
Polish United Workers' Party Communist Party; by 1989 it had triumphed in parliamentary elections, and
Lech Wałęsa, a Solidarity candidate, eventually won the presidency in 1990. The Solidarity movement greatly contributed to the soon-following collapse of Communism all over Eastern Europe.
A
shock therapy (economics) shock therapy program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Despite a temporary slump in social and economic standards, there were numerous improvements in other
human rights (free speech, functioning democracy and the like). Poland was the first post-communist country to regain pre-1989
Gross domestic product GDP levels. Poland joined the
NATO alliance in 1999 along with the
Czech Republic and
Hungary. Polish voters then said ''yes'' to the EU in a referendum in June 2003. Poland joined the European Union on
1 May 2004.
Politics
{{seesubarticle3|Politics of Poland|Foreign relations of Poland|Military of Poland}}
Poland is a democratic
republic. Its current
Constitution of Poland constitution dates from 1997. The government structure centres on the Council of Ministers, led by a
Prime Ministers of Poland prime minister. The current prime minister of Poland is Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz. The president appoints the
cabinet (government) cabinet according to the proposals of the prime minister, typically from the majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house (the ''
Sejm''). The
Presidents of Poland president, elected by popular vote every five years, serves as the
head of state. The current president is
Lech Kaczyński.
Polish voters elect a two house
parliament, consisting of a 460 member lower house
Sejm and a 100 member Senate (''
Senate of Poland Senat''). The
Sejm is elected under a
proportional representation electoral system using the
d'Hondt method similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. 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
electorate. With the exception of ethnic minority parties, only candidates of
Political parties in Poland 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 Senate form the National Assembly, (
Polish language Polish ''Zgromadzenie Narodowe''). The National Assembly is formed on three occasions: Taking the oath of office by a new president, bringing an indictment against the President of the Republic to the Tribunal of State, and declaration of a President's permanent incapacity to exercise their duties due to the state of their health. Only the first kind has occurred to date.
The
judiciary judicial branch plays a minor role in decision-making. Its major institutions include the Supreme Court (''Sąd Najwyższy''), the Supreme Administrative Court (''Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny'') (judges appointed by the president of the republic on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period), the Constitutional Tribunal (''Trybunał Konstytucyjny'') (judges chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) and the Tribunal of State (''Trybunał Stanu'') (judges chosen by the Sejm for the current term of office of the Sejm, except for the position of chairperson which is held by the First President of the Supreme Court). The Sejm (on approval of the Polish Senate) 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 the human being and of the citizen, the law and principles of community life and social justice.
Geography
Image:Tatry Panorama01xxx.jpg Tatra_Mountains.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Tatra Mountains in the very south of Poland..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|[[Tatra Mountains">thumb|250px|right|[[Tatra Mountains in the very south of Poland.">250px|right|[[Tatra Mountains">thumb|250px|right|[[Tatra Mountains in the very south of Poland.
Image:Polska2005 026.jpg Warsaw.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Warsaw (Warszawa)..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|
thumb|250px|right|[[Warsaw (Warszawa).">250px|right|[[Warsaw">thumb|250px|right|[[Warsaw (Warszawa).
Image:Krakau05.jpg Kraków.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Kraków..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|
thumb|250px|right|[[Kraków.">250px|right|[[Kraków">thumb|250px|right|[[Kraków.
Image:Wroclaw 1.jpg Wrocław.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Wrocław..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|
thumb|250px|right|[[Wrocław.">250px|right|[[Wrocław">thumb|250px|right|[[Wrocław.
Image:Poznan_Poland.jpg Poznań.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|Old Market square in [[Poznań..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|Old Market square in [[Poznań">thumb|250px|right|Old Market square in [[Poznań.">250px|right|Old Market square in [[Poznań">thumb|250px|right|Old Market square in [[Poznań.
Image:Gdansk Glowne Miasto.jpg Gdańsk.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|Old town in [[Gdańsk..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|Old town in [[Gdańsk">thumb|250px|right|Old town in [[Gdańsk.">250px|right|Old town in [[Gdańsk">thumb|250px|right|Old town in [[Gdańsk.
