Poland

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the northeast; and has a Baltic Sea coastline to the north. The capital and largest city is Warsaw. The country covers about 312,000 square kilometers and has a population around 38 million. The official language is Polish, and the currency is the Polish złoty.

Poland has a parliamentary republic form of government. The president is the head of state and the prime minister leads the cabinet. The national legislature consists of the Sejm and the Senate. Poland is a member of the European Union and NATO, and participates in the Schengen Area. The country is divided into 16 voivodeships and uses Central European Time.

Poland’s history includes the medieval Polish state established in the 10th century, the union with Lithuania in the 14th century, and the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It regained independence in 1918 after World War I, endured invasion in 1939, and then experienced communist rule after World War II. Democratic reforms began in 1989, leading to a market economy and EU accession in 2004.

The economy is diverse, with strong services, industry, and agriculture. It is one of the EU’s larger economies, with manufacturing, technology, and exports as major drivers. Notable cities beyond Warsaw include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, and Poznań. Polish culture has produced figures such as Copernicus, Chopin, and Sienkiewicz, and the country maintains numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Polish cuisine features pierogi and kielbasa, among other dishes, and the cultural landscape is closely tied to Roman Catholic traditions, though urban areas are increasingly diverse.