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Poland
Poland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine to the east and Germany to the west. It has a total area of 120,696.41 sq mi and an estimated population of 38.19 million as of 2010.
2,510 Questions
How many Roman Catholic Popes were from Poland?
Pope John Paul II was the first from Poland. He served from October 1978 to April 2005.
The Soviet Union dealt with uprisings in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia during the 1950s and 1960s with wars. Many losses occurred when troops were brought in. Troops were ultimately deployed to deal with any type of uprising.
What happened in Poland after the cold war?
I don't know if the answer is relevant to the question and my grammar is pretty bad but, better have something than nothing.
One of Gorbachev's policies was Glasnost- meaning 'openness' or 'a making public'. His aim of this policy was to have a more free exchange of ideas, more debate about current issues and controversies. The -policy was going slowly under way, in April 1986 a terrible accident took place at a nuclear power station near Chernobyl Ukraine. In results of this explosion there was a massive radiation released which spread across Belorussia, Poland and into Scandinavia. Poland has banned some of the food because of the radiation. In the second stage of perestroika the elections had big influence on Poland and then on Hungary that was Poland's and Hungary's first encouragement and desire to have partial freedom which in conclusion later on led to the collapse of communism in the satellite states. 'As soon as Gorbachev came to power he made clear to the leaders of the satellite state that the USSR would no longer interfere in their internal affairs.'
The collapse of communism started in Poland. Jaruzelski was in power since 1981 he tried to improve the economy by all means though always failed. Talks began in February 1988 later on Solidarity has been allowed to be a political party, in the elections held in June 1989 Solidarity has won 92 out of 100 seats in lower house. Jaruzelski was narrowly elected President thanks to the communist seats and he chose a solidarity member, Mazowiecki, as his prime minister. In 1990 Lech Walesa came to power . 'The peaceful revolution in Poland was complete.'
by J-style
Why did pre war Poland have such a large Jewish population?
In the Middle Ages, when the Jews were persecuted in Western Europe, Poland was tolerant and welcoming. In parts of Europe the Jews were slaughtered at the time of the First Crusade and later they were accused of causing the bubonic plague. From the late 1640s onwards Russia pushed its large Jewish population westwards into Poland and Lithuania.
What are the natural resources of Poland?
Poland also has significant quantities of lignite in the district of Zielona Góra in the west and in two districts located in the central part of the country between the Vistula and the Oder rivers. This low-quality fuel has been used on a large scale for the production of electricity, despite its very damaging effect on the environment. Plans called for gradual reduction of lignite extraction and use in the 1990s.
Natural gas is extracted mostly in Upper Silesia, Lower Silesia, and in the southeastern part of the country. Production expanded in the 1960s and 1970s, then declined in the next decade. In 1989 domestic production covered 43 percent of the country's total requirement.
A major offshore oilfield was discovered in the Baltic Sea in 1985. Including that field and the older fields in the Carpathian Mountains in southeastern Poland, total oil reserves were estimated at 100 million tons in 1990. Poland remained heavily dependent on the Soviet Union for petroleum throughout the 1980s.
Large reserves of sulfur at Tarnobrzeg and Staszów in the south-central region make that material Poland's most important nonmetallic export mineral. Favorable geological conditions have supported large-scale operations in three mines yielding about 5 million tons annually. About 3 million tons of sulfuric acid, along with several other chemicals, are produced each year.
Poland has limited deposits of some nonferrous metal ores. The most significant is copper, which is extracted in large quantities at ten mines in Lower Silesia in southwestern Poland. Copper production expanded greatly after discovery of major new deposits in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1990 annual copper ore output was about 26 million tons, and 51 percent of electrolytic copper was exported. In 1982 Poland had the world's fifth-largest deposits of lead and zinc (which occur in association). The annual output of lead and zinc ores was about 5 million tons, supporting annual production of 164 thousand tons of zinc and 78,000 tons of lead. In 1990 about 76 percent of Poland's zinc and nearly all its lead were used by domestic industry.