Image:Torun01CenterWithWall.JPG Toruń.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Toruń..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|
thumb|250px|right|[[Toruń.">250px|right|[[Toruń">thumb|250px|right|[[Toruń.
{{seesubarticle|Geography of Poland}}
The Polish landscape consists almost entirely of the lowlands of the
North European Plain, at an average height of 173 metres (568
foot (unit of length) ft), though the
Sudetes (including the
Karkonosze) and the
Carpathian Mountains (including the
Tatra mountains, where one also finds Poland's highest point,
Rysy, at 2,499 m or 8,199 ft) form the southern border. Several large rivers cross the plains; for instance, the
Vistula (''Wisła''),
Oder River Oder (''Odra''),
Warta the (Western)
Bug (Rivers) Bug. Poland also contains over 9,300 lakes, predominantly in the north of the country.
Masuria (''Mazury'') forms the largest and most-visited lake district in Poland. Remains of the ancient forests survive: see
list of forests in Poland,
Bialowieza Forest. Poland enjoys a
temperate climate temperate climate, with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters and mild summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms.
Principal Cities
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#DDDDDD
!
!
Agglomeration or
conurbation
! Voivodship
! Inhabitants
(Estimated, 2005)
|-
| align="left" | 1 ||
Katowice /
Metropolian Katowice MK (
Upper Silesian Metropolitan Area USMA)||
Silesian Voivodship Silesia || align="right" | '''3,487,000'''
|-
| align="right" | 2 ||
Warsaw (Warszawa) .html">Masovian Voivodship
Masovia || align="right" | 2,679,000
|-
| align="right" | 3 ||
Kraków Cracow (Kraków) ||
Lesser Poland Voivodship Lesser Poland || align="right" | 1,400,000
|-
| align="right" | 4 ||
Å?ódź .html">Å?ódź Voivodship
Å?ódź || align="right" | 1,300,000
|-
| align="right" | 5 ||
Tricity .html">Pomeranian Voivodship
Pomerania || align="right" | 1,100,000
|-
| align="right" | 6 ||
Poznań Poznań ||
Greater Poland Voivodship Greater Poland || align="right" | 940,000
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#DDDDDD
!
! City
! Voivodship
! Inhabitants
20 May 2002
! Inhabitants
31 December 2004
|-
| align="right" | 1 ||
Warsaw (Warszawa) .html">Masovian Voivodship
Masovia || align="right" | '''1,671,670''' || align="right" | '''1,692,854'''
|-
| align="right" | 2 ||
Å?ódź .html">Å?ódź Voivodship
Å?ódź || align="right" | 789,318 || align="right" | 774,004
|-
| align="right" | 3 ||
Kraków Cracow (Kraków) ||
Lesser Poland Voivodship Lesser Poland || align="right" | 758,544 || align="right" | 757,430
|-
| align="right" | 4 ||
Wrocław .html">Lower Silesian Voivodship
Lower Silesia || align="right" | 640,367 || align="right" | 636,268
|-
| align="right" | 5 ||
Poznań .html">Greater Poland Voivodship
Greater Poland || align="right" | 578,886 || align="right" | 570,778
|-
| align="right" | 6 ||
Gdańsk .html">Pomeranian Voivodship
Pomerania || align="right" | 461,334 || align="right" | 459,072
|-
| align="right" | 7 ||
Szczecin .html">West Pomeranian Voivodship
Western Pomerania || align="right" | 415,399 || align="right" | 411,900
|-
| align="right" | 8 ||
Bydgoszcz .html">Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship
Cuiavia-Pomerania || align="right" | 373,804 || align="right" | 368,235
|-
| align="right" | 9 ||
Lublin .html">Lublin Voivodship
Lublin || align="right" | 357,110 || align="right" | 355,998
|-
| align="right" | 10 ||
Katowice .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 327,222 || align="right" | 319,904
|-
| align="right" | 11 ||
Białystok .html">Podlasie Voivodship
Podlasie || align="right" | 291,383 || align="right" | 292,150
|-
| align="right" | 12 ||
Gdynia .html">Pomeranian Voivodship
Pomerania || align="right" | 253,458 || align="right" | 253,324
