Greater Poland: Difference between revisions

The People's Republic of Greater Poland
The People's Republic of Greater Poland; Wielkopolska (Polish)
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego; "Poland Is Not Yet Lost";
Capital; and largest city	Warsaw
Official languages	Polish
Recognised national languages	Polish; English language;
Ethnic groups (2024)	95% Polish people; 5% other / undeclared;
Religion (2024)	93.4% Christianity 78.3% Catholicism; 10.2% Protestantism; 4.9% others Christian; ; 3.43% Islam; 2% Judaism; 1.17% unanswered;
Demonym(s)	Polish
Government	Unitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic
• Chairman of the Council of State	Aleksander Kwaśniewski
• Head of Council	Lech Wałęsa
• Prime Minister	Lech Wałęsa
Legislature	Sejm Wielkopolski
Establishment	The Polish Revolution of 1898–1901
• The Polish Revolution of 1898–1901	Late 1898 – January 1901
Area
• Total	544,709 km2 (210,313 sq mi) (TBDth)
• Water (%)	1.65
Population
• 2024 census	76,302,717
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$12.454 trillion (TBDth)
• Per capita	$163,218 (TBDth)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$12.501 trillion (TBDth)
• Per capita	$163,834 (TBDth)
Gini (2024)	0.323; low · TBDth
HDI (TBD)	0.998; very high
Currency	Złoty (PLN)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Date format	mm.dd.yyyy (CE)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+48
ISO 3166 code	PL
Internet TLD	.GPL
	Website; Wielkopolska.gov.GPL
Preceded by
	Third Polish Republic

Latest revision as of 12:30, 28 February 2024

Greater Poland (Polish: Wielkopolska), officially The People's Republic of Greater Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 21 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of 544,709 km (210,313 sq mi). Greater Poland has a population of over 76 million and is the TBAth most populous state of Europe. Warsaw is the nation's capital and largest metropolis. Other major cities include Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, Gdańsk, Szczecin, and Kijów.

Greater Poland has a temperate transitional climate, and its territory traverses the Central European Plain, extending from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south. The longest Polish river is the Vistula, and Poland's highest point is Mount Rysy, situated in the Tatra mountain range of the Carpathians. The country is bordered by Belarus, Lithuania, and Latvia to the northeast, Ukraine to the east, Czechia, Romania, and Slovakia to the south, and Germany to the west. It also shares maritime boundaries with TBD and TBD.

Greater Poland regained its independence in 1918 as the Second Polish Republic, then became the Third Polish Republic post-German–Polish War. Through the Solidarity movement, Greater Poland slowly increased the amount of Progressive politicians in power for the population. Poland is a Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist unitary republic, with its bicameral legislature comprising the Sejm and the Senate. It is a developed market and a high-income economy. Poland has the Third-largest economy in Europe by GDP (nominal) and the Fourth-largest by GDP (PPP). It provides a very high standard of living, safety, and economic freedom, as well as free university education and a universal health care system. Poland is a founding member of The Polish Bloc, an alliance between Socialist and Socialist-aligned states in Eastern and Northern Europe.

Etymology

The native Polish name for Poland is Polska. The name is derived from the Polans, a West Slavic tribe who inhabited the Warta River basin of present-day Greater Poland region (6th–8th century CE). The tribe's name stems from the Proto-Slavic noun pole meaning field, which in-itself originates from the Proto-Indo-European word *pleh₂- indicating flatland. The etymology alludes to the topography of the region and the flat landscape of Greater Poland. During the Middle Ages, the Latin form Polonia was widely used throughout Europe.

The country's alternative archaic name is Lechia and its root syllable remains in official use in several languages, notably Hungarian, Lithuanian, and Persian. The exonym possibly derives from either Lech, a legendary ruler of the Lechites, or from the Lendians, a West Slavic tribe that dwelt on the south-easternmost edge of Lesser Poland. The origin of the tribe's name lies in the Old Polish word lęda (plain). Initially, both names Lechia and Polonia were used interchangeably when referring to Poland by chroniclers during the Middle Ages.

