Poland (Polish: Polska), officially
the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country
in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the
Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania
to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian
exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 km²
(120,728 sq mi),[1] making it the 69th largest country in the world
and 7th in Europe. Poland's population, concentrated mainly in urban
areas, is over 38.5 million people which makes it the 33rd most
populous country in the world.[2]
The first Polish ruler to adopt Christianity was Mieszko I in 966
(see Baptism of Poland), when the state covered territory similar
to that of present-day Poland. Poland became a kingdom in 1025,
and in 1569 it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania by uniting to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795. Poland regained its independence
in 1918 after World War I but lost it again in World War II, occupied
by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Poland lost over six million
citizens in World War II, and emerged several years later as a communist
country within the Eastern Bloc under the control of the Soviet
Union. In 1989 communist rule was overthrown and Poland became what
is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic".
Poland is a unitary state made up of sixteen voivodeships (Polish:
województwo). Poland is also a member of the European Union,
NATO and OECD.
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Rivers
1.2 Geology
1.3 Mountains and topography
1.4 Lakes
1.5 The coast
1.6 The Desert
1.7 Land use
1.8 Flora and fauna
1.9 Climate
2 Demographics
2.1 Urban Areas
2.2 Ethnicity and religion
3 History
3.1 Prehistory
3.2 Piast dynasty
3.3 Jagiellon dynasty
3.4 Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
3.5 Partitions of Poland
3.6 Reconstitution of Poland
3.7 World War II
3.8 Postwar Communist Poland
3.9 Democratic Poland
4 Politics
5 Administrative divisions
6 Economy
7 Science, technology and education
7.1 Education
7.2 Current situation
7.3 Telecommunication and IT
8 Culture
9 Sports
10 International rankings
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
Geography
Main article: Geography of Poland
Poland’s topographyPoland’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 Northern European Lowlands. Rising gently above these lowlands
is a geographical region comprising the four hilly districts of
moraines and moraine-dammed lakes formed during and after the Pleistocene
ice age. 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-Czestochowa Upland, the
Swietokrzyskie Mountains, and the Carpathian Mountains, including
the Beskids. The highest part of the Carpathians is the Tatra Mountains,
along Poland’s southern border.
Rivers
The longest rivers are the Vistula (Polish: Wisla), 1,047 km (678
miles) long; the Oder (Polish: Odra) – which forms part of
Poland’s western border – 854 km (531 miles) long; its
tributary, the Warta, 808 km (502 miles) long; and the Bug –
a tributary of the Vistula – 772 km (480 miles) long. The
Vistula and the Oder flow into the Baltic Sea, as do numerous smaller
rivers in Pomerania. The Lyna and the Angrapa flow by way of the
Pregolya to the Baltic, and the Czarna Hancza 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
Poland-Lithuania was the breadbasket of Europe, the shipment of
grain and other agricultural products down the Vistula toward Gdansk
and onward to eastern Europe took on great importance. For an overview
of Polish rivers, see Category:Rivers of Poland.
Geology
Granite crags of the High TatrasThe 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 Carpathians. 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-Czestochowa
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 Kraków-Czestochowa
Upland is one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth.
Mountains and topography
The Pieniny in the CarpathiansPoland has 21 mountains over 2,000
metres (6,561 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, 2,499 metres (8, 199 ft) in elevation.
At its foot lies the mountain lake, the Morskie Oko. The second-highest
mountain group in Poland is the Beskids, whose highest peak is Babia
Góra, at 1,725 metres (5,659 ft). The next highest mountain
group is the Karkonosze, whose highest point is Sniezka, at 1,602
metres (5,256 ft). Among the most beautiful mountains of Poland
are the Bieszczady Mountains in the far southeast of Poland, whose
highest point in Poland is Tarnica, with an elevation of 1,346 metres
(4,416 ft). Tourists also frequent the Gorce Mountains in Gorce
National Park, with elevations around 1,300 metres (4,300 ft), and
the Pieniny in Pieniny National Park, with elevations around 1,000
metres (3,300 ft). The lowest point in Poland—at 2 metres
(7 ft) below sea level—is at Raczki Elblaskie, near Elblag
in the Vistula Delta. For a list of the most important mountain
ranges of Poland, see the Category:Mountain ranges of Poland.