|-
| align="right" | 13 ||
Częstochowa .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 251,436 || align="right" | 248,032
|-
| align="right" | 14 ||
Sosnowiec .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 232,622 || align="right" | 228,192
|-
| align="right" | 15 ||
Radom .html">Masovian Voivodship
Masovia || align="right" | 229,699 || align="right" | 227,613
|-
| align="right" | 16 ||
Kielce .html">Świętokrzyskie Voivodship
Świętokrzyskie || align="right" | 212,429 || align="right" | 209,455
|-
| align="right" | 17 ||
Toruń .html">Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship
Cuiavia-Pomerania || align="right" | 211,243 || align="right" | 208,278
|-
| align="right" | 18 ||
Gliwice .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 203,814 || align="right" | 200,361
|-
| align="right" | 19 ||
Zabrze .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 195,293 || align="right" | 192,546
|-
| align="right" | 20 ||
Bytom .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 193,546 || align="right" | 189,535
|-
| align="right" | 21 ||
Bielsko-Biała .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 178,028 || align="right" | 176,987
|-
| align="right" | 22 ||
Olsztyn .html">Warmian-Masurian Voivodship
Warmia-Masuria || align="right" | 173,102 || align="right" | 174,550
|-
| align="right" | 23 ||
Rzeszów .html">Subcarpathian Voivodship
Subcarpathia || align="right" | 160,376 || align="right" | 159,020
|-
| align="right" | 24 ||
Ruda ÅšlÄ…ska .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 150,595 || align="right" | 147,403
|-
| align="right" | 25 ||
Rybnik .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 142,731 || align="right" | 141,755
|-
| align="right" | 26 ||
Tychy .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 132,816 || align="right" | 131,547
|-
| align="right" | 27 ||
Dąbrowa Górnicza .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 132,236 || align="right" | 130,789
|-
| align="right" | 28 ||
Opole .html">Opole Voivodship
Opole || align="right" | 129,946 || align="right" | 128,864
|-
| align="right" | 29 ||
PÅ‚ock .html">Masovian Voivodship
Masovia || align="right" | 128,361 || align="right" | 127,841
|-
| align="right" | 30 ||
ElblÄ…g .html">Warmian-Masurian Voivodship
Warmia-Masuria || align="right" | 128,134 || align="right" | 127,655
|-
| align="right" | 31 ||
Wałbrzych .html">Lower Silesian Voivodship
Lower Silesia || align="right" | 130,268 || align="right" | 127,566
|-
| align="right" | 32 ||
Gorzów Wielkopolski .html">Lubuskie Voivodship
Lubusz || align="right" | 125,914 || align="right" | 125,578
|-
| align="right" | 33 ||
Włocławek .html">Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship
Cuiavia-Pomerania || align="right" | 121,229 || align="right" | 120,369
|-
| align="right" | 34 ||
Tarnów .html">Lesser Poland Voivodship
Lesser Poland || align="right" | 119,913 || align="right" | 118,267
|-
| align="right" | 35 ||
Zielona Góra .html">Lubuskie Voivodship
Lubusz || align="right" | 118,293 || align="right" | 118,516
|-
| align="right" | 36 ||
Chorzów .html">Silesian Voivodship
Silesia || align="right" | 117,430 || align="right" | 115,241
|-
| align="right" | 37 ||
Kalisz .html">Greater Poland Voivodship
Greater Poland || align="right" | 109,498 || align="right" | 108,792
|-
| align="right" | 38 ||
Koszalin .html">West Pomeranian Voivodship
Western Pomerania || align="right" | 108,709 || align="right" | 107,773
|-
| align="right" | 39 ||
Legnica .html">Lower Silesian Voivodship
Lower Silesia || align="right" | 107,100 || align="right" | 106,143
|-
| align="right" | 40 ||
SÅ‚upsk .html">Pomeranian Voivodship
Pomerania || align="right" | 100,376 || align="right" | 99,827
|-
| align="right" | 41 ||
GrudziÄ…dz .html">Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship
