| Area |
312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles). |
| Population |
38,667,000 (1998). |
| Capital |
Warsaw - population 1,625,500 (1996) |
| Climate |
Tempera with warm summers, crisp, sunny autumns and cold winters. Snow covers the mountainous areas in the south Poland (mid-December to April). Rain falls throughout the year. |
| Language |
Polish is the official language. There is a small German-speaking community. English and Russian are also spoken. |
| Religion |
More than 90 per cent Roman Catholic; other religions include Polish Autocephalous Orthodox, Russian and Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim. |
| Time |
GMT + 1
|
| Highlights |
Dissected by the River Vistula, Warsaw was completely destroyed during the Second World War. The Old Town has now been rebuilt and the Wilanow Palace, one of the reconstructed buildings, has a unique collection of old paintings and furniture. Krakow is Poland's second city and capital until 1596. Like Warsaw it is situated on the southern banks of the River Vistula in the wooded foothills of the Tatra Mountains. Escaped destruction in the 2nd World War Kraków has luckily retained much of its medieval air. Kraków is also home to one of the oldest universities in Europe; the Jageillonian University, founded in 1364, is where Copernicus studied - to this day one is able to view his astronomical instruments accordingly.
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| Country Facts |
Poland shares borders with the Baltic Sea, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Germany. On the Baltic coast there are a mixture of sandy beaches and steep cliffs and dunes. Northern Poland has the majority of Poland's lakes and wooded hills, joined by rivers and canals. Lake Hancza is the deepest lake in Poland and is located in this area.
Poland enjoys warm summers, crisp sunny autumns and cold winters. Snow covers the mountainous area of Southern Poland from mid-December to April. Rain falls throughout the year. |