Location: Poland is a country in Central Europe. Boundaries: Baltic Sea and Russia to the north, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east, the Slovakia and Czech Republic to the south, Germany to the west. Total surface area: 312,679 Km² Climate: oceanic in the north and west and becomes gradually warmer and continental towards the south and east. Summers are generally warm while winters are cold. Population: 38,192 million. Ethnic composition: 96.7% Polish, 3.3% others. Languages: Polish (official language), Belarusian, German and Ukrainian. Capital city: Warsaw. Government: Democracy, with a president as a head of state. Polish voters elect a bicameral parliament consisting of a 460-member lower house and a 100-member Senate.

WARSAW

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. Warsaw lies in east-central Poland about 300 km from the Carpathian Mountains and about 260 km from the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Vistula River and is the 9 th largest city in the European Union by population. Warsaw is also known as the ''phoenix city", as it recovered from extensive damage during World War II (during which 80% of its buildings were destroyed), being rebuilt with the effort of Polish citizens. The Old Town Square,the Royal Castle,the Barbican and the Gothic St Johns Cathedral are all very popular with tourists.

Warsaw Royal Castle

Warsaw Museum of Technology

Kraków

Kraków is the second largest and one of the oldest city in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Krakòw has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland's most important economic centres.

Gdansk Gdansk (Danzig) is located on the baltic coast and the Polish maritime capital. It has a population of nearly half a million. It is an important centre of economic life, science, culture, and a popular tourist destination. Gdansk is the largest city and capital of the Pomeranian province and an important administration centre.

POZNAN' Poznań is an important centre of trade, industry, and education, and hosts regular international trade fairs. The earliest references to the city are found in a book written between 1012 and The city's full official name is The Capital City of Poznań in reference to its role as a centre of political power in the early Polish state.

The Castle in Malbork

The Castle in Malbork The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress and on its completion in 1406 was the worlds largest brick Gothic castle. UNESCO designated the "Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork" and its Museum as the World Heritage Site in December 1997.

Auschwitz

Auschwitz was a network of concentrarion and extermination camps built and operated in Polish area annexed by Nazi Germania during the Second World War. On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet troops, a day commemorated around the world as International Holocaust Remember Day. In 1947, Poland founded a museum on the site of Auschwitz I and II.

Moñki Moñki is a town in northeastern Poland, situated in the area of 'Green Lungs' of Poland near the Biebrza National Park. The park was established in 1993 and is the largest of the Polish national parks. The Park is unique in Europe for its marshes, highly diversified fauna, especially birds and is under the protection of the RAMSAR Convention.

The Biebrza National Park Comenius Multilateral project: Partners in Monki

The Krzywy Domed

The Krzywy Domed is an irregularly-shaped building in Sopot, Poland. Its name translates in to English as the Crooked House. The Krzywy Domek was built in It is approximately 4,000 square meters in size and is part of the Rezydent shopping center. It was designed by Szotyńscy & Zaleski who were inspired by the fairytale illustrations and drawings of Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg.

Polish folk dances Polish folk dances tend to be lively, energetic, and joyful. Hops, twirls, and athletic movements are common. Many dances involve a circle. Clothing is usually colorful. In addition, women often wear coral necklaces, particularly red ones. They also decorate their hair with flowers or ribbons. In some regions, women may wear a hat or a loose headscarf. These are sometimes adorned with flowers or ribbons. Mens hats may also feature decorations, particularly in southern regions. Some Polish national dances are the Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Mazurka, Oberek, and Polonaise.

POLISH CUISINE The main meal is rosół or tomato soup (beet). Rosół is a traditional Polish meat broth. The most popular variety is rosół z kury, or clear chicken soup. It is commonly served with fine noodles. A vegetarian version can be made, using vegetable stock cubes. Its preparation starts with young beets being chopped and boiled, together with their leaves, when available. After cooling down, the soup is usually mixed with sour cream, soured milk, kefir or yoghurt (depending on regional preferences). Typically, raw chopped vegetables such as radishes or cucumbers are added and the soup is garnished and flavored with dill or parsley. Chopped, hard-boiled eggs are often added. The soup has a rich pink color which varies in intensity depending on the ratio of beets to dairy ingredients.

Other Polish specialities include golonka (pork knuckles cooked with vegetables); Kołduny (meat dumplings); Zrazy (stuffed slices of beef); Salceson and flaki (tripe).