The Greater– suffix used in Wielkopolska or "Greater Poland" is to signify the expanded size of Poland. Also shared from the Voivodeship and ancient region, Greater Poland.

History

Rebirth of a Polish State (1900–1918)

Piłsudski in Warsaw, preparing troops for the revolution.

Following the partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century, Poland ceased to exist as an independent nation for 126 years. The territory, with its native population, was split among Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany. The Congress Kingdom of Poland was theoretically granted considerable political autonomy by the liberal constitution. However, its rulers, the Russian emperors, generally disregarded any restrictions on their power. It was, therefore, little more than a puppet state in a personal union with the Russian Empire. The autonomy was severely curtailed following uprisings in 1830–31 and 1863–1864, as the country became governed by viceroys, and later divided into governorates (provinces). Thus, from the start, Polish autonomy remained little more than fiction.

In January 1900, the effort of millions of Poles would finally pay off as the Polish Revolution of 1898–1901 occurred in Congress Poland in late 1898. It was the longest-lasting insurgency in partitioned Poland, beating out the previous January Uprising during 1863–1864. Poland at this time was going through economic downturn as the rulers over Congress Poland would abandon a lot of the economic centers in Warsaw, and Kraków, leading to thousands of Poles to go homeless or become unemployed.

The first government of the new Poland was a Confederal republic until adopting a semi-presidential constitutional government with the introduction of Constitution of 12 January 1900 (The Second Governance Act). In the aftermath of the Polish Revolution, the Poles agreed on the reconstitution of Poland instead of an outside power. The Lithuanians at a time were included in the Grand Republic of Poland-Lithuania from 1900–1910 until Lithuania voted to leave the union in late 1910, going through with it. Poland would return as the Second Polish Republic in 1911 until the Third Polish Republic was proclaimed during the Polish–German war as the more German-positive government was voted out.

Anti-German sentiment was also rising during the later years of the Second Polish Republic, with the Polonization of many previously German settlements and increased Polonization across the former German lands. Migration from Poland to other countries largely dipped during this period, with 1–2 million Poles having left during the period of 1900–1918. Migration to Greater Poland, however, increased during this period as 10–12 million minorities from Russian lands emigrated into Poland such as, Ukrainians, Belarussians, Lithuanians, and Latvians. Western Europeans also notably migrated to this "rebirthed" Poland, being considered as "The Polish Dream" as hundreds of thousands from France and Britain at the time seek riches in the Gold Deposits.

The massive amount of British and French immigrants into Poland during this time quickly grew the economy of Poland tenfold, but eventually the Government of Poland decided to crack down on "Gold-rush Colonizers" and began removing the immigrants peacefully with the support of the British and French governments. Gold mining quickly became illegal for immigrants that didn't have a permit or wasn't a Polish-born citizen. The Polish-born citizen reasoning did not apply to the children of the British and French immigrants to close any loopholes, and it only started to apply once the children of those children had children, and then so on.

The German–Polish War, and the Third Polish Republic (1918–1924)

The site of the accidental shelling of Kołbaskowo

During late 1918, border towns along the Oden–Neisse line that was proclaimed in early 1901 reported German troops near Gryfino, with the beginning of severe decline in German–Polish relations as the German civilians near the Oden–Neisse line being pushed back into German lands by racially motivated Poles who wanted the destruction of the German Minority in Poland at the time, and destroyed a major center for the German Minority Party of Poland which was later shut down by a decree by the Polish government that is still known today as "the most anti-German and anti-Minority act ever passed in the history of Europe." In response, Polish minorities in German lands were also discriminated against.

Much to the anger of Poles, the Polish minority at the time decided with support from the Polish government, to pick up where they had settled, and move back into Poland. Leading to a massive movement of Poles across Europe to move back to "their homeland." The population of Poland slowly grew from 24 million to 31 million as they moved. German authorities attempted to stop the movement of Poles back into Poland, with the city of Kołbaskowo being shelled on accident during an attempted destruction of a bridge. The relations between Poland and Germany soon after collapsed, and troops in Kołbaskowo fired back days later.

