This document provides an overview of Poland and Polish culture through several sections. It introduces Poland's national symbols including the white eagle emblem and the Polish anthem. It provides facts about Poland's location in Europe, population of over 38 million people, and president Bronisław Komorowski. The document also discusses Poland's ethnic and gender demographics, the Polish language, and highlights several of Poland's major cities including the capital Warsaw along with Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Zakopane. Pictures are included throughout to showcase Poland's diverse landscapes and cities.

1. PREPARED BY:
NATALIA SAS
ANNA SUDOŁ

2. INTRODUCTION
The objective of the presentation is to
introduce you to some important facts
concerning Poland and Polish culture, such
as Polish national symbols, currency, ethnic
and gender structure and Polish national
cuisine. The presentation includes a lot of
pictures of Polish diverse landscapes and
the most famous cities.

3. NATIONAL SYMBOLS
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (the Polish anthem; click to listen)

4. The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal
width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two
colours are defined in the Polish constitution as the
national colours. Since 2004, Polish Flag Day is celebrated
on May 2.
The White Eagle (Polish: Orzeł Biały) is the national emblem.
It is an image of a crowned white eagle with a golden beak
and talons, and wearing a golden crown, in a red shield in
a red field.
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego is the national anthem of Poland. The
lyrics was written by Józef Wybicki around 16 July 1797,
two years after the Third Partition of Poland erased Poland
from the map.

5. POLAND
THE HEART OF EUROPE
Poland 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.

6. • Total Area: 312,685 sq. km
• Population: 38.5 million

7. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres, making
it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in
Europe.
Poland has a population of over 38.5 million people, which
makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and
the 6th most populous member of the European Union,
being its most populous post-communist member.
Poland is a unitary state made up of 16 voivodeships.

8. PRESIDENT BRONISŁAW
KOMOROWSKI
Bronisław Komorowski won the 2010 presidential election.
He was sworn in as full-time President on 6 August 2010.

9. PEOPLE
Polish 97.6%,
German 1.3%,
Belorussian 0.6%,
Ukrainian 0.5%

10. ETHNIC STRUCTURE
Ethnically, modern Poland is almost homogenous. According
to the 2002 Census, the minorities account for about 3-4
percent of the population, which is equivalent to some 1.5
million people.
The biggest minority in today's Poland is the Germans, who
live mainly in Silesia. The second biggest group is the
Belorussians, who live mainly in the east. The third largest
minority is the Ukrainians, who after the war were forced
to resettle in the new territories in the west and north part
of the country. Their number is about 31,000 (5 million in
1931).

11. GENDER STRUCTURE
In 2001 females made up 51.4% of Poland's total population
while males accounted for 48.6%, so for every hundred
men there were 106 women.
61.8% of Poles live in towns and 38.2% live in rural areas,
which means that for every hundred rural residents there
are 162 urban residents

12. LANGUAGE: POLISH
Watch the video here:
http://youtu.be/pPetWJJlC-w

13. • Polish is an Indo-European language belonging to the
West Slavonic group.
• Polish began to emerge around the 10th century, the
process largely triggered by the establishment and
development of the Polish state.
• The first written texts in Polish were translations of Latin
prayers and sermons rendered in the vernacular so that
the faithful would understand what they prayed for and to
whom.
• Polish is an inflected language with seven cases, two
numbers, three genders in singular and two in plural.
• Polish has five major dialects, spoken in Silesia,
Malopolska, Mazovia, Wielkopolska and Kashubia.

14. CAPITAL CITY: WARSAW

15. Warsaw (Warszawa) is the capital and largest city of Poland. It
is located on the Vistula River, the longest Polish river. Its
population is estimated at 1,708,491 residents, making
Warsaw the 9th most populous city proper in the European
Union.
Warsaw's mixture of architectural styles reflects the turbulent
history of the city and country. During WWII, Warsaw was
razed to the ground by bombing raids and planned
destruction. After liberation, rebuilding began as in other
cities of the communist-ruled PRL. Most of the historical
buildings were thoroughly reconstructed. Mass residential
blocks were erected, with basic design typical of Eastern
bloc countries.
Public spaces attract investment, so that the city has gained
entirely new squares, parks and monuments. Warsaw's
current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary
architecture.

16. CURRENCY: ZLOTY (PLN, ZŁ)

17. DIVERSITY OF POLISH
LANDSCAPE
The Polish landscape is very diverse, starting from the Mountains
in the south through the central lowlands to the Lake District -
Masuria and the Baltic Sea - in the north.

18. LET'S GO TO POLAND
Watch the video here:
http://videobam.com/bjByW

19. THE TATRA
MOUNTAINS

20. THE TATRA MOUNTAINS
The southern Poland is bordered by the Tatra mountains.
This is a mountain range which forms a natural border between
Slovakia and Poland, and is the highest mountain range
in the Carpathian Mountains. Rysy (2,499 m) located
in the north-western part of the Tatras, is the highest
mountain in Poland.
The Tatra region is inhabited by a small ethnic group called "the
highlanders" (górale).

21. THE HIGHLANDERS (GÓRALE)

22. THE MASURIAN LAKE DISTRICT

23. THE MASURIAN LAKE
DISTRICT
It is a region in northeastern Poland famous for its 2,000
lakes. This area has some of the most romantic
landscapes in Poland. The magnificent lakes combined
with old woods make you forget about everyday urban life.
It is a paradise for sailing, windsurfing and outdoor activities
such as hiking, fishing, kayaking, bicycling and horseback
riding during the warm summer months, and also offers
a range of winter activities.
The Masurian Landscape Park includes 11 nature reserves
such as the Łuknajno Lake, which is a UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve.
The Borecka Pushcha forest is a breeding station for
European Bisons.

