Getting to Know Poland

Written by: Natalie Yao

Geography and Nature

Poland, officially known as the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Eastern Europe with a land area of about 120 thousand square miles. Since the nation lies in the center of the European continent, it borders many other countries such as Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kaliningrad (Russia). Poland sits in a low region of Europe named the North European Plain. The landscapes in the country are pretty diverse. In the north, near the Baltic Sea, there are sand dunes and some swamps. In the south, there are many hills, along with the Carpathian Mountains and then the Sudeten Mountains near the Czech Republic border. In the middle is the majority flat plain that covers most of the country. Additionally, there are a lot of lakes spread out across the lowland region of Poland. In fact, there are a total of over 1,300 lakes in the nation! Poland has two major rivers, the Vistula and the Oder, that both empty into the Baltic Sea in the north. Some major cities include the capital Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, Wroclaw, and Poznan. 

Forests cover about thirty percent of Poland, since most of the country’s original forests have been destroyed to create farmland. Common types of trees that can be found in these forests are birch, oak, pine, larch, beech, and spruce trees. Some common animals found in this region include wild pigs, deer, beavers, bison, and elk. In the mountains, animals such as channois, bears, and wildcats can be found. The forests in Poland are also beneficial for some endangered animals in Europe, like brown bears, wild horses, lynxes, and gray wolves.

People and Culture

In Poland, the official language is Polish, and most of the population is ethnically Polish. In addition, there are also small groups of Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Germans that live in Poland. The majority of Polish people are Roman Catholic, making up about 87 percent of the population. Also, about 60 percent of people live in towns and cities. 

Polish cuisine is known for being flavorful and for using a lot of mushrooms, meat, potatoes, and cabbage. Other key ingredients are sauerkraut, dill, sour cream, beetroot, and sausage.

Some popular dishes include:

• Pierogi: dumplings filled with potato, cheese, sauerkraut, mushroom, or meats

• Golabki: stuffed cabbage, filled in meat and rice and served with tomato sauce

• Barszcz: a beetroot soup served with small dumplings

• Makowiec: sweet poppy seed cake

National Symbols

• National Colors: Red and White

• National Anthem: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego

• National Fruit: the Apple

• National Flower: the Red Poppy