Background

Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

Poland

covers 312,685 km2, making it the world’s 63rd largest country and Europe’s 9th largest. The country nearly 39 million inhabitants are 96% Polish, 4% ethnic minorities – mainly Germans, Byelorussians. The official language is Polish, the currency the zloty (of which 1 is made up of 100 groszy).

The country is a pluralistic democracy with a parliament elected by universal suffrage every four years, 460 deputies sit in its Sejm or lower house, 100 senators in its Senat. The president of the Republic is in turn elected every 5 years. The legal foundations of the Third Republic of Poland are as set out in the Constitution of April 2nd 1997.

The emblem of Poland is a white eagle in a golden crown facing right, with a golden break and claws, set against a red rectangular field. The Polish colours are red and white and these are arranged horizontally on the country’s flag with white above and red below.

Territorial division of the state includes 16 voivodships (province-regions), 315 poviats (counties) plus 65 towns with poviat rights and 2489 urban, urban-rural, and rural. The nation’s capital is Warsaw.

The Polish calendar includes 11 public holidays ahich are either national commemorations (Labopur Day – November 11th) or days of religious significance (two days at Easter, Corpus Christi, August 15th – the holiday of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, November 1st –All Saints Day, December 25th and 26th – Christmas Day and Boxing Day) plus January 1st – New Year’s Day.

The Landscape

of the country varied, with the southern mountain belt of varying height, geological structure and age giving way to the north to an extensive upland, then a central plane as flat as pancake, a series of picturesque lakelands, forests and marshes some way in form the coast and the coastal belt itself. Rivers thus range from fast-flowing mountain brooks to lazily meandering lowland rivers both big and small.

The southern border with Slovakia is formed by the Western Carpathians. South west of the country bordering with the Czech Republic boasts the Sudety range – Poland’s second highest mountains. North of the Sudety there begins the belt of Central Polish Lowlands extending all the way to the eastern border, and contiguous with plains of similar kind going all the way to the Urals, included within the Polish part are the Silesian, Greater Poland (Wielkopolska), Mazovian (Mazowsze), podlasie and Polesie-Lublin Plains, with their peaceful rustic landscape. North of the plains, and again extending across the whole country and beyond is a Lakeland belt. This comprises the Wielkopolska and Pomeranian lakelands west of the River Vistula, as well as the famous Mazurian Lakeland to the east. The lakes lie in the depressions between relatively high elevations, with the entire landscape having been :bulldozed: into this kind of shape by the ice sheets of the last Ice Age. The Mazurian Lakeland has the greatest number of lakes and the biggest. The Baltic Coast in turn features a lowland plain with two particular depressions where the Rivers Oder (Odr) and Vistula (Wisła) meander down to the sea. However, while most most of the shore is flat and sandy, with spits, lagoons and dunes, there are streches of steep and relatively high cliffs, being continually regenerated by the cutting action of the waves below.

Largest Polish cities worth seen

Warszawa

the capital city of Poland. www.warsawtour.pl is the Official Tourist Portal of Warsaw where you will find all the necessary information to learn about the city. You may also plan your visit to Warsaw with www.e-warsaw.pl

Kraków

has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish scientific, cultural and artistic life. As the former national capital with a history encompassing more than a thousand years, the city remains the spiritual heart of Poland. For information about the city go to www.cracowonline.com, www.cracow.com, www.cracow-life.com

Łódź

is the third-largest city in Poland. If you plan your trip to Łodź, please learn about the city www.uml.lodz.pl, www.cityoflodz.pl

Wrocław

is the chief city of the historical region of Lower Silesia in south-western Poland, situated on the Oder river. Over the centuries the city has been part of Poland, Bohemia, Austria, and Germany. If you want to learn about history of the city and tourist attractions please visit www.wroclaw.pl

Poznań

is the fifth-largest city in Poland. To learn about the city click here

Gdańsk

is Poland's principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is also historically the largest city of the Kasubian region. The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk (of the Baltic Sea) in a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity. Learn more on www.gdansk.pl, www.promotion.com.pl/webcm/gdansk_city

Photo: WIKIPEDIA