The outbreak of the war was documented in several radio broadcasts across Poland, and immediate conscription began as hundreds of thousands of Poles aged 27–30 joined the fight against the Germans. Poland also began talks with Franco-Spain for assistance with their conflict, but would eventually postpone such talks until they actually needed help, they were winning most battles in the war. Berlin, being seen as an easy target for destruction, being only 90 kilometers from the Oden–Neisse line, was quickly bombarded by Polish troops.

During the middle of the conflict, Germany conducted several aerial bombardments of Warsaw and the forces conducting the invasions. During 1921, the cities of Leipzig and Dresden were under Polish control. In late 1922, the talks with the Franco-Spanish government resumed, with promised assistance coming later in early 1923 with the Invasion of Germany conducted by the government, the city of Berlin was quickly surrounded by Polish forces along with Lithuanian volunteers sent by their long-time ally, Lithuania.

In early 1923, the city of Berlin was significantly damaged in Plan Zniszczenie (literally; Plan Destruction) which was also made worse with rampant sexual assault and sexual violence done by Lithuanian and Polish volunteers, and rampant torturing and killings of German civilians. Noted as one of the worst instances of war crimes acted on another nation's people. Reportedly, volunteer Polish, Lithuanian troops (oddly; through the ages of 19–24) met up to specifically pillage and rape the wives or husbands of German civilians who they had killed as women were also employed as soldiers at the time to maximize the damage and army to beat out any potential German offensive.

During 1924, the war had come to a close as the government of Germany pleaded with Poland and the United Kingdom of France-Spain to end the war and come to a peace deal. They'd soon after accept the plead, and the mention of rape and pillaging of Germans would soon after cause the Government of the Polish Republic to start a tribunal against Polish and Lithuanian troops that had been found guilty or was thought to have attributed to the crime of raping, murdering, torturing, and pillaging the country they were in conflict with. At the end of the tribunals, 363 different volunteers of the Polish military were suspected, and 174 were executed.

At the end of the tribunals, Poland had paid some reparations to Germany for the crimes committed on their land, but soon after ceased the paying after the removal of the more German friendly government and installment of a anti-German government.

Post German–Polish War growth (1924–1947)

Vistula 1035, Input/Output and Control detail.

The period of time after the German–Polish War is commonly referred to as the "Polish peace time" period. Commonly used to refer to 1924 through 1947 as a more prosperous and technologically influenced time as computer science research ramped up in Poland at the time. What is usually recognized as the era of computing in Poland started in January 1928 with the introduction of the Vistula 1035, an early general purpose electromechanical computer, commonly known as "kalkulator elektromechaniczny" in circles known for early computers in Poland at the time. The company, Usługi Technologiczne Wiślan, was created during this time to give access to the Vistula 1035 to the general public. Laboratories in several higher-level universities were given multiple Vistula 1035's, while lower-level ones were given one.

In late 1926, the Vistula 1036 was released with remarkably better technology than the last model. Still though, it was relegated as a higher form of a calculator for many universities and public institutions. It wasn't until December 1926 when games known as "Gry kalkulatorowe dla Wisły 1036" were developed, while basic, actually led to a small drop in grades for those who attended schools with access to Vistula 1035 and 1036's. A movement in the early 20th century called "Mieszana Edukacja I Rozwój" was fought for in government that allowed the teaching of kids on how to produce, program, and care for the Vistula 1035 and 1036's.

In Poland, the 1930s were seen as a decade for technological progress in Poland at the time, because there were many technological companies related to calculators in the sphere of computing in Poland. The three companies that were well known for their computers, yet did not own most of the market through vast regulations cast upon the market by the Greater Polish government in early 1927. Obliczenia Warszawskie (OW), Usługi Technologiczne Wiślan (UTW), Kraków Informatyka (KI), and Połączone Usługi Technologiczne Warszawy (PUTW), being largely popular but not having a distinct owner as the owner was listed as "the people" in many lists of technological companies of the early 20th century. OW and KI eventually were subsumed into the greater Polska Agencja Komputerowa (PAK) in early 1936.