Cuiavia-Pomerania || align="right" | 99,943 || align="right" | 98,757
|}
Administrative division
Image:EC map of Poland.gif Map of Poland|thumb|300px|right|Administrative map of Poland
{{seesubarticle|Voivodships of Poland}}
Poland is subdivided into sixteen
administrative regions known as
voivodships (''województwa'', singular - ''województwo''):
{| class="wikitable"
! Voivodship!! Capital city (cities)
|-
|valign="top"|
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship Cuiavian-Pomeranian Voivodship (Kujawsko-Pomorskie) ||
Bydgoszcz and
Toruń
|-
|valign="top"|
Greater Poland Voivodship (Wielkopolskie) ||
Poznań
|-
|valign="top"|
Lesser Poland Voivodship (Małopolskie) ||
Kraków
|-
|valign="top"|
Å?ódź Voivodship (Å?ódzkie) ||
Å?ódź
|-
|valign="top"|
Lower Silesian Voivodship (Dolnośląskie) ||
Wrocław
|-
|valign="top"|
Lublin Voivodship (Lubelskie) ||
Lublin
|-
|valign="top"|
Lubusz Voivodship (Lubuskie) ||
Gorzów Wielkopolski and
Zielona Góra
|-
|valign="top"|
Masovian Voivodship (Mazowieckie) ||
Warsaw
|-
|valign="top"|
Opole Voivodship (Opolskie) ||
Opole
|-
|valign="top"|
Podlasie Voivodship (Podlaskie) ||
Białystok
|-
|valign="top"|
Pomeranian Voivodship (Pomorskie) ||
Gdańsk
|-
|valign="top"|
Silesian Voivodship (ÅšlÄ…skie) ||
Katowice
|-
|valign="top"|
Subcarpathian Voivodship (Podkarpackie) ||
Rzeszów
|-
|valign="top"|
Swietokrzyskie Voivodship (Świętokrzyskie) ||
Kielce
|-
|valign="top"|
Warmian-Masurian Voivodship (Warmińsko-Mazurskie) ||
Olsztyn
|-
|valign="top"|
West Pomeranian Voivodship (Zachodniopomorskie) ||
Szczecin
|}
Lower levels of administrative division are:
*
powiats (counties)
*
gminas (commune)
Economy
{{seesubarticle|Economy of Poland}}
Image:100zl r.jpg złoty.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|left|A hundred [[złoty note.html" title="Meaning of left|A hundred [[złoty">thumb|left|A hundred [[złoty note">left|A hundred [[złoty">thumb|left|A hundred [[złoty note
Image:Wawka.jpg Warsaw.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Warsaw after dark.html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|
thumb|250px|right|[[Warsaw after dark">250px|right|[[Warsaw">thumb|250px|right|[[Warsaw after dark
Image:Wawka2.jpg Warsaw.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|Skyscrapers in [[Warsaw..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|Skyscrapers in [[Warsaw">thumb|250px|right|Skyscrapers in [[Warsaw.">250px|right|Skyscrapers in [[Warsaw">thumb|250px|right|Skyscrapers in [[Warsaw.
Image:Katowice Spodek.jpg Spodek.html"_title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|[[Spodek_in
Katowice..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|[[Spodek">thumb|250px|right|[[Spodek in
Katowice.">250px|right|[[Spodek">thumb|250px|right|[[Spodek in
Katowice.
Image:Port Lotniczy Å?awica RB2.JPG PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport.html" title="Meaning of 250px 250px|thumb|Pasenger terminal of [[PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport.html" title="Meaning of thumb|Pasenger terminal of [[PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport">250px|thumb|Pasenger terminal of [[PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport">thumb|Pasenger terminal of [[PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport">250px|thumb|Pasenger terminal of [[PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport
Image:Autostrada A 2.jpg European route E30.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|right|Highway A2 ([[European route E30) near
Poznań..html" title="Meaning of 250px|right|Highway A2 ([[European route E30">thumb|250px|right|Highway A2 ([[European route E30) near
Poznań.">250px|right|Highway A2 ([[European route E30">thumb|250px|right|Highway A2 ([[European route E30) near
Poznań.
