countriesPoland

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located 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, and Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia to the northeast. Poland also has a coastline along the Baltic Sea to the north. The capital and largest city of Poland is Warsaw. Other major cities include Krakow, Łódź, Wrocław, and Poznań.

The history of Poland is long and complex, marked by periods of great power and influence, as well as times of partition and foreign occupation. Poland was a significant European power in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, forming the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest states in Europe. The country experienced partitions in the late 18th century by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, losing its independence for over a century. Poland regained its sovereignty after World War I, only to be invaded by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union at the start of World War II. Following the war, Poland became a satellite state of the Soviet Union until the fall of communism in 1989.

Poland is a unitary state divided into 16 administrative provinces, or voivodeships. It is a member of the European Union and NATO. The country has a temperate climate and varied geography, from the Baltic coast in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south. The official language is Polish, and the majority of the population is Roman Catholic. Poland's economy has seen significant growth since its transition to a market economy, with key sectors including manufacturing, services, and agriculture.