Poland is an ancient nation with a history that can be traced back to the 10^th century, when Christianity was adopted. In the last century, it became a satellite state of the former Soviet Union following the Second World War. But the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" subsequent to the labour turmoil in 1980 led to the birth of a political force in opposition to the Communist Party that ruled the country. The election held in 1989 brought a landslide victory to Solidarity. On 29 July 1989 the Polish Parliament changed the country's name to the "Republic of Poland", and the "People's Republic of Poland" came to an end. This marked the commencement of the age of the so-called "Third Republic" in Poland, along with the break-up of the former Soviet Union.

Following this, a "shock therapy" programme was adopted by the country in the early 1990s to transform its centrally planned economy into a free-market economic system, which has made it one of the most robust economies in Central and Eastern Europe. This was despite the fact that Poland still faced certain challenges such as higher unemployment, an underdeveloped infrastructure and underdevelopment in rural areas in the last decade.

On entering the 21^st century, the Polish economy started to stabilise, with a much better performance in recent years. Poland has benefited from its continued efforts to liberalise its economy, while further integrating with Western European and the other economies. Poland became a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996, and was admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1999. Most importantly, Poland, together with nine other East European and Mediterranean countries¹, joined the European Union (EU) as an EU member in 2004.

B. Geography and Resources

Poland is a roughly square, medium-sized country with an area of 312,680 km². This makes it the ninth largest country in Europe, after Russia, Ukraine, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Finland and Norway. It is located in Central Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the northwest, Germany to the west, the Czech and Slovak Republic to the south and Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia to the east.

1. Time Zone

2. Climatic Information

Poland has as many as six distinct seasons. Apart from the four typical European seasons, there are also two periods described as early spring (przedwiosnie) and early winter (przedzimie).

• During the przedwiosnie starting in late February or early March, which is about a month long, the average daily air temperature ranges from 0°C to 5°C. As in spring, it lasts for about 60 days, with daily temperatures ranging from 5°C to 15°C.
  
  
• The summer, with temperatures above 20°C, lasts from May until early September. Hot days with temperatures exceeding 25°C can occur. July is the hottest month in the year.
  
  
• In autumn, the average temperature drops to between 5°C and 15°C. Almost every year, mid-September sees the coming of Polish "Indian summer", which is a warm and sunny transition between summer and autumn.
  
  
• When przedzimie begins, temperatures drop below 5°C. After about six weeks, winter comes with frost until late February or early March. January is the coldest month, and temperatures below 0°C occur between November and March.

Current weather conditions in Poland can be obtained from:

http://www.worldweather.org/009/m009.htm

3. Natural Resources

Poland is rich in mineral deposits. It is among the world's biggest producers of hard and brown coal, copper, zinc, lead, sulphur, rock salt and construction minerals. In addition, the country has deposits of oil and natural gas, although the daily output is far from the level needed to meet the country's demand.

Poland is endowed with substantial geothermal water, which is among the richest in Europe. Such resources can be found in one-third of the country's area, and Poland has established a few large geothermal plants to exploit such resources.

From antiquity, the country has been famous for its amber, which was often called Baltic gold. Today, Poland remains a major supplier of this material, with the richest deposit in Mozdzanowo, where a variety of amber in different colours and shades can be found.

C. Population, Language and Major Cities

Poland has some 38 million inhabitants, who are almost homogeneous ethnically. The recent census revealed that minorities account for only some 4% of the population, which is equivalent to about 1.5 million people.

The main regions include Pomerania (Pomorze), Masuria (Mazury), Greater Poland (Wielkopolska), Mazovia (Mazowsze), Podlassia (Podlasie), Silesia (Slask), Lesser Poland (Malopolska), and Sub-Carpathia (Podkarpacie). Meanwhile, major Polish cities include Warsaw, Łódź, Cracow (Kraków), Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Lublin and Katowice.

• Warsaw is the capital of Poland, and has been developed and modernised as the national centre of administration, business, science and culture.
  
  
• Łódź is an industrial and business centre which includes the textile industry, and is the second biggest city in Poland.
  
  
• Cracow (Kraków) is the former capital of the country, and is the second most frequently visited Polish city after Warsaw.
  
  
• Wroclaw is the economic, cultural and intellectual capital of Lower Silesia region, with light industry, trade, service and education being the major sectors.
  
  
• Poznan is one of Poland's largest industrial and commercial centres, with major industries like metallurgy, chemicals, furniture, textiles and food-processing.
  
  
• Gdańsk is a major trading centre on the Baltic Sea, while its ports handle coal exports and petroleum imports for the country.
  
  
• Szczecin is the major centre of the shipbuilding industry in Poland, and is well supported by numerous shipyards in the region.
  
  
• Bydgoszcz is a significant administrative and industrial centre of the Cuiavia and Pomerani region. It has become even more famous owing to its musical and theatrical institutions, events and festivals.
  
  
• Lublin is the largest city in eastern Poland, and is one of the country's most important academic centres with a scientific research base.
  
  
• Katowice has a name in cultural activities, sports events, as well as certain trade fairs and conferences.

D. Political System and Government Administration

Poland is a state with a republican political system and a parliamentary democracy. Its political system consists of state institutions and political parties, which are bound by statutes and legislation (the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, statutory law, and the executive acts and decrees).

Poland is governed by means of a mixed parliamentary and cabinet system. Power is divided between the legislative authority (exercised by the Sejm, Senate and, to a certain extent, the Constitutional Tribunal), the executive authority (the President, Prime Minister, and the Council of Ministers), and the judicial authority (an independent judicial system, with general, administrative, and military courts).

During general parliamentary elections, Polish citizens elect their representatives, who are usually associated with specific political parties. These parties then take seats in the Sejm and Senate, in accordance with the number of votes they receive in the election. The biggest political parties in Poland include:

• The Law and Justice Party (PiS)
• The Citizens' Platform (PO)
• The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)
• The Self-Defence Party (Samoobrona)
• The League of Polish Families (LPR)
• The Polish Peasants' Party (PSL)