Lakes
Roznowskie Lake, near Roznów in southeastern PolandWith almost
ten thousand closed bodies of water covering more than one hectare
(2.47 acres) each, Poland has one of the highest numbers of lakes
in the world. In Europe, only Finland has a greater density of lakes.
The largest lakes, covering more than 100 square kilometers (38.6
square miles), are Lake Sniardwy and Lake Mamry in Masuria, as well
as Lake Lebsko 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 100 metres (328
ft)—is Lake Hancza in the Wigry Lake District, east of Masuria
in Podlaskie Voivodship.
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 Goplo. The first historically
documented ruler of Poland, Duke Mieszko I, had his palace on an
island in the Warta River in Poznan.
For the most important lakes of Poland, see the Category:Lakes
of Poland.
The coast
Dunes in Slowinski National ParkThe Polish Baltic coast is approximately
528 kilometres (328 miles) long and extends from Swinoujscie 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 Lebsko
Lake in Slowinski 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, Gdansk, Szczecin, and Swinoujscie.
The main coastal resorts are Sopot, Miedzyzdroje, Kolobrzeg, Leba,
Wladyslawowo, and the Hel Peninsula.
The Desert
Bledów Desert the only desert in Poland.Bledów Desert
is a desert located in Southern Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship
and stretches over the Zaglebie Dabrowskie region. It has a total
area of 32 km². It is the only desert located in Poland. It
is one of only five natural deserts in Europe. It is the warmest
desert that appears at this latitude. It was created thousands of
years ago by a melting glacier. The specific geological structure
has been of big importance - the average thickness of the sand layer
is about 40 meters (maximum 70 m), which made the fast and deep
drainage very easy. In recent years the desert has started to shrink.
The phenomenon of mirages has been known to exist there.
Land use
The patchwork landscape of MasuriaForests cover 28% of Poland’s
land area. More than half of the land is devoted to agriculture.
While the total area under cultivation is declining, the remaining
farmland is more intensively cultivated.
More than 1% of Poland’s territory — 3,145 square kilometres
(1,214 square miles) — is protected within 23 national parks.
In this respect, Poland ranks first in Europe. Three more national
parks are projected for Masuria, the Cracow-Czestochowa 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 also many areas designated
as landscape parks, and numerous nature reserves.
Flora and fauna
A wisent in the Bialowieza ForestMany 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 Bialowieza Forest and in Podlachia.
Other such species include the brown bear in Bialowieza, 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. In the forests, one also encounters
game animals, such as red deer, roe deer, and boars. In eastern
Poland there are a number of ancient woodlands, like Bialowieza,
that have never been cleared by people. There are also large forested
areas in the mountains, Masuria, Pomerania, and Lower Silesia.
Family of White stork, a national bird in PolandPoland 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. In Masuria, there are villages in which
storks outnumber people.
Climate
The climate is mostly temperate throughout the country. The climate
is oceanic in the north and west and becomes gradually warmer and
continental as one moves south and east. Summers are generally warm,
with average temperatures between 20 °C (68 °F) and 27 °C
(80,6 °F). Winters are cold, with average temperatures around
3 °C (37,4 °F) in the northwest and –8 °C (17,6
°F) in the northeast. Precipitation falls throughout the year,
although, especially in the east; winter is drier than summer. The
warmest region in Poland is Lesser Poland located in Southern Poland
where temperatures in the summer average between 23 °C (73,4
°F) and 30 °C (86 °F) but can go as high as 32 °C
(89,6 °F) to 38 °C (100,4 °F) on some days in the warmest
month of the year July. The warmest city in Poland is Tarnów.
The city is located in Lesser Poland; it is the hottest place in
Poland all year round. The average temperatures being 30 °C
(86 °F) in the summer and 4 °C (39,2 °F) in the winter.
Tarnów also has the longest summer in Poland spreading from
mid May to mid September. Also it has the shortest winter in Poland
which often lasts from January to March, less than the regular three-month
winter. The coldest region of Poland is in the Northeast in the
Podlachian Voivodeship near the border of Belarus. The climate is
efficient due to cold fronts which come from Scandinavia and Siberia.
The average temperature in the winter in Podlachian ranges from
-15 °C (5 °F) to -4 °C ( 24,8 °F).
Demographics
For more details on this topic, see Demographics of Poland.
Three generations in West Pomerania after World War II: Pomnik Czynu
Polaków, SzczecinPoland, with 38.5 million 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).
