Right now, in the next couple of minutes, you will learn everything (or nearly everything) about Poland! Pay attention! There will be a short quiz at the end. It will be easy…if you listen.

 Poland is the 69 th largest country in the world and the 9 th largest in Europe  Poland is slightly smaller than New Mexico  312,679 sq kilometers(120,726 sq miles)  Poland’s bordering countries include: Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, Lithuania, and a Russian exclave

 Major Landforms  Baltic Sea to the north  Oder, Notec, Vistula, Warta, and Bug rivers run throughout all of Poland  Bledow Desert lies in southern Poland  Carpathian, Sudeten, and Tatra mountains on the southern border  Highest point is Mt. Rysy (2,499 miles) located in the Tatra Mountains  Lowest point-Raczki Elblaskie in the Vistula Delta

The capital and largest city in Poland is Warsaw. It is located near the Vistula River. Another major city in Poland is Krakow. Krakow is near (less than 40 miles away from) Auschwitz concentration camp, which was established in 1940 and closed down in Millions were killed and millions of others were forced to work here during Hitler’s rule over Germany. Auschwitz was considered the worst concentration camp ever built and used.

Poland’s environmental situation has improved since the expulsion of communist rule. However, Poland has yet to recover from the overuse of forests during World War II and the loss of 4 million acres of forestland after the war. As of the mid- 1990s, 75% of Poland's forests have been damaged by airborne contaminants and acid rain. Air, water, and land pollution were the most recognized environmental problems in Poland in the 1990s. Air pollution is a result from hazardous concentrations of airborne dust and chemicals. Water pollution in the Baltic Sea is 10 times higher than in ocean water.

The climate in Poland is temperate continental with cold, cloudy, and severe winters with much precipitation. Summers are mild with frequent showers and thunderstorms.

If I were going to Poland, I would pack rain gear; rain boots, rain jacket, long pants, and a hat. I would also pack a heavy coat incase there is any severely cold weather. Occasionally there will be warmer weather, but not hot. If you go, prepare for colder weather!

 Coal - Most important  Natural Gas  Oil  Sulfur  Copper  Iron Ore  Lead  Zinc  Salt  Bauxite  Barite  Gypsum  Limestone  Silver Natural Resources

Poland has pretty much the same technology as the U.S. They use land lines and cell phones just like us. Computers are common in Poland. They are sort of like us in terms of technology.

 Exports  Consumer Goods-13.7%  Food-5%  Fuels-10.7%  Industrial Supplies-33.7%  Machinery-23.8%  Transportation-12.9%  Other-0.2%

 Imports  Machinery and Transport equipment- 38%  Intermediate Manufactured Goods- 21%  Chemicals-14.8%  Minerals, Fuels, Lubricants, and related materials-9.1%

 Polish currency is called zlotych  Polish zlotych = US dollars  So, around 3 zlotych would equal 1 dollar

Poland is a developing country according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In Poland, people make a lot of arts and crafts and sell them. For example:  Glass  Enamelware  Hand-woven rugs  Silverware  Jewelry  Dolls in regional costumes  Woodcarvings  Clay and metal sculptures

 Poland has a Republican government like the U.S.  The president of Poland is elected directly by the people to serve for 5 years and can be re-elected only once.

 A little over 2 years ago, Poland’s president Lech Kaczynski died in a tragic airplane crash along with his wife and 96 other important leaders of the world.  Bronisław Maria Komorowski has been the new president of Poland since August 6, 2010.

 Poland's national emblem is a white eagle, but the national bird is actually a white stork. Around 40,000 of them nest in Poland every year.

 Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dabrowski’s Mazurka) is Poland’s national anthem.  The lyrics were written by Józef Wybicki in  The composer of the music is unknown.  =player_detailpage

 Ethnic Groups  Polish – 96.7%  German – 0.7%  Belarusian – 0.1%  Ukrainian – 0.1%  Other and Unspecified – 2.7%  Religions  Roman Catholic – 89.8%  Eastern Orthodox – 1.3%  Protestant – 0.3%  Other – 0.3%  Unspecified – 8.3%

 Total population - 38,415,284  Birth Rate – 9.96 births/1000 population  Death Rate – deaths/1000 population  Population Growth Rate – 0.075%

 Languages  Polish – 97.8%  Other and Unspecified – 2.2%  Literacy Rates  Male – 99.8%  Female – 99.7%  Total – 99.8%

Poland was founded in the A.D. 900s and was a powerful kingdom in the Middle Ages. By the 1800s, it had fallen victim to it’s stronger neighbors-Germany, Russia, and Austria. In 1939, German troops overran western Poland, causing World War ll to begin. During World War ll, Warsaw, the capital, was bombed to ashes.

In 1947, Poland became a communist government, and not everybody was happy about this. Workers and farmers in 1980 formed Solidarity, a labor group that struggled peacefully for democratic change. The communist government finally allowed free elections in1989, forming a new democratic government. One year later, Solidarity leader Lech Walesa was elected Poland’s first president. Today, Poland is a democracy. Drawing closer to western Europe, in 2004, Poland joined the European Union.

The correct term for Polish people is called Poles. My great-grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Poland when he was a little boy. So that makes me part Polish. Now I am going to pass around my great-grandfather’s immigration papers from when he immigrated here. Please be careful with them! My grandfather died a few years back so they are important to our family.

 Feel free to ask any questions!  Quiz is coming up next!

Answer these five following questions on the next slides. Don’t freak out, this is all based off of the PowerPoint. You will get a 100% if you were listening!

 What is the capital of Poland?  A. Frankfort  B. Kentucky  C. Warsaw  D. Krakow

 Near what large city was the concentration camp called Auschwitz located?  A. Krakow  B. Warsaw  C. Nevada  D. Purple

 What is Poland’s major (most practiced) religion?  A. Baptist  B. Roman Catholic  C. Pentecostal  D. none of the above

 Who took Lech Kaczynski’s place as president?  A. President Bush  B. President Obama  C. President Komorowski  D. Hitler

 What do Poles call their currency and how much is it compared to our money?  A. Dollars  B. Euro  C. Birr  D. Zlotych

 1) C. Warsaw  2) A. Krakow  3) B. Roman Catholic  4) C. President Komoroski  5) D. Zlotych

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