Poland

  

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Poland

Definition: Poland

Poland

Noun

1. A republic in central Europe; the invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939 started World War II.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "Poland" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1588. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: History of Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

 This article is the top of
 the History of Poland series.
 Early history of Poland (until 1385)
 The Jagiellon Era
 The Noble Republic
 Partitioned Poland (1795-1914)
 Independence of Poland Regained
 History of Poland (1939-1945)
 People's Republic of Poland
 History of Poland (1989-present)

Over the past millennium, the name Poland has been applied to a shifting territorial base. At one time, in the 16th century, Poland was the largest state in Europe after Russia. At other times there was no separate Polish state at all. Poland regained its independence in 1918, after more than a century of rule by its neighbours.

Early history of Poland (until 1385)

Main article: Early history of Poland (until 1385)

Traditional histories of Poland begin with the Polanian tribe ruled by Duke Mieszko I, who became duke of the Polanian tribes around 962 and adopted Christianity in 966 following his marriage to the Czech princess Dubrawka. His country would generations later become Poland, but there was no unified Polish nation at that time, only an assortment of Slavic tribes speaking different dialects such as the (Pomeranian) of the north.

Some historians even question whether Mieszko was Slavic and suggest that he was Scandinavian, and have seen evidence to support this claim in one of the earliest written documents about Mieszko (the Dagome Iudex), where he appears under the name Dagome, which they say could be the Scandinavian name Dago. Some military equipment found in Poland and dated to around Mieszko's time has been claimed to be of Scandinavian appearance, though archaeologists today are generally skeptical, and there is no trace of characteristically Scandinavian architecture among the remains of the Polanian structures, not even in the leaders' quarters. (See summary of arguments at Scandinavian connections to Mieszko I).

Mieszko's successor Boleslaus I extended the early state, and give it international recognition due meeting at the tomb of Saint Adalbert with the emperor of Holy Roman Empire. Given to him by the emperor, title of king was taken in 1025. But at the death of Boleslaus III (1138) the kingdom was divided among his sons, inaugurating the 192-year Fragmentation period (in Polish, Rozbicie dzielnicowe), during which Poland was divided into a number of principalities.

The Jagiellon Era (1385-1572)

Main article: The Jagiellon Era

The restoration of royal power under Ladislaus I (1320) and dynastic union (1386) with the grand duchy of Lithuania to the north-east paved the way for the extension of Polish power far to the east and the creation (Lublin union, 1569) of a unified Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita) stretching from the Baltic and the Carpathians to present-day Belarus and western Ukraine.

In the north-west, the Teutonic Knights, in control of Prussia since the 13th century, were forced after their defeats by a combined Polish-Lithuanian force in the Battle of Grunwald (1410) and in the later Thirteen Years War to surrender to the Polish crown the western half of the territory they had controlled (the areas known afterwards as Royal Prussia) and to accept Polish suzerainty over the remainder (the later Ducal Prussia) in the 1466 Second Treaty of Thorn.

During this period Poland became the home to Europe's largest Jewish population, as royal edicts guaranteeing Jewish safety and religious freedom from the 13th century contrasted with bouts of persecution in western Europe, especially following the Black Death of 1348-1349, blamed by some in the West on Jews themselves. Much of Poland suffered relatively little from the outbreak, while Jewish immigration brought valuable manpower and skills for the rising state. The greatest increase in Jewish numbers occurred in the 18th century, when Jews came to make up 7% of the population.

The Noble Republic (1572-1795)

Main article: The Noble Republic

Although most accounts of Polish history show the two centuries after the end of the Jagiellon dynasty as a time of decline leading to foreign domination, Poland-Lithuania remained an influential player in European politics and a vital cultural entity through most of the period.

Partitioned Poland (1795-1914)

''Main article: Partitioned Poland (1795-1914)

Polish independence ended in a series of partitions (1772, 1793 and 1795) undertaken by Russia, Prussia and Austria, with Russia gaining most of the Commonwealth's territory including nearly all of the former Lithuania. Austria gained the populous southern region henceforth named Galicia, as well as the area to its north-east, named Lodomeria by its new Habsburg rulers. Prussia acquired the western lands from the Baltic to Krakow, as well as Warsaw and territories to the north-east. The last heroic attempt to save Poland's independence was a national uprising (1794) led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, however it was eventually quenched.

Following the French emperor Napoleon I's defeat of Prussia, a Polish state was again set up in 1807 under French tutelage as the Duchy of Warsaw. Upon Austria's defeat in 1809, Lodomeria was added, giving the new state a population of some 3.75 million, a quarter of that of the former commonwealth. Polish nationalists were to remain among the staunchest allies of the French as the tide of war turned against them, inaugurating a relationship that continued into the twentieth century.

With Napoleon's defeat, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 converted most of the grand duchy into a Kingdom of Poland ruled by the Russian Tsar. Several national uprisings were bloodily subdued by the partitioning powers. However, Polish patriotism and striving for regaining independence could not extinguished by them. The opportunity for freedom appeared only after the WWI when the opressing states were defeated or weakened.

Independence Regained (1914-1939)

Main article: Independence of Poland Regained

The upcoming World War I and the political turbulence that was sweeping throughout Europe in 1914 offered the Polish nation hopes for regaining independence. By the end of World War I, Poland had seen the defeat or retreat of all three occupying powers. The new Polish state had had only 20 years of relative stability and peace before Poland's aggresive, totalitarian neigbours tried to wipe her from the map of Europe again.

World War II in Poland (1939-1945)

''Main article: History of Poland (1939-1945)

On August 23, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Ribbentrop-Molotov nonaggression pact, which secretly provided for the dismemberment of Poland into Nazi and Soviet-controlled zones. On September 1, 1939, Hitler ordered his troops into Poland. On September 17, Soviet troops invaded and then occupied eastern Poland under the terms of this agreement. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Poland was completely occupied by German troops.

The Poles formed an underground resistance movement and a government in exile, first in Paris and later in London, which was recognized by the Soviet Union. During World War II, 400,000 Poles fought under Soviet command, and 200,000 went into combat on Western fronts in units loyal to the Polish government in exile.

In April 1943, the Soviet Union broke relations with the Polish government in exile after the German military announced that they had discovered mass graves of murdered Polish army officers at Katyn, in the U.S.S.R. (The Soviets claimed that the Poles had insulted them by requesting that the Red Cross investigate these reports.) In July 1944, the Soviet Red Army entered Poland and established a communist-controlled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" at Lublin.

Resistance against the Nazis in Warsaw, including uprisings by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and by the Polish underground, was brutally suppressed. As the Germans retreated in January 1945, they leveled the city.

During the war, about 6 million Poles were killed, and 2.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor. More than 3 million Jews (all but about 100,000 of the Jewish population) were killed in death camps like those at Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Treblinka, and Majdanek.

People's Republic of Poland (1945-1989)

''Main article: People's Republic of Poland

Following the Yalta Conference in February 1945, a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed in June 1945; the U.S. recognized it the next month. Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Communist Party. The communists then established a regime entirely under their domination.

In October 1956, after the 20th ("de-Stalinization") Soviet Party Congress at Moscow and riots by workers in Poznan, there was a shakeup in the communist regime. While retaining most traditional communist economic and social aims, the regime of First Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka liberalized Polish internal life.