In 1938, the company Usługi Technologiczne Wiślan known for the Vistula 1035–1100 released the first Calculator with a Monochrome CRT monitor embedded into the side to act as a console for the greater operation of the Machine, and it was called the Warszawski Superkomputer 3002 or the WS3002. It was a joint effort between Polska Agencja Komputerowa and Usługi Technologiczne Wiślan from 1936–1938 and hired thousands of new and experienced computer technicians due to the introduction of computers into Polish education. The WS3002 was quickly introduced and replaced the Vistula 1035–1100s as hundreds of classrooms got to experience what was one of thee biggest technological breakthroughs in Poland at the time, a computer with a Monochrome CRT monitor. The "Gry Kalkulatorowe" (Calculator Games) business quickly grew with smaller bands of Polish children developing small but entertaining games.

Władysław Gomułka

In 1940, Usługi Technologiczne Wiślan was subsumed into Polska Agencja Komputerowa and ended in a complete split in the agency as the Polish government decided to give the business of computers to the general public instead of one massive alienating agency that had shut down many computer companies for simply advertising the idea that they had patents for bigger and better computers like the WS3002. The agency lasted for 10 years and was seen positively in the general sphere, with many companies wanting the agency to come back as a good way to force the Polish public to "get into the creation, upkeep, and tinkering with computers."

In 1941, the Communist Party of Poland was formed with Władysław Gomułka at the head of the party and 500 different communist politicians. It quickly gained followers from the computer field and industrial sector.

In 1943, the Communist Party of Poland quickly gained the support of Polish computer engineers as they sought out powerful engineers to help them introduce a new way of political advertisement, which was called "Kalkulator komunizmu" (Literally; Calculator Communism). The introduction of the KPP3003 in early 1944 showed the general public how advertising can be used with the new computer technology, and the KPP gained general support by many in the general public as the machine itself was by what the KPP said, "Hundreds of Times more Powerful, and Hundreds of Times more Worker-ran than competitors." Several KPP politicians were seen selling the computers to universities, which was called a "move to indoctrinate the important children and teachers in our society" by the right, and "a deeply moving action driven by a political stance that is far from our understanding."

In 1947, the Communist Party of Poland had gained ~23.5% of the popular vote by 1946, being rebranded by a poll run by a higher up but only in name in the party to the Polish United Workers' Party in late 1947. The general Polish right was seen exiting the Wielkopolski Sejm when popular communist politicians were giving speeches to the government of Poland about the importance of Workers' reform and the right of the common man and worker. This was seen as an incredibly disrespectful move and led to crackdowns by the government to force them to physically stay in the room when politicians of the opposite side are speaking. In a speech given by Władysław Gomułka, a shoe was thrown at him by Stanisław Stroński, nearly hitting him in the face as he ducked. Stanisław Stroński was quickly thrown out of office by voters in the 1948 Polish parliamentary election, and was replaced by, in an act of irony, Władysław Gomułka who was seen laughing as he was voted in.

The Second Polish Revolution (1948–1952)

Władysław Gomułka addressing a massive crowd of Poles who collected in Warsaw on October 30th, 1948.

The 1948 Polish parliamentary election was a largely controversial election, as the Polish Democratic Union and Civic Platform parties largely won out against the communists and League of Right-leaning Poles (LPD, Liga Prawicowych Polaków) With the PUD and PO winning collectively 67.45% of the vote together and the PZPR winning 24.4% and LPD winning 8.15% of the vote. The supporters of the PZPR thought the election was "rigged in the favor of the left-centrists" as millions of votes for the Communists were left out with a note that described the vote as "illegitimate and fraud". This was confirmed as an action of the LPD to go against the PZPR as they were seemingly going to win out the the election with a above 50% confidence rating of a total win, with LPD themselves eventually admitting the fact of the voter fraud, and them not even also expecting the low amount of votes they had received during the election.

