| Poland has a unique history in Europe, often | | | | countries, Poland is primarily populated by |
| pulled between Russian and Western interests. | | | | its own people with Polish people making up |
| It you are planning a trip to Poland, here is | | | | 98 percent of the ethnicity. A smattering of |
| some background information your should | | | | German, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Lithuanian |
| know.The official name of the country is the | | | | people also live in the country.Poland is a |
| Republic of Poland. It covers an area of | | | | predominantly uniform religious country. Over |
| roughly 120,000 square miles, about the same | | | | 90 percent of Poles subscribe to the Roman |
| size as the State of New Mexico in the United | | | | Catholic faith. Followers of Eastern |
| States. The capital of the country is Warsaw, | | | | Orthodox, Uniate, Protestant and Judaism can |
| which is also the biggest city by population | | | | also be found.The literacy rate in Poland is |
| with nearly 1.7 million residents calling it | | | | over 98 percent, on par with rates throughout |
| home. Other cities of significance include | | | | much of Europe. The official language is |
| Lodz with a population of just fewer than | | | | Polish, which is also the dominant language |
| 800,000, Krakow with 760,000 residents and | | | | actually used by the citizens of Poland. Life |
| Gdansk with 460,000 people. The terrain of | | | | expectancy for Polish men is 70 years of age, |
| Poland is primarily flat although mountains | | | | while women life an extra nine years on |
| can be found in the region along the southern | | | | average, a marked difference.Poland is often |
| border of the country.Citizens of the | | | | overshadowed by Hungary and Czech as a travel |
| Republic of Poland are known as Polish. The | | | | destination in the former bloc countries of |
| most recent census found there 36.8 million | | | | the Soviet Union. This gives you an |
| people living in the country, though some are | | | | opportunity to experience it before the fast |
| undocumented aliens. The annual growth rate | | | | food joints of the west start taking over the |
| for the population is stagnant, neither | | | | quaint country.Richard Monk is with - a site |
| growing nor declining sufficiently to be | | | | with facts about everything. Visit us to read |
| considered to be changing from a statistical | | | | more about country facts and facts about |
| point of view. Unlike many European | | | | Poland. |