In 1968, the trend reversed when student demonstrations were suppressed and an "anti-Zionist" campaign initially directed against Gomulka supporters within the party eventually led to the emigration of much of Poland's remaining Jewish population. In December 1970, disturbances and strikes in the port cities of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Szczecin, triggered by a price increase for essential consumer goods, reflected deep dissatisfaction with living and working conditions in the country. Edward Gierek replaced Gomulka as First Secretary.

Fueled by large infusions of Western credit, Poland's economic growth rate was one of the worlds highest during the first half of the 1970s. But much of the borrowed capital was misspent, and the centrally planned economy was unable to use the new resources effectively. The growing debt burden became insupportable in the late 1970s, and economic growth had become negative by 1979.

In October 1978, the Bishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, became Pope John Paul II, head of the Roman Catholic Church. Polish Catholics rejoiced at the elevation of a Pole to the papacy and greeted his June 1979 visit to Poland with an outpouring of emotion.

Onn July 1 1980, with the Polish foreign debt at more than $20 billion, the government made another attempt to increase meat prices. A chain reaction of strikes virtually paralyzed the Baltic coast by the end of August and, for the first time, closed most coal mines in Silesia. Poland was entering into an extended crisis that would change the course of its future development.

On 31 August 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, signed a 21-point agreement with the government that ended their strike. Similar agreements were signed at Szczecin and in Silesia. The key provision of these agreements was the guarantee of the workers' right to form independent trade unions and the right to strike. After the Gdansk agreement was signed, a new national union movement "Solidarity" swept Poland.

The discontent underlying the strikes was intensified by revelations of widespread corruption and mismanagement within the Polish state and party leadership. In September 1980, Gierek was replaced by Stanislaw Kania as First Secretary.

Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the PZPR's authority following the Gdansk agreement, the Soviet Union proceeded with a massive military buildup along Poland's border in December 1980. In February 1981, Defense Minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski assumed the position of Prime Minister as well, and in October 1981, he also was named party First Secretary. At the first Solidarity national congress in September-October 1981, Lech Walesa was elected national chairman of the union.

On December 12-13, the regime declared martial law, under which the army and special riot police were used to crush the union. Virtually all Solidarity leaders and many affiliated intellectuals were arrested or detained. The United States and other Western countries responded to martial law by imposing economic sanctions against the Polish regime and against the Soviet Union. Unrest in Poland continued for several years thereafter.

In a series of slow, uneven steps, the Polish regime rescinded martial law. In December 1982, martial law was suspended, and a small number of political prisoners were released. Although martial law formally ended in July 1983 and a general amnesty was enacted, several hundred political prisoners remained in jail.

In July 1984, another general amnesty was declared, and 2 years later, the government had released nearly all political prisoners. The authorities continued, however, to harass dissidents and Solidarity activists. Solidarity remained proscribed and its publications banned. Independent publications were censored.

The Third Republic (1989-present)

''Main article: History of Poland (1989-present)

A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Hopes for early admission to the EU were realized on April 16, 2003, when Poland and nine other countries signed a Treaty for EU membership from May 1, 2004. Poland joined NATO in March 1999.

Related articles

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List of cities in Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Major Polish cities listed by population, as at 1 January 1999. (source The Central Statistical Office of Poland).
No
 Name Population
1.
 Warsaw 1,618,468
2.
 Lodz 806,728
3.
 Krakow 740,666
4.
 Wroclaw 637,877
5.
 Poznan 578,235
6.
 Gdansk 458,988
7.
 Szczecin 416,988
8.
 Bydgoszcz 386,855
9.
 Lublin 356,251
10.
 Katowice 345,934
11.
 Bialystok 283,937
12.
 Czestochowa 257,812
13.
 Gdynia 253,521
14.
 Sosnowiec 244,102
15.
 Radom 232,262
16.
 Kielce 212,383
17.
 Gliwice 212,164
18.
 Torun 206,158
19.
 Bytom 205,560
20.
 Zabrze 200,177
21.
 Bielsko-Biala 180,307
22.
 Olsztyn 170,904
23.
 Rzeszow 162,049
24.
 Ruda Slaska 159,665
25.
 Rybnik 144,582
26.
 Walbrzych 136,923
27.
 Tychy 133,178
28.
 Dabrowa Gornicza 131,037
29.
 Plock 131,011
30.
 Elblag 129,782
31.
 Opole 129,553
32.
 Gorzow Wielkopolski 126,019
33.
 Wloclawek 123,373
34.
 Chorzow 121,708
35.
 Tarnow 121,494
36.
 Zielona Gora 118,182
37.
 Koszalin 112,375
38.
 Legnica 109,335
39.
 Kalisz 106,641
40.
 Grudziadz 102,434
41.
 Slupsk 102,370
42.
 Jastrzebie-Zdroj 102,294

Go to: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U W Z Links

The capital

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E

F

G

H

I

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Ł

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External link

Map

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "List of cities in Poland."

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List of national parks of Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

National parks in Poland

There are 23 national parks in Poland:
Name of national parkEstablishedArea (ha)
Babiogorski National Park19543.392
Bialowieski National Park193210.502
Biebrzanski National Park199359.223
Bieszczadzki National Park197329.202
Bory Tucholskie National Park19964.798
Drawienski National Park199011.342
Gorczanski National Park19817.030
Stolowe Mountains National Park19936.340
Kampinoski National Park195938.544
Karkonoski National Park19595.575
Magurski National Park199519.962
Narwianski National Park19967.350
Ojcowski National Park19562.146
Pieninski National Park19542.346
Poleski National Park19909.762
Roztoczanski National Park19748.482
Slowinski National Park196718.619
Swietokrzyski National Park19507.632
Tatrzanski National Park195421.164
Ujscie Warty National Park20017.956
Wielkopolski National Park19577.584
Wigierski National Park198915.085
Wolinski National Park196010.937

See also

External links

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List of Poland-related topics

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

This page aims to list articles on Wikipedia that are related to Poland. This is so that those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Recent changes in the sidebar.

The list is under construction - if you see an article that should be here but is not (or one that should not be here but is), please do update the page accordingly.

Misc 1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

123

966 - 1772 - 1939

A

Adalbert of Prague - Albert of Prussia - Armia Krajowa - August II - August III

B

Balice International Airport - Bathory, Stephen - Battle of Chojnice - Battle of Lesnaya - Boleslaus I - Boleslaus II - Boleslaus III

C

Casimir III - Casimir IV - Central Europe - Charles X of Sweden - Cmielnicki, Bohdan - Chodkiewicz, Jan Karol - Chopin, Frederic - Christmas customs - Cities in Poland - Communications

D

Demographics - Ducal Prussia

E

East Prussia - Economy - Elblag - European Theatre of World War II

F

Flag - Foreign relations - Frank, Hans - Frank, Jacob

G

Galicia - Gdansk - Gdynia - General Government - Geography - Gniezno - Greater Poland - Greater Poland Voivodship

H

Hasidic Judaism - Henry III - Hevelius, Johannes - History - History (1939-1945)

I

Islands of Poland

J

Jadwiga (Queen) - Jagiellon dynasty - Jagiellonian University - Jasienica, Pawel - John III

K

Karkonosze - Kashubian - Kolobrzeg - Kosinski, Jerzy - Krakow - Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship - Kwasniewski, Aleksander

