Aneta Kopec

Andrea Seitz

1. General information2. Economy3. Emigration from Poland4. Places to visit5. Culture and tradition

Size: 312,685 km²  Population: almost 39 million Capital: Warsaw Currency: Zloty (PLN) Location: Central Europe 

Ethnicity: almost completely uniform in terms of nationality•Poles represent about 97% of the total population

•Major national minorities: Germans, Ukrainians and Belarusians

Religion: •Roman Catholic 95% •Eastern Orthodox, Protestant and others 5% 

2004: Poland joined the EU Member of: EU, NATO, UN, WTO,

OECD

Communist country from 1945-1989 Now : democracy, with a president as

a head of the state Poland is a unitary state, made up of

16 voivodeships

one of the healthiest economies of the post-communist countries

one of the fastest growing countries within the EU

successful example of the transition from a centrally planned economy to a primarily capitalistic market economy

only member of the EU to have avoided a decline in GDP during the late 2000s recession

2009: Poland has had the greatest GDP growth in the EU

Average salaries in the enterprise sector in April 2008: 3137 PLN (925 €)

Salaries vary between the regions: •median wage in the capital city Warsaw 4,600 PLN (1,200 €)

•Bialystok: only 2,400 PLN (670 €)

Since joining the EU, many workers have left to work in other EU countries because of high unemployment (14.2% in May 2006)

Rapid growth of salaries, booming economy, strong value of Polish currency, quickly decreasing unemployment (6.7% in August 2008)

exodus of Polish workers over In 2008 people who came back

outnumbered those leaving the country

some of the biggest floods of emigration during the last two centuries

Nowadays: about 15 Mio. Polish people worldwide

biggest Polish group located in the United States (about 8-10 Mio.)

Europe: many Polish people in Germany and France (2 Mio.)

After Poland joined the EU, Polish emigrate to other countries to find a better job

Polish identity patriotism very important for the emigrants

children often learn Polish as their second language.

Warsaw (capital city)

Krakow (ancient capital)

Beach resorts along the Baltic Sea

Mazury lake district

Carpathian and Sudeten mountains

historic sites like Zamosc, Wroclaw or Czestochowa

Bialowieski Park Narodowy Tatrzanski Park Narodowy

Bialowieski Park Narodowy

Barbórka is a mining traditional feast celebrated on December 4, on St. Barbara, the patroness of miners.

Dozynki- on this day people prepare wreaths, held a solemn procession to the church. They put a bread and some food from the crops to consecrate it. Later on, the liturgical celebration is held, followed by a party with a typical polish food.

Marzanna is the name of the puppet representing the goddess, which is ritually burned or drowned to bring the spring. It is made of straw, wrapped in white cloth, decorated with ribbons and beads. This custom is rooted in pagan sacrificial rites, was supposed to ensure fertility in the coming year. It takes place on the 1st day of calendar spring (21th of March).

www.polishconsulate.com http://www.staypoland.com/

polnische_gemeinde.html http://www.eures.praca.gov.pl www.wikipedia.pl