The most important information and facts about Poland

POLAND . The Unofficial Guide

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Edited by: Ivonka Apr 13, 07, 19:33 #1

Rzeczpospolita Polska or Polska (the Republic of Poland or Poland) is the country located in Europa Centralna (Central Europe).

It has 312 685km2 and ludność (the population) of 38,17 millions. The capital city is Warszawa (Warsaw).

We joined NATO in 1999 and Unia Europejska (the European Union) on 1 May 2004, but we have not introduced a new waluta (currency) – Euro (Euro) yet and we still use złoty (zloty).

When it comes to strefa czasowa (time zone), it is środkowoeuropejska (GMT) and klimat umiarkowany kontynentalny (the moderate continental climate) with warm summer and cold winter.

The countries that Poland graniczy (borders) are: Niemcy (Germany), Czechy (the Czech Republic), Słowacja (Slovakia), Ukraina (Ukraine), Białoruś (Belarus), Litwa (Lithuania) and Russia (Rosja).

Ustrój polityczny Polski (political system in Poland) is Republika Parlamentarna (democratic republic) which means that the most important document is Konstytucja (the Constitution). This system is based on władza ustawodawcza (the legislative authority) consisting of Sejm (the Seym) and Senat (the Senate), władza wykonawcza (the executive authority) – Prezydent (the President), Prezes Rady Ministrów or Premier (the Prime Minister) and Rada Ministrów (the Council of Ministers or the Cabinet) and władza sądownicza (the judicial authority) – Sąd Najwyższy (the Supreme Court) and other courts..

The most important politicians in Poland in 2006/2007 are:

- Lech Kaczyński – Prezydent (the President)
- Jarosław Kaczyński – Prezes Rady Ministrów or Premier (the Prime Minister)
- Ludwik Dorn – Wicepremier (Vice Prime Minister) and Minister Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji (Minister of Interior and Administration)
- Roman Giertych – Wicepremier (Vice Prime Minister) and Minister Edukacji Narodowej (Minister of Education)
- Zyta Gilowska – Wicepremier (Vice Prime Minister) and Minister Finansów (Minister of Finance)
- Andrzej Lepper – Wicepremier (Vice Prime Minister) and Minister Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi (Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development)
- Zbigniew Ziobro – Minister Sprawiedliwości (Minister of Justice)
- Jerzy Polaczek – Minister Transportu (Minister of Transport)
- Radosław Sikorski – Minister Obrony Narodowej (Minister of National Defence)
- Tomasz Lipiec – Minister Sportu (Minister of Sport)
- Zbigniew Religa – Minister Zdrowia (Minister of Health).

Partie polityczne (political parties) that are playing the lead role now are:

- Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS (Law and Justice)
- Liga Polskich Rodzin, LPR (the League of Polish Families)
- Samoobrona (Self-Defence)
- Platforma Obywatelska, PO (the Civic Platform or the Citizens’ Platform)
- Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej, SLD (Democratic Left Alliance).

System administracyjny (administrative division) – Poland is divided into województwa (voivodeships), powiaty (counties) and gminy (communes).

There are sixteen voivodeships in Poland:

- Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesian voivodeship)
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship)
- Lubelskie (Lublin voivodeship)
- Lubuskie (Lubusz voivodeship)
- Łódzkie (Łódź voivodeship)
- Małopolskie (Lesser Poland voivodeship)
- Mazowieckie (Masovian voivodeship)
- Opolskie (Opole voivodeship)
- Podkarpackie (Subcarpathian voivodeship)
- Podlaskie (Podlachian voivodeship)
- Pomorskie (Pomeranian voivodeship)
- Śląskie (Silesian voivodeship)
- Świętokrzyskie (Świętokrzyskie voivodeship)
- Warmińsko-Mazurskie (Warmian-Masurian voivodeship)
- Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland voivodeship)
- Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomeranian voivodeship).

Poland is a very beautiful country with magnificent views and landscape. A lot of tourists come to spend their free time here. The most interesting and spectacular places and cities are:

- Morze Bałtyckie (the Baltic Sea)
- Karkonosze (Karkonosze Mountains)
- Sudety (the Sudeten Mountains)
- Karpaty (Carpathian Mountains)
- Tatry (Tatra Mountains)
- Beskidy (Beskids)
- Pieniny (Pieniny)
- Mazury (the Mazury lake district)
- Woliński Park Narodowy (Wolinski National Park)
- Bory Tucholskie (Bory Tucholskie)
- Kampinoski Park Narodowy (Kampinoski National Park)
- Warszawa (Warsaw)
- Kraków (Cracow)
- Zakopane (Zakopane)
- Częstochowa (Czestochowa)
- Gdańsk (Gdańsk)
- Wrocław (Wrocław)
- Łódź (Lodz)
- Poznań (Poznan).

The two greatest Polish rzeki (rivers) are Wisła (the Vistula) and Odra (the Oder).

Poland is also proud of some famous and well-known people such as:

- Papież Jan Paweł II (Pope John Paul II)
Laureaci Nagrody Nobla (Nobel Prize Winners):
- Maria Curie Skłodowska – physics and chemistry
- Henryk Sienkiewicz – literature (“Quo Vadis”)
- Władysław Stanisław Reymont – literature („Chłopi” – ”The Peasants)
- Czesław Miłosz – literature („Piesek przydrożny” – “Roadside Dog")
- Lech Wałęsa – Pokojowa Nagroda Nobla (Peace Nobel Prze)
- Wisława Szymborska - literature
Film i teatr (film and theatre):
- Agnieszka Holland
- Roman Polański
- Andrzej Seweryn
- Andrzej Wajda
- Krzysztof Zanussi
Muzyka (music):
- Fryderyk Chopin
- Wojciech Kilar
- Krzysztof Penderecki
- Zbigniew Preisner.