Although Poland had some fairly large iron ore deposits, this ore requires enrichment before processing. Until the 1970s, the main source of iron ore was the district of Czestochowa; but output there declined sharply in the early 1980s, and other deposits were of poor quality or provided such small quantities that exploitation was unprofitable. The country depended on iron imports from the Soviet Union and Sweden to support the rapid expansion of the steel industry that was a high priority in the communist era.
Rich deposits of salt provide an important raw material for the chemical industry. Salt mining, which began in the Middle Ages, was concentrated in the Wieliczka-Bochnia area near Kraków until the middle of the twentieth century; then the major saltmining operations moved to a large deposit running northwest from ód in central Poland. Salt is extracted in two ways: by removing it in solid form and by dissolving it underground, then pumping brine to the surface. Annual output declined from 6.2 million tons in 1987 and 1988 to 4.7 million tons in 1989. Other mineral resources include bauxite, barite, gypsum, limestone, and silver (a byproduct of processing other metals).
Agricultural ResourcesPoland's climate features moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall that enable cultivation of most temperate-zone crops, including all the major grains, several industrial crops, and several varieties of fruit. Crops are distributed according to the substantial regional variations in soil and length of growing season. The sandy soils of the central plains are most suitable for rye, the richer soil in the south favors wheat and barley, and the poorer soil of the north is used for oats. All parts of Poland favor potato cultivation; sugar beets, the most important industrial crop, grow mainly in the west and southeast. Labor ForceAt the end of 1991, about 30.7 percent of Poland's estimated population of 38.3 million lived in urban centers with populations of 100,000 or more. The priority given urbanization and industrialization in postwar Poland caused the urban working class to grow dramatically and the rural working class to shrink proportionately in the first decade of communist rule. This process slowed considerably over the next three decades.In 1989 nearly 22 million Poles were of working age: 11.3 million men between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four years and 10.6 million women between ages eighteen and fifty-nine. The population was relatively well educated. In 1988 about 1.8 million people had a postsecondary education, another 7.0 million had a secondary education, and 6.7 million had a basic trade education.
In 1989 the total labor force of 18.4 million included 36.8 percent employed in manufacturing, mining, and construction; 25.7 percent in agriculture, forestry, and fishing; and 7.1 percent in transport and communications. About 12 million workers, or 70 percent of the work force, worked in the state sector in 1990.
The communist system was marked by major inequality of labor allocation. In spite of considerable overstaffing in both production and administrative units, labor shortages were a perennial problem in other areas of the economy. Unemployment began to grow in January 1990, partly as the result of the reform policies of the postcommunist governments and partly because of the collapse of markets in the Soviet Union and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), which were Poland's most important trading partners in Comecon. At the end of 1991, unemployment had reached 11.4 percent. Unemployment benefits, an unemployment insurance system, and some retraining were introduced in early 1990.
Wage increases in the state sector were controlled by a very steep tax on wages that exceeded prescribed levels. In the private sector, the labor market operated without such restrictions, however. Wages generally were low in the first reform years. In 1991 the average monthly wage was 2,301,200 zloty, not including agricultural labor and positions in education, health and social services, culture, law and order, national defense, and public administration. At that time, however, rents were low, electricity, gas, and fuels remained partly subsidized, and medical services were free.
In 1992 two nationwide labor unions existed. The Solidarity labor union (Solidarnosc) was internationally known for the decade of strikes and efforts to achieve reform that finally thrust it into a central political role in 1989. The National Coalition of Labor Unions, originally established by the communist government after the suppression of Solidarity in the early 1980s, became independent of state control in 1990 and began to compete with Solidarity for members.
Who made first flag of Poland?
The Polish parliament was to accept white-red banner as the official one, but actually those colours derive from white eagle on the red setting-sun background this combination is known since time immemorial (more than 1000 yrs)
Which nation did Lech Walesa lead the Solidarity movement?
he was one of my vocab for chapter 15 section 5Type your answer here...
Which powers participated in the partioning of Poland in the late eighteenth century?
