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Poland

Poland officially the Republic of Poland.

It lies in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north.

It has a population of over 38million people. Warsaw is the capital city.

Location

The culture of Poland is closely connected with its 1000 year history.

Politics Poland is a democracy, with a president as a head of state. The government structure centers on the Council of Ministers, led by a Prime Minister. The president is elected by popular vote every five years.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk President of PolandBronisaw Komorowski

Pope John Paul II

Lech Wasa(ex-president)

Poland is the birthplace of many distinguished personalities:

Wisawa Szymborska(a poet)

Mikoaj Kopernik(an astronomer)

Maria Curie Skodowska(a scientist)Fryderyk Chopin(a pianist)

Andrzej Wajda(a film director)

Roman Polaski(a film director)Daniel Olbrychski(an actor)

Violetta Villas(a singer)Aneta Krglicka(Miss World 1989)Edyta Grniak(a singer)

Adam Maysz

Robert Kubica

Zbigniew BoniekJustyna KowalczykSPORT

GeographyThe Republic of Poland is situated in the central region of the European continent; it is mainly flat. However, you can find mountain ranges, highlands and plateaus in the south. In the north there are lakes and the sea.

Tourist attractions

Polish Mountains The Polish mountains have a lot to offer both in summer and in winter as a destination for sightseeing and sports. Winter sports (skiing, snowboarding) can be practised in most regions. In summer, they are popular with hikers, mountain bikers, paragliders and mountaineers.

The Tatra Mountains

The Tatras is a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. Rysy is the highest mountain (2,499 m).

Bieszczady is the Polish name for a mountain range in the extreme south-east, extending into Ukraine and Slovakia. The highest parts are very attractive areas for tourists, in particular, for hiking and horse riding. You can find there many species of animals such as: deer, snake, wildcat, brown bear, wolf and golden eagle.Bieszczady

Sudety

The Sudety Mountain region forms one of the best holiday destinations in Poland. You can see historic monuments, visit vintage spas and have an experience of well-conducted agro tourism.

The Polish Jura consists of a hilly landscape with Jurassic limestone rocks, cliffs, valleys and vast limestone formations, featuring some 220 caves. It is visited by roughly 400,000 visitors a year.The Krakw-Czstochowa Upland

The mine, built in the 13th century, is one of the world's oldest salt mines still in operation. The mine's attractions include statues and a chapel that has been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually.The Wieliczka Salt Mine

Biaowieski National Park is the oldest national park in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. This immense forest is the home of some remarkable animal life including rare and interesting mammals. Biaowieski National Park has been inscribed on the World Heritage List. Biaowieski National Park

Malbork CastleMalbork Castle is the largest castle in the world by surface area, and the largest brick building in Europe, built in 1270.

The Masurian Lake District is a lake district in north-eastern Poland. There are more than 2,000 lakes. The district has been elected as one of the 28 finalists of the New7Wonders of Nature.Masurian Lakes

Sowiski National Park is situated on the Baltic coast. The "moving dunes" are regarded as a curiosity of nature on a European scale.Moving dunes

The Baltic Sea is one of the fascinating areas with a rich history and an unspoiled nature. Polish sea resorts offer wonderful vacation opportunities. Baltic Sea

Poland and Ukraine will be hosting the European Football Championships in 2012!

Traditional food:

PierogiGobkiOscypek

Bigos

The biggest cities in Poland

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. Its population is about 2 mln residents. It is an important economic center in Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw has many tourist attractions; the Old Town, the Royal Castle and Nowy wiat.Warsaw

Krakw was named the official European Capital of Culture for the year 2000 by the European Union. It is a major attraction for both local and international tourists, attracting seven million visitors a year. Main landmarks include the Market Square with St. Mary's Basilica and the Sukiennice Cloth Hall, the Wawel Castle and the medieval St Florian's Gate. Krakw - Cracow

The city lies on the southern edge of Gdask Bay (of the Baltic Sea) close to the cities of Gdynia and Sopot, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity. Gdask is Poland's principal seaport.Gdask

Sopot is a major health-spa and tourist resort destination. It has the longest wooden pier in Europe. The city is also famous for its Sopot International Song Festival, the largest such event in Europe after the Eurovision Song Contest.Sopot

d

d is situated in the central Poland. It is the third-largest city with a population of 700,000. It is the capital of d Province.

d

d first appears in the written record in a 1332 document. A constant influx of workers, businessmen and craftsmen from all over Europe transformed d into the main textile industry city. Soon it became the second-largest city in Poland. HistorySigillum oppidi Lodzia 157

One of the most important d industrialists was Karl Wilhelm Scheibler. In 1852 he came here and together with Julius Schwarz started buying property and building several factories. Later on Scheibler bought out Schwarz's share and thus became the owner of a large business.

Scheiblers factory

Ever since the industrial revolution, d has been a City of Four Cultures: Polish, German, Russian and Jewish.

d is famous for its Film School. The Leon Schiller's National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in d is the most notable academy for future actors, directors, photographers, camera operators and TV staff in Poland.Hollyd

Monuments

The largest 19th century textile factory complex which was built by Izrael Poznanski has been turned into a shopping centre called "Manufaktura" which is an example of a modern business operating in restored nineteenth century buildings. Now it is the biggest shopping centre in Poland and one the largest in Europe.

Poznaskis Palace

Piotrkowska Street is the main artery and attraction stretching for over five kilometres, making it (one of) the longest commercial streets in the world.

Piotrkowska Street

Although d does not have any hills nor any large body of water, one can still get close to nature in one of the city's many parks; agiewniki - the largest city park in Europe.

agiewniki

Atlas Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in d. The biggest concerts and sports events are held there. Roger Waters, A-ha, Depeche Mode, Rammstein, Tokio Hotel, Shakira, 30 Seconds to Mars, Sade and Rihanna have given their performances in the Atlas.Atlas Arena

The New York Times placed d in the list of The Places to Go in 2012

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