Image:Gdynia kamienna marina.jpg Gdynia.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|250px|The Marina at [[Gdynia..html" title="Meaning of right|250px|The Marina at [[Gdynia">thumb|right|250px|The Marina at [[Gdynia.">right|250px|The Marina at [[Gdynia">thumb|right|250px|The Marina at [[Gdynia.
Image:Lanckoronaa.jpg Lanckorona.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|250px|[[Lanckorona..html" title="Meaning of right|250px|
thumb|right|250px|[[Lanckorona.">right|250px|[[Lanckorona">thumb|right|250px|[[Lanckorona.
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thumb|right|250px|[[Żnin - the medieval town">right|250px|[[Żnin">thumb|right|250px|[[Żnin - the medieval town
Image:Mikolajki.jpg Mikołajki.html"_title="Meaning of thumb thumb|right|250px|[[Mikołajki_in the
Masuria lake area..html" title="Meaning of right|250px|[[Mikołajki">thumb|right|250px|[[Mikołajki in the
Masuria lake area.">right|250px|[[Mikołajki">thumb|right|250px|[[Mikołajki in the
Masuria lake area.
Image:2_SPN_01.jpg thumb|right|250px|Seacoast
Since its return to
democracy, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of
neoliberalism liberalising the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open examples of the transition from a partially state-capitalist market economy to a primarily privately owned market economy.
The
privatisation of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed for the rapid development of an aggressive private sector, followed by a development of
consumer rights organisations later on. Restructuring and privatisation of "sensitive sectors" (e.g.,
coal,
steel,
railways, and energy) has begun. The biggest privatisations so far were a sale of Telekomunikacja Polska, a national telecom to France Telecom (2000) and an issue of 30% shares of the biggest Polish bank, PKO BP, on the Polish stockmarket (2004).
Poland has a large
agriculture agricultural sector of private farms, that could be a leading producer of food in the
European Union now that Poland is a member. Challenges remain, especially under-investment. 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 and allegedly needs a continued large inflow.
Gross Domestic Product 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 3.7% annually in 2003, a rise from 1.4% annually in 2002. In 2004 GDP growth equalled 5.4%, and in 2005 3.3%. Forecasted GDP for 2006 is 4.3%.
Annual growth rates broken down by quarters:
* 2003: Q1 - 2.2% | Q2 - 3.8% | Q3 - 4.7% | Q4 - 4.7%
* 2004: Q1 - 6.9% | Q2 - 6.1% | Q3 - 4.8% | Q4 - 4.9%
* 2005: Q1 - 2.1% | Q2 - 2.8% | Q3 - 3.7% | Q4 - 4.4%
Although the Polish economy is currently undergoing an economic boom 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
Euro European Single Currency. There is much speculation as to just when Poland might be ready to join the
Eurozone, although the best guess estimates put the entry date somewhere between 2009 and 2013. For now, Poland is preparing to make the Euro its official currency (as other countries of the
European Union), and the ZÅ‚oty will eventually be abolished from the modern Polish economy. Since joining the European Union, many young Polish people have left their country to work in other EU countries because of high unemployment rate (about 17%).
'''Poland produces:''' clothes, electronics, cars (including luxury
car Leopard), buses (
Autosan,
Jelcz SA,
Solaris Bus & Coach Solaris,
Solbus) helicopters (
PZL Åšwidnik), planes (
PZL Mielec), ships, military engineering (including
PT-91 tanks), medicines (
Polpharma,
Polfa, etc), food, chemical products etc.
Science, technology and education
{{seesubarticle2|Polish science and technology|Education in Poland}}
The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as the 12th century. The library catalog 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. In 1364, in
Kraków, the
Jagiellonian University, founded by King
Kazimierz Wielki, became one of Europe's great early universities. In 1773 King
Stanisław August Poniatowski established his Commission on National Education (
Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), the world's first state ministry of education. Today, Poland has more than a hundred tertiary education instutions; traditional universities to be found in its major cities of
Gdańsk,
Bydgoszcz,
Katowice,
Kraków,
Lublin,
Å?ódź,
Olsztyn,
Poznań,
Rzeszów,
Toruń,
Warsaw and
Wrocław as well as technical, medical, economic institutions elsewhere, employing around 61,000 workers. 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.