L

Ladislaus I - Ladislaus II - Language - Lem, Stanislaw - Lesser Poland - Lesser Poland Voivodship - Livonia - Locarno Treaties - Lodz Voivodship - Louis I - Lower Silesian Voivodship - Lubusz Voivodship - Luxemburg, Rosa

M

Mandelbrot, Benoit - Masovian Voivodship - Masuria - Mazurek Dabrowskiego - Media - Meeting at the tomb of Saint Adalbert - Mieszko I - Mieszko II - Military - Miller, Leszek - Music - Myths from Polish history

N

National parks - NATO - Noble Republic

O

Oder-Neisse line - Old Prussian language - Operation Barbarossa - Opole Voivodship - Oswiecim

P

Partitions of Poland - Piast - Piast dynasty - Pilsudski, Jozef - Poland - Polanski, Roman - Polish Corridor - Polish United Workers Party - Prime Ministers - Political parties - Politics - Pomeranian Voivodship - Pope John Paul II - Poznan - Preisner, Zbigniew - Presidents - Prussia

R

Religious freedom - Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact - Royal Prussia - Rulers

S

Second Polish Republic - September Campaign - Sigismund I - Sigismund II - Silesia - Silesian Voivodship - Sobieski, James - Software companies - Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej - Sudeten - Stanislaus I - Swietokrzyskie Voivodship - Szczecin

T

Teutonic Knights - Three Colors: White - Timeline of Polish history - Timeline of rulers - Torun - Tourism - Transportation - Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

U

Ulam, Stanislaw Marcin - Unitarianism - Universities

V

Vasa, noble house - Vistula - Vodka - Voivodship - Voivodships - Volksdeutsche

W

Waclaw III - Wajda, Andrzej - Walesa, Lech - Warmian-Masurian Voivodship - Warsaw - Warsaw Ghetto - Warsaw Pact - Warta River - West Pomeranian Voivodship - West Prussia - Wettin, noble house - Wikipedians - World War II - Wroclaw

Z

Zakopane - Zamenhof, LL - Zarnowiec - Zulawski, Andrzej

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "List of Poland-related topics."

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List of Polish Prime Ministers

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

List of Prime Ministers of Poland

See also: Presidents of Poland


Prime Ministers of semi-independent Kingdom of Poland (Nov. 5 1916 - 1918)

November, 1917     - March, 1918       Jan Kucharzewski
October 23, 1918   - November, 1918    Józef Świerzyński

Prime Ministers of the 2nd Republic of Poland (1918 - 1939)

November 6/7, 1918 - November 18, 1918 Ignacy Daszyński
November, 1918     - January, 1919     Jędrzej Moraczewski
January, 1919      - November, 1919    Ignacy Paderewski
December, 1919     - June, 1920        Leopold Skulski
June, 1920         - July, 1920        Władysław Grabski
July, 1920         - September, 1921   Wincetny Witos
September, 1921    - June, 1922        Antoni Ponikowski
June, 1922         - July, 1922        Artur Śliwiński
July, 1922         - December, 1922    Julian Nowak
December, 1922     - May, 1923         Władysław Sikorski
May, 1923          - December, 1923    Wincetny Witos
December, 1923     - November, 1925    Władysław Grabski
November, 1925     - May, 1926         Aleksander Skrzyński
May, 1926                              Wincenty Witos
May, 1926          - September, 1926   Kazimierz Bartel
October, 1926      - June, 1928        Józef Piłsudski
June, 1928         - April, 1929       Kazimierz Bartel
April, 1929        - December, 1929    Kazimierz Świtalski
December, 1929     - March, 1930       Kazimierz Bartel
March, 1930        - August, 1930      Walery Sławek
August, 1930       - December, 1930    Józef Piłsudski
December, 1930     - May, 1931         Walery Sławek
May, 1931          - May, 1933         Aleksander Prystor 
May, 1933          - May, 1934         Janusz Jędrzejewicz
May, 1934          - March, 1935       Leon Kozłowski
March, 1935        - October, 1935     Walery Sławek
October, 1935      - May, 1936         Marian Zyndram - Kościałkowski
May, 1936          - September, 1939   Felicjan Sławoj - Składkowski

Prime Ministers of Polish Government in Exile (1939 - 1990)

September, 1939  - July, 1943      Władysław Sikorski
July, 1943       - November, 1944  Stanisław Mikołajczyk
November, 1944   - 1947            Tomasz Arciszewski
1947             - 1949            Tadeusz Komorowski
1949                               Tadeusz Tomaszewski 
1949             - 1954            Roman Odzierzyński
1954                               Jerzy Hryniewski
1954             - 1955            Stanisław Mackiewicz
1955                               Hugon Hanke 
1955             - 1956            Antoni Pająk
1956             - 1970            Aleksander Zawisza
1970             - 1972            Zygmunt Muchniewski
1972             - 1976            Alfred Urbański
1976             - 1986            Kazimierz Sabbat
1986             - 1990            Edward Szczepanik

Prime Ministers of the People's Republic of Poland (1944 - 1989)

July, 1944        - February, 1947    Edward Osóbka-Morawski
February, 1947    - November, 1952    Józef Cyrankiewicz
November, 1952    - March, 1954       Bolesław Bierut
March, 1954       - December, 1970    Józef Cyrankiewicz
December, 1970    - February, 1980    Piotr Jaroszewicz
February, 1980    - August, 1980      Edward Babiuch
September, 1980   - February, 1981    Józef Pińkowski
February, 1981    - November, 1985    Wojciech Jaruzelski
November, 1985    - September, 1988   Zbigniew Messner
September, 1988   - August, 1989      Mieczysław Rakowski
August, 1989                          Czesław Kiszczak1

Prime Ministers of the 3rd Republic of Poland (since 1989)

August 24, 1989   - December 14, 1990 Tadeusz Mazowiecki
January 12, 1991  - December 5, 1991  Jan Krzysztof Bielecki
December 23, 1991 - June 5, 1992      Jan Olszewski
June 5, 1992      - July 10, 1992     Waldemar Pawlak1
July 11, 1992     - October 25, 1993  Hanna Suchocka
October 26, 1993  - March 1, 1995     Waldemar Pawlak
March 4, 1995     - January 26, 1996  Józef Oleksy
February 15, 1996 - October 17, 1997  Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
October 17, 1997  - October 19, 2001  Jerzy Buzek 
October 19, 2001  -                   Leszek Miller
1 - failed to form a cabinet

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "List of Polish Prime Ministers."

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List of Polish rulers

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland was ruled by dukes (c.962-1025, 1032-1076, 1079-1295, 1296-1300 and 1306-1320) and kings (1025-1032, 1076-1079, 1295-1296, 1300-1305 and 1320-1795). The best-known dynasties are the Piast (c.962-1370) and Jagiellonian (1386-1572): intervening and subsequent monarchs were often rulers also of neighboring lands, or princes drawn from foreign dynasties. Polish kingship ended after the third Partition in 1795, and independence was restored on a republican basis in 1918.

Early Piast dynasty
Dynastia Piastów (962-1138)

Regional division
Rozbicie dzielnicowe (1138-1306)

Note: only rulers acknowledged as overlords (or high-dukes) of all Poland (usually those who inherited the "royal province of Cracow") are listed.

Piast unification (1306-1370)

Angevin dynasty (House of Capet-Anjou)
Dynastia Andegawenów (1370-1386 ?)

