13 things you should know about Poland

  1. Official Name: the Republic of Poland, also called as Poland, Rzeczpospolita Polska (short form in Polish: Polska)

  2. Official Language: Polish

  3. Where it is situated: Central Europe, its neighboring countries are the Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, Russia (the Kaliningrad exclave), and Lithuania. Poland's northern border is 440 km long and runs along the Baltic Sea coast.

  4. Geography: It is the ninth-largest in Europe in terms of area and 69th in the world

  5. Capital: Warsaw or Warszawa.

  6. Time Zone: The country falls in the Central European Time zone (GMT + 1 hour/ UTC + 1 hour). The on;y exceptions are March's last Sunday and October's last Sunday when it changes to daylight saving time

  7. Population: 38 million. 

  8. It ranks seventh in Europe and sixth in the European Union for the population.

  9. Climate: It enjoys moderate continental weather, with cold winters between December to March and hot summers between June to August. The average temperatures in January range between -1°C (30°F) to -5°C (23°F) and 16.5°C (62°F) to 19°C (65°F) in July and August. On certain days, the temperature may even reach 35°C (95°F).

  10. Currency: 1 Zloty (PLN) = 100 groszy

  11. Calling code: + 48; 

  12. Internet domain: .pl

  13. International Organizations: Poland is a part of the European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), United Nations (UN), the Schengen Area, United Nations Educational, International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), World Health Organisation (WHO), Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD) and more.

Explore Poland

Main Polish cities

 
Updated on Jan 05, 2021

Poland's capital, with over 1.7 million inhabitants. It is a business town that many Poles are migrating to in search of education and employment opportunities. It has a vibrant spirit thanks to its 50 plus higher education institutions and constitutes a significant science and cultural hub. During World War II, the city was almost entirely destroyed. The years of communism (symbolized by the Palace of Science and Culture) and its entrepreneurial character have largely influenced its new architectural landscape (skyscrapers).

The former seat of Poland's royal family and capital up to 1596. Every year, its beautiful architecture and art treasures attract thousands of tourists. Since the first Polish university, the Jagiellonian University, was established here in 1364, it is considered the cradle of Polish science. Today, with over 730,000 inhabitants, it is a significant cultural and academic hub.

The fourth-largest city in Poland and the capital (Dolny Śląsk) of Lower Silesia. There is a big, beautiful old town in Wrocław, whose unique atmosphere is the product of its rich history and amazing location. It lies on several islands surrounded by the River Oder and its tributaries. Wrocław is a college town renowned for its music and theater festivals, as well as its vibrant nightlife.

A significant Polish seaport. It forms a metropolis called Tricity (Trójmiasto), together with Gdynia and Sopot, with approximately 750,000 inhabitants. The Old Town is stunning, representing its long and tumultuous past. It used to be a large Hanseatic town and was alternately owned by Poland and Germany. It is also the city where the Second World War started and the birthplace of the Movement of Polish Solidarity.

It is one of Poland's oldest and largest towns. It has always been an important transport and trade center, thanks to its position on the Paris-Moscow route. Since 1925, International Trade Fairs have been held here annually. Today, thanks to numerous foreign investments, the economic strength of the city is peaking. This makes it the second fastest-growing city in Poland, along with a large number of universities and research institutes.

In terms of population, the third-largest city in Poland is located in the center of the country. It used to be Poland's biggest manufacturing force in the 19th century, thanks to its textile industry. But recently, because of the Łódź Film School, an internationally renowned Polish film school where most prominent Polish actors, cameramen, and directors such as Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda learned their career, it has become a cultural hub. The city has over 25 institutions of higher education in total.

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