Poland historically contained many languages, cultures and religions
on its soil. The country had a particularly large Jewish population
prior to the Second World War, when the Nazi Holocaust caused Poland's
Jewish population, estimated at 3 million before the war, to drop
to just 300,000. The outcome of the war, particularly the westward
shift of Poland's borders to the area between the Curzon line and
the Oder-Neisse line, coupled with post-war expulsion of minorities,
gave Poland an appearance of homogeneity.
As of 2002, 36,983,700 people, or 96.74% of the population consider
themselves Polish (Census 2002), while 471,500 (1.23%) declared
another nationality. 774,900 people (2.03%) did not declare any
nationality. The largest nationalities and ethnic groups in Poland
are Silesians, Germans (most in the former Opole Voivodeship), Ukrainians,
Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Belarusians. The Polish language,
a member of the West Slavic branch of the Slavic languages, functions
as the official language of Poland. English and German are the most
common second languages studied and spoken.
In recent years, Poland's population has decreased because of an
increase in emigration and a sharp drop in the birth rate. In 2006,
the census office estimated the total population of Poland at 38,536,869,
a slight rise on the 2002 figure of 38,230,080. Since Poland's accession
to the European Union, a significant number of Poles have immigrated
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 due to Poland's high unemployment
rate (11.4%), 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.
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 the Poland can be found in the United
States.
Urban Areas
The largest metropolitan areas in Poland are the Upper Silesian
Coal Basin centred on Katowice (3.5 million inhabitants); the capital,
Warsaw (3 million); Lódz (1.3 million); Kraków (1.3
million); the “Tricity” of Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia in the
Vistula delta (1.1 million); Poznan (0.9 million); Wroclaw (0.9
million); and Szczecin (0.9 million). For an overview of Polish
cities, see List of cities in Poland.
Ethnicity and religion
In terms of ethnicity, Poland has been a homogeneous state since
the end of World War II. This is a major departure from much of
Polish history. Due to the Holocaust and the flight and expulsion
of German and Ukrainian populations, Poland has become almost uniformly
Catholic. About 97% of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic
Church, with 58% as practising Catholics according to 2005 survey
by the Centre for Public Opinion Research.[3] Though rates of religious
observance are currently lower than they have been in the past,
Poland remains one of the most devoutly religious countries in Europe.
Religious minorities include Polish Orthodox (1.3% or about 509,500),
Jehovah’s Witnesses (0.3% or about 123,034), Eastern Catholics
(0.2%), Lutherans (0.2%), and smaller minorities of Mariavites,
Polish Catholics, Pentecostals, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jews, Muslims
(including the Tatars of Bialystok) and various Protestants (about
86,880 in the largest Evangelical-Augsburg Church, plus about as
many in smaller churches). Resulting from the socio-political emancipation
of the county, freedom of religion has become guaranteed by the
1989 statute of the Polish constitution,[4] allowing for the emergence
of additional denominations.[5] However, due to pressure from the
Polish Episcopate, exposition of doctrine has entered public education
system as well, drawing criticism from the popular media, as unconstitutional.[6][7]
According to 2007 survey, 72% of respondents were not against the
fostering of catechism in public schools; nevertheless, the alternative
courses in ethics have become available only in one percent of the
entire public educational system.[8]
Poles (including Silesians and Kashubians) make up an overwhelming
99.3% majority of the Polish population. According to the 2002 census,
the remainder of the population is made up of small minorities of
Germans (152,897), Belarusians (c. 49,000), and Ukrainians (c. 30,000),
as well as Tatars, Lithuanians, Roma, Lemkos, Russians, Karaites,
Slovaks, and Czechs. Among foreign citizens, the Vietnamese are
the largest ethnic group, followed by Greeks, and Armenians.
History
History of Poland
Chronology
Until 966
966–1385
1385–1569
1569–1795
1795–1918
1918–1939
1939–1945
1945–1989
1989–present
Topics
Culture
Demography (Jews)
Economics
Politics (Monarchs and Presidents)
Military (Wars)
Territorial changes (WWII)
Main article: History of Poland
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistory of Poland (until 966)
It was postulated that throughout Late Antiquity, many distinct
ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now known as Poland.
