Poland Chapter 19, Section 1

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

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

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

Government Country name: Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska ) 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)

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

WORLD WAR I 1914-1918

INDEPENDENT POLAND - 1918 - 1939

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.

WESTERPLATTE Schleswig-Holstein War broke out in Europe on 1 September 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. Schleswig-Holstein

HOLOCAUST

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 Nazi extermination 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

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 May 2004.

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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