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Poland
From Metapedia
| Republic of Poland Rzeczpospolita Polska |
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| Anthem: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dąbrowski's Mazurka) |
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| Capital (and largest city) | Warsaw 52°13′N 21°02′E / 52.217°N 21.033°E | |||||
| Official language(s) | Polish | |||||
| Ethnic groups | 96.7% Polish, 3.3% others | |||||
| Demonym | Pole/Polish | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary republic | |||||
| - | President | Bronisław Komorowski | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Donald Tusk | ||||
| Formation | ||||||
| - | Christianisation[c] | April 14, 966 | ||||
| - | First Republic | July 1, 1569 | ||||
| - | Second Republic | November 11, 1918 | ||||
| - | People's Republic | December 31, 1944 | ||||
| - | Third Republic | January 30, 1990 | ||||
| EU accession | 1 May 2004 | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 312,685 km2 [d](69th) 120,696.41 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | 3.07 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | June 2010 estimate | 38,192,000[1] (34th) | ||||
| - | December 2007 census | 38,116,000 (34th) | ||||
| - | Density | 120/km2 (83rd) 319.9/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2009 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $727.086 billion[2] (19th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $18,705[2] | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2010 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $479.026 billion[2] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $12,575[2] | ||||
| Gini (2002) | 34.5 | |||||
| HDI (2010) |  0.795[3] (very high) (41st) |
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| Currency | Złoty (PLN) |
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| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| Internet TLD | .pl | |||||
| Calling code | 48 | |||||
| 1 | ^a See, however, Unofficial mottos of Poland. | |||||
| 2 | ^b Although not official languages, Belarusian, Kashubian, Silesian, Lithuanian and German are used in 20 communal offices. | |||||
| 3 | ^c The adoption of Christianity in Poland is seen by many Poles, regardless of their religious affiliation or lack thereof, as one of the most significant national historical events; the new religion was used to unify the tribes in the region. | |||||
Poland (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe. Depending on the definition, Poland can also be considered part of Eastern, and Northern Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of the present day Polish state is 312,679 km² (120,728 sq mi), and it is the 69th largest country in the world and 5th in Europe with the occupied territory. Poland’s population is over 38.5 million people, concentrated mainly in urban areas.
History
The first Polish state appeared in 966, within territory similar to the present boundaries of Poland. Poland became a kingdom in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by uniting to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795. Poland regained its independence in 1918 after World War I but lost it again in World War II, occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union, emerging several years later as a communist country within the Eastern Bloc under the control of the Soviet Union. In 1989, communist rule was overthrown and Poland became what is informally known as the Third Polish Republic. The Republic of Poland is the 33rd most populous state in the world. The Republic of Poland is made up of sixteen voivodeships (Polish: województwo). The Republic of Poland is also a member of NATO, OECD and the European Union.
See also
References
- ↑ Wzrasta liczba ludności Polski - Wiadomości - WP.PL. Wiadomosci.wp.pl (2010-07-23). Retrieved on 2010-07-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Gross Domestic Product, 2009. World Bank. Retrieved on 2011-01-01.
- ↑ Table 1 – Human Development Index and its components. Human Development Index 2010. Human Development Reports. Retrieved on 4 November 2010.
