Poland is to be found at the center of the European continent, with an area of 312,683 sq/km. It has a frontier of 3,582 km, including 528 km of coastline. To the west, the Polish/German border runs along the Oder and Neisse rivers. To the north, Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea and by Russia. Poland is separated from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south by the Sudeten and Carpathian Mountains, whilst its eastern neighbors are Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine. In general, Poland is a flat country with an average height above sea level of 173 in (568 ft). Over 75% of the country lies below 200 m (650 ft). Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union “Solidarity” that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A “shock therapy” program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999.
Poland’s climate is greatly influenced by oceanic air currents from the west, cold polar air from Scandinavia and Russia, as well as warmer, sub-tropical air from the south. In winter, polar-continental fronts dominate, bringing crisp, frosty weather. The late summer and autumn months enjoy plenty of warm days, thanks to the influence of the dry, sub-tropical, continental air mass. The greatest amount of sunshine in summer is to be found on the Baltic coast, whilst in winter this is true of the Carpathian Mountains. In the mountains, at any time of year, the climate is dependent on the altitude. In Warsaw, temperatures range from between 200 to 250C (680 to 77’F) during the summer months and O’ to -50C (320 to 23″F) in winter.
At the end of 19-93, Poland had a population of 38.5 million. It is estimated that this will rise to 39.5 million by the year 2000. In 1991, the average life expectancy was 66.1 years for men and 75.3 years for women. 61.8% of the population lived in cities in 1993. Polish is the official language. About 60 percent of the population lives in cities. There are a number of large cities, including five with populations of more than 500,000. The largest is Warsaw, the capital, with about 1.7 million inhabitants. Lodz has approximately 850,000 people. Other large cities are Krakow (Cracow), Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk, and Szczecin.
Where to go:
1. Warsaw City
Warsaw is the capital of Poland and its largest city. It is located on the Vistula river roughly 350 km from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. More than 90 percent of the city was destroyed during World War II, but the historic Old Town section was painstakingly reconstructed. In 2004 the population of Warsaw was estimated at 1,676,600, with an urban agglomeration of approximately 2,400,000. Area of this city is 516,9 sq. km, with an urban agglomeration of 1226,6 sq.km . Warsaw’s population declined during World War II, when as many as 670,000 residents died, including the city’s 375,000 Jews who were systematically exterminated by the Nazis. Warsaw’s population is now ethnically and religiously homogeneous. Most residents are ethnic Poles, and the population is predominantly Roman Catholic, though there is a small minority of Protestants. In the early postwar period, many Poles moved to Warsaw from the countryside. Migration from rural areas has slowed, however, in part because of a lack of housing in Warsaw.
2. Krakow City
Kraków was once the national capital and is considered by many to still be the heart of Poland Due to its history of more than a thousand years. Kraków is also a major center of local and international tourism, with more than two million visitors annually. Kraków situated in the southeast of the country, between the Jura uplands and the Tatra Mountains, on the banks of the Wisla (Vistula) River. Dozens of churches cover almost every architectural period and are surrounded by monasteries and abbeys – walking through the Old Town streets is like drifting back through the picture book of the history of architecture. It has a rich architecture, mostly Renaissance with some examples of Baroque and Gothic. Kraków’s palaces, churches and mansions display a richness of color, architectural details, stained glass, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings.
3. Gdansk City
Gdansk used to be called “Dantzig” . Historically an important seaport since the 10th century and subsequently a principal ship-building centre, Gdansk was a member of the Hanseatic League and the largest city in Poland until the partitions of the late 18th century, when the largely German-speaking city became part of Prussia, and later of the German Empire. After a period as a free city in the interwar period (1919-1939), claims to Gdansk became the pretext for Hitler’s attack on Poland which began the Second World War. Following the war Gdansk again became part of Poland, and the German population was largely expelled, making the city for the first time entirely ethnically Polish.
Today’s Gdansk is the capital of Pomorskie province in Northern Poland, on a branch of the Vistula and on the Gulf of Gdansk. One of the chief Polish ports on the Baltic Sea, it is a leading industrial and communications center. The population of Gdansk is nearing half a million. It is a large centre of economic life, science, culture, and a popular tourist destination. The city lies on the southern coast of the Gdansk Bay (of the Baltic Sea), in a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity
4. Poznan City
Poznan is a port on the Warta River in west-central Poland. It is an important industrial and railway center and is the site of a major international trade fair. Manufactures include machinery, metals, and chemicals. The city has many old churches and museums with important art objects. Its most notable buildings are a Gothic cathedral (badly damaged in World War II) and a 16th-century city hall. A city-province, it is also the capital of Poznan province.
5. Wrocslaw City
Wroclaw originated in the 10th century AD at the crossroads of trade routes and was first governed by the Polish Piast kings. In the following centuries it was ruled at various times by the Germans,Bohemians, and Prussians. In 1741 Frederick II the Great of Prussia changed its name to Breslau. Wroclaw is the capital of southwestern Poland’s province of Lower Silesia. The city is located on the Oder River approximately 310 kilometers southwest of Warsaw, 200 kilometers east of Dresden, Germany, and 120 km from the Czech Republic.
The city with its charming historical center, parks, good restaurants, hotels and friendly people (700.000 inhabitants) is a pleasant place to visit and to do business. As Poland’s fourth largest city, Wroclaw is a center of industry, communications, transport, education, and the arts. The city has Poland’s largest flour mills, electronics and data-processing facilities, foundries, machinery plants, textile mills, the Hutmen copper plant, and food-processing facilities. Wroclaw provides international rail connections, an airport, and river transport. Eight educational institutions are located in the city along with nine museums, several theaters and music centers, and a botanical garden and zoo.
6. Gdynia City
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodship of Poland and an important seaport at Gdansk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea. Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdansk and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity with a population of over a million people. Originally a small German fishing village, it was transferred to Poland after World War I. Gdynia as a port was built up after 1924 to end Poland’s dependence on Danzig (Gdansk).
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