Jagiellonians
Dynastia Jagiellonów (1386-1572)

Electoral kings
Królowie elekcyjni (1572-1795)

House of Vasa Kings of Sweden and Poland (1587 - 1668): Wettin Electors of Saxony of Holy Roman Empire etc (1697-1706, 1709-1766):

Duchy of Warsaw
Ksiestwo Warszawskie (1807-1815) (dependent from France)

Congress Kingdom, Kingdom of Poland
Kongresówka, Królestwo Polskie (1815-1832)

(in personal union with Russia)

Republic (since 1918)

See also:
Royal coronations in Poland
Dukes of Silesia
Dukes of Masovia
Dukes of Greater Poland
Dukes of Little Poland
Dukes of Cuiavia
Dukes of Leczyca
Dukes of Sieradz
Guidelines for the spelling of names of Polish rulers

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "List of Polish rulers."

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List of Presidents of Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Heads of the Polish state:

See also: List of Polish rulers, List of Polish Prime Ministers

Second Republic - Druga Rzeczpospolita (1918 - 1939)

President of the Republic of Poland - Prezydent RP:

Polish Government in Exile - Rząd Polski na Wychodzstwie (1939 - 1990)

President of the Republic of Poland - Prezydent RP:

Communistic Poland - Polska Ludowa (1944 - 1952)

People's Republic of Poland - Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa (1952 - 1989)

The Council of State was theoretically collective head of state, however de facto the most important person was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers Party

President of Council of State - Przewodniczący Rady Państwa:

First Secretary of the Central Committee of PUWP - Pierwszy Sekretarz KC PZPR:

Third Republic - Trzecia Rzeczpospolita (since 1989)

President of the Republic of Poland - Prezydent RP: ;RP = Rzeczpospolita Polska : Republic of Poland (official name 1918 - 1952 and since 1990) ;PRL = Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa : People's Republic of Poland (official name 1952 - 1989) ;KC PZPR = Komitet Centralny Polskiej Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej : Central Committee of Polish United Workers Party See also Lists of incumbents

External links

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Media in Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The neutrality of this page is disputed.

Media and Politics

Poland has freedom of press since the fall of communism. However, TV and radio are still politically controlled, via Radio and TV Committee, currently by leftist government circles.
They often use news programs in public TV as means of propaganda. For example, leader of post-communist party, Leszek Miller is interviewed on public TV more often than Prime Minister, President or Speaker of the Parliament (currently, May 2003, Miller is Prime Minister).

TV stations

Digital TV Platforms (all private)

Radio stations

Press (all private)

Daily Papers

Weekly Magazines

See also : Poland

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Media in Poland."

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Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

This article is about the country Poland. For other meanings, see Poland (disambiguation)

The Republic of Poland is a country in Central Europe, bordering Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and Lithuania and Russia (via the Kaliningrad Oblast exclave) to its north, as well as the Baltic Sea. Its location and accessible terrain has meant that the land has seen many wars fought over it and its borders have shifted considerably over the centuries.

Rzeczpospolita Polska
(In Detail)
National motto: Honor i Ojczyzna (Polish: Honour and Homeland)
Official language Polish
Capital Warsaw
Largest City Warsaw
PresidentAleksander Kwasniewski
Prime ministerLeszek Miller
Area
 - Total
 - % water		Ranked 68th
312,685 km²
2.6%
Population
 - Total (2000)
 - Density 		Ranked 30th
38,633,912
123.5/km²
Independence
 - Date 		Regained
November 11, 1918
Currency Zloty (PLN)
Time zone UTC +1
National anthem Mazurek Dabrowskiego
Internet TLD.PL
Calling Code48

Name

The oficial name in Polish language is "Rzeczpospolita Polska".

"Rzeczpospolita" is the exact translation from latin res publica (republic): "rzecz" -- thing, matter, concern, affair, "pospolita" -- common, i.e., "common matter", "common thing". "Common" is as in House of Commons vs. House of Lords; pospolstwo -- common people.

The name of the country "Polska" and the name of the nationality, Poles, come from the Polanes tribe who established the Polish state in the 10th century (Greater Poland). Origin of their name is unknown. It may be derived from the word pole=a field, or it may mean the heroes, or it may be derived from the tribal name Goplanie - people living around Goplo lake - the cradle of Poland mentioned as Glopeani having 400 strongholds in ca. 845 (Bavarian Geographer).

See: Wiktionary: name 'Poland' translated into other languages

History

Main article: History of Poland

Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century when it was united with Lithuania in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The citizens of Poland were proud of their ancient freedoms and parliamentary system, though only privilaged one enjoyed them. Since that times Poles adhere to freedom, that is the value that is the most important for them. Poles often call themselves Nation of the free people. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation, leading to three partitions of Poland between Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772, 1793 and 1795 that completely dissolved Poland. Poles resented their shrinking freedom and organised numerous attempt to rebel against tyrants.

During the 19th century most of Poland was ruled by the Russian tsar, but it regained its independence in November 1918 as the Second Polish Republic. The new threat was Soviet agression in 1919 (Polish-Soviet War) but Poland was able to defend its independence.

This state lasted until 1939 when it was overrun by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the start of World War II, during which Poland suffered greatly, see General Government. Among all nations in the war, Poland lost the highest percentage of citizens. Towards the end of the war, the Soviet Union turned from liberators to occupiers and Poland became a Soviet satellite state after the war. Poland border were shifted westward, eastern border to the Curzon line and western border to Oder-Neisse line. After the shift Poland was smaller by 76 000 km sq or 20% of pre-war size. Millions of Polish people were dispossessed westwards into territory previously held by late Nazi Germany, from which similar number of Germans were expulsed.

The shifting of whole Poland was accompanied by shifting the entire population, so at the end of the process, populations fit to the borders.

Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force, slowly ending the dominance of the Communist Party, and by 1989 had swept parliamentary elections and eventually the presidency. A shock therapy program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust (according to the criteria of neoliberal economics) in Central Europe, with official unemployment rates at about 20% during the first decade of the 21st century. Despite the regression in levels of social and economic human rights standards, there were some improvements in other human rights standards, and following a massive advertising campaign by the government in favour of joining the European Union, Polish voters chose yes in a referendum in June 2003. Poland will officially join the European Union on 1 May 2004. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Poland

Polish government structure consists of a Council of Ministers led by a prime minister. This cabinet is appointed by the president on a proposal by the prime minster, typically from a majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house. The president, elected by popular vote every 5 years, is head of state.

The parliament, the National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe, consisting of 460 members of the Sejm (lower house) and 100 members of the Senate (Senat), is elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms. The current constitution dates from 1997, and stipulates that with the exception of two guaranteed seats for small ethnic parties, only political parties receiving at least 5% of the total vote can enter parliament.

The judicial branch plays a minor role in decision making and its major institutions are the Supreme Court (Sad Najwyzszy) whose judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period, and the Constitutional Tribunal (Trybunal Konstytucyjny), where judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms.

Voivodships

Main article: Voivodships of Poland

Poland is divided into 16 administrative regions known as voivodships (województwa, singular - województwo):

Geography

Main article: Geography of Poland

The Polish landscape consists almost entirely of the lowlands of the North European Plain at an average height of 173 m, though the Carpathian Mountains (including the Tatra mountains) and the Sudeten with its part Karkonosze form the southern border, where one also finds Poland's highest point, the Rysy, at 2,499 m. The plains are crossed by several large rivers, such as the Vistula (Wisla), the Oder (Odra), the Warta or the (Western) Bug. Poland also contains over 9,300 lakes, predominantly in the north of the country.