The exact ethnicity and linguistic affiliation of these groups was
hotly debated. The politically charged discussion on the origins
of the Slavs; historically two partially opposing views are held:
allochtonic or autochtonic. The purely allochtonic view is historic
and has no scholar defending it, many scholars now tend toward an
autochtonic view, the most radical of which is the theory of Paleolithic
continuity.[9]
The most famous archeological find from the Poland's prehistory
is the Biskupin fortified settlement, dating from the Lusatian culture
of the early Iron Age, around 700 BC.
Piast dynasty
Main article: History of Poland (966-1385)
Poland between 996 and 1020 (shadowed:today borders)Poland began
to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around
the middle of the tenth 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 twelfth century, Poland fragmented
into several smaller states. In 1320, Wladyslaw I became the King
of a reunified Poland. His son, Kazimierz III, is remembered as
one of the greatest Polish kings.
Poland was also a centre of migration of peoples and the Jewish
community began to settle and flourish in Poland during this era
(see History of the Jews in Poland). The Black Death which affected
most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351 did not reach Poland.[10]
Jagiellon dynasty
Main article: History of Poland (1385-1569)
Under the Jagiellon dynasty Poland forged an alliance 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. 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 in that time.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Main article: History of Poland (1569-1795)
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at its greatest extentA 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.
During the Golden Age period, Poland expanded its borders to become
the largest country in Europe.
In the mid-seventeenth century, a Swedish invasion ("The Deluge")
and Cossack's Chmielnicki Uprising which ravaged the country marked
the end of the golden age. 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. The reforms, particularly those of the Great
Sejm, which passing of the Constitution of May 3, 1791, second modern
constitution of the world, were thwarted with the three partitions
of Poland (1772, 1793, and 1795) which ended with Poland's being
erased from the map and its territories being divided between Russia,
Prussia, and Austria.
Partitions of Poland
Main article: History of Poland (1795-1918)
Poles would resent their fate and would several times rebel against
the partitioners, particularly in the nineteenth century. In 1807
Napoleon recreated a Polish state, the Duchy of Warsaw, but after
the Napoleonic wars, Poland was again divided in 1815 by the victorious
Allies at the Congress of Vienna. The eastern portion was ruled
by the Russian Czar as a Congress Kingdom, and possessed a liberal
constitution. However, the Czars soon reduced Polish freedoms and
Russia eventually de facto annexed the country. Later in the nineteenth
century, Austrian-ruled Galicia, particularly the Free City of Kraków,
became a centre of Polish cultural life.
Reconstitution of Poland
Main article: History of Poland (1918-1939)
Poland between 1922 and 1938During 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 surrender of 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.
The 1926 May Coup of Józef Pilsudski turned the reins of
the Second Polish Republic over to the Sanacja movement.
World War II
Main article: History of Poland (1939-1945)
The Sanacja movement controlled Poland until the start of World
War II in 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded on September 1 and the
Soviet Union followed on September 17. Warsaw capitulated on September
28, 1939. As agreed in the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, Poland was split
into two zones, one occupied by Germany while the eastern provinces
fell under the control of the Soviet Union.
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 77,500 square kilometres (29,900 sq mi). The shift forced the
migration of millions of people, most of whom were Poles, Germans,
Ukrainians, and Jews. The main German Nazi death camps were in Poland.
Of a pre-war population of 3,300,000 Polish Jews, 3,000,000 were
killed during the Holocaust.
Postwar Communist Poland
Main article: History of Poland (1945-1989)
At the end of World War II, the gray territories were transferred
from Poland to the Soviet Union, and the pink territories from Germany
to PolandThe 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 Wladyslaw Gomulka became temporarily more liberal, freeing many
people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. Similar
situation repeated itself in the 1970s under Edward Gierek, but
most of the time persecution of communist opposition persisted.
Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent
trade union "Solidarity" ("Solidarnosc"), 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
Walesa, a Solidarity candidate, eventually won the presidency in
1990. The Solidarity movement heralded the collapse of communism
across Eastern Europe.
Democratic Poland
Main article: History of Poland (1989-present)
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 became the
first post-communist country to reach its pre-1989 GDP levels.[citation
needed] Most visibly, there were numerous improvements in other
human rights, such as free speech. In 1991, Poland became a member
of the Visegrad Group and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) alliance in 1999 along with the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Poles then voted to join the European Union in a referendum in June
2003, with Poland becoming a full member on May 1, 2004.
