Zagranica

Zagranica is a Polish noun meaning foreign countries or the outside world, lands beyond Poland's borders. It is used to refer to foreign lands collectively rather than to a specific country. In everyday language it appears in phrases such as "jechać za granicę" (to go abroad) and "pracować za granicą" (to work abroad).

Etymology: The word derives from granica, meaning border, with the prefix za- indicating "beyond." The sense "beyond the border" became extended to refer to the broader foreign world.

Usage and context: zagranica appears in travel, migration, foreign affairs, and economic discussions. It is common in media coverage of international events, politics, and business, as well as in expressions describing life or work outside Poland (na zagranicy, w zagranicy). The related adjective zagraniczny denotes things connected with foreign countries.

Historical note: After World War II and especially after 1989, mobility to zagranica increased, with Poland's accession to the European Union expanding opportunities for travel and work abroad. The term remains a general reference to foreign lands, contrasted with kraj, the home country.

See also: granica, za granicę, zagraniczny, emigracja, polityka zagraniczna.