The Polish climate is temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation and mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Poland

Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalising the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition from communism to market economy. However, slow progress in recent few years, combined with other factors, like birth peak 20 years ago, put recently economy at the edge of recession, with about 18% unemployment and increasing wealth disparities. GDP growth had been strong and steady in 1993-2000 but fell back in 2001 with slowdowns in domestic investment and consumption and the weakening in the global economy. Perspective of closer integration with European Union put economy back on the route of growth, that is currently 2003 over 3% yearly.

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, but without any development of consumer rights organisations.

In contrast, from a neoliberal point of view, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labour, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatisation of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatisation of Poland's remaining state sector.

From popular point of view, reflecting the numerous and consistent street protests, is that while health care and the education system have suffered considerable damage from lack of successful conversion of institutions from state directed towards modern way of management. People are also afraid of the possible damage, that Polish agriculture may suffer, as integration into the European Union proceeds.

Apart from individuals like Jeffrey Sachs, many institutions such as the Research Triangle Institute have been involved in the shock therapy, which, for some people, has been positive, while for others, it has been a catastrophe.

The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affected most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account deficit and reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Poland

Poland used to be a country of many languages, cultulres and religious. However, the outcome World War II and follwing shift westward to the area between Curzon line and Oder-Neisse line made Poland appear to be homogenous. Some 98% of today's population considers itself Polish, though there are several minorities of Germanss, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Jews and Belarussians.

The official language is Polish, a member of the Slavic languages. Most Poles (95%) adhere to the Roman Catholic faith, though only 75% are practising Catholics. The remaining 5% consists of Eastern Orthodox and Protestant religious minorities.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Poland

A separate article exists on modern day Religious freedom in Poland.

Holidays
DateEnglish NameLocal NameRemarks
January 1 New Year's Day Nowy Rok
May 3 Constitution Day Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja
November 1 All Saints Day Święto Zmarłych
November 11 Independence Day Święto Niepodległości

International rankings

Miscellaneous topics

External Links

European Union:
Austria  |  Belgium  |  Denmark  |  Finland  |  France  |  Germany  |  Greece  |  Ireland
Italy  |  Luxembourg  |  Netherlands  |  Portugal  |  Spain  |  Sweden  |  United Kingdom

Countries acceding to membership on May 1, 2004:
Cyprus  |  Czech Republic  |  Estonia  |  Hungary  |  Latvia  |  Lithuania  |  Malta  |  Poland  |  Slovakia  |  Slovenia

Countries of the world  |  Europe  |  Council of Europe
nds:Polen

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland."

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Poland (disambiguation)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland is a country in Eastern Europe.

Poland is also the name of some places in the United States of America:

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland (disambiguation)."

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Poland, Chautauqua County, New York

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland is a town located in Chautauqua County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 2,467.

Geography


According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 95.5 km² (36.9 mi²). 95.2 km² (36.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.27% water.

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there are 2,467 people, 940 households, and 708 families residing in the town. The population density is 25.9/km² (67.1/mi²). There are 990 housing units at an average density of 10.4/km² (26.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.14% White, 0.69% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 940 households out of which 33.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% are married couples living together, 8.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% are non-families. 20.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.00. In the town the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.9 males. The median income for a household in the town is $37,195, and the median income for a family is $41,728. Males have a median income of $31,862 versus $22,036 for females. The per capita income for the town is $17,115. 10.9% of the population and 6.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 15.3% are under the age of 18 and 3.7% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland, Chautauqua County, New York."

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Poland, Herkimer County, New York

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland is a village located in Herkimer County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 451.

Geography


Poland is located at 43°13'34" North, 75°3'41" West (43.226178, -75.061521)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.4 km² (0.5 mi²). 1.4 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is land and 1.85% is water.

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there are 451 people, 192 households, and 126 families residing in the village. The population density is 322.5/km² (842.2/mi²). There are 202 housing units at an average density of 144.4/km² (377.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 96.67% White, 0.22% African American, 0.00% Native American, 2.66% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 2.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 192 households out of which 28.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% are married couples living together, 9.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% are non-families. 28.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.84. In the village the population is spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.0 males. The median income for a household in the village is $38,750, and the median income for a family is $45,455. Males have a median income of $27,426 versus $22,159 for females. The per capita income for the village is $17,938. 11.1% of the population and 8.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 18.9% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland, Herkimer County, New York."

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Poland, Maine

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland is a town located in Androscoggin County, Maine. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 4,866.

Geography


According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 122.1 km² (47.2 mi²). 109.6 km² (42.3 mi²) of it is land and 12.6 km² (4.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 10.28% water.

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there are 4,866 people, 1,845 households, and 1,437 families residing in the town. The population density is 44.4/km² (115.0/mi²). There are 2,316 housing units at an average density of 21.1/km² (54.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.54% White, 0.33% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.31% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,845 households out of which 35.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% are married couples living together, 8.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% are non-families. 16.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.63 and the average family size is 2.92. In the town the population is spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.5 males. The median income for a household in the town is $47,824, and the median income for a family is $55,427. Males have a median income of $33,284 versus $23,926 for females. The per capita income for the town is $22,346. 3.4% of the population and 1.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.0% are under the age of 18 and 4.7% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland, Maine."

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Poland, New York

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York: It was a place where the Dutch Colinized during the late 1600's

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland, New York."

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Poland, Ohio

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Poland is a village located in Mahoning County, Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,866. The town is part of the Youngstown-Warren, Ohio metro area. Supposedly the town was named after a Polish revolutionary hero. His name, however, was too long and complicated and so the community decided to honour the country he came from, Poland.

Geography


Poland is located at 41°1'29" North, 80°36'44" West (41.024676, -80.612287)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²). 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there are 2,866 people, 1,086 households, and 822 families residing in the village. The population density is 892.4/km² (2,303.2/mi²). There are 1,123 housing units at an average density of 349.7/km² (902.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 99.16% White, 0.24% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,086 households out of which 34.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% are married couples living together, 9.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% are non-families. 22.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.01. In the village the population is spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the village is $47,273, and the median income for a family is $55,486. Males have a median income of $42,857 versus $23,603 for females. The per capita income for the village is $23,924. 6.1% of the population and 4.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.8% are under the age of 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older.

External Links


*Township government website
*Local directory

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poland, Ohio."

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Polish September Campaign

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The Polish September Campaign (the German attack of Poland in September 1939 - known in Polish also as the Defense War of 1939) was the military operation which started World War II.

On September 1, 1939, 04:45 local time, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein began taking the Polish enclave Westerplatte in Gdansk by the Baltic Sea under fire. Soon, German troops attacked Poland alongside its Western, Southern and Northern borders, while German aircraft started raids on Polish cities. Despite some Polish successes in minor border battles, the German technical and numerical superiority made the Polish armies withdraw towards Warsaw and Lwow. The largest battle during this campaign took place near the Bzura river west of Warsaw from September 9 to September 18 - it was the Polish attempt at a counterattack, that failed after an initial success. Warsaw itself was first attacked on September 9, then got under siege from September 13 until its capitulation on September 28.

