Puola

Puola, known in English as Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by 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 official name is Rzeczpospolita Polska (Republic of Poland).

Poland is a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system. It is divided into 16 voivodeships. The president acts as head of state, while the prime minister heads the government. Poland is a member of the European Union (since 2004) and the Schengen Area (since 2007), and it has been a member of NATO since 1999. The country uses the Polish złoty (PLN) and does not yet adopt the euro.

Historically, the Polish state emerged in the 10th century, reaching a peak during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was partitioned at the end of the 18th century and reemerged as an independent republic in 1918. It was invaded in 1939, triggering World War II. After World War II, it became a socialist state under Soviet influence and transitioned to democracy and a market economy after 1989.

Economically, Poland has a diversified economy with strong services, manufacturing, and IT sectors. It is one of the EU's larger economies by GDP and is notable for automotive, aerospace, chemicals, and food industries, as well as agriculture and tourism. Major destinations include Kraków, Gdańsk, Wrocław, and the capital Warsaw, along with natural areas such as the Tatra Mountains and the Masurian Lakes.