The Civic Platform and Polish Democratic Union were largely apologetic towards the communist party, as they believed correctly, that the right-leaning party were at blame, and 30 higher ups including Stanisław Stroński were found guilty of election fraud and compromise of important election material. The communists however, did not believe this was not enough action to rectify the actions taken by the League of Right-leaning Poles. As such, the 2 democratic parties agreed to do another election in November 1948. This was seen as an incredibly insulting move towards millions of supporters of the party, as they believed that the 2 parties had done this to avoid counting the millions of votes that had been thrown out by the LPD in early November 1947. In the party, plans of a general second revolution were being thought up as to overthrow the flawed system and return to what the original plan was, which was "to end the suffering of workers under capitalism and to join together to resist against capitalist pressure."

In October 1948, Stanisław Stroński was Killed by an assassin that was hired by a Polish revolutionary in the early morning of the 16th, with the death being held a secret and only being released 6 days afterwards by the party. The note left next behind his body largely held views that went against the LPD, PO, and PUD. The communists were held under heavy scrutiny until the Night of Communist Revolution on the 25th led to a massive collection of Polish communists on the streets of the most populated cities of Poland, including Warsaw (3.4 million poles), Kraków (2.1 million Poles), Łódź (1.0 million Poles), and Wrocław with 439 thousand Poles, these Poles had collected on the streets holding what are commonly known as picket signs that advocated for a Communist take over of the general government, and in the early morning of the 26th, the Wielkopolski Sejm, would be breached by thousands of Poles as even the guards who had previously been stationed there was given break by the PZPR, who had privileges to do that since their election into government.

Guard of honor at Stanisław Stroński's funeral bier

The Sejm would eventually fill up with Polish soldiers, workers, students, and even Polish women being recognized in the after report by the party as Władysław Gomułka was giving a speech to the government about election interference. Gomułka was given prior notice that the main stage would also be crowded with the Poles, but he refused to stop talking. Instead, once the Polish civilians that supported his cause flooded the room, he switched it to talk about the millions of Poles who previously voted to give power to the communists and how their vote mattered, but the LPD threw it away. A massive fight ensued between LPD politicians and Polish civilians as the civilians taunted the LPD with picket signs calling for the end of the LPD. In the end of the Night of Communist Revolution, 30 people were injured and 1 died, a popular LPD politician was trampled as the Poles were fighting. The PO and PUD promised to re-do the election and promised to do it swiftly and make sure every vote was accounted for from the last election.

In the early hours of October 30th, 1948, Władysław Gomułka addressed a massive crowd of Poles who collected in Warsaw, asking for them to remain fueled by the power of the revolution and power of their hearts to "truly remain as Poles and communists." The PZPR was later confirmed to have originally won 74.8% of the vote, but the millions of votes being forced away from the communists ended up in the left leaning parties, as more of a "cop out" instead of just voting for the LPD. The LPD later confirmed that this was unexpected to their calculations, as they had previously thought that the party was originally for "outcasts" and "children" who didn't know much about politics and "only blindly supported parties who actively wanted to support them instead of thinking with their head." By the beginning of 1949, the Wielkopolski Sejm ended their final recount session with 75.8% PZPR, 12.2% PO, 8.15% LPD, and 3.85% for the PUD.

The Left-leaning parties reported the biggest upset after the re-count, and officially returned the leading party to it's originally planned ending, the PZPR. Władysław Gomułka was seen celebrating with a crowd of communist politicians with wine, and decided to let the millions of Poles on the streets know, yelling, "POLSKA JEST DLA PRACOWNIKÓW!", and the streets of Poland would be comparable to the streets of Poland after the Polish Revolution of 1898–1901. In the next months, PZPR and Władysław Gomułka would begin to ban the outside parties and subsumed them into PZPR, writing another constitution with the help of PO and PUD politicians that previously were deemed as communist-apologizers by the LPD, which had been banned as a decree from Władysław Gomułka himself in an attempt to ban far-right politics from gracing the politics of Poland. Nationalism would still be a thing, as it became a formal faction inside of PZPR by 1952.

Władysław Gomułka remained as the General Secretary of Poland until facing a heart attack and stepping down in 1952, being replaced by Korneliusz Rominski in 1952. By the end of his reign, Gomułka was seen in an extremely positive way, bringing Poland back to the workers in a more unionist way, and giving more rights to the man, woman, and child of the Polish people. Gomułka died in 1994, reportedly saying his happiest moments were during this time, largely helping with charities in Polish cities that had high homeless populations and high poverty.