From September 17, 1939, the Red Army occupied the Eastern regions of Poland which had not yet been involved in military operations. The fortress Modlin north of Warsaw, capitulated on September 29. Until October 2 lasted a defence of the Hel peninsula on the Baltic Sea. The capitulation of the town of Kock (near Lublin) on October 6, after the 4-day battle, marked the end of the September Campaign.

The September Campaign was codenamed Fall Weiß ("Case White") by the German Wehrmacht. Polish historians call it Wojna obronna 1939 ("Defense War of 1939"). Tanks and aircraft (particularly fighters and bombers like the famous Junkers Ju 87 Stuka) played a major role in the fighting. Bomber aircraft also attacked whole cities (Warsaw, for instance) causing huge losses amongst the civilian population.

At the end of the September Campaign, Poland was divided between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

About 65,000 of the Polish troops were killed, several hundred thousands were captured by the Germans or Soviets. A number of the Polish troops withdrew to neutral Romania and Hungary, from where most escaped to France or Great Britain.

The invasion of Poland lead to Britain and France declaring war on Germany, on September 3.

There are some common myths about the Polish Campaign. Although Poland had 11 Cavalry Brigades, the Polish cavalry never charged on German tanks. Secondly, the Polish airforce, though obsolete, was not destroyed on airfields, and remained active in the first two weeks of the campaign, causing some harm to the Germans.

See Also

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Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (or The Commonwealth of the Two Nations) was a federal monarchy-republic formed by the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, between 1569 and 1795, which was governed by an elected monarch.

Since the word Poland was also commonly used to described the whole country, the members of the commonwealth were called:

In the Partitions_of_Poland in 1772-1795 divided among Russia, Kingdom of Prussia and Austria. However, that last politcal movement, that wanted to restore the triple state, was active around January Uprising 1863-1864.

These lands are distributed today among Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, and partly Russia.

The term "Commonwealth" is a close translation of the Polish word "Rzeczpospolita", which derives from latin res publica, see "Poland".

The contemprorary political doctrine of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, "our state is a Republic under presidency of the King". The commonwealth introduced the doctrine of religious tolerance, had its own parliament, the Sejm, and elected kings that were bound to the contracts "Pacta conventa" from the beginning of the reign.

The foundation stones of the Commonwealth, the so called Golden Freedoms, were commonly:

See also: The Noble Republic, List of Polish rulers

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth."

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Tourism in Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Tourism > Tourism in Poland

Poland is interesting for everyone who wants to visit old cities, pubs, culture and a picturesque landscape varying from sea shores to mountains for an affordable price.

Sightseeing

Tourism in Poland includes visits to big and old cities like the capital Warsaw with its castle and its old town, its parks and boulevards. Other famous and old cities are Cracow with its cathedral and its old town, the medieval Hanseatic city of Gdansk (Danzig), the old city of Wroclaw with its famous cathedral, the harbour city of Szczecin (Stettin) or Lublin with its impressing Jewish history. The bigger Polish cities are especially interesting for bagpackers because of their young population, affordable cultural events and many pubs. The Mazury lake district in northeastern Poland with its picturesque villages and Malbork castle is also worth a visit. South of Bialystok one can find the Bialowieza Forest, a UNESCO Heritage Site and nature preserve where Eastern European bison may be found.

Sea resorts

There are several sea resorts on the coast of Baltic Sea like Wolin island, which is located close to the German border, and the coast of Pomerania.

Mountain resorts

In southern Poland there are resorts for skiing and hiking in Karkonosze mountains, which is part of the Sudeten mounain range. Karkonosze includes the touristical centre of Karpacz. Another famous resort for skiing and hiking is Zakopane in the Tatra mountain range.

Traffic

Every major Polish city has an airport with connecting services with the Frederick Chopin International Airport in Warsaw. For travelling in Poland the PKP's intercity train network or PKS's overland bus service are both comfortable options. Since the fall of communism roads in Poland are improving. There is acceptable tourist infrastructure, especially in larger cities, on Wolin island, and in the resorts in the Karkonosze and Zakopane mountains.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Tourism in Poland."

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Transportation in Poland

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Railways:

Operated by PKP (Polskie Koleje Pañstwowe), a state-run company.
total: 23,420 km
broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track)
narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998)

City with metro system: Warsaw

Highways:
total: 381,046 km
paved: 249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways)
unpaved: 131,080 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 3,812 km navigable rivers and canals (1996)

Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996)

Ports and harbors: Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw

Merchant marine:
total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,120,165 GRT/1,799,569 DWT
ships by type: bulk 50, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 2 (1999 est.)

Airports: 123 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 85
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 42
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 20 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1999 est.)

See also : Poland

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Transportation in Poland."

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Abbreviations & Acronyms: Poland

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
EntrySourceExpressionField
PO2EnglishPoland,KingdomN/A

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Synonyms: Poland

Synonyms: Polska (n), Republic of Poland (n). (additional references)

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Crosswords: Poland

English words defined with "Poland": Albert Bruce Sabin, Albert Sabin, Alfred Habdank Skarbek Korzybski, Alfred Korzybski, Arthur Rubinstein, Artur Rubinstein, Asch, assail, attack ♦ Ben Gurion, Benoit Mandelbrot, Bobac, Breslau, Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski, Bronislaw Malinowski ♦ capital of Poland, Casimir Funk, Chopin, Conrad, Cracovian, Cracow, Cracowes, Curie ♦ Danzig, David Ben Gurion, David Grun, droshky, drosky ♦ Frederic Francois Chopin, funk ♦ Gdansk, Goldwyn ♦ hit, Hoffmann ♦ Ignace Jan Paderewski, initiate, invade, Isaac Bashevis Singer ♦ John Paul II, Joseph Conrad ♦ Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt, Karol Wojtyla, Korzybski, Krakau, Krakow ♦ Landowska, lead up, Lodz, Lublin ♦ Madame Curie, Malinowski, Mandelbrot, Marie Curie, Marya Sklodowska ♦ occupy ♦ Paderewski, Polander, pole, Polish, Polish monetary unit, Polska, Pospolite, Preussen, Prussia ♦ Racovian, Republic of Poland, Roald Hoffmann, Rubinstein, rundown, Rundstedt ♦ sabin, Sam Goldwyn, Samuel Goldwyn, Schlesien, Second World War, Shalom Asch, Sholem Asch, Sholom Asch, Silesia, singer, Slask, Slezsko, Stefan Wyszynski, strike ♦ Teodor Josef Konrad Korzeniowski ♦ Uhlan ♦ von Rundstedt ♦ Wanda Landowska, Warsaw, World War II, Wroclaw, Wyszynski ♦ zloty. (references)
Specialty definitions using "Poland": Austrian Lip ♦ Central and Eastern European Countries, Coeur de Lion ♦ Handkerchief and Sword ♦ knistersalze ♦ LIBERTY ♦ Mazeppa ♦ Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation ♦ PL, pseudotopaz ♦ trihydrocalcite ♦ Versailles of Poland, Visegrad Countries. (references)
Etymologies containing "Poland": polonium. (references)

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Modern Usage: Poland

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Yes you did, you invaded Poland! (Fawlty Towers; writing credit: John Cleese; Connie Booth)

I'm from Poland. (The Frisco Kid; writing credit: Michael Elias; Frank Shaw)

