tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19229604656298758722024-03-24T23:10:20.129-07:00POLANDpranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-48436976982647667942010-12-25T10:38:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:17:34.049-08:00About Poland<b>Poland, </b>officially the <b>Republic of Poland</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north.<br />
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The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometers (120,726 sq mi) making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe.<br />
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Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world<u><sup> </sup></u>and the sixth most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member.</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-14806312596635368112010-12-25T10:34:00.000-08:002010-12-25T10:36:04.206-08:00Facts and Figures<table align="left" border="1" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: #f9f9f9; border-bottom: #aaaaaa 1pt solid; border-left: #aaaaaa 1pt solid; border-right: #aaaaaa 1pt solid; border-top: #aaaaaa 1pt solid; margin: auto 6.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid #AAAAAA .75pt; mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 2.4pt 2.4pt 2.4pt 2.4pt; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-left: left; mso-table-lspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-rspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-top: 2.75pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 352px;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(political)" title="Capital (political)"><b><span style="color: blue;">Capital</span></b></a><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Poland" title="List of cities in Poland"><span style="color: blue;">(and largest city)</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw" title="Warsaw"><span style="color: blue;">Warsaw</span></a><span style="color: black;"><br />
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Erioll_world.svg/18px-Erioll_world.svg.png" id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" style="height: 13.5pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 13.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="18px-Erioll_world.svg" src="file:///C:\Users\Pranav\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png"><span style="color: blue;"></span></imagedata></shape></span></span><a href="http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Poland&params=52_13_N_21_02_E_type:country"><span class="latitude1"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">52°13′N</span></span><span class="geo-dms1"> </span><span class="longitude1">21°02′E</span><span class="geo-multi-punct1"> / </span><span class="geo-dec1">52.217°N 21.033°E</span><span class="geo-nondefault1"> / </span><span class="geo"><span style="display: none; mso-hide: all;">52.217; 21.033</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language" title="Official language"><b><span style="color: blue;">Official language(s)</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language" title="Polish language"><span style="color: blue;">Polish</span></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#endnote_b"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[b]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group" title="Ethnic group"><b><span style="color: blue;">Ethnic groups</span></b></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">96.7% </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles" title="Poles"><span style="color: blue;">Polish</span></a><span style="color: black;">, 3.3% others</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym" title="Demonym"><b><span style="color: blue;">Demonym</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles" title="Poles"><span style="color: blue;">Pole/Polish</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government" title="Government"><b><span style="color: blue;">Government</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_republic" title="Parliamentary republic"><span style="color: blue;">Parliamentary republic</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Poland" title="President of Poland"><span style="color: blue;">President</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82aw_Komorowski" title="Bronisław Komorowski"><span style="color: blue;">Bronisław Komorowski</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: blue;">Prime Minister</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Tusk" title="Donald Tusk"><span style="color: blue;">Donald Tusk</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td colspan="3" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Formation</span></b></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism_of_Poland" title="Baptism of Poland"><span style="color: blue;">Christianisation</span></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#endnote_c"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[c]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">966 </span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth" title="Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth"><span style="color: blue;">First Republic</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">July 1, 1569 </span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Polish_Republic" title="Second Polish Republic"><span style="color: blue;">Second Republic</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">November 11, 1918 </span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Poland" title="People's Republic of Poland"><span style="color: blue;">People's Republic</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">December 31, 1944 </span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 12;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Third Republic</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">January 30, 1990 </span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 13;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union"><b><span style="color: blue;">EU</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_member_state" title="European Union member state"><b><span style="color: blue;">accession</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1 May 2004</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 14;"><td colspan="3" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area" title="List of countries and outlying territories by total area"><b><span style="color: blue;">Area</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 15;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Total</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_E11_m%C2%B2" title="1 E11 m²"><span style="color: blue;">312,685 km<sup>2</sup></span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#endnote_d"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[d]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;">(</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area" title="List of countries and outlying territories by total area"><span style="color: blue;">69th</span></a><span style="color: black;">)<br />
120,696.41 </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_mile" title="Square mile"><span style="color: blue;">sq mi</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 16;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_percentage_of_water_area" title="List of countries by percentage of water area"><span style="color: blue;">Water (%)</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3.07</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 17;"><td colspan="3" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population" title="Population"><b><span style="color: blue;">Population</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 18;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">June 2010 estimate</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">38,192,000</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-0"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[1]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population" title="List of countries by population"><span style="color: blue;">34th</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 19;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">December 2007 census</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">38,116,000</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-CSO_2008-1"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[2]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population" title="List of countries by population"><span style="color: blue;">34th</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 20;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_density" title="Population density"><span style="color: blue;">Density</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">120/km<sup>2</sup> (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density" title="List of countries by population density"><span style="color: blue;">83rd</span></a><span style="color: black;">)<br />
319.9/sq mi</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 21;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product" title="Gross domestic product"><b><span style="color: blue;">GDP</span></b></a><span style="color: black;"> (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity" title="Purchasing power parity"><span style="color: blue;">PPP</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2009 estimate</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 22;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Total</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">$712.549 billion</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-imf2-2"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 23;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capita" title="Per capita"><span style="color: blue;">Per capita</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">$18,705</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-imf2-2"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 24;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product" title="Gross domestic product"><b><span style="color: blue;">GDP</span></b></a><span style="color: black;"> (nominal)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2010 estimate</span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 25;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Total</span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">$479.026 billion</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-imf2-2"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 26;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0.1in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; width: 13.55pt;" width="18"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capita" title="Per capita"><span style="color: blue;">Per capita</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">$12,575</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-imf2-2"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[3]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 27;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient" title="Gini coefficient"><b><span style="color: blue;">Gini</span></b></a><span style="color: black;"> (2002)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality" title="List of countries by income equality"><span style="color: blue;">34.5</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 28;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index" title="Human Development Index"><b><span style="color: blue;">HDI</span></b></a><span style="color: black;"> (2010)</span></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><shape alt="increase" id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 8.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 8.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="increase" src="file:///C:\Users\Pranav\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.png"></imagedata></shape></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">0.795</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland#cite_note-3"><sup><span style="color: blue;">[4]</span></sup></a><span style="color: black;"> (</span><span style="color: #006000;">very high</span><span style="color: black;">) (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index" title="List of countries by Human Development Index"><span style="color: blue;">41st</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></span></div></td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 29; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency" title="Currency"><b><span style="color: blue;">Currency</span></b></a><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></span></div></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #aaaaaa; border-left: #aaaaaa; border-right: #aaaaaa; border-top: #aaaaaa; padding-bottom: 2.4pt; padding-left: 2.4pt; padding-right: 2.4pt; padding-top: 2.4pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: 2.75pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_z%C5%82oty" title="Polish złoty"><i><span style="color: blue;">Złoty</span></i></a><span style="color: black;"> (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217" title="ISO 4217"><span style="color: blue;">PLN</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-7755762048893396252010-12-25T10:31:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:20:17.765-08:00Topography<span style="color: black;">Poland's territory extends across several geographical regions. In the northwest is the Baltic seacoast, which extends from the <u>Bay of Pomerania</u> to the <u>Gulf of Gdańsk</u>. This coast is marked by several <u>spits</u>, coastal lakes (former bays that have been cut off from the sea), and dunes. The largely straight coastline is indented by the <u>Szczecin Lagoon</u>, the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Puck" title="Bay of Puck"><span style="color: black;">Bay of Puck</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula_Lagoon" title="Vistula Lagoon"><span style="color: black;">Vistula Lagoon</span></a><span style="color: black;">. The center and parts of the north lie within the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_European_Plain" title="North European Plain"><span style="color: black;">North European Plain</span></a><span style="color: black;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Rising gently above these lowlands is a geographical region comprising the four hilly districts of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moraine" title="Moraine"><span style="color: black;">moraines</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moraine-dammed_lake" title="Moraine-dammed lake"><span style="color: black;">moraine-dammed lakes</span></a><span style="color: black;"> formed during and after the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene" title="Pleistocene"><span style="color: black;">Pleistocene</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age" title="Ice age"><span style="color: black;">ice age</span></a><span style="color: black;">. These lake districts are the Pomeranian Lake District, the Greater Polish Lake District, the Kashubian Lake District, and the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masurian_Lake_District" title="Masurian Lake District"><span style="color: black;">Masurian Lake District</span></a><span style="color: black;">. The Masurian Lake District is the largest of the four and covers much of northeastern Poland. The lake districts form part of the Baltic Ridge, a series of moraine belts along the southern shore of the Baltic Sea.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">South of the Northern European Lowlands lie the regions of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesia" title="Silesia"><span style="color: black;">Silesia</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masovia" title="Masovia"><span style="color: black;">Masovia</span></a><span style="color: black;">, which are marked by broad ice-age river valleys. Farther south lies the Polish mountain region, including the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudetes" title="Sudetes"><span style="color: black;">Sudetes</span></a><span style="color: black;">, the Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Awi%C4%99tokrzyskie_Mountains" title="Świętokrzyskie Mountains"><span style="color: black;">Świętokrzyskie Mountains</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpathian_Mountains" title="Carpathian Mountains"><span style="color: black;">Carpathian Mountains</span></a><span style="color: black;">, including the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beskids" title="Beskids"><span style="color: black;">Beskids</span></a><span style="color: black;">. The highest part of the Carpathians is the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_Mountains" title="Tatra Mountains"><span style="color: black;">Tatra Mountains</span></a><span style="color: black;">, along Poland's southern border.</span><br />