Telecommunication and IT
{{seesubarticle2|Communications in Poland|Software development in Poland}}
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 coverage mobile cellular is 660 users per 1000 people (2005)
* Telephones - mobile cellular: 25.3 million (Raport Telecom Team 2005)
* Telephones - main lines in use: 12.5 million (Raport Telecom Team 2005)
Transportation
{{seesubarticle|Transportation in Poland}}
*'''Rail''': The Polish State Railways (
PKP) is one of the larger railway systems in the European Union, with 23,420 kilometres (14,552 mi) in its network (1998). Refurbishment of the network has commenced to bring standards into line with western European railway networks. [http://www.plk-sa.pl/]
*'''Road''': By Western European standards, Poland has a relatively poor infrastructure of expressways/highways. The Government has undertaken a programme to improve the standard of a number of significant national highways by 2013. The total length of expressways/highways is 364,657 kilometres (226,587 mi). There are a total of 9,283,000 registered passenger automobiles, as well as 1,762,000 registered trucks and buses (2000).
*'''Air''': Poland has nine major airports (in decreasing order of traffic:
Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport Warsaw,
John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice Kraków,
Katowice International Airport Katowice,
Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport Gdańsk,
PoznaÅ„-Å?awica Airport PoznaÅ„,
Wrocław International Airport Wrocław,
Szczecin Airport Szczecin,
Lublinek Airport Å?ódź,
Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport Bydgoszcz and
Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport Rzeszów), a total of 123 airports and airfields, as well as three heliports. The number of passengers at Polish airports has consistently increased since 1991.
*'''Marine''': The total length of navigable rivers and canals is 3,812 kilometres (2,369 mi). The
merchant marine consists of 114 ships, with an additional 100 ships registered outside the country. The principal ports and harbours are:
Port of Gdańsk,
Port of Gdynia,
Szczecin Port of Szczecin,
Swinoujscie Port of Świnoujście,
Ustka Port of Ustka,
Kolobrzeg Port of Kolobrzeg,
Gliwice,
Warsaw,
Wrocław.
Demographics
{{seesubarticle|Demographics of Poland}}
Poland formerly played host to many languages, cultures, and religions. However, the outcome of
World War II and the following shift westwards to the area between the
Curzon line and the
Oder-Neisse line gave Poland an appearance of homogeneity. Today 36,983,700 people, or 96.74% of the population considers itself Polish (Census 2002), 471,500 (1.23%) declared another nationality. 774,900 people (2.03%) didn't declare any nationality. The officially recognized ethnic minorities include:
ethnic German Germans,
Ukrainians,
Lithuanians,
Jews and
Belarusians. The
Polish language, a member of the West Slavic branch of the
Slavic languages, functions as the official language of Poland. Most Poles adhere to the
Roman Catholic faith and 95% count as practising Catholics. The rest of the population consists mainly of
Eastern Orthodox (about 509 500),
Jehovah's Witnesses (about 123 034) and various
Protestant (about 86 880 in the largest
Evangelical-Augsburg Church and about as many in smaller churches) religious minorities.
[http://www.stat.gov.pl/opracowania_zbiorcze/maly_rocznik_stat/2003/rocznik4/relig.htm]
In recent years Poland's population has stopped increasing, due to an increase in emigration. In 2005 the census office estimated the total population of Poland at 38,173,835, a slight fall on the 2002 figure of 38,230,080.
Culture
Image:Stanczyk Matejko.JPG Stańczyk.html"_title="Meaning of left left|thumb|"[[Stańczyk"_painted by
Jan Matejko..html" title="Meaning of thumb|"[[Stańczyk">left|thumb|"[[Stańczyk" painted by
Jan Matejko.">thumb|"[[Stańczyk">left|thumb|"[[Stańczyk" painted by
Jan Matejko.
Polish culture has a rich thousand-year history influenced from both west and east. Today, we can see these influences in Polish architecture, folklore and art. Poland has also had a strong influence on the countries surrounding it.