He's already swallowed Poland, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium (RKO 281; writing credit: Richard Ben Cramer; Thomas Lennon)

Oh I haven't seen a Jew run like that since Poland, 1938 (South Park; writing credit: Rocco Siffredi)

What he did to Hamlet, we are now doing to Poland. (To Be or Not to Be; writing credit: Ronny Graham; Ernst Lubitsch)

Movie/TV Titles

Made in Poland (1968)

Poland 1966 (1966)

Communism's New Look Poland (1965)

Youth in Poland (1957)

Jews in Poland (1957)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Poland

DomainTitle

References

  • Computerland Poland SA: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  • Executive Report on Strategies in Poland,1999 edition (reference)

  • National Highway Program in Poland in Poland: A Strategic Entry Report, 1996 (reference)

  • The 2000 Import and Export Market for Rice in Poland (reference)

  • A Strategic Profile of Poland,1999 edition (reference)

    (more reference examples)

  

Books

  • A Concise History of Poland (reference)

  • Eyewitness Travel Guide to Poland (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (reference)

  • Insight Guide Poland (Poland, 2nd Ed.) (reference)

  • Lonely Planet Poland (Poland, 4th Ed) (reference)

  • Poland (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Theater & Movies

  • Masters of Animation, Vol. 3: USSR, Yugoslavia, Poland & Hungary (reference)

  • Poland (reference)

    (more DVD examples; more video examples)

  

Music

  

High Tech

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Poland

Photos:
Poland

More pictures...

Illustrations:
Poland

More pictures...

Computer Images:
Poland

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Poland

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Dr. Marian Sliwinski, Minister of Health of Poland on visit to CDC, March 19, 1973. (Interpreter, Miss Lidia Rytkowska.). Credit: CDC.

Polish Typhus Relief Commission : Theatre in Poland used as hospital following Bolshevik drive. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Phil Poland. Credit: Library of Congress.

The murder of Poland. Credit: Library of Congress.

Activities of the SS-Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler Division during the campaign in Poland, September 1-29, 1939] / Klaus Weill. Credit: Library of Congress.

The Seaport of Gdansk, Poland. Credit: Library of Congress.

The White Mountains from Poland Spr[ings], South Poland, Maine. Credit: Library of Congress.

The Stable, Poland Spring Hotel, South Poland, Maine. Credit: Library of Congress.

Judging Poland China boars. Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa. Credit: Library of Congress.

Spectators at judging of Poland China boars. Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Digital Photo Gallery: Poland
 

"Winter in Krakow - Poland" by Mirko
Commentary: "Wawel Royal Castle."		"Poland is now 5" by Vincent Seychal
Commentary: "A journey to Poland in feb 2003, checking out the industrial context in the region of Katowice (High Silesia)."

Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

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Historic Usage: Poland

AuthorDateQuotation

Communist Manifesto

1848

In Poland they support the party that insists on an agrarian revolution as the prime condition for national emancipation, that party which fomented the insurrection of Cracow in 1846. (reference)

Treaty of Versailles

1919

The Principal Allied and Associated Powers will then fix the frontier between East Prussia and Poland in this region. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Poland

TitleAuthorQuote

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

Had atoned for the crime of the partition of Poland by buying the secret of the elixir of gold from Bestuchef, for three thousand roubles

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Poland

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

Foley, J.E., Barlough, J.E., Kimsey, R.B., Madigan, J.E., DeRock, E. & Poland, A.  (1998).  Ehrlichia spp. in cervids from California. (references)

Business

Others (Czech Republic, Poland). (references)

American footwear is little known in Poland. (references)

American Lingerie is little known in Poland. (references)

Civil Liberties

Belarus

A new clause prohibits the establishment of offices of foreign organizations, "the activities of which are aimed at ... the inciting of national, religious and racial enmity, as well as activities which can have negative effects on the physical and mental health of the people." The Roman Catholic Church has experienced a shortage of qualified native clergy, and at times the Church has had difficulty getting permission from the authorities to bring in a sufficient number of foreign religious workers, mostly from Poland, to make up for the shortage. (references)

Belarus

In autumn 2000, the authorities refused to grant permission to a painter, Ales Pushkin, who had earlier been convicted of malicious hooliganism because of a 1999 protest-performance critical of Lukashenka, to travel to Poland to exhibit his works. (references)

Belarus

The Belarusian Patriotic Union of Youth, a regime-subsidized presidential youth organization, was permitted to take control of Radio 101.2. An independent Belarusian-language crossborder radio station, Radio Ratcija, based in Poland, began operating in 2000. However, in April 2000, the Foreign Ministry's special commission for accrediting foreign journalists refused to register four of the radio station's journalists based in Belarus. (references)

Economic History

Poland

Advertising and promotional service agencies include McCann Erickson Polska, Leo Burnett, J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather Poland, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO Warsaw and Young & Rubicam. (references)

Poland

Pricing is key to the effective selling U.S. products in Poland. (references)

Poland

As mentioned above, working capital is limited in Poland, even among the larger, more successful Polish companies. (references)

Human Rights

Belarus

At the Bruzgi customs-house in the Grodno region, customs officers spent 2 hours searching the personal possessions of former presidential candidate Syamon Domash, who was on his way to Poland via automobile. (references)

Political Economy

POLAND

As a condition of its accession to the OECD, Poland allowed firms from OECD countries to open branches and representative offices in the insurance and banking sector in 1999, as well as subsidiaries of foreign banks. (references)

POLAND

Poland banned imports of meat and bone meal (MBM) in February 2001from countries that have Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). (references)

Trade

Poland

EU Association Agreement: As mentioned above, Poland began implementing the trade provisions of the Association Agreement with the European Union in 1992. This has lowered or eliminated duties on most EU exports to Poland. (references)

Poland

CEFTA and FTAs: Poland is a founding member of the Central European Free Trade Association, whose members include the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, and Bulgaria. (references)

Poland

The objective is to have at least 80% of Polish standards harmonized with EU norms by 2002. The plan is for Poland to invoke EU standards in cases where EU and other international standards differ. (references)

Travel

Poland

The principal problem encountered by visitors to Poland is property crime. (references)

Poland

Sunday is the traditional day for visiting family and friends in Poland. (references)

Poland

Business cards are the norm in Poland and are generally given to each person present in a meeting. (references)

Worker Rights

Italy

Persons are trafficked primarily from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, particularly from Albania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav republics, Ukraine, and Moldova; Nigeria; South America, particularly Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia; and to a lesser extent Asia, particularly China. (references)

Hungary

Women and children are trafficked for sexual exploitation mostly from Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, Yugoslavia, and China to and through the country to Austria, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Switzerland, and the United States. (references)

Germany

Approximately 80 percent of trafficking victims come from Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union, primarily from Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Latvia, and the Czech Republic. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Poland

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Rush Limbaugh

At least when Hitler invaded Poland, Neville Chamberlain admitted his mistake. Clinton simply followed in the footsteps of another foreign policy luminary, the Nobel Appease Prize-winning Jimmy Carter.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Speeches: Poland

SpeakerTermPhrase(s)

John F. Kennedy

1961-1963Meanwhile, I hope to explore with the Polish government the possibility of using our frozen Polish funds on projects of peace that will demonstrate our abiding friendship for and interest in the people of Poland.

Lyndon B. Johnson

1963-1969We are determined that the Export-Import Bank can allow commercial credits to Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia, as well as to Romania and Yugoslavia.

