Portal:Poland
Welcome to the Poland Portal — Witaj w Portalu o Polsce
![Coat of arms of Poland](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Herb_Polski.svg/160px-Herb_Polski.svg.png)
Poland is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic to the southwest, Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, Lithuania to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast to the north. It is an ancient nation whose history as a state began near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century when it united with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to form the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements in the late 18th century, Russia, Prussia and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. It regained independence as the Second Polish Republic in the aftermath of World War I only to lose it again when it was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. The nation lost over six million citizens in the war, following which it emerged as the communist Polish People's Republic under strong Soviet influence within the Eastern Bloc. A westward border shift followed by forced population transfers after the war turned a once multiethnic country into a mostly homogeneous nation state. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union called Solidarity (Solidarność) that over time became a political force which by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A shock therapy program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country completed, Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, but has experienced a constitutional crisis and democratic backsliding since 2015.
From Polish history –
Selected biography –
Selected location –
Did you know –
- ... that Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein (logo pictured) was the largest manufacturing company in Poland before its factory was destroyed by the Germans during World War II?
- ... that World War II resistance fighter Jerzy Zakulski, who rescued a Jewish mother and child from the Kraków Ghetto, was executed by Poland after the war?
- ... that Father Józef Kowalski, an Auschwitz prisoner, was one of 108 Polish Martyrs beatified in front of 600,000 people by Pope John Paul II?
- ... that the village of Borzęcin was first mentioned in historical documents by the Polish chronicler Jan Długosz in his Liber beneficiorum?
Poland now
Recent events
- Poland at the 2024 Summer Paralympics:
- On 29 August, Kamil Otowski won a gold medal in swimming.
- On 18 August, Polish cyclist Katarzyna Niewiadoma (pictured) won the 2024 Tour de France Femmes.
- Poland won 10 medals, including one gold, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, ranking 42nd in the medal table.
- On 11 August, Daria Pikulik won a silver medal in track cycling.
- On 10 August, Poland men's team won a silver medal in volleyball, while Julia Szeremeta won a silver medal in boxing.
- On 7 August, Aleksandra Mirosław and Aleksandra Kałucka won, respectively, gold and bronze medals in speed climbing.
Ongoing
Constitutional crisis • Belarus–EU border crisis • Ukrainian refugee crisis
Holidays and observances in September 2024
(statutory public holidays in bold)
- Harvest festivals (wreath pictured)
- Polish Underground State Day, 27 September
Selected image –
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Wikipedias in the languages of Poland
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Kaszëbskô Wikipedijô Kashubian Wikipedia |
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Polska Wikipedia Polish Wikipedia |
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Ślůnsko Wikipedyjo Silesian Wikipedia |
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Wymysiöeryś Wikipedyj Vilamovian Wikipedia Incubator |
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