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</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-24332380676974594532010-12-25T10:30:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:32:15.809-08:00Demographics<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland, with 38,116,000 inhabitants, has the eighth-largest population in Europe and the sixth-largest in the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">European Union</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. It has a population density of 122 inhabitants per square kilometer (328 per square mile).</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland historically contained<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_demography_of_Poland" title="Historical demography of Poland"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">many languages, cultures and religions</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> on its soil. The country had a particularly </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Poland" title="History of the Jews in Poland"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">large Jewish population</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> prior to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">World War II</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, when the<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism" title="Nazism"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nazi</span></a></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust" title="The Holocaust"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Holocaust</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> caused Poland's </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew" title="Jew"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jewish</span></a></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> population, estimated at 3 million before the war, to drop to just 300,000. The outcome of the war, particularly the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_changes_of_Poland_after_World_War_II" title="Territorial changes of Poland after World War II"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">westward shift of Poland's borders</span></a></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to the area between the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curzon_Line" title="Curzon Line"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Curzon Line</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oder-Neisse_line" title="Oder-Neisse line"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oder-Neisse line</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, coupled with post-war<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_evacuation_and_expulsion" title="World War II evacuation and expulsion"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">expulsion of minorities</span></a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">,</span> significantly reduced the country's ethn</span>ic diversity. Over 7 million </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germans" title="Germans"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Germans</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"> </span>fled or were expelled from the Polish side of the Oder-Neisse boundary.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_census_of_2002" title="Polish census of 2002"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2002 census</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">, </span>36,983,700 people, or 96.74% of the population, consider themselves </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles" title="Poles"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, while 471,500 (1.23%) declared another nationality, and 774,900 (2.03%) did not declare any nationality. The largest minority nationalities and ethnic groups in Poland are </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesians" title="Silesians"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Silesians</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (about 200,000), </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_minority_in_Poland" title="German minority in Poland"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Germans</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"> </span>(152,897 according to the census, 92% in<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opole_Voivodeship" title="Opole Voivodeship"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Opole Voivodeship</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Silesian Voivodeship"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Silesian Voivodeship</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">), </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarusians" title="Belarusians"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Belarusians</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (c. 49,000),<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainians" title="Ukrainians"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukrainians</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (c. 30,000), </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_people" title="Lithuanian people"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lithuanians</span></a></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians" title="Russians"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Russians</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people" title="Romani people"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roma</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Poland" title="History of the Jews in Poland"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jews</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemkos" title="Lemkos"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lemkos</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovaks" title="Slovaks"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slovaks</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechs" title="Czechs"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">Czech</span>s</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipka_Tatars" title="Lipka Tatars"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lipka Tatars</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">.</span> Among foreign citizens, the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_people" title="Vietnamese people"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vietnamese</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> are the largest ethnic group, followed by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks" title="Greeks"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Greeks</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenians" title="Armenians"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Armenians</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language" title="Polish language"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish language</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, part of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Slavs" title="West Slavs"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">West Slavic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> branch of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_languages" title="Slavic languages"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slavic languages</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, functions as the<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language" title="Official language"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">official language</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> of Poland. Until recent decades </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_language" title="Russian language"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Russian</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> was commonly learned as a second language but has been replaced by English and German as the most common second languages studied and spoken.</span></span></span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-57294400138530711342010-12-25T10:28:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:33:14.799-08:00ClimateThe average daytime <u>summer</u> temperature at sea level along the Baltic coast is 22 °C (71.6 °F)<u><sup>.</sup></u><br />
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The climate is mostly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperateness" title="Temperateness"><span style="color: windowtext;">temperate</span></a> throughout the country. The climate is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanic_climate" title="Oceanic climate"><span style="color: windowtext;">oceanic</span></a> in the north and west and becomes gradually warmer and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_climate" title="Continental climate"><span style="color: windowtext;">continental</span></a> towards the south and east. Summers are generally warm, with average temperatures between 17 °C (63 °F) and 20 °C (68.0 °F). Winters are cold, with average temperatures around 3 °C (37.4 °F) in the northwest and −6 °C (21.2 °F) in the northeast. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)" title="Precipitation (meteorology)"><span style="color: windowtext;">Precipitation</span></a> falls throughout the year, although, especially in the east; winter is drier than summer.<br />
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The warmest region in Poland is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Lower Silesian Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lower Silesian</span></a> located in south-western Poland where temperatures in the summer average between 22 °C (71.6 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F) but can go as high as 32 °C (89.6 °F) to 38 °C (100.4 °F) on some days in the warmest month of July and August. <br />
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The warmest cities in Poland are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarn%C3%B3w" title="Tarnów"><span style="color: windowtext;">Tarnów</span></a>, which is situated in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Poland_Voivodeship" title="Lesser Poland Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lesser Poland</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw" title="Wrocław"><span style="color: windowtext;">Wrocław</span></a>, which is located in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Lower Silesian Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lower Silesian</span></a>. The average temperatures in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw" title="Wrocław"><span style="color: windowtext;">Wrocław</span></a> being 20 °C (68 °F) in the summer and 0 °C (32.0 °F) in the winter, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarn%C3%B3w" title="Tarnów"><span style="color: windowtext;">Tarnów</span></a> has the longest summer in whole Poland, which lasts for 115 days, from mid-May to mid-September.<br />
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The coldest region of Poland is in the northeast in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podlaskie_Voivodeship" title="Podlaskie Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext;">Podlaskie Voivodeship</span></a> near the border of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus" title="Belarus"><span style="color: windowtext;">Belarus</span></a>. Usually the coldest city is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suwa%C5%82ki" title="Suwałki"><span style="color: windowtext;">Suwałki</span></a>. The climate is affected by cold fronts which come from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia" title="Scandinavia"><span style="color: windowtext;">Scandinavia</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia" title="Siberia"><span style="color: windowtext;">Siberia</span></a>. The average temperature in the winter in Podlachian ranges from −6 °C (21.2 °F) to −4 °C (24.8 °F).pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-75745448703842238842010-12-25T10:27:00.000-08:002010-12-25T10:27:34.271-08:00Culture<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The culture of Poland is closely connected with its intricate 1000 year </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland" title="History of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">history</span></a></span><u><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></sup></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Its unique character developed as a result of its geography at the confluence of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Europe" title="Western Europe"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Western</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe" title="Eastern Europe"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eastern Europe</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. With origins in the culture of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Slavs" title="Proto-Slavs"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Proto-Slavs</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, over time Polish culture has been profoundly influenced by its interweaving ties with the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages" title="Germanic languages"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Germanic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latinate" title="Latinate"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Latinate</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire" title="Byzantine Empire"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Byzantine</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> worlds as well as in continual dialog with the many other ethnic groups and minorities living in Poland<u><sup>.</sup></u> The people of Poland have traditionally been seen as hospitable to artists from abroad and eager to follow cultural and artistic trends popular in other countries. In the 19th and 20th centuries the Polish focus on cultural advancement often took precedence over political and economic activity. These factors have contributed to the versatile nature of Polish art, with all its complex nuances.