There were three paritions: in 1772, 1793 and 1795. With the last one, Poland as the independent state ceased to exist. The powers that participated in partitioning were: Russian Empire, Kingdom of Prussia and Austria (Austria did not participate in the Second Partition in 1793). Actually, Russia played the most important role in the partioning.
What are some polish holidays?
Poles are seen as a nation of fun lovers who enjoy festivities, traditions and centuries-old customs. The most ancient rituals, especially those dating back to pagan times, have long lost their magical character, becoming a colourful vestige of the past and a form of amusement ...more
In Poland all weekends and festivals are free of work.
On Sundays and holidays, including those that take place on Sunday, offices do not operate and there is a trade prohibition. Sometimes there is also a possibility of a so-called long weekend when the holidays occur on weekdays in the vicinity of weekends. Polish people take a day or two off and thanks to that they have more days to relax.
In the year 2010:
01 January (Saturday) New Year
04 April (Sunday) Easter
05 April (Monday) Easter Monday
01 May (Saturday) International Workers' Day
03 May (Tuesday) May-3rd-Constitution Day
23 May (Monday) Pentecost
03 June (Thursday) - Corpus Christi
15 August (Sunday) - Assumption of Mary
01 November (Monday) - All Saints
11 November (Thursday) - Polish Independence Day
25 December (Saturday) - Christmas (1st day)
26 December (Sunday) - Christmas (2nd day)
Bank Holidays in 2011
Polish holidays:
National 3rd of May Holiday
The 15th of August Holiday
November 11, Polish Independence Day
Why did Poland and Hungary revolt against the USSR?
The leaders in Poland and Hungary both wished to follow a different path to socialism.
What does the Polish language look like?
Here is a sample of written Polish:
Zagłada Żydów na ziemiach polskich podczas okupacji niemieckiej był częścią niemieckiego planu eksterminacji Żydów. Ofiarami byli Żydzi polscy, a także inni, ginący w niemieckich obozach śmierci zbudowanych na okupowanych terenach polskich.
Pośród ofiar Holokaustu polscy Żydzi stanowili największą grupę. Liczyła ona około 3 miliony osób. Zostali zamordowani w niemieckich nazistowskich obozach zagłady, w Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblince, Majdanku, Bełżcu, Sobiborze, Chełmnie lub zmarli z głodu w gettach. Wielu zginęło na skutek działalności na Wschodzie hitlerowskich szwadronów śmierci, Einsatzgruppen.
Niektóre z masakr były tylko inspirowane przez Niemców, a przeprowadzane z pomocą, lub nawet przez samych Polaków. Przykładem może być tutaj pogrom w Jedwabnem, podczas którego zginęło (według późniejszych ustaleń IPN) co najmniej 340 Żydów. Przykładem morderstwa z inicjatywy Polaków jest zbrodnia w Lesie Siekierzyńskim dokonana w sierpniu 1944 przez żołnierzy z oddziału Armii Krajowej.
Istota polskiego udziału w masakrach Żydów w czasie wojny do dziś pozostaje przedmiotem kontrowersji, choć Instytut Pamięci Narodowej przedstawił dowody na istnienie zajść podobnych do jedwabieńskich w wielu innych miejscowościach regionu. Jako powód takiego zachowania wymienia się antysemityzm, chęć odwetu na Żydach wspierających komunistów lub też zwykłą chciwość.
Niemcy utworzyli wiele gett, w których skupiano Żydów z całych okupowanych terenów. Największe były getto w Warszawie (w którym przebywało ok. 460 tys. osób w 1941 r., 380 tys. w 1942 r.), a także getto w Łodzi (gdzie znajdowało się ok. 160 tys. Żydów). Inne polskie miasta, w których powstawały duże getta to m.in. Białystok, Częstochowa, Kielce, Kraków, Lublin, Lwów, Radom i Wilno. Ewenementem na skalę krajową było otwarte getto w Szydłowcu.
