Poland

1. Poland Chapter 19, Section 1

2. Geography • Location: Central Europe • Area: 312 685 sq km (194,293.451 sq mi.) • Northern European Plain: covers most of Poland • Border countries: Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine • Coast line: 491 km • Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

3. Background • conceived around the middle of the 10th century • 1918 – Poland became independent country (1772 -agreement between Russia, Prusia, Austria – partition of Poland) • After World War II. – Soviet Satellite state • 1990s “shock therapy“ – transformation of economy • 1999 – Poland joined NATO • 1.5.2004 – Poland joins the EU

4. People • Population: 38,482,919 (July 2009 est.) • Nationality: noun: Pole(s); adjective: Polish • Ethnic groups: Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990 est.) • Religions: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% • Languages: Polish

5. Government • Country name: Republic of Poland (RzeczpospolitaPolska ) • Government type: Republic • Capital: Warsaw • Chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005) • Head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007)

6. Economic facts • GDP: $670.7 billion (2008 est.) • GDP real growth rate: 5% (2008 est.) • GDP in sectors: agriculture: 4.5% industry: 31.2% services: 64.3% (2008 est.) • Unemployment rate: 9.8% (2008) • Inflation rate: 4.2% (2008 est.) • Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles • Agricultural products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork

7. WORLD WAR I 1914-1918

8. INDEPENDENT POLAND - 1918 - 1939

11. WORLD WAR II - 1939-1945 Under the leadership of Adolph Hitler, Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Hitler's excuse for the invasion was the need to secure "that intolerable Polish corridor." In response to the invasion of Poland, France and Britain declared war on Germany. World War II had begun. World War II, also, The Second World War, was the global military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. WWII was the largest and deadliest war in history. At last the Germans were on the defensive. With the Soviets advancing from the east and the allies from the west, Hitler's Third Reich collapsed into disarray and, following the Fuhrer's suicide, surrendered on May 8, 1945.

13. WESTERPLATTE War broke out in Europe on 1 September1939, with the German invasion of Poland. Schleswig-Holstein

14. HOLOCAUST

15. AUSCHWITZ concentration camp The Holocaust is the name applied to the systematic state-sponsored persecution and genocide of the Jews of Europe and North Africa along with other groups during World War II by Nazi Germany and collaborators. Auschwitz is the name loosely used to identify the largest Naziextermination camp along with two main German concentration camps and 45-50 sub-camps. The name is derived from the German name for the nearby Polish town of Oświęcim

16. Poland in European Union Polish voters then said yes to the EU in a referendum in June 2003. Poland joined the European Union on 1 May2004.

17. THE GREATEST POLE- JAN PAWEŁ II (JOHN PAUL II) Pope John Paul II, born Karol Józef Wojtyła[1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years

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