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-28131270614744291482010-12-25T10:26:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:35:00.988-08:00Society<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has along standing tradition of tolerance towards minorities, as well as absence of discrimination on the grounds of religion, nationality or race. It has a high level of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_equality" title="Gender equality"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gender equality</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, promotes </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability_rights_movement" title="Disability rights movement"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">disability rights</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and is, in general, legally and socially tolerant towards homosexuals. In fact, Poland is one of very few countries where historically homosexuality has never been banned, except when Poland lost sovereignty to foreign powers and for a few years after regaining independence. However, much of society still has a very conservative opinion of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality" title="Homosexuality"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">homosexuality</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and with an overwhelmingly </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Catholic" title="Roman-Catholic"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roman-Catholic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> religious make-up, Poland has not yet found the political will to afford homosexual couples the same marital rights as heterosexuals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Around 96.7% of the people of Poland claim </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles" title="Poles"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish nationality</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and 97.8% declare that they speak </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language" title="Polish language"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> at home (Census 2002). The population of Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world<u><sup> </sup></u>as a result of the radically altered borders after </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">World War II</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the subsequent migrations. This homogeneity is a result of post-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">World War II</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> deportations ordered by the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soviet</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> authorities, who wished to remove the sizeable Polish minorities from </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania" title="Lithuania"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lithuania</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus" title="Belarus"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Belarus</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine" title="Ukraine"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukraine</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repatriation_of_Ukrainians_from_Poland_to_the_Soviet_Union" title="Repatriation of Ukrainians from Poland to the Soviet Union"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">deportations of Ukrainians from Poland</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (see </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_changes_of_Poland" title="Territorial changes of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">territorial changes of Poland</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_demography_of_Poland" title="Historical demography of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">historical demography of Poland</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for details).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unlike in many other countries, the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_rights" title="Minority rights"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">rights of ethnic minorities</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Poland are guaranteed directly in the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Poland" title="Constitution of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Constitution</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (art. 35), and today there are, amongst others, sizeable </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_minority_in_Poland" title="German minority in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">German</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_minority_in_Poland" title="Ukrainian minority in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukrainian</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarusian_minority_in_Poland" title="Belarusian minority in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Belarusian</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> minorities present in the country.</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-16256657648093982962010-12-25T10:25:00.000-08:002010-12-25T10:25:03.888-08:00Architecture<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish cities and towns reflect the whole spectrum of European styles. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecture" title="Romanesque architecture"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Romanesque architecture</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is represented by St. Andrew's Church in Kraków, and characteristic for Poland </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_Gothic" title="Brick Gothic"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brick Gothic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Church,_Gda%C5%84sk" title="St. Mary's Church, Gdańsk"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">St. Mary's Church</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Gdańsk. Richly decorated </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attic_style" title="Attic style"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">attics</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcade_(architecture)" title="Arcade (architecture)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">arcade</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggia" title="Loggia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">loggias</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> are the common elements of the Polish Renaissance architecture, like in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozna%C5%84_City_Hall" title="Poznań City Hall"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">City Hall</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Poznań. For some time the late renaissance, so called </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannerism" title="Mannerism"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">mannerism</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, most notably in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracow_Bishops%27_Palace_in_Kielce" title="Cracow Bishops' Palace in Kielce"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bishop’s Palace</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kielce" title="Kielce"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kielce</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, coexisted with the early baroque like in Church of SS. Peter and Paul in Kraków.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">History has not been good to Poland's architectural monuments. However, a number of ancient structures have survived: castles, churches, and stately buildings, often unique in the regional or European context. Some of them have been painstakingly restored, like </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawel_Castle" title="Wawel Castle"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wawel Castle</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, or completely reconstructed after being destroyed in the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World_War" title="Second World War"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Second World War</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, including the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Old_Town" title="Warsaw Old Town"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Old Town</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Castle_in_Warsaw" title="Royal Castle in Warsaw"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Royal Castle in Warsaw</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, as well as the Old Towns of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gda%C5%84sk" title="Gdańsk"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gdańsk</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw" title="Wrocław"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wrocław</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. The architecture of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gda%C5%84sk" title="Gdańsk"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gdańsk</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is mostly of the Hanseatic variety, a Gothic style common amongst the former trading cities along the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_sea" title="Baltic sea"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Baltic sea</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and in the northern part of Central Eastern Europe. The architectural style of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw" title="Wrocław"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wrocław</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is mainly representative of German architecture, since it was for centuries located within the German states. The centre of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimierz_Dolny" title="Kazimierz Dolny"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kazimierz Dolny</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> on the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula" title="Vistula"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vistula</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a good example of a well-preserved medieval town. Poland's ancient capital, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kraków</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, ranks among the best-preserved </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture" title="Gothic architecture"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gothic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance" title="Renaissance"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Renaissance</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> urban complexes in Europe. Meanwhile, the legacy of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kresy" title="Kresy"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kresy</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Marchlands of Poland's eastern regions, where Wilno and Lwów (now Vilnius and Lviv) were recognised as two major centres for the arts, played a special role in the development of Polish architecture, with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Catholic" title="Roman-Catholic"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roman-Catholic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> church architecture deserving special note. In </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilnius" title="Vilnius"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vilnius</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania" title="Lithuania"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lithuania</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">) there are about 40 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque" title="Baroque"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">baroque</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance" title="Renaissance"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Renaissance</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> churches. In </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lw%C3%B3w" title="Lwów"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lviv</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine" title="Ukraine"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukraine</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">) there are also a number of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture" title="Gothic architecture"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gothic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance" title="Renaissance"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Renaissance</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque" title="Baroque"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">baroque</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> religious buildings which have borrowed from and been influenced by orthodox and Armenian church architecture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The second half of the 17th century is marked by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque" title="Baroque"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">baroque</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> architecture. Side towers, visible in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branicki_Palace,_Bia%C5%82ystok" title="Branicki Palace, Białystok"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Branicki Palace</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Białystok are typical for Polish baroque. The classical </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesian_architecture" title="Silesian architecture"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Silesian baroque</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is represented by the University in Wrocław. Profuse decorations of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branicki_Palace,_Warsaw" title="Branicki Palace, Warsaw"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Branicki Palace</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Warsaw are characteristic of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo" title="Rococo"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">rococo</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> style. The center of Polish classicism was Warsaw under the rule of the last Polish king </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_August_Poniatowski" title="Stanisław August Poniatowski"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stanisław August Poniatowski</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. The </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%81azienki_Palace" title="Łazienki Palace"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Palace on the Water</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is the most notable example of Polish </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassical_architecture" title="Neoclassical architecture"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">neoclassical architecture</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lublin_Castle" title="Lublin Castle"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lublin Castle</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> represents the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture" title="Gothic Revival architecture"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gothic Revival</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> style in architecture, while the Izrael Poznański Palace in Łódź is an example of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclecticism" title="Eclecticism"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">eclecticism</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-6669506760085901122010-12-25T10:23:00.000-08:002010-12-25T10:23:18.548-08:00Cuisine<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish cuisine has influenced the cuisines of its surrounding countries. For centuries the Polish kitchen has been the arena for competing with France and Italy. It is rich in meat, especially chicken and pork, and winter vegetables (cabbage in the dish bigos), and spices, as well as different kinds of pasta the most notable of which are the pierogi. It is related to other Slavic cuisines in usage of kasza and other cereals. Generally speaking, Polish cuisine is hearty. The preparation of traditional cuisine generally is time intensive and Poles allow themselves a generous amount of time to prepare and enjoy their festive meals, with some meals (like Christmas eve or Easter breakfast) taking a number of days to prepare in their entirety.