{{seesubarticle|Culture of Poland}}
{{sect-stub}}
UNESCO World Heritage in Poland
*
Warszawa (Old Town)
*
Kraków (Old Town)
*
Wieliczka (Salt mine)
*
Malbork (Biggest Brick Stone Castle)
*
Zamość (Renaissance Town)
*
Toruń (Gothic Town)
*
Oświęcim (
Auschwitz concentration camp)
*
Jawor (Baroque Peace Church)
*
Åšwidnica (Baroque Peace Chruch)
*
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (Pilgrim´s Place)
*
Białowieża Forest (National Park - largest remaining
primeval forest in Europe)
*
Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland and Subcarpathia
*
Park Mużakowski (shared by Poland and Germany)
International rankings
Image:Wladyslaw-Jagiello.jpg Władysław II Jagiełło.html" title="Meaning of right right|240px|thumb|The history of Poland is celebrated worldwide. For example, this equestrian statue of [[Władysław II Jagiełło is on display in
Central Park,
New York City (
United States)..html" title="Meaning of 240px|thumb|The history of Poland is celebrated worldwide. For example, this equestrian statue of [[Władysław II Jagiełło">right|240px|thumb|The history of Poland is celebrated worldwide. For example, this equestrian statue of [[Władysław II Jagiełło is on display in
Central Park,
New York City (
United States).">240px|thumb|The history of Poland is celebrated worldwide. For example, this equestrian statue of [[Władysław II Jagiełło">right|240px|thumb|The history of Poland is celebrated worldwide. For example, this equestrian statue of [[Władysław II Jagiełło is on display in
Central Park,
New York City (
United States).
*
Human Development Index 2005: Rank 36th out of 177 countries.
*
Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2004: Rank 32nd out of 167 countries.
*
Index of Economic Freedom 2005: Rank 41st out of 155 countries.
See also
*
Tourism in Poland
*
Holidays in Poland
*
Extreme points of Poland
*
List of castles of Poland
*
List of cities in Poland
*
List of Poland-related topics
*
List of Poles
*
Polish Armed Forces
*
You forgot Poland
{{portal}}
{{sisterlinks|Poland}}
External links
Governmental websites
* {{en icon}}[http://www.sejm.gov.pl/english.html Sejm] - Sejm - lower chamber of the Parliament
* {{en icon}}[http://www.senat.gov.pl/indexe.htm Senat] - Senate - upper chamber of the Parliament
* {{en icon}}[http://www.president.pl/x.node?id=479 Prezydent] - President of the Republic of Poland
* {{en icon}}[http://www.kprm.gov.pl/english/index.html KPRM] - Prime Minister's Office
* {{en icon}}[http://www.sn.pl/english/index.html Sąd Najwyższy] - Supreme Court
* {{en icon}}[http://www.trybunal.gov.pl/eng/index.htm Trybunał Konstytucyjny] - Constitutional Tribunal
* {{en icon}}[http://www.nbp.pl/Home.aspx?f=srodeken.htm National Bank of Poland]
* {{en icon}}[http://www.poland.pl/ The Poland.pl portal]
* {{en icon}}[http://www.wse.com.pl/ Warsaw Stock Exchange]
* {{en icon}}[http://www.stat.gov.pl/english/index.htm GUS] - Central Statistical Office
* {{en icon}}[http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm Constitution of Poland]
Tourism in Poland
* {{en icon}}[http://www.poland-tourism.pl/start.asp?tf=US Polish National Tourist Office (from pot.gov.pl)]
-
Poland on Wikitravel
English-language websites on Poland
-
Polska /page about Poland
-
PolBlog - Polish News Site
-
Poland and Polish Community Online
-
Centreurope.org: Poland section
-
Warsaw Voice
-
Warsaw Business Journal
-
Parks in Poland National parks, wetlands, biosphere reserves and other protected areas
-
Travel information about several destinations in Poland
-
Krakow-info, comprehensive information service about city of Krakow (Cracow), Poland's premier destination
{{Poland}}
{{EU countries}}
{{NATO}}
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Category:European Union member states
Category:Poland
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{{Link FA|sk}}
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{| class="toccolours" style="text-align: center;width:90%; margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; clear:both;"
|-
| style="width:40px;" |
Image:Flag of Poland.svg 40px|Flag of Poland
! style="background-color: lightsteelblue" |
Poland Republic of Poland
| style="width:40px;" |
Image:Flag of Poland.svg 40px|Flag of Poland
|-
| colspan="3" style="font-size:90%;"|'''
Voivodships of Poland Voivodships''':
Greater Poland Voivodship Greater Poland |
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship Kuyavia-Pomerania |
Lesser Poland Voivodship Lesser Poland |
Lower Silesian Voivodship Lower Silesia |
Lublin Voivodship Lublin |
Lubusz Voivodship Lubusz |
Å?ódź Voivodship Å?ódź |
