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EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TODAY POLAND

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EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TODAY POLAND

Dominic J. Ainsley

MASON CREST

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Copyright © 2019 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 978-1-4222-3989-6 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3977-3 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7804-8

Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress.

Printed in the United States of America

Cover images Main: The churches of St. Stanislaw and St. Vaclav and Wawel Castle, Kraków. Left: Borscht (beetroot) soup. Center: Monument to the Warsaw Uprising of World War II. Right: A walker in the Tatra Mountains.

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CONTENTS Poland at a Glance 6 Chapter 1: Poland’s Geography & Landscape 11 Chapter 2: The Government & history of Poland 21 Chapter 3: The Polish Economy 43 Chapter 4: Citizens of Poland: People, Customs & Culture 53 Chapter 5: The Famous Cities of Poland 67 Chapter 6: A Bright Future for Poland 83

Chronology 90 Further Reading & Internet Resources 91 Index 92 Picture Credits & Author 96

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more!

Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.

POLAND AT A GLANCE

MAP OF EUROPE

POLAND

The Geography of Poland Location: central Europe, east of Germany Area: (about twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than New Mexico) total: 120,727 square miles (312,685 sq. km) land: 117,473 square miles (304,255 sq. km) water: 3,254 square miles (8,430 sq. km) Borders: Belarus 259 miles (418 km), Czech Republic 494 miles (796 km), Germany 290 miles (467 km), Lithuania 64 miles (104 km), Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 130 miles (210 km), Slovakia 336 miles (541 km), Ukraine 332 miles (535 km) Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers Terrain: west and south mostly mountains (Alps); east and north flat or gently sloping Elevation extremes: lowest point: near Raczki Elbląskie -7 feet (-2 m) highest point: Rysy 8,199 feet (2,499 m) Natural hazards: flooding

Source: www.cia.gov 2017

POLAND AT A GLANCE

Flag of Poland Poland’s position in Europe goes a long way to explain its complex and varied

dates back to the thirteenth century. The flag, using red and white, was first used in 1919. Since 1989, when anti-Communists took over, it has been a popular notion that the colors stand for peace (white) and socialism (red).

history. With constant invasions from neighboring countries, it has been partitioned several times and re-founded twice in this century. Poland was the first satellite country of the Soviet Union to bring down its Communist regime, which encouraged many other Eastern European countries to follow suit. The colors of the flag derive from those of the Polish coat of arms (a white eagle on a red field), which

ABOVE: The Jewish quarter of Kraków is full of bars, restaurants, and cafés. 8

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TODAY: POLAND

The People of Poland Population: 38,476,269 Ethnic Groups: Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% Age Structure:

0–14 years: 14.76% 15–24 years: 10.7% 25–54 years: 43.48% 55–64 years: 14.21% 65 years and over: 16.86% Population Growth Rate: -0.13%

Birth Rate: 9.5 births/1,000 population Death Rate: 10.4 deaths/1,000 population Migration Rate: -0.4 migrants/1,000 population (2016 est.) Infant Mortality Rate: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births Life Expectancy at Birth: Total Population: 77.8 years Male: 73.9 years Female: 81.8 years Total Fertility Rate: 1.35 children born/woman Religions: Catholic 87.2%, Protestant 0.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 1.3%, other 0.4% Languages: Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3% Literacy rate: 99.8%

Source: www.cia.gov 2017

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Words to Understand capital city: A city or town that is the official seat of government in a country. coastal plain: A plain extending along a coast. continental climate: A climate characterized by hot summers, cold winters, and little rainfall, typical of the interior of a continent.

BELOW: The Stawa Młyny is a beacon in the stylized shape of a windmill in Świnoujście, a town on the Baltic Sea. The beacon acts as navigational aid for vessels entering the port of Świnoujście. It was built between 1873 and 1874.

Chapter One POLAND’S GEOGRAPhY & LANDSCAPE

W elcome to Poland, one of the largest countries in Central Europe. Bordered by Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Baltic Sea, Poland and its culture have been shaped by its central location and the ease with which people, ideas, and even armies have moved across the area. Poland is the eighth-largest country in Europe, covering 120,727 square miles (312,685 sq. kilometers). Most of this area is low lying, although there are some mountains to the south. The Baltic Sea lies to the north and provides Poland with easy access to Scandinavian and North Sea ports. Warsaw, the capital city , is situated in the center of the country, on the Wisła River. A Sandy Coast, Rolling Plains, and Mountains Stretching from coastal plains to mountain ranges, Poland can be divided into three major natural land regions—the Baltic coastal plain in the north, lowlands in the center, and mountains in the south. The Baltic coastal plain is a low, flatland mass that lies along the Baltic Sea, extending across Poland from Germany to Russia. Marshlands, dunes, and tidal flats—coastal areas alternately flooded and drained by the tides—dot the coastline. The region immediately south of the coastal plain is relatively flat. This low-lying region is marked by thousands of lakes. More than 6,300 lakes are scattered across it. Wide river valleys divide the area into three sections—the Pomeranian Lakeland, the Masurian Lakeland, and the Great Poland Lakeland. 11

POLAND’S GEOGRAPhY & LANDSCAPE

Educational Video

A short video giving a brief insight into Poland’s geography. Scan the QR code with your phone to watch!

ABOVE: The Tatra Mountains are in the Carpathians, which border Slovakia. In Poland, the mountains are situated in the Tatra National Park. 12

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TODAY: POLAND

ABOVE: One of the many lakes in the Masurian Lakeland, which is a haven for birds.

As these rivers cut through the lowlands, they provide fertile land for cultivation. The farmland of the plain is critical to Polish agriculture. Many Polish cities have developed along these riverbanks. Some of these cities have become important industrial and commercial centers. South of the central lowlands are the uplands of Little Poland. This region is marked by striking upthrusts of ancient rock, rich in minerals and coal. The coal, iron, zinc, and lead deposits found and mined here, near the old capital city of Kraków, had led to the growth of Poland’s most important industrial region. The southernmost region of Poland is characterized by two mountain ranges, the Sudeten and the Carpathians along the border with the Czech Republic and

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POLAND’S GEOGRAPhY & LANDSCAPE

ABOVE: The Sudeten mountain range stretches from eastern Germany to southwestern Poland and to the northern Czech Republic.

Slovakia. The Sudeten Range is somewhat smaller and features several granite quarries, while the Carpathians contain deposits of salt, sulfur, natural gas, and petroleum. Rivers and Waterways Poland is home to a number of interconnected rivers, canals, and lakes. Over the centuries, many of Poland’s largest cities have developed along these water routes. The most important river is the Wisła. Both a tourist river and a busy transport waterway, it flows from Slovakia in the south to the Baltic Sea in the north. The Odra is another river vital for transport, industry, and agriculture. 14