The list could be much longer, but I tried to capture the most significant celebrities.

What I have just presented is the outline of Polish country. It seems to me that this are basic and essential information that give the picture of Poland. It is often interesting to compare one’s own country with another one to see the differences, similarities and get to know new things. Such knowledge is also necessary and useful when we decide to visit the country whose language we learn.

Ivonka

Rodrigez	Apr 14, 07, 23:15 #2
Good and useful article. Thank you.

celinskiThreads: 83 Posts: 2,800 Joined: Nov 14, 07 ♀	Nov 30, 07, 09:41 #3
Ivonka, I hope you don't mind my sharing this with my group? Great job getting the important information in an organized manner. Thank you, Carol Free at last. 1989

Wyspianska	Nov 30, 07, 09:42 #4
Quoting: celinski 1989 that is the most important date ever! Wyspi born :P

RakkyThreads: 10 Posts: 284 Joined: May 23, 07 ♂	Nov 30, 07, 09:51 #5
Quoting: Wyspianska most important date ever even more important - Jun 27, 07 - Wyspi joins PF!

Grzegorz_Threads: 80 Posts: 6,104 Joined: Nov 16, 06 ♂	Nov 30, 07, 09:54 #6
Quoting: celinski I hope you don't mind my sharing this with my group? But there's a new government and 2 parties are not in the Parliament anymore.

RakkyThreads: 10 Posts: 284 Joined: May 23, 07 ♂	Nov 30, 07, 09:56 #7
Thanks for the interesting information. Two questions for you: What is a voivodeship? How are the following differentiated? Quoting: Ivonka - Karpaty (Carpathian Mountains) - Tatry (Tatra Mountains) - Beskidy (Beskids)

Wroclaw Boy	Nov 30, 07, 10:16 #8
Quoting: Ivonka Poland is also proud of some famous and well-known people such as: What about that Jewish dude from the Pianist - Woidek Szpilman, I reckon he deserves a mention.

Wroclaw Boy

Nov 30, 07, 10:25 #9

Quoting: Rakky

Thanks for the interesting information. Two questions for you:
What is a voivodeship?
How are the following differentiated?

Vovoidship is the equavalent of county

The mountain ranges you questioned are the various mountain ranges throughout poland, most are in the South of the country and represnet the basic lines of the boarders with the respective countries Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany.

BartolomeThreads: 2 Posts: 1,342 Joined: Sep 14, 06 ♂	Nov 30, 07, 11:12 #10
Quoting: Wroclaw Boy Vovoidship is the equavalent of county A województwo is much bigger than a county. It's a conglomerate of several - a few dozen of starostwos. County = (more or less) starostwo. More appropriate equivalent would be a region, like Yorkshire, Kent, etc.

celinskiThreads: 83 Posts: 2,800 Joined: Nov 14, 07 ♀	Nov 30, 07, 11:20 #11
Quoting: Wroclaw Boy I reckon he deserves a mention And Czeslaw Celinski, ok it's my grandfather.

RakkyThreads: 10 Posts: 284 Joined: May 23, 07 ♂	Nov 30, 07, 11:27 #12
Quoting: Bartolome More appropriate equivalent would be a region Gotcha - thanks.

lazybonesThreads: 2 Posts: 58 Joined: Oct 28, 07 ♂	Nov 30, 07, 11:37 #13
There's a date in Polish hearts which is significant: 15 August 1920

celinskiThreads: 83 Posts: 2,800 Joined: Nov 14, 07 ♀	Dec 5, 07, 09:23 #14
Please light a candle for us. Feb. 10, 1940

wildroverThreads: 180 Posts: 8,143 Joined: Jun 7, 07 ♂	Dec 5, 07, 16:56 #15
Quoting: lazybones 15 August 1920 Please excuse my ignorance....but what happened on this date....?

WroclawThreads: 74 Posts: 7,276 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Dec 5, 07, 17:08 #16
battle of warsaw

Wroclaw Boy	Dec 5, 07, 17:43 #17
Quoting: Bartolome A województwo is much bigger than a county. It's a conglomerate of several - a few dozen of starostwos. County = (more or less) starostwo. More appropriate equivalent would be a region, like Yorkshire, Kent, etc. Exactly a county then

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,160 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Dec 31, 07, 16:18 #18
Yorkshire is composed of different parts. One shire would be like hrabstwo in Polish. In Silesia (Sląsk), there are 2 parts (Upper and Lower) which is like a region. It's a geographical term. Województwo is an administrative term. That's the key difference.

telefonitika	Dec 31, 07, 17:36 #19
Seanus wrote: Yorkshire is composed of different parts. indeed we is! :)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,160 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Dec 31, 07, 18:16 #20
Zanussi was into making films, I always thought he was into making washing machines and the like, hehehe.

isthatuThreads: 4 Posts: 1,627 Joined: Jun 8, 07 ♂	Dec 31, 07, 18:29 #21
The appliance of science :)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,160 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Dec 31, 07, 18:42 #22
Let's not forget about Mr Wałęsa. Lech, not sure if he was but that was his first name, hehehe

taytay9091Threads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Feb 16, 10 ♀	Feb 16, 10, 23:00 #23
i think its 1997

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