The largest country of central Europe is naturally protected by the Baltic Sea towards the north and Carpathian Mountains in the south. It is open to attack from the east and west. That is why Nazi Germany was able to attack it from the east in 1939, and murder a large portion of its population. Poland was attacked again after World War II, when a large portion of its territory was seized by the Soviet Union.
Poland lies at the cross-roads of Eastern and Western culture and is influenced by both. You can see the Islamic influence in it traditional costumes, the architecture, folklore and art on the other hand are more closely associated with Western Europe’s culture.
Most of the country is low-lying, with roughly 30% of the land is blanketed by forests and lakes. Poland holds first position in terms of area protected as national parks. Poland is also home to one of the few natural deserts in Europe. Created by a melting glacier thousands of years ago, the Bledow desert stretches 32 square kilometres, and is of great importance to the scientific community.
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Poland offers visitors a wide range of cultural experiences. From the celebrated festivals of Wratislavia Cantans and Warsaw Autumn to museums housing amazing masterpieces like Da Vinci’s Lady, the Veit Stoss High Alter and Hans Memling’s the Last Judgement. Other than the capital Warsaw, major cities include Lodz, Krakow, Wroclaw and Poznan.
Fast Facts
Full name: Republic of Poland
Government: Republic sin 1918
Capital: Warsaw
Area: 312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles)
Major language: Polish
Major religion: Roman Catholicism
Climate: cloudy, moderately severe winters; mild summers with thundershowers and showers
Monetary unit: zloty
Dialing code: +48