The Reign of Korneliusz Romiński (1952–1962)

Jews arriving at Obóz Warszawa in January 1954.

After Gomułka suffered a heart attack in 1952, Korneliusz Romiński replaced him quickly with the guidance of the Wielkopolski Sejm in early 1952. Romiński was previously in contact with Gomułka as apart of his cabinet from late 1948 – early 1952, Romiński was seen as a close friend of Gomułka that helped with several aspects of the revolution, including some of it that included anti-Semitism, being seen as an accident. Romiński would later clarify in 1953 that the anti-Semitism that he displayed was entirely on purpose and he truly held controversial opinions of Jewish Poles, calling them 'money hungry anti-revolutionaries who only work to get money instead of enjoying their job." He previously said that he used The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as scripture and based most of his anti-Semitism off of the book.

In 1954, Romiński had advocated for the removal of most Polish Jews from the country or a complete switch of religions from Judaism to Roman Catholicism or Protestantism. By May, a massive movement of anti-Jewish Poles and more nationalist groups would attempt to get rid of the Jewish minority in several Polish cities, however most Poles did not agree with this action, as they saw Jewish Poles as legitimate Poles and they "shouldn't be removed as they're just like us, Poles." Romiński made the holding of Jews inside basements or ceilings illegal as if a Pole had held them in those locations, then that Pole would be labeled a "Miłośnik Żydów" (Jew lover) and would be be labeled on a sheet as one that would be put up on several street poles in neighborhoods that had some Jewish Poles.

In 1956, Romiński would relax the law, only allowing the discrimination of Jewish Poles and not government-mandated discrimination. Still seen as a controversial law as it still allowed the discrimination of Jews by Polish nationalist groups and anti-Semites.

Antisemitic graffiti in Lublin depicting a Star of David hanging from gallows in January 1956.

In 1962, Romiński would fund the Polish Nuclear Energy Movement (PREJ; Polski Ruch Energii Jądrowej) with 100 billion Złoty, and created the Polish Nuclear Energy Agency (PAEJ; Polska Agencja Energii Jądrowej) in late 1965 with the support of most of the Wielkopolski Sejm. The first nuclear fission reactions in the use of peaceful ways was done on November 12, 1965 as Romiński was asked to view the reaction to see the first ever nuclear fission experiment attempted in Poland. Romiński also viewed the experiment as a new way to achieve near-infinite power, and also viewed in a new light, nuclear weapons. The Polish Nuclear Weapons Agency (PABJ; Polska Agencja Broni Jądrowej) was formed in early 1966 and began nuclear experiments alongside PAEJ and the PREJ.

The Great War (1963–1975)

In 1964, tensions between Germany and Poland would once again deteriorate as Romiński would threaten an all out war on the Germans

In 1966, TBD

In 1968, TBD

Nuclear research (1975–1982)

The SR-1 Accident is usually rated as a Minor Incident by the PAEJ.

In 1970, The first research reactor in Poland would open in Kraków to a crowd of 400 Polish engineers in the early morning of June 4th. It held its first nuclear chain reaction on June 12 was done in SR-1 (Sekcja Reaktorów 1), June 27 for SR-2, and August 4 for SR-3. It was seen as a bad thing that nothing had gone wrong in the first experiments, as they couldn't take any new data to further improve on any accidents and data on how to prevent such accidents. The first purposeful accident was done on 4 November 1970 in the morning, with SR-1. It ended in failure, and caused the TBDth nuclear accident in history. It was rated a minor incident by the PAEJ using it's Polska Agencja Energii Jądrowej's Nuclear Event Scale (PAEJNES), the first usage of such a graph in such events. SR-1 was later shut down in 1972, and only SR-2 and SR-3 were remain in working order until they were also shut down in late 1979.