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is worth noting that most regions of Poland have their own local gastronomic traditions and distinctive flavours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Notable foods in Polish cuisine include </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kie%C5%82basa" title="Kiełbasa"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">kiełbasa</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barszcz" title="Barszcz"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">barszcz</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi" title="Pierogi"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pierogi</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaczki" title="Flaczki"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">flaczki</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (tripe soup), </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go%C5%82%C4%85bki" title="Gołąbki"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gołąbki</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscypek" title="Oscypek"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">oscypek</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotlet_schabowy" title="Kotlet schabowy"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">kotlet schabowy</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigos" title="Bigos"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">bigos</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, various potato dishes, a fast food sandwich (zapiekanka) and many more. Traditional Polish desserts include </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%85czki" title="Pączki"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pączki</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, gingerbread, Babka and others.</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-10995862812783861812010-12-25T10:21:00.001-08:002010-12-25T10:21:51.367-08:00Religion<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Until </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">World War II</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Poland was a religiously diverse society, in which substantial </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jewish</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism" title="Protestantism"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Protestant</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" title="Eastern Orthodox Church"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian Orthodox</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> minorities coexisted with a </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic" title="Roman Catholic"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roman Catholic</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> majority. As a result of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust" title="Holocaust"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Holocaust</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the post-World War II </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_and_expulsion_of_Germans_from_Poland_during_and_after_World_War_II" title="Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">flight and expulsion of German</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Vistula" title="Operation Vistula"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukrainian</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> populations, Poland has become overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In 2007, 88.4% of the population belonged to the Catholic Church. Though rates of religious observance, at 52% to 60%, Poland remains one of the most devoutly religious countries in Europe.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Famous sites of Christian pilgrimage in Poland include the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasna_G%C3%B3ra_Monastery" title="Jasna Góra Monastery"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Monastery of Jasna Góra</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in the southern Polish city of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cz%C4%99stochowa" title="Częstochowa"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Częstochowa</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, as well as the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Father_John_Paul_II_Family_Home_in_Wadowice" title="Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Family home of John Paul II</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadowice" title="Wadowice"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wadowice</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> just outside of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kraków</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-49347140507316604572010-12-25T10:20:00.000-08:002010-12-25T10:20:17.653-08:00Health<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland's healthcare system is based on an all-inclusive insurance system. State subsidised healthcare is available to all Polish citizens who are covered by this general health insurance program. However, it is not compulsory to be treated in a state-run hospital as a number of private medical complexes do exist nationwide.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All medical service providers and hospitals in Poland are subordinate to the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Health_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Ministry of Health of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish Ministry of Health</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, which provides oversight and scrutiny of general medical practice as well as being responsible for the day to day administration of the healthcare system. In addition to these roles, the ministry is also tasked with the maintenance of standards of hygiene and patient-care.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hospitals in Poland are organised according to the regional administrative structure, resultantly most towns have their own hospital <i>(Szpital Miejski)</i>. Larger and more specialised medical complexes tend only to be found in major cities, with some even more specialised units located only in the capital, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw" title="Warsaw"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Warsaw</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. However, all </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voivodeship" title="Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">voivodeships</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> have their own general hospital (most have more than one), all of which are obliged to have a trauma centre; these types of hospital, which are able to deal with almost all medical problems are called 'regional hospitals' <i>(Szpital Wojewódzki)</i>. The last category of hospital in Poland is that of specialised medical centres, an example of which would be the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curie_Institute,_Warsaw" title="Curie Institute, Warsaw"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Poland's leading, and most highly specialised centre for the research and treatment of cancer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Polish heal-care industry is currently undergoing a major transformation, with many hospitals being listed as top priorities for refurbishment. As a result of this process, many hospitals have already been thoroughly modernised throughout and are now equipped with the latest in medical hardware. The overall quality of healthcare provision nationwide, as judged by European standards, is generally regarded as being very high. This is reflected in the nation's average life expectancy, which at 71 for males and 80 for females<u><sup> </sup></u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has shown a marked increase from 63/68 in 2003, and now corresponds with the average figures for life expectancy in the European Union.</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-46763931566253678512010-12-25T06:15:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:40:40.213-08:00Education<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as the 12th century, and Poland soon became one of the most educated countries in Europe. The library catalogue of the Cathedral Chapter of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kraków</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> dating back to 1110 shows that in the early 12th century Polish intellectuals had access to European literature. The </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagiellonian_University" title="Jagiellonian University"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jagiellonian University</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, founded in 1364 by King </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_III_the_Great" title="Casimir III the Great"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Casimir III</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Kraków, is one of Europe's oldest universities. In 1773 King </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_August_Poniatowski" title="Stanisław August Poniatowski"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stanisław August Poniatowski</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> established the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_of_National_Education" title="Commission of National Education"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Commission of National Education</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (<i>Komisja Edukacji Narodowej</i>), the world's first state ministry of education.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first university in Poland, Kraków's Jagiellonian University, was established in 1364 by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_III_the_Great" title="Casimir III the Great"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Casimir III the Great</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kraków</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. It is the oldest university in Poland. It is the second oldest university in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europe" title="Central Europe"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Central Europe</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and one of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_universities_in_continuous_operation" title="List of oldest universities in continuous operation"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">oldest universities in the world</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. The idea to found the university was first conceived when Poland's King </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_III_the_Great" title="Casimir III the Great"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Casimir III</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> realized that the nation needed a class of educated people, especially lawyers, who could codify the country's laws and administer the courts and offices. His efforts to found an institution of higher learning in Poland were finally rewarded when </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Urban_V" title="Pope Urban V"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pope Urban V</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> granted him permission to open the University of Krakow.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ryszard_Kaczorowski_21_02_2008_(4).jpg" title="Enlarge"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape alt="http://bits.wikimedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ryszard_Kaczorowski_21_02_2008_(4).jpg" id="Picture_x0020_128" o:button="t" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 8.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 11.25pt;" title="Enlarge" type="#_x0000_t75"><fill o:detectmouseclick="t"></fill><imagedata o:title="magnify-clip" src="file:///C:\Users\Pranav\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif"></imagedata></shape></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The wearing of traditional </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_dress" title="Academic dress"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">academic dress</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is an important feature of Polish educational ceremonies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since changes made in 2009 education in Poland starts at the age of five or six for the 0 class (Kindergarten) and six or seven years in the 1st class of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_school" title="Primary school"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">primary school</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language" title="Polish language"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>szkoła podstawowa</i>). It is compulsory that children do one year of formal education before entering 1st class at no later than 7 years of age. At the end of 6th class when the students are 13, they take a compulsory exam that will determine to which lower secondary school (<i>gimnazjum, pronounced gheem-nah-sium</i>) (Middle School/Junior High) they will be accepted. They will attend this school for three years for classes, 7, 8, and 9. They then take another compulsory exam to determine the upper secondary level school they will attend. There are several alternatives, the most common being the three years in a <i>liceum</i> or four years in a </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technikum" title="Technikum"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">technikum</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Both end with a maturity examination (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matura" title="Matura"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">matura</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, quite similar to French </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccalaur%C3%A9at" title="Baccalauréat"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">baccalauréat</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">), and may be followed by several forms of upper education, leading to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licencjat" title="Licencjat"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">licencjat</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or inżynier (the Polish </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_Process" title="Bologna Process"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bologna Process</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> first cycle qualification) , </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magister" title="Magister"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">magister</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (the Polish </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_Process" title="Bologna Process"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bologna Process</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> second cycle qualification) and eventually </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doktor" title="Doktor"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">doktor</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (the Polish </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna_Process" title="Bologna Process"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bologna Process</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> third cycle qualification.