Polsce

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine to the southeast; Belarus and Lithuania to the east; the Baltic Sea to the north, with a short border on the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. It covers about 312,700 square kilometres and has a population around 38 million. The capital and largest city is Warsaw; other major cities include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, and Gdańsk. The official language is Polish and the currency is the złoty (PLN).

Poland's history stretches from early medieval kingdoms to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth established in 1569. After the partitions at the end of the 18th century, Poland ceased to exist for over a century and regained independence in 1918. It was invaded in 1939, starting World War II, and after 1945 became a communist state within the Eastern Bloc. A peaceful transition to democracy began in 1989, and Poland joined the European Union in 2004 and NATO in 1999.

Today Poland is a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government. It has a bicameral parliament, the Sejm and the Senate. The country is a member of the European Union and NATO, participates in the Schengen Area, and maintains a market-based economy.

Polish culture includes a rich literary and musical heritage and notable scientists and writers. It has many UNESCO sites and historic towns, with landscapes ranging from the Baltic coast to the Tatra Mountains. Major attractions include Kraków's Old Town, Warsaw's Old Town, Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.