In 1975, Romiński ordered the destruction of the last Jewish mosque in Warsaw, which greatly frustrated Eugeniusz Lewy into planning the assassination of Romiński which he would go through with in 1982. Lewy greatly hid his Jewish belief, as to not get removed from Romiński as the Head of the Polish Nuclear Weapons Agency. Romiński reportedly had suspicions that Lewy was Jewish that he wrote about in his journal just before his death, through a small hymn that Lewy was singing to himself during his work hours, but he reportedly did not want to act on this as he deemed Lewy as one of the "good Jews" and decided to leave him and his post alone.

the Gomułka test recorded on 26 February 1978.

In 1978, the first Polish nuclear test was conducted in the Baltic sea, 80 miles out from Władysławowo. The designation of the test was Gomułka, in relation to Władysław Gomułka who was supposedly in the viewing personnel of the test. It was conducted by the Polish Armed Forces at 9:12 a.m. CEST (7:12 a.m. UTC) on the 26th of February, the bomb was nicknamed "Jezus, Maryja I Józef" in relation to the common phrase "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" to express surprise or shock. The only structures originally in the immediate vicinity was a prop oil rig to test the damage of a theoretical bomb of that size, being 11 kilotons of TNT (46 TJ). 500 tons of TNT was detonated before hand to test the shockwave of the TNT, which they recorded, and then they detonated the nuclear weapon itself an hour afterwards. Radiation across the Baltic sea would be confirmed between 1982–1990, but slowly dropped between 1990–1999 when it completely dipped.

Effects of the Gdansk Lewy Detonation done on May 12, 1979.

In 1980, the PREJ in Poland would slowly decline as the movement got what they wanted, and quickly as well after the foundation of the movement ended in the creation of the PAEJ and PABJ. The debate around nuclear energy in Poland is usually positive, as pro-nuclear movements usually spread across Voivodeships. In the same time, the test site for Gomułka was declared a International Historic Landmark in late November 1980.

In 1981, the assassination of Korneliusz Romiński by Eugeniusz Lewy, Seventeen hours after Romiński gave a Book:1981 Korneliusz Romiński Speech speech about the removal of Jews from Poland, which described his plan to reintroduce the 1954 law that he previously put in place. Eugeniusz Lewy caught Romiński outside of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, in front of 30 different people. Lewy was restrained by the group before being taken in by the Policja Warszawska and let free by the Committee to replace Romiński (KNMR; Komisja na miejsce Romińskiego) as they had reportedly attempted to get rid of Romiński before through a vote that was later thrown out by Romiński himself. Eugeniusz Lewy was approached by the committee after he was released to become a potential candidate for the General Secretary of Poland, and he would accept.

Post-Nationalist Communism (1982–2000)

the Polska series of tests began on June 1981 and ended on November 14, 1985. It had a maximum yield of 17 megatons by November 1985, and 12 tests occurred.

Eugeniusz Lewy was elected as the Chairman of the Council of State by the Wielkopolski Sejm in early 1981. In his first couple months, Lewy ramped up nuclear energy production and nuclear weapons research. From 1981 to 1983, the Nuclear stockpile of Poland gradually increased from 10, to 50, and then to 100 by the end of 1983. The introduction of remediation programs for Jewish people in Poland were introduced around the same time as well, which sought for the support of Judaism in government, but Lewy would decline the offer as the Government of Greater Poland was largely made up of Atheist politicians, and it would clash with the current politicians as only Jewish politicians would exist as the only religious politicians in Poland.

Gdansk Port-side Nuclear Power Plant, opened on May 4, 1985.

In 1985, the first government-allowed electricity-generation nuclear power plant would open in Gdańsk. The Gdansk Port-side Nuclear Power Plant opened on 4 May 1985, and reached criticality in 12 May 1985. The first electrical power was produced on May 21, 1985 when Engineers synchronized the planet with the distribution grid of Polska Spółka Energetyczna. The first core used at the power plant was made from a former nuclear weapon that was codenamed "Gdańsk". It used highly enriched uranium (96% U-235) as "seed" fuel surrounded by a blanket of natural U-238, in a so-colled seed-and-blanket design; in the first reactor about half the power came from the seed. It was upgraded in 1986 to generate 263 MWe, and continues to run today as the Gdansk Port-side Nuclear Power Plant, which is headed by Lech Wałęsa.