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are currently 18 fully accredited traditional universities in Poland, these are then further supplemented by 20 technical universities, nine independent medical universities and five universities for the study of economics. In addition to these institutions there are then nine agricultural academies, three pedagogical universities, a theological academy and three maritime service universities. Poland's long and history of promoting the arts has led to the establishment of a number of higher educational institutes dedicated to the teaching of the arts. Amongst these are the seven higher state academies of music. All of these institutions are further supplemented by a large number of private educational institutions and the four national military academies (two for the army and one for each of the other branches of service), bringing the total number of organisations for the pursuit of higher education to well over 500, one of the largest numbers in Europe. The </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment" title="Programme for International Student Assessment"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Programme for International Student Assessment</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, coordinated by the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Development" title="Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OECD</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, currently ranks Poland's educational system as the 23rd best in the world, being neither significantly higher nor lower than the OECD average.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-10024486197707199642010-12-25T06:13:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:41:39.303-08:00Flora and FaunaFamily of <u>White Stork</u>, a national bird in Poland.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytogeography" title="Phytogeography"><span style="color: windowtext;">Phytogeographically</span></a>, Poland belongs to the Central European province of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumboreal_Region" title="Circumboreal Region"><span style="color: windowtext;">Circumboreal Region</span></a> within the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boreal_Kingdom" title="Boreal Kingdom"><span style="color: windowtext;">Boreal Kingdom</span></a>. According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Fund_for_Nature" title="World Wide Fund for Nature"><span style="color: windowtext;">World Wide Fund for Nature</span></a>, the territory of Poland can be subdivided into three <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregion" title="Ecoregion"><span style="color: windowtext;">ecoregions</span></a>: the Baltic mixed forests, Central European mixed forests and Carpathian montane conifer forests.<br />
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A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisent" title="Wisent"><span style="color: windowtext;">wisent</span></a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bia%C5%82owie%C5%BCa_Forest" title="Białowieża Forest"><span style="color: windowtext;">Białowieża Forest</span></a>.<br />
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Many animals that have since died out in other parts of Europe still survive in Poland, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisent" title="Wisent"><span style="color: windowtext;">wisent</span></a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_woodland" title="Ancient woodland"><span style="color: windowtext;">ancient woodland</span></a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bia%C5%82owie%C5%BCa_Forest" title="Białowieża Forest"><span style="color: windowtext;">Białowieża Forest</span></a> and in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podlachia" title="Podlachia"><span style="color: windowtext;">Podlachia</span></a>. Other such species include the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bear" title="Brown bear"><span style="color: windowtext;">brown bear</span></a> in Białowieża, in the Tatras, and in the Beskids, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf" title="Gray wolf"><span style="color: windowtext;">gray wolf</span></a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Lynx" title="Eurasian Lynx"><span style="color: windowtext;">Eurasian Lynx</span></a> in various forests, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose" title="Moose"><span style="color: windowtext;">moose</span></a> in northern Poland, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver" title="Beaver"><span style="color: windowtext;">beaver</span></a> in Masuria, Pomerania, and Podlachia.<br />
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In the forests, one also encounters game animals, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Deer" title="Red Deer"><span style="color: windowtext;">Red Deer</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_Deer" title="Roe Deer"><span style="color: windowtext;">Roe Deer</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Boar" title="Wild Boar"><span style="color: windowtext;">Wild Boars</span></a>. In eastern Poland there are a number of ancient woodlands, like Białowieża, that have never been cleared by people. There are also large forested areas in the mountains, Masuria, Pomerania, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubusz_Land" title="Lubusz Land"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lubusz Land</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Silesia" title="Lower Silesia"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lower Silesia</span></a>.<br />
Poland is the most important breeding ground for European migratory birds. Out of all of the migratory birds who come to Europe for the summer, one quarter breed in Poland, particularly in the lake districts and the wetlands along the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biebrza" title="Biebrza"><span style="color: windowtext;">Biebrza</span></a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narew" title="Narew"><span style="color: windowtext;">Narew</span></a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warta" title="Warta"><span style="color: windowtext;">Warta</span></a>, which are part of nature reserves or national parks.<br />
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</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-12170347044194528072010-12-25T06:11:00.001-08:002010-12-25T06:11:40.684-08:00Land useThe patchwork landscape of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masuria" title="Masuria"><span style="color: windowtext;">Masuria</span></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Forests_of_Poland" title="Category:Forests of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">Forests</span></a> cover 28.8% of Poland’s land area. More than half of the land is devoted to agriculture. While the total area under cultivation is declining, the remaining farmland is more intensively cultivated. <br />
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More than 1% of Poland’s territory, 3,145 square kilometers (1,214 sq mi), is protected within 23 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_park" title="National park"><span style="color: windowtext;">national parks</span></a>. In this respect, Poland ranks first in Europe. Three more national parks are projected for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masuria" title="Masuria"><span style="color: windowtext;">Masuria</span></a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Jura_Chain" title="Polish Jura Chain"><span style="color: windowtext;">Cracow-Częstochowa Upland</span></a>, and the eastern Beskids. Most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_Poland" title="List of national parks of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">Polish national parks</span></a> are located in the southern part of the country. In addition, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetland" title="Wetland"><span style="color: windowtext;">wetlands</span></a> along lakes and rivers in central Poland are legally protected, as are coastal areas in the north. There are over 120 areas designated as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landscape_Park_(Poland)" title="Landscape Park (Poland)"><span style="color: windowtext;">landscape parks</span></a>, along with numerous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_reserve" title="Nature reserve"><span style="color: windowtext;">nature reserves</span></a> and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_areas_of_Poland" title="Protected areas of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">protected areas</span></a>.<br />
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Present day Poland is a country with great agricultural prospects; there are over two million private farms in the country, and Poland is the leading producer in Europe of potatoes and rye and is one of the world's largest producers of sugar beets and triticale. This has led Poland to be described on occasion as the future 'bread basket of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union"><span style="color: windowtext;">European Union</span></a>'. However, despite employing around 16% of the workforce, agricultural output in Poland remains low and the industry is characterized as largely inefficient due to the large number of small, independent farms. This situation is likely to soon change for the better with the government debating agricultural reform and currently pursuing the option of auctioning off large tracts of state-owned agricultural land<br />
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</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-82670358158603773982010-12-25T06:10:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:43:58.191-08:00EconomyPoland's high-income economy is considered to be one of the healthiest of the post-communist countries and is currently one of the fastest growing within the EU. Since the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1989" title="Revolutions of 1989"><span style="color: windowtext;">fall of the communist government</span></a>, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism" title="Neoliberalism"><span style="color: windowtext;">liberalising</span></a> the economy and today stands out as a successful example of the transition from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_economy" title="Planned economy"><span style="color: windowtext;">centrally planned economy</span></a> to a primarily <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_economy" title="Market economy"><span style="color: windowtext;">market-based economy</span></a>. Poland is the only member of the European Union to have avoided a decline in GDP during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_2000s_recession" title="Late 2000s recession"><span style="color: windowtext;">late 2000s recession</span></a>. In 2009 Poland has had the highest GDP growth in the EU. As of November 2009, the Polish economy has not entered the global recession of the late 2000s nor has it even contracted.<br />
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privatization" title="Privatization"><span style="color: windowtext;">privatization</span></a> of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed the development of an aggressive private sector. As a consequence, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection" title="Consumer protection"><span style="color: windowtext;">consumer rights</span></a> organizations have also appeared. Restructuring and privatisation of "sensitive sectors" such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal" title="Coal"><span style="color: windowtext;">coal</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel" title="Steel"><span style="color: windowtext;">steel</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport" title="Rail transport"><span style="color: windowtext;">rail transport</span></a> and energy has been continuing since 1990. Between 2007 and 2010, the government plans to float twenty public companies on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Stock_Exchange" title="Warsaw Stock Exchange"><span style="color: windowtext;">Warsaw Stock Exchange</span></a>, including parts of the coal industry. The biggest privatisations have been the sale of the national <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunication" title="Telecommunication"><span style="color: windowtext;">telecoms</span></a> firm <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telekomunikacja_Polska" title="Telekomunikacja Polska"><span style="color: windowtext;">Telekomunikacja Polska</span></a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_T%C3%A9l%C3%A9com" title="France Télécom"><span style="color: windowtext;">France Télécom</span></a> in 2000, and an issue of 30% of the shares in Poland's largest bank, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKO_Bank_Polski" title="PKO Bank Polski"><span style="color: windowtext;">PKO Bank Polski</span></a>, on the Polish stockmarket in 2004.<br />
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Poland has a large number of private farms in its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture" title="Agriculture"><span style="color: windowtext;">agricultural</span></a> sector, with the potential to become a leading producer of food in the European Union. Structural reforms includes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care" title="Health care"><span style="color: windowtext;">health care</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education" title="Education"><span style="color: windowtext;">education</span></a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension" title="Pension"><span style="color: windowtext;">pension</span></a> system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Warsaw leads <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europe" title="Central Europe"><span style="color: windowtext;">Central Europe</span></a> in foreign investment. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product" title="Gross domestic product"><span style="color: windowtext;">GDP</span></a> growth had been strong and steady from 1993 to 2000 with only a short slowdown from 2001 to 2002.<br />
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The economy had growth of 3.7% annually in 2003, a rise from 1.4% annually in 2002. In 2004, GDP growth equaled 5.4%, in 2005 3.3% and in 2006 6.2%. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurostat" title="Eurostat"><span style="color: windowtext;">Eurostat</span></a> data, Polish PPS GDP per capita stood at 61% of the EU average in 2009.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gdynia" title="Gdynia"><span style="color: windowtext;">Gdynia</span></a>, situated at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gda%C5%84sk_Bay" title="Gdańsk Bay"><span style="color: windowtext;">Gdańsk Bay</span></a> on the south coast of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea"><span style="color: windowtext;">Baltic Sea</span></a>, is an important <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaport" title="Seaport"><span style="color: windowtext;">seaport</span></a> of Poland.<br />
Although the Polish economy is currently undergoing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development" title="Economic development"><span style="color: windowtext;">economic development</span></a>, there are many challenges ahead. The most notable task on the horizon is the preparation of the economy (through continuing deep structural reforms) to allow Poland to meet the strict economic criteria for entry into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozone" title="Eurozone"><span style="color: windowtext;">Eurozone</span></a>.<br />