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Poland and Foreign relations of Poland
Poland is a social democracy, with a President as a Head of State,
whose current constitution dates from 1997. The government structure
centres 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 bicameral
judicial lower house (the Sejm). The president is elected by popular
vote every five years. The current president is Lech Kaczynski,
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 Senate, on the other hand, is elected under a rare plurality
bloc voting method where several candidates with the highest support
are elected from each constituency. 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 Senate 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 (Trybunal Stanu); and when a President's
permanent incapacity to exercise his duties due to 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 Poland (Sad
Najwyzszy); the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland (Naczelny
Sad Administracyjny); the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland (Trybunal
Konstytucyjny); and the State Tribunal of Poland (Trybunal Stanu).
On the approval of the Senate, the Sejm also appoints the Ombudsman
or the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich)
for a five-year term. 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
For more details on this topic, see Administrative division of Poland.
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 10,000 km² (Opole Voivodeship)
to more than 35,000 km² (Masovian Voivodeship). Administrative
authority at voivodeship level is shared between a government-appointed
voivode (governor), an elected regional assembly (sejmik) and an
executive elected by that assembly.
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.
Division of Poland into voivodeships and powiatsVoivodeship Capital
city or cities
in Polish
Greater Poland Wielkopolskie Poznan
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Kujawsko-Pomorskie Bydgoszcz / Torun
Lesser Poland Malopolskie Kraków
Lódz Lódzkie Lódz
Lower Silesian Dolnoslaskie Wroclaw
Lublin Lubelskie Lublin
Lubusz Lubuskie Gorzów Wielkopolski / Zielona Góra
Masovian Mazowieckie Warsaw
Opole Opolskie Opole
Podlachian Podlaskie Bialystok
Pomeranian Pomorskie Gdansk
Silesian Slaskie Katowice
Subcarpathian Podkarpackie Rzeszów
Swietokrzyskie Swietokrzyskie Kielce
Warmian-Masurian Warminsko-Mazurskie Olsztyn
West Pomeranian Zachodniopomorskie Szczecin
Economy
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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references.
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For more details on this topic, see Economy of Poland.
Financial centre of Warsaw, Poland's capital and largest cityPoland
is considered to have the strongest economy of all Eastern European
countries, with GDP growing by 6.1% in 2006.[11] Since the fall
of communism, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalising
the economy and today stands out as a successful example of the
transition from a state-directed economy to a primarily privately
owned market economy.
The privatisation of small and medium state-owned companies and
a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed the development
of an aggressive private sector. As a consequence, consumer rights
organizations have also appeared. Restructuring and privatisation
of "sensitive sectors" such as coal, steel, railways,
and energy has been continuing since 1990. Between 2007 and 2010,
the government plans to float twenty public companies on the Polish
stock market, including parts of the coal industry. To date (2007),
the biggest privatisations have been the sale of the national telecoms
firm Telekomunikacja Polska to France Telecom in 2000, and an issue
of 30% of the shares in Poland's largest bank, PKO Bank Polski,
on the Polish stockmarket in 2004.
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 in the Central Europe in foreign
investment.[12] 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,[citation needed] with 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%. For 2007, the government has
set a target for GDP growth at 6.5 to 7.0%.[citation needed]
The long standing head of the National Bank of Poland, Leszek Balcerowicz,
was replaced by Slawomir Skrzypek in January 2007. At first the
markets reacted sceptically and fell,[citation needed] but since
then have stabilized and then risen sharply.
Recent annual growth rates by quarters have been:[vague]
A one hundred zloty noteAlthough 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 European Single
Currency (Euro). There is much speculation as to just when Poland
might be allowed to join the Eurozone, though this will likely be
sometime after 2012 or 2013.[13] For now, Poland is preparing to
make the Euro its official currency (though it has not joined the
ERM yet), and the Zloty may eventually be replaced by Euro in the
Polish economy.
Since joining the European Union, many Poles have left their country
to work in other EU countries (particularly Ireland and the UK)
because of high unemployment, which is currently the second-highest
in the EU with 8.8% in September 2007 (was 14.2% in May 2006).[14]
Commodities produced in Poland include: electronics, cars (including
the luxurious Leopard car), buses (Autosan, Jelcz SA, Solaris, Solbus),
helicopters (PZL Swidnik), transport equipment, locomotives, planes
(PZL Mielec), ships, military engineering (including tanks, SPAAG
systems), medicines (Polpharma, Polfa), food, clothes, glass, pottery
(Boleslawiec), chemical products and others.