Jimmy Carter

1977-1981Although the situation in Poland has shown signs of stabilizing recently, Soviet forces remain in a high state of readiness and they could move into Poland on short notice.

Ronald Reagan

1981-1989If the events in Poland continue to deteriorate, further means will follow.

George Bush

1989-1993The Little Leaguers I played catch with in Poland, ready to go from Warsaw to the World Series.

Bill Clinton

1993-2001Within days, I will ask the Senate for its advice and consent to make Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic the newest members of NATO.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Usage Frequency: Poland

"Poland" is generally used as a noun (proper) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Poland" is used about 2,077 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words		Rank in English
Noun (proper)100%2,0774,176

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Name Usage Frequency: Poland

The following table summarizes the usage of "Poland" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified.
NameUsage/GenderUsage per 100
million Persons		Rank in USA
PolandLast name3,0004,507
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Usage in Company Names: Poland

CountryName
Poland

Computerland Poland SA

 (more examples...)

Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.

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Cities: Poland


1. Poland, IN
Zip Code(s): 47868
Country: USA

2. Poland, ME
Zip Code(s): 04273
Country: USA

3. Poland, NY (village, FIPS 58937)
Location: 43.22612 N, 75.06148 W
Population (1990): 444 (193 housing units)
Area: 1.7 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Zip Code(s): 13431
Country: USA

4. Poland, OH (village, FIPS 63954)
Location: 41.02405 N, 80.61412 W
Population (1990): 2992 (1144 housing units)
Area: 3.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip Code(s): 44514
Country: USA

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Expression: Poland

Expressions using "Poland": capital of Poland ♦ Poland Spring ♦ Poland Syndrome ♦ Republic of Poland ♦ West Poland. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "Poland": Poland-china, Poland-germany, Poland-norway, poland-soviet.

Ending with "Poland": All-poland.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Poland

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day		ExpressionFrequency
per Day

poland

3,233

poland picture

101

warsaw poland

1,740

koszalin poland

98

krakow poland

888

poland suwalki

98

poland hotel

739

poland tarnow

97

map of poland

529

poland swinoujscie

87

gdansk poland

484

poland torun

80

wroclaw poland

340

history poland

78

poznan poland

324

flag of poland

77

poland spring

282

poland przemysl

71

poland sosnowiec

233

kielce poland

61

poland springs

216

hel poland

61

gdynia poland

200

czestochowa poland

61

katowice poland

195

elblag poland

56

lodz poland

181

leba poland

54

szczecin poland

173

zielona gora poland

51

travel to poland

158

poland tourism

50

poland spring water

137

poland sopot

50

lublin poland

132

poland syndrome

49

poland state united

127

poland weather

47

bialystok poland

101

poland rybnik

44
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Poland

Language Translations for "Poland"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Afrikaans

  

Pole. (various references)

   

Albanian

  

Poloni. (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏بولندا. (various references)

   

Asturian

  

Polonia. (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

Полша. (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

波蘭 , 波兰. (various references)

   

Czech

  

Polsko. (various references)

   

Danish

  

Polen (Republic of Poland, The Polish People's Republic). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

Polen (poling, Republic of Poland, terminals, The Polish People's Republic). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

Polujo, Pollando, Polio. (various references)

   

Faeroese

  

Pólland. (various references)

   

Finnish

  

Puola (bobbin, rung, spoke, spool). (various references)

   

French

  

Pologne (Republic of Poland, The Polish People's Republic). (various references)

   

Frisian

  

Poalen. (various references)

   

German

  

Polen (Poland (pl), polarize). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

Πολωνία (Republic of Poland). (various references)

   

Hawaiian

  

Poloni. (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

Lengyelország. (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

polandia. (various references)

   

Irish

  

An Pholainn. (various references)

   

Italian

  

Polonia (Republic of Poland, The Polish People's Republic). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

ボンド紙 (Bomby blood, bond paper, boneless ham, bonnet, compressed gas cylinder, hood, pause, poker, poker face, polar tie, poral, porcelain, porch, pork, pork chop, pork cutlet, pork saute, port, port cutlet, port tower, port wine, portability, portable, porter, portfolio, pose, pouch), ポラロイド写真 (Polaroid picture, poly-, polyamide, polyp). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

ポーランド , ポランド . (various references)

   

Korean 

  

폴란드. (various references)

   

Macedonian

  

Polska. (various references)

   

Manx

  

Yn Pholynn. (various references)

   

Papiamen

  

Polonia. (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

olandpay.(various references)

   

Polish

  

Polska. (various references)

   

Portuguese

  

Polónia (Republic of Poland), polônia (polish peoples republic). (various references)

   

Provencal

  

Polónia. (various references)

   

Romanian

  

Polonia. (various references)

   

Ruanda

  

Pologne. (various references)

   

Russian 

  

Польша, польша польский. (various references)

   

Samoan

  

Polani. (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

poljska (polish people's republic). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

Polonia (Republic of Poland). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

Polen (Republic of Poland). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

Polonya (polish). (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

Польща. (various references)

   

Welsh

  

Pwyl. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Poland

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Medieval Latin700-1500

Polonia. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Misspellings: Poland

Misspellings

"Poland" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Dooland, Golland, Kolland, Lolland, Moland, Oliand, opland, Pellant, Penand, Pesando, Polan, Poljana, Pollaidh, Pollan, polland, Potlands, Poulard, Poullada, Proliant, Provand, Puolanne. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Anagrams: Poland

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "a-d-l-n-o-p"

-1 letter: nodal, nopal.

-2 letters: apod, dona, dopa, land, load, loan, opal, plan, plod, pond.

-3 letters: ado, alp, and, dal, dap, dol, don, lad, lap, lop, nap, nod, old, pad, pal, pan, pod, pol.

-4 letters: ad, al, an, do, la, lo, na, no, od, on, op, pa.

 Words containing the letters "a-d-l-n-o-p"
 

+1 letter: dalapon, plafond, poundal.

 

+2 letters: anglepod, cropland, dalapons, downplay, palinode, parlando, pauldron, plafonds, playdown, plowland, poundals.

 

+3 letters: aneuploid, anglepods, antipodal, clampdown, croplands, downplays, endoplasm, hypnoidal, lampooned, palinodes, panoplied, pauldrons, planeload, planetoid, platooned, playdowns, plowlands, polyandry, uploading, volplaned.

 

+4 letters: aneuploids, aneuploidy, antipodals, clampdowns, complained, depilation, diplomaing, downplayed, endoplasms, floodplain, hydroplane, monopodial, outplanned, padlocking, palindrome, panbroiled, paranoidal, pardonable, pardonably, pavilioned, pentaploid, phenolated, planeloads, planetoids, playground, pollarding, pollinated, ponderable, ponytailed, sphenoidal, splashdown.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern 		5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Images: Digital Art 		9. Quotations: Historic
10. Quotations: Fiction
11. Quotations: Non-fiction
12. Quotations: Spoken 		13. Quotations: Speeches
14. Usage Frequency
15. Names: Frequency
16. Names: Company Usage 		17. Cities
18. Expressions
19. Expressions: Internet
20. Translations: Modern 		21. Translations: Ancient
22. Abbreviations
23. Acronyms
24. Derivations 		25. Anagrams
26. Bibliography


  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.