Poland

POLAND in brief Capital: Warsaw Language: Polish Population: 38 million Currency: 1 zloty = 100 groszy Area: 312,685 km2 (120,727 sqm) Political system: Parliamentary democracy

Flag of Poland Coat of arms of Poland Polish national anthem „Mazurek Dabrowskiego” National symbols

Administrative divisions 16 provinces: Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie, Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie, Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)

Executive branch chief of state: President Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (since 6 August 2010) head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar PAWLAK (since 16 November 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski

Parliament in Warsaw

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 June and 4 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results: Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI 53%, Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI 47% Prime Minister Donald TUSK

Poland joined NATO in 1999 and since 2004 has been a member of the European Union

Urbanization RankCityVoivodeshipPopulationMetropolitan area 1WarsawMasovian 1,716,8552,680,600 2KrakówLesser Poland755,5461,227,200 3Łódź 739,8321,061,600 4WrocławLower Silesian632,5611,136,900 5PoznańGreater Poland552,7351,227,200 6GdańskPomeranian456,8741,220,800

Warsaw Łódź Kraków Gdańsk Poznań Wrocław

Capital Warsaw

Wilanow Palace in Warsaw is one of the most important examples of the Polish Baroque. The history of the place is inextricably linked with its builder and first owner, King John I Sobieski. Wilanow Palace

The north face (rear) of the Palace on the Water located in the Royal Baths Park - the largest park in Warsaw. Built in the 17th century, the structure was remodeled in the 18th century and became a royal residence. The building is now a beautiful and harmonious mixture of architectural styles. Palace on the Water

The Little White House is a garden villa in the Park Royal Baths Park in Warsaw. Little White House

The Palace of Culture and Science The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland; it was built between 1952 and 1955 as a gift to Poland by the Soviet Union. For decades the building was hated by the Poles, who considered it a symbol of Soviet domination. Since the fall of the Soviet Bloc, however, the structure's negative symbolism has diminished. The building currently serves as an exhibition center and office complex

Interesting places A view of the inner harbor of Gdansk. The city lies on the southern shore of Gdansk Bay on the mouth of the Motlawa River.

Wawel, the seat of Polish kings. Kraków was the nation's capital from 1038 until the move to Warsaw in 1596

Giewont in the High Tatras; the mountainous south is a popular destination for hikers

Kurtkowiec, oligotrophic lake in southeastern Poland

The average daytime summer temperature at sea level along the Baltic coast is 22 °C (71.6 °F)

The city of Zamość is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the main tourist attractions of Lublin Voivodeship.

Long Market in Gdańsk filled with picturesque Dutch style tenements is a favourite meeting place in the Kashubian capital.

Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń

An altar constructed of salt in the Wieliczka salt mines.

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