Science, technology and education
For a more detailed treatment of this topic, see the subarticles
Polish science and technology and Education in Poland.
Education
The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as
the 12th century, and Poland soon became one of the most educated
European countries. The library catalogue of the Cathedral Chapter
of Kraków dating back to 1110 shows that already in the early
12th century Polish intellectuals had access to the European literature.
In 1364, in Kraków, the Jagiellonian University, founded
by King Casimir III, became one of Europe's great early universities.
In 1773 King Stanislaw August Poniatowski established his Commission
on National Education (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), the world's
first state ministry of education.
Current situation
Today Poland has more than a hundred tertiary education institutions;
traditional universities to be found in its major cities of Bialystok,
Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Lódz,
Olsztyn, Opole, Poznan, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Torun, Warsaw,
Wroclaw and Zielona Góra 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.
According to Frost & Sullivan's Country Industry Forecast the
country becoming an interesting location for research and development
investments [15]. Multinational companies such as: ABB, Delphi,
GlaxoSmithKline, Google, Hewlett–Packard, IBM, Intel, LG Electronics
and Microsoft, set up their R&D centres in Poland. Motorola
in Kraków, Siemens in Wroclaw and Samsung in Warszawa are
one of the largest owned by those companies [16]. Over 40 R&D
centres, and 4,500 of researchers makes Poland biggest R&D hub
in the Central and Eastern Europe [17]. 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 [18].
According to KPMG report [19] 80% of Poland's current investors
are contented with their choice and willing to reinvest. In 2006
Intel decided to double the number of employees in its R&D centre[20].
The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated
by the OECD, currently ranks Poland's education as the 23rd best
in the world, being neither significantly higher nor lower than
the OECD average.[2]
Telecommunication and IT
For a more detailed treatment of this topic, see the subarticles
Communications in Poland and 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 value of the telecommunication market is zl 38.2bn (2006),
and it grew by 12.4% in 2007 PMR [3]
the coverage mobile cellular is over 1000 users per 1000 people
(2007)
Telephones—mobile cellular: 38.7 million (Onet.pl & GUS
Report, 2007)
Telephones—main lines in use: 12.5 million (Telecom Team Report,
2005)
Culture
For more details on this topic, see Culture of Poland.
Polish architecture: Main Market Square in Kraków. St Mary's
Basilica (left), Sukiennice (centre), Town Hall Tower (right)Polish
culture has been influenced by both Eastern and Western 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 Sklodowska Curie, Kazimierz Pulaski,
Nicolaus Copernicus and Frederic Chopin.
The character of Polish art always reflected world trends. The
famous Polish painter, Jan Matejko included many significant historical
events in his paintings. Also a famous person in history of Polish
art was Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz. He was an example of a Polish
Renaissance Man. Polish literature dates back to 1100s[21] and includes
many famous poets and writers such as Jan Kochanowski, Adam Mickiewicz,
Boleslaw Prus, Juliusz Slowacki, Witold Gombrowicz, Stanislaw Lem
and, Ryszard Kapuscinski. Writers Henryk Sienkiewicz, Wladyslaw
Reymont, Czeslaw Milosz, Wislawa Szymborska have each won the Nobel
Prize for Literature.
Many world renowned Polish movie directors include Academy Awards
winners Roman Polanski, Andrzej Wajda, Zbigniew Rybczynski, Janusz
Kaminski and, Krzysztof Kieslowski. The traditional Polish music
composers include world-renowned pianist Frederic Chopin as well
as famous composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Mikolaj
Górecki, Karol Szymanowski, and others.
Notable foods in Polish cuisine include Polish sausage, red beet
soup, Polish dumplings, tripe soup, cabbage rolls, Oscypek, Polish
pork chops, Polish traditional stew, various potato dishes, a fast
food sandwich zapiekanka, and many more. Traditional Polish desserts
include Polish doughnuts, Polish gingerbread and others.
Sports
Main article: Sport in Poland
International rankings
Index Rank Countries
reviewed
Human Development Index 2006 37th 177
Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index 2006 58th 168
Index of Economic Freedom 2007 87th 157
Summary Innovation Index 2005 27th 33
UNICEF Child Well-being league table 14th 21
Networked Readiness Index 2006-2007 58th 122
CONTACT
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