24. THE BALTIC SEA

25. THE BALTIC SEA
The Baltic Sea shore stretches for over 300 km in the north of
Poland and provides very diverse scenery, from wide
sandy beaches to high rocky cliffs.
The coastal zone is inhabited by about 10% of the country’s
population and is home to a variety of economic activities
linked to shipbuilding, fisheries and marine transport,
chemical industry and tourism.

26. POLISH LANDMARKS
Warszawa
Kraków
Wrocław
Gdańsk
Zakopane

27. WARSZAWA (WARSAW)
The capital of Poland and its largest city

28. TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
IN WARSAW
• the Old Town
• the park and palace complex at Łazienki
• The Wilanów Park - the summer residence of King Jan III
Sobieski and then Augustus II as well as subsequent
aristocratic families
• Palace of Culture and Science: completed in 1955 as a ‘gift
from the Soviet people’, the building is the embodiment of
Socialist Realist architecture.
• Warsaw Rising Museum: opened in 2004, on the 60th
anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, the
museum pays tribute to all those who fought and died for
their country’s independence.

29. KRAKÓW (CRACOW)
Formerly, the capital of Poland and now
the cultural and intellectual centre

30. Kraków is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in
Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland
(Małopolska) region, the city dates back to the 7th century.
Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres
of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of
Poland's most important economic hubs.
Popular points of interest in Kraków: the Wawel Castle, the
Czartoryski Museum, Collegium Maius, St. Mary's Basilica,
Cloth Hall, the Main Market Square, Barbican.

31. THE JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY
The oldest university in Poland, the second oldest
university in Central Europe and one of the oldest
universities in the world.

32. The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by
Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz (district of Kraków).
It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest
university in Central Europe and one of the oldest
universities in the world.
The university has over 50.000 students and more then 3.000
academic staff.
Programmes of study are offered in 48 disciplines and 93
specialisations.

33. WROCŁAW
The fourth largest city in Poland

34. Wrocław, situated on the River Oder in Lower Silesia, is the
largest city in western Poland.
Wrocław is the historical capital of Silesia, and today is the
capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. At various times
it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, the
Austrian Empire, Prussia, and Germany; it has been part
of Poland since 1945, as a result of border changes after
World War II.
Wrocław was the host of EuroBasket 1963, FIBA EuroBasket
2009, and UEFA Euro 2012. The city has been selected as
the European Capital of Culture for 2016.

35. GDAŃSK
Poland's principal seaport

36. Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, the capital of the
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland's principal seaport and
the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan
area.
The city was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which
under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa, played a major role
in bringing an end to Communist rule across Central
Europe.
Gdansk had moving history and therefore offers many
different memorials, monuments and statues. To the most
important belong the medieval port crane, called Żuraw
over the Motława river, The Town Hall, the so-called Long
Market, Westerplatte , Neptune's Fountain, Artus Court,
PGE Arena Gdańsk.

37. ZAKOPANE
Zakopane is called
the Winter capital of Poland

38. Zakopane lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at
the foot of the Tatra Mountains.
The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the
17th century, describing a glade called Zakopisko. In 1676
it was a village of 43 inhabitants.
Zakopane is a centre of góral culture and is known informally
as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular
destination for mountaineering, skiing, and tourism.
Zakopane is visited by over 250,000 tourists a year. Many
come to experience góral culture, which is rich in its
unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and
costume.
A popular tourist activity is taking a stroll along the town's
most popular street: Krupówki. It is lined with stores,
restaurants, carnival rides, and performers. Here, you can
buy unique Zakopane souvenirs, such as an oscypek
(salty sheep cheese) or a ciupaga (a stick with a
decorative axe-like handle).

39. POLISH FOOD

40. POLISH NATIONAL CUISINE
Polish food is very diverse and unique.
Polish cuisine shares some similarities with other Central
European and Eastern European traditions.
Polish national cuisine is rich in meat, especially pork,
chicken and beef (depending on the region), vegetables
and spices. There are many varieties of dishes prepared
with cabbage, barley, beet and potatoes.
Among the most popular Polish national dishes there
are pierogi ruskie, rosół, żurek and gołąbki.

41. PIEROGI RUSKIE
(BOILED PASTA FILLED WITH CHEESE, ONION
AND POTATOES – HALF MOON SHAPED)

42. ROSÓŁ
(CHICKEN SOUP WITH POLISH NOODLES)

43. ŻUREK
(TRADITIONAL POLISH SOUR SOUP
WITH SAUSAGE AND BOILED EGGS)

44. GOŁĄBKI
(COOKED MINCED MEAT AND RICE WRAPPED
IN CABBAGE LEAVES)

45. FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT POLAND VISIT:
http://www.poland.gov.pl/
http://poland.pl/poland/0,0.html
http://www.polska.travel/pl
http://www.um.warszawa.pl/en
http://www.cracow-life.com/
http://www.cracow.com/

46. DISCUSSION
1. Which Polish city would you like to visit and why?
2. On the basis of what you know about Poland, do you
consider Polish and Ukrainian cultures very different?
3. If you were to prepare a similar presentation about your
country, what information would you include?
4. If you were to recommend places to visit in Ukraine, what
would they be?
5. What is Ukrainian national cuisine famous for? What
would you call "a true Ukrainian national dish”?