Warszawskie getto zostało założone przez generalnego gubernatora Hansa Franka 16 października 1940. W tym czasie 450 tys. Żydów skupionych w getcie stanowiło ok. 30% populacji Warszawy, podczas gdy zajmowało ono tylko ok. 2,4% powierzchni miasta. 16 listopada wybudowano wysoki mur, ostatecznie odgradzając je od reszty świata. W ciągu następnego półtora roku do getta przywożono Żydów z mniejszych miast i wsi. Jednak liczba w ten sposób uwięzionych pozostawała ta sama, gdyż wielu umierało z powodu głodu i chorób zakaźnych, zwłaszcza tyfusu. Średnie racje żywieniowe w 1941 dla Żydów w Warszawie wynosiły 253 kcal, 669 kcal dla Polaków, podczas gdy dla Niemców – 2613 kcal.
15 października 1941 gubernator Hans Frank wydał rozporządzenie zabraniające Żydom opuszczania wyznaczonych dla nich dzielnic pod groźbą kary śmierci.
22 lipca 1942 rozpoczęła się masowa deportacja, w czasie następnych 52 dni (do 12 września 1942), około 300 tys. osób zostało przewiezionych pociągami do obozu zagłady w Treblince. Deportacja została przeprowadzona przez 50 niemieckich żołnierzy SS, 200 łotewskich żołnierzy z batalionów Schutzmannschaften, 200 ukraińskich policjantów i 2500 członków Żydowskiej Policji Getta. W zamian za współpracę, nietykalność zagwarantowano pracownikom Judenratu, jak również funkcjonariuszom Żydowskiej Policji i ich rodzinom. Okazało się jednak, że gwarancje te działały tylko przez krótki czas.
Why was Germany able to over take Poland?
Poland suffered enough being positioned between russia and germany. Right after they got their independence in 1918 after 120 years of Russian-austrian and german division, they were attacked by russia in 1920. Up to 1930 the goverment fought wars againts lithuania and ukraine for borders and 1930 was the world crisis. 9 years later hitler attacked Poland and 2 weeks later Russia did too. Poland just could not resist continuous invasions and wars.
What kind of economic system does Poland have?
Capitalist: class ownership, wages system, production for sale.
Why did France and Britain not get involved when Hitler invaded Poland?
When the map of Europe was redrawn at the end of WWI the border between Russia and Poland was known as the "Curzon line" after the British foreign secretary who negotiated the settlement.However the countries were involved in a short conflict after the war had ended which resulted in the Polish conquest of Russian territory.The Red Army when it advanced into Poland in 1940 only advanced as far as the Curzon line which marked the former boundary between the two countries and therefore only reclaimed what was rightfully Russian territory rather than conquering sovereign Polish territory and thereby avoided a confrontation with Britain and France.
How do Poland celebrate Christmas?
Polish people celebrate Christmas and open their presents on Christmas eve. St. Nicholas gives children some small gifts on December 6. However the baby Jesus and his angels bring gifts on Christmas Eve but some areas have the Starman delivering gifts. During Advent, Poles generally do not have parties during Advent but Christmas lasts much longer than one day.
When did the Invasion of Poland happen?
The invasion of Poland was Hitler's plan to regain lost territory in Poland. Germany lost its territory after losing World War 1. Hitler was slowly and peacefully gaining territory in Czechoslovakia, but he knew he would have to fight to get Poland. He also used his Soviet allies (which he later betrays) to invade from the East while Germany attacks from the West. Poland was divided between the two countries.
Which country attacked Poland at the beginning of world war 2?
Both Germany and the USSR invaded Poland in September of 1939, dividing it between themselves after Polish resistance collapsed in a little under a month.
Why didn't the league of nations stop Hitler from invading Poland?
Because it didn't have the power to. The League of Nations was a noble attempt set up after the "war to end all wars" (WWI) as a forum for countries to discuss any disagreements. Hitler took Germany out of the League in 1933. Unlike the UN, it had no mandate to provide a peace-keeping force, and therefore did not have the physical capacity to prevent Hitler's invasion of Poland.
The League could also not prevent the Soviet Union from invading Poland from the East. Based on the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact's secret deal, the Soviet Union would take the eastern half of Poland, while Germany took the western half.