Average salaries in the enterprise sector in October 2010 were 3440 PLN (880 euro or 1255 US dollars) and growing sharply. Salaries vary between the regions: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median" title="Median"><span style="color: windowtext;">median</span></a> wage in the capital city Warsaw was 4,603 PLN (1,177 euro or 1,680 US dollars) while in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kielce" title="Kielce"><span style="color: windowtext;">Kielce</span></a> it was only 3,083 PLN (788 euro or 1125 US dollars). Differences in salaries in various districts of Poland is even higher and range from 2,020 PLN (517 euro or 737 US dollars) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%99pno_County" title="Kępno County"><span style="color: windowtext;">Kępno County</span></a>, which is located in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Poland_Voivodeship" title="Greater Poland Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext;">Greater Poland Voivodeship</span></a> to 5,616 (1,436 euro or 2,050 US dollars) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubin_County" title="Lubin County"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lubin County</span></a>, which lies in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Silesian_Voivodeship" title="Lower Silesian Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext;">Lower Silesian Voivodeship</span></a>.<br />
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Commodities produced in Poland include: electronics, cars (including the luxurious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_(car)" title="Leopard (car)"><span style="color: windowtext;">Leopard car</span></a>), buses (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autosan" title="Autosan"><span style="color: windowtext;">Autosan</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaris_Bus_%26_Coach" title="Solaris Bus & Coach"><span style="color: windowtext;">Solaris</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solbus" title="Solbus"><span style="color: windowtext;">Solbus</span></a>), helicopters (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL" title="PZL"><span style="color: windowtext;">PZL Świdnik</span></a>), transport equipment, locomotives, planes (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL_Mielec" title="PZL Mielec"><span style="color: windowtext;">PZL Mielec</span></a>), ships, military engineering (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PT-91_Twardy" title="PT-91 Twardy"><span style="color: windowtext;">tanks</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZA_Loara" title="PZA Loara"><span style="color: windowtext;">SPAAG systems</span></a>), medicines (Polpharma, Polfa), food, clothes, glass, pottery (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boles%C5%82awiec" title="Bolesławiec"><span style="color: windowtext;">Bolesławiec</span></a>), chemical products and others.<br />
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</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-67190355136494759532010-12-25T06:08:00.001-08:002010-12-26T20:44:47.475-08:00Government<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="President of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">President of Poland</span></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82aw_Komorowski" title="Bronisław Komorowski"><span style="color: windowtext;">Bronisław Komorowski</span></a>.<br />
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Poland is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy" title="Democracy"><span style="color: windowtext;">democracy</span></a>, with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="President of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">president</span></a> as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state" title="Head of state"><span style="color: windowtext;">head of state</span></a>, whose current <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Constitution of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">constitution</span></a> dates from 1997. The government structure centers on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ministers_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">Council of Ministers</span></a>, led by a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">prime minister</span></a>. The president appoints the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_(government)" title="Cabinet (government)"><span style="color: windowtext;">cabinet</span></a> according to the proposals of the prime minister, typically from the majority coalition in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejm_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Sejm of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">Sejm</span></a>. The president is elected by popular vote every five years. The current president is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82aw_Komorowski" title="Bronisław Komorowski"><span style="color: windowtext;">Bronisław Komorowski</span></a>. The current prime minister, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Tusk" title="Donald Tusk"><span style="color: windowtext;">Donald Tusk</span></a>, was appointed in 2007 after his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platforma_Obywatelska" title="Platforma Obywatelska"><span style="color: windowtext;">party</span></a> made significant gains in that year's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_parliamentary_election,_2007" title="Polish parliamentary election, 2007"><span style="color: windowtext;">parliamentary elections</span></a>.<br />
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Polish voters elect a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicameralism" title="Bicameralism"><span style="color: windowtext;">bicameral</span></a> parliament consisting of a 460-member lower house (Sejm) and a 100-member Senate (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Senate of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">Senat</span></a>). The Sejm is elected under <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representation" title="Proportional representation"><span style="color: windowtext;">proportional representation</span></a> according to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Hondt_method" title="D'Hondt method"><span style="color: windowtext;">d'Hondt method</span></a>, a method similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. The Senat, on the other hand, is elected under a rare <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plurality_(voting)" title="Plurality (voting)"><span style="color: windowtext;">plurality</span></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plurality-at-large_voting" title="Plurality-at-large voting"><span style="color: windowtext;">bloc voting</span></a> method where several candidates with the highest support are elected from each constituency.<br />
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With the exception of ethnic minority parties, only candidates of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Poland" title="List of political parties in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">political parties</span></a> receiving at least 5% of the total national vote can enter the Sejm. When sitting in joint session, members of the Sejm and Senat form the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="National Assembly of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">National Assembly</span></a> (the <i>Zgromadzenie Narodowe</i>). The National Assembly is formed on three occasions: when a new President takes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office" title="Oath of office"><span style="color: windowtext;">oath of office</span></a>; when an indictment against the President of the Republic is brought to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Tribunal_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="State Tribunal of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">State Tribunal</span></a> (<i>Trybunał Stanu</i>); and when a president's permanent incapacity to exercise his duties because of the state of his health is declared. To date only the first instance has occurred.<br />
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</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-34505932247420183692010-12-25T06:07:00.001-08:002010-12-26T20:45:28.062-08:00ConstitutionPoland's current constitution was adopted by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Poland" title="National Assembly of Poland"><span style="color: windowtext;">National Assembly of Poland</span></a> on 2 April 1997, approved by a national <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendum" title="Referendum"><span style="color: windowtext;">referendum</span></a> on 25 May 1997, and came into effect on 17 October 1997. <br />
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It guarantees a multi-party state, the freedoms of religion, speech and assembly, and specifically casts off many communist ideals to create a '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_market" title="Free market"><span style="color: windowtext;">free market</span></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_system" title="Economic system"><span style="color: windowtext;">economic system</span></a>'. <br />
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It requires public <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official" title="Official"><span style="color: windowtext;">officials</span></a> to pursue ecologically sound public policy and acknowledges the inviolability of the home, the right to form <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_union" title="Trade union"><span style="color: windowtext;">trade unions</span></a>, and to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_action" title="Strike action"><span style="color: windowtext;">strike</span></a>, whilst at the same time prohibiting the practices of forced medical experimentation, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture" title="Torture"><span style="color: windowtext;">torture</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_punishment" title="Corporal punishment"><span style="color: windowtext;">corporal punishment</span></a>.<br />
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</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-27298495643307783412010-12-25T06:04:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:46:33.648-08:00Judicial system<span style="color: black;">The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judiciary" title="Judiciary"><span style="color: black;">judicial branch</span></a><span style="color: black;"> plays an important role in decision-making.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Its major institutions include the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: black;">Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Sąd Najwyższy</i>); the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Administrative_Court_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: black;">Supreme Administrative Court of the Republic of Poland</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny</i>); the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_Tribunal_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: black;">Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Trybunał Konstytucyjny</i>); and the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Tribunal_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="State Tribunal of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: black;">State Tribunal of the Republic of Poland</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Trybunał Stanu</i>). On the approval of the Senat, the Sejm also appoints the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Ombudsman" title="Polish Ombudsman"><span style="color: black;">ombudsman</span></a><span style="color: black;"> or the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (<i>Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich</i>) for a five-year term.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">The ombudsman has the duty of guarding the observance and implementation of the rights and liberties of Polish </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship" title="Citizenship"><span style="color: black;">citizens</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residency_(domicile)" title="Residency (domicile)"><span style="color: black;">residents</span></a><span style="color: black;">, of the law and of principles of community life and social justice.</span><br />
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</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-12501194226753533512010-12-25T06:03:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:47:35.613-08:00Military<span style="color: black;">The Polish armed forces are composed of four branches: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Land_Forces" title="Polish Land Forces"><span style="color: black;">Land Forces</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Wojska Lądowe</i>), </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Navy" title="Polish Navy"><span style="color: black;">Navy</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Marynarka Wojenna</i>), </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Air_Force" title="Polish Air Force"><span style="color: black;">Air Force</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Siły Powietrzne</i>) and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_forces_of_Poland" title="Special forces of Poland"><span style="color: black;">Special Forces</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>Wojska Specjalne</i>). The military is subordinate to the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_National_Defence_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" title="Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland"><span style="color: black;">Minister for National Defence</span></a><span style="color: black;">, however its sole commander in chief is the President of the Republic.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">The Polish army currently consists of 65,000 active personnel, whilst the navy and air force respectively employ 14,300 and 26,126 servicemen and women. The Polish Navy is one of the bigger navies on the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea"><span style="color: black;">Baltic Sea</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and is mostly involved in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea"><span style="color: black;">Baltic Sea</span></a><span style="color: black;"> operations such as search and rescue provision for the section of the Baltic under Polish command, as well as hydrographic measurements and research; recently however, the Polish Navy played a more international role as part of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq" title="2003 invasion of Iraq"><span style="color: black;">2003 invasion of Iraq</span></a><span style="color: black;">, providing logistical support for the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy" title="United States Navy"><span style="color: black;">United States Navy</span></a><span style="color: black;">. The current position of the Polish air force is much the same, it has routinely taken part in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Air_Policing" title="Baltic Air Policing"><span style="color: black;">Baltic Air Policing</span></a><span style="color: black;"> assignments.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">The most important mission of the Armed Forces is the defence of Polish territorial integrity and Polish interests abroad. Poland's national security goal is to further integrate with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO" title="NATO"><span style="color: black;">NATO</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and European defence, economic, and political institutions through the modernisation and reorganisation of its military. Currently the armed forces is being re-organised according to NATO standards, and as of 1 January 2010, the transition to an entirely contract-based military has been completed. Previously male citizens were expected to complete a period of active service with the military; since 2007 up until the amendment of the law on conscription, the obligatory term of service was nine months.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Polish military doctrine reflects the same defensive nature as that of its NATO partners. Poland is also playing an increasing role as a peacekeeping power through various </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations" title="United Nations"><span style="color: black;">United Nations</span></a><span style="color: black;"> peacekeeping missions. The Polish Armed Forces took part in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq" title="2003 invasion of Iraq"><span style="color: black;">2003 invasion of Iraq</span></a><span style="color: black;">, deploying 2,500 soldiers in the south of that country and commanding the 17-nation </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_force_in_Iraq" title="Multinational force in Iraq"><span style="color: black;">Multinational force in Iraq</span></a><span style="color: black;">. In addition to this, Polish soldiers are currently deployed in five separate UN Peacekeeping Operations (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Disengagement_Observer_Force_Zone" title="United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone"><span style="color: black;">UNDOF</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIFIL" title="UNIFIL"><span style="color: black;">UNIFIL</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EUFOR" title="EUFOR"><span style="color: black;">EUFOR</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_Force" title="Kosovo Force"><span style="color: black;">KFOR</span></a><span style="color: black;">). The total international deployment of the Polish military is currently over 4,800 troops.</span><br />