Masovian Voivodship Masovia |
Opole Voivodship Opole |
Podlasie Voivodship Podlachia |
Pomeranian Voivodship Pomerania |
Silesian Voivodship Silesia |
Subcarpathian Voivodship Subcarpathia |
Świętokrzyskie Voivodship Świętokrzyskie |
Warmia-Masuria Warmia and Masuria |
West Pomeranian Voivodship West Pomerania
'''
List of cities in Poland Principal cities''':
Warsaw .html">Å?ódź
_Kraków .html" title="Meaning of Kraków.html" title="Meaning of Kraków">Kraków ">Poznań
_Gdańsk Wrocław .html" title="Meaning of Gdańsk.html" title="Meaning of Gdańsk">Gdańsk
Wrocław ">
Szczecin .html">Bydgoszcz
_Lublin .html" title="Meaning of Lublin.html" title="Meaning of Lublin">Lublin ">Białystok
_Częstochowa Katowice .html" title="Meaning of Częstochowa.html" title="Meaning of Częstochowa">Częstochowa
Katowice ">
Gdynia .html">Gorzów Wielkopolski
Toruń |
Radom .html">Kielce
_Rzeszów |
Olsztyn
|}
Category:Polish navigational boxes {{PAGENAME}}
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__NOEDITSECTION__
'''''The'' POLAND WIKIPORTAL'''
Image:Flag of Poland with Coat of Arms 640px.png 200px|leftThe '''Republic of Poland''', a
democratic country with a
population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in
Central Europe, between
Germany to the west, the
Czech Republic and
Slovakia to the south,
Ukraine and
Belarus to the east, and the
Baltic Sea,
Lithuania and
Russia (in the form of the
Kaliningrad Oblast exclave) to the north. The Polish
state is over 1,000 years old. In the
16th century, under the
Jagiellon Jagiellonian dynasty, Poland was one of the richest and most powerful countries in Europe. On
May 3 1791 the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania adopted the
May Constitution of Poland, being the first written
constitution of Europe. Soon after Poland ceased to exist for 123 years, upon being
partitions of Poland partitioned by its neighbours
Russia,
Austria and
Prussia. Poland regained independence in
1918, in the aftermath of the
First World War, as the
Second Polish Republic. After the
Second World War it became a
Communism communist satellite state of the
Soviet Union, known as the
People's Republic of Poland. In
1989 the first partially free elections in Poland's post
World War II history concluded the
Solidarity movement's struggle for freedom and resulted in the defeat of Poland's communist rulers. In
1999 Poland became a member of
NATO and in
2004 it acceded to the
European Union.
''Featured article'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Featured| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Featured}}
''Selected picture'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Picture| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Picture}}
''Did you know...'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Did you know| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Did you know}}
''Poems'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish poems| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish poems}}
''Selected anniversaries'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Selected anniversaries| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Selected anniversaries}}
''Cuisine'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish cuisine| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish cuisine}}
''Categories'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Categories| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Categories}}
''In the News'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish News| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish News}}
''People''{{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/People| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/People}}
''Paintings'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish paintings| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish paintings}}
''Quotes'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish quotes| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish quotes}}
''Music'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish music| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish music}}
''Cinema'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Polish cinema| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Polish cinema}}
''Things you can do'' {{ed|Wikiportal:Poland/Opentask| }}
{{Wikiportal:Poland/Opentask}}
''Other Wikiportals''
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Category:Polish wikiportal *
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*** Shopping-Tip: Poland
