Poland

• Capital: Warsaw
• Major Cities
  • Krakow
  • Gdansk
  • Lodz
  • Wroclaw
• Major Geographical Features
  • Baltic Sea
  • Oder River
  • Vistula River
  • Masuria
  • Malopolska Hills
  • Beskid Mountains
  • Carpathian Mountains
• Official Name: Republic of Poland
• Religion: Roman Catholic (89.8%)
• Language: Polish (97.8%)
• Late 1700's: partitioned between Prussia, Russia, and Austria
• World War Two: overrun by Germany and Soviet Union
• Post-WWII: became Soviet satellite state
• 1990: 1st nation to overthrow communist rule
  • Due to Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement
• 1999: joined NATO
• 2004: joined EU
• Independence: 1945 as a Soviet Bloc nation
• Government: republic
• Currency: zloty (PLN)
• New Mexico is slightly larger than Poland
• Literacy: 99.8%
• Climate
  • 2/3 Marine West Coast
  • 1/3 Continental
• Home to Europe's largest bison herd
• Exports
  • Cars
  • Machines
  • Furniture
• Largest nation in central Europe
• Pope John Paul II was from Poland