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</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-40070892529817427782010-12-25T06:02:00.001-08:002010-12-25T06:02:09.825-08:00Foreign relation<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In recent years, Poland has extended its responsibilities and position in European and international affairs, supporting and establishing friendly relations with many 'Western' nations and a large number of 'developing' countries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 1994, Poland became an associate member of the European Union (EU) and its defensive arm, the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_European_Union" title="Western European Union"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Western European Union</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (WEU), having subimtted preliminary documentation for full membership in 1996, it formally joined the European Union in May 2004, along with the other members of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visegr%C3%A1d_group" title="Visegrád group"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Visegrád group</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. In 1996, Poland achieved full </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD" title="OECD"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OECD</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> membership, and at the 1997 Madrid Summit was invited to join the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_Treaty_Organisation" title="North Atlantic Treaty Organisation"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">North Atlantic Treaty Organization</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in the first wave of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlargement_of_NATO" title="Enlargement of NATO"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">policy enlargement</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> finally becoming a full member of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO" title="NATO"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NATO</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in March 1999.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As changes since the fall of communism in 1989 have redrawn the map of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europe" title="Central Europe"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">central Europe</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Poland has tried to forge strong and mutually-beneficial relationships with its seven new neighbours, this has notably included signing 'friendship treaties' to replace links severed by the collapse of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact" title="Warsaw Pact"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Warsaw Pact</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. The Poles have forged special relationships with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania" title="Lithuania"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lithuania</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and particularly </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine" title="Ukraine"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukraine</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,<u><sup> </sup></u>with whom they will co-host the UEFA </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_2012" title="Euro 2012"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Euro 2012</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> football tournament, in an effort to firmly anchor these states to the 'West' and provide them with an alternative to aligning themselves with the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Federation" title="Russian Federation"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Russian Federation</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">European Union</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and, ever since joining in 2004, has pursued policies to increase its role in European affair.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-50219949187970996802010-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:002010-12-25T06:25:02.618-08:00Energy<span style="color: black;">The electricity generation sector in Poland is still largely fossil-fuel based. Many power plants nationwide use Poland's position as a major European exporter of coal to their advantage by continuing to use coal as the primary raw material in production of their energy; in 2007, hard bituminous coal contributed 48% of energy generation, brown coal and gas 12% each and oil 23%. Currently the three largest Polish coal mining firms (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weglokoks" title="Weglokoks"><i><span style="color: black;">Weglokoks</span></i></a><i><span style="color: black;">, </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kompania_W%C4%99glowa" title="Kompania Węglowa"><i><span style="color: black;">Kompania Węglowa</span></i></a><i><span style="color: black;"> and </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jastrzebska_Spolka_Weglowa" title="Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa"><i><span style="color: black;">JSW</span></i></a><span style="color: black;">) extract around 100 million tonnes of coal annually; all three of these companies are key constituents of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Stock_Exchange" title="Warsaw Stock Exchange"><span style="color: black;">Warsaw Stock Exchange</span></a><span style="color: black;">'s lead economic indexes.</span><br />
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</span></div><span style="color: black;">Renewable forms of energy currently only account for a small proportion of Poland's full energy generation capacity. However, the national government has set targets for the development of renewable energy sources in Poland which should see the portion of power produced by renewable resources climb to 7.5% by 2010 and 15% by 2020. This is to be achieved mainly through the construction of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_farm" title="Wind farm"><span style="color: black;">wind farms</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and a number of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectric" title="Hydroelectric"><span style="color: black;">hydroelectric</span></a><span style="color: black;"> stations.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Poland is thought to have around 164,800,000,000 m³ of proven natural gas reserves and around 96,380,000 barrels of proven oil reserves. These reserves are currently attended to and exploited by energy supply companies such as </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKN_Orlen" title="PKN Orlen"><span style="color: black;">PKN Orlen</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (<i>the only Polish company listed in the </i></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortune_Global_500" title="Fortune Global 500"><i><span style="color: black;">Fortune Global 500</span></i></a><span style="color: black;">).</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"> However, due to the small amounts of fossil fuels naturally occurring in Poland not being enough to satisfy the full energy consumption needs of the population and thus need to buy from abroad, the country is considered to be a net importer of oil and natural gas.</span>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-830218642959285782010-12-25T05:59:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:49:04.202-08:00Emergency services<span style="color: black;">Emergency services in Poland consist of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_medical_services_in_Poland" title="Emergency medical services in Poland"><span style="color: black;">Emergency Medical Services</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_and_rescue#Poland" title="Search and rescue"><span style="color: black;">Search and Rescue</span></a><span style="color: black;"> units of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Armed_Forces" title="Polish Armed Forces"><span style="color: black;">Polish Armed Forces</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Service" title="Fire Service"><span style="color: black;">State Fire Service</span></a><span style="color: black;">. Emergency medical services in Poland are, unlike other services, provided for by local and regional government.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Since joining the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union"><span style="color: black;">European Union</span></a><span style="color: black;"> all of Poland's emergency services have been undergoing major restructuring and have, in the process, acquired large amounts of new equipment and staff. All emergency services personnel are now uniformed and can be easily recognised thanks to a number of innovative design features, such as reflective paint and printing, present throughout their service dress and vehicle liveries. In addition to this, in an effort to comply with EU standards and safety regulations, the Police and other agencies have been steadily replacing and modernising their fleets of vehicles; this has left them with thousands of new auto-mobiles, as well as many new aircraft, boats and helicopters.</span><br />
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</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-1013573529156161192010-12-25T05:58:00.000-08:002010-12-25T05:58:34.424-08:00Transportation<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today transport in Poland is provided by means of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Poland" title="Rail transport in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">rail</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roads_and_expressways_in_Poland" title="Roads and expressways in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">road</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Merchant_Navy" title="Polish Merchant Navy"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">shipping</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Poland" title="List of airports in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">air travel.</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Positioned in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europe" title="Central Europe"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Central Europe</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and with an eastern border compromising the largest external border of the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area" title="Schengen Area"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Schengen Area</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> with the rest of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe" title="Eastern Europe"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eastern Europe</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Poland has long been, and remains a key country through which imports to and exports from the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">European Union</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> pass.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland has invested large amounts of money into the modernization of its transport networks. The country now has a developing </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roads_and_expressways_in_Poland" title="Roads and expressways in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">expressways network</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> compromised of motorways such as the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A4_autostrada_(Poland)" title="A4 autostrada (Poland)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A4</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and express roads such as the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressway_S7_(Poland)" title="Expressway S7 (Poland)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">S7</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. In addition to these newly-built roads, many local and regional roads are being rebuilt as part of a national program to rebuild all roads in Poland.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Again, with regard to railways, much the same situation is taking place. The Polish authorities have begun a program by which they hope to increase operating speeds across the entire Polish rail network; this is particularly true of a number of national trunk routes which are expected to soon receive new rolling stock capable of speeds over 200 km/h. Finally, there is a plan to introduce </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_Poland" title="High-speed rail in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">high speed rail to Poland</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> from around 2014. The Polish government recently revealed that it intends to connect all major cities to a future high-speed rail network by 2020. Most intercity rail operations in Poland are operated by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKP_Intercity" title="PKP Intercity"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PKP Intercity</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> whilst regional trains are run by a number of operators, the largest of which is </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przewozy_Regionalne" title="Przewozy Regionalne"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Przewozy Regionalne</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The air and maritime transport markets in Poland are largely well developed, although construction of new airport and seaport facilities is ongoing. Poland has a number of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Poland" title="List of airports in Poland"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">international airports</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">; the largest of which is </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Chopin_Airport" title="Warsaw Chopin Airport"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Warsaw Chopin Airport</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, the primary global hub for </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOT_Polish_Airlines" title="LOT Polish Airlines"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LOT Polish Airlines</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, which is the largest airline of Eastern Central Europe and one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation today. Seaports exist all along Poland's </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Baltic Sea</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> coast, with most freight operations using either </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Gdynia" title="Port of Gdynia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gdynia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> or </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Gda%C5%84sk" title="Port of Gdańsk"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gdańsk</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> as their base. Passenger ferries link Poland with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia" title="Scandinavia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scandinavia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> all year round; these services are provided from </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Gda%C5%84sk" title="Port of Gdańsk"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gdańsk</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polferries" title="Polferries"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polferries</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stena_Line" title="Stena Line"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stena Line</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> from </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Gdynia" title="Port of Gdynia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gdynia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_Line" title="Unity Line"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unity Line</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> from the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_%C5%9Awinouj%C5%9Bcie" title="Port of Świnoujście"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Port of Świnoujście</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-36364218929229732012010-12-25T05:57:00.000-08:002010-12-25T05:57:09.474-08:00Communication<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has a number of internationally broadcast and 24 hour news channels, chief amongst which are </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVN_24" title="TVN 24"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVN 24</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Polonia" title="TV Polonia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TV Polonia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, the latter is a state-run channel dedicated to the transmission of Polish language television for the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_diaspora" title="Polish diaspora"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish diaspora</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> abroad. There are a number of major private television outlets such as </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polsat" title="Polsat"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polsat</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVN_(Poland)" title="TVN (Poland)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVN network</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has a highly developed printed news industry, with daily newspapers like </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazeta_Wyborcza" title="Gazeta Wyborcza"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gazeta Wyborcza</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>(The Electoral Gazette)</i> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rzeczpospolita_(newspaper)" title="Rzeczpospolita (newspaper)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rzeczpospolita</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>(The Republic)</i> providing more traditional, intellectually stimulating reporting and tabloids such as </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakt" title="Fakt"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fakt</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> providing more sensationalist writing which is less current affairs orientated. Rzeczpospolita is one of the nation's oldest publications still in operation today, founded in 1920, it has become a stalwart bastion of Polish reporting and in 2006 won a prestigious award for being, along with the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_(newspaper)" title="Guardian (newspaper)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guardian</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (a British daily), the best designed newspaper in the world. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With regard to internet access, the most popular </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADSL" title="ADSL"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ADSL</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> services for home users in Poland are </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neostrada" title="Neostrada"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Neostrada</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> provided by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPSA" title="TPSA"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TPSA</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and Net24 provided by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netia" title="Netia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Netia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Business users as well as some home users use Internet DSL TP also offered by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPSA" title="TPSA"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TPSA</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. According to Eurostat, OECD and others, Internet access in Poland is amidst the most expensive in Europe. This is mostly caused by the lack of competitiveness. Luckily, new operators like Dialog and GTS Energis are making their own provider lines and offer more attractive and cheaper service.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The public </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail" title="Mail"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">postal service</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in Poland is operated by Poczta Polska (The Polish Post). It was created on October 18, 1558, when king </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygmunt_August" title="Zygmunt August"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Zygmunt August</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> established a permanent postal route from </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w" title="Kraków"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kraków</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice" title="Venice"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Venice</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (later also to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilnius" title="Vilnius"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vilnius</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">) in order to manage affairs in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy" title="Italy"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Italy</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> that arose after the death of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Bona" title="Queen Bona"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Queen Bona</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, his mother. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After regaining independence in 1918, the united territory of Poland was in need of a uniform network of communication. Thus, the interwar period saw the rapid development of the postal system as new services were introduced (e.g. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_transfer" title="Wire transfer"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">money transfers</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, payment of pensions, delivery of magazines, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airmail" title="Airmail"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">air mail</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">). Although during </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_uprisings" title="Polish uprisings"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">national uprisings</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and in the course of wars communication was provided mainly through field post, which was subject to military authority, postmen always took active part in the fight for independence by secretly delivering parcels and documents, or by providing vital information about the enemy. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nowadays the service is a modern, functioning state-owned company which provides a number of standard and express delivery options, as well as operating the Polish postal home-delivery service. The postal service is currently expanding into the provision of logistical services.</span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1922960465629875872.post-24064736081998274462010-12-25T05:55:00.000-08:002010-12-25T05:55:46.581-08:00Media<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has instituted </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_press" title="Freedom of press"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">freedom of press</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> since the fall of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism" title="Communism"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">communism</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, a system under which the media was heavily politically controlled and censored. However, public TV and radio are still regulated by the government, this is exercised through an agency called </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krajowa_Rada_Radiofonii_i_Telewizji" title="Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji"><i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji</span></i></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (<i>The National Radio and Television Committee</i>), which is similar to television regulatory commissions in other developed nations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has a number of major media outlets, chief amongst which are the national television channels. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telewizja_Polska" title="Telewizja Polska"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVP</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is Poland's </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_broadcasting" title="Public broadcasting"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">public broadcasting</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation" title="Corporation"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">corporation</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">; about a third of its income comes from a </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence" title="Television licence"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">broadcast receiver licence</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, while the rest is made through revenue from </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_advertisement" title="Television advertisement"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">commercials</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponsor_(commercial)" title="Sponsor (commercial)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sponsorships</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. State television operates two mainstream channels, TVP 1 and TVP 2, as well as regional programs for each of the country's 16 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voivodeship" title="Voivodeship"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">voivodeships</span></a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to these general channels, TVP runs a number of genre-specific programmes such as </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVP_Sport" title="TVP Sport"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVP Sport</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVP_Historia" title="TVP Historia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVP Historia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">; there are currently plans to run channels dedicated to the coverage of political affairs (TVP Parliament) and entertainment (TVP Rozrywka).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has a number of internationally broadcast and 24 hour news channels, chief amongst which are </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVN_24" title="TVN 24"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVN 24</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Polonia" title="TV Polonia"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TV Polonia</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, the latter is a state-run channel dedicated to the transmission of Polish language television for the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_diaspora" title="Polish diaspora"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polish diaspora</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> abroad. There are a number of major private television outlets such as </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polsat" title="Polsat"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Polsat</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVN_(Poland)" title="TVN (Poland)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TVN network</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Poland has a highly developed printed news industry, with daily newspapers like </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazeta_Wyborcza" title="Gazeta Wyborcza"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gazeta Wyborcza</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>(The Electoral Gazette)</i> and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rzeczpospolita_(newspaper)" title="Rzeczpospolita (newspaper)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rzeczpospolita</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>(The Republic)</i> providing more traditional, intellectually stimulating reporting and tabloids such as </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakt" title="Fakt"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fakt</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> providing more sensationalist writing which is less current affairs orientated. Rzeczpospolita is one of the nation's oldest publications still in operation today, founded in 1920, it has become a stalwart bastion of Polish reporting and in 2006 won a prestigious award for being, along with the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_(newspaper)" title="Guardian (newspaper)"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guardian</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (a British daily), the best designed newspaper in the world. </span></div>pranavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14416902167548753389noreply@blogger.com0