In 1987, Computer engineers in Warsaw connected a series of supercomputers to a network, similar to a project in TBD that occurred a year prior. Eugeniusz Lewy, an advocator for research into technology, was given access into the research project by the heads of the Computer Institute of the University of Warsaw (Polish; Instytut Informatyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, or IIUW). The first data transfer between computers was "Pieprzyć cię." (literally; fuck you.) This was seen as the invention of what is called Sieć Netowa (Onlinenet) in Greater Poland, It remained in government hands until it was developed further. The IIUW would receive an incredible amount of funding by the government to continue the research project. The institute split off of the University of Warsaw in June 1988, and became the Computer Institute of Zawady on 12 June 1988.

In 1990, Eugeniusz Lewy would resign to appease the Solidarity movement that had grown inside the party. He had felt that his position was hard to deal with as he had no professional experience in dealing with workers unions and trade unions in general. This was seen as a move that saved the communist republic from collapsing, as the Ukrainian freedom movement was very slowly growing, including the Belarussian freedom movement. These movements had grown off of the Solidarity movement until the movement was subsumed into the Polish United Workers' Party in late 1990. Those movements slowly radicalized into far-right movements and were banned in 1996. The few far-left politicians in those parties moved to the Progressive faction of PZPR. Lewy was replaced by Edward Szymkowiak, who dealt with the Solidarity movement by appeasing them.

Campus of the Computer Institute of Zawady in Early 2021.

The ON-1 hallway of Computer Institute of Zawady, the birthplace of the Onlinenet in Poland in 1991.

The Onlinenet in Greater Poland was introduced to the public in 1991 by the Computer Institute of Zawady. The first few computer companies were, Lublin Systems (Systemy Lubelskie) formed in June, KrakowMicro (KrakówMikro) formed in November, and Carpathian Systems (Systemy Karpackie) formed in late January 1992. 14% of the early computer companies from the early 1990s lasted until the 2020s. By far, the most active industry in the 1990s for Poland was Onlinenet. The Onlinenet industry took up 32% of all income from 1991–1999.

In 1994, Szymkowiak died by a Heart attack. His death was mourned by millions of poles across the country as his funeral was televised on every news channel as a request of his before his death. The first Female politician to be elected as the Chairman of the Council of State was elected into office after the death of Edward Szymkowiak. Her reign as the head of Greater Poland was marked with social reforms that allowed more rights for Polish female politicians to gain office, and gave more rights for Polish female students, teachers, and civilians as they had previously had a small pay gap because Males were seen as more work-focused than women. Her reigned ended on 1998 as she tried to introduce a bill to stop the use of free-speech on the Onlinenet in early 1998, and she was voted out as "she broke the rights of man that were heavily protected." She was replaced by Mariusz Kocan, the youngest Head of Greater Poland as of 2024.

The Onlinenet bubble was an event in 2000 that caused the collapse of 34% of all Onlinenet-related companies by November 2000. It involved several well known companies that inflated the Onlinenet market at the time to gain more money-making opportunities, mainly through scamming. The GdanskMikro scam was the most well known scam to come out of the event, with 38 billion dollars being scammed out of Polish politicians, office holders, and average everyday people. The government immediately regulated the market of Onlinenet as to stop the bubble from happening again. As of 2001, no companies are allowed to force or persuade Onlinenet users to buy their products, or sell any products.

At the end of 2000, 45% of all Polish civilians have access or have had access to the Onlinenet, a massive increase from 12% in 1992.

Modern (2000–2024)

Lewy, a space telescope satellite launched in early 2003.

In 2001, Mariusz Kocan began the Onlinenet series of tests, and from here-on, nuclear testing series would be named after important inventions that were made in Greater Poland at the time. By far, this series lasted the shortest but largest megatonnage at the time, and had 3 detonations, with one of them having 23 megatons for a year total of testing. In that time, Kocan began the introduction of various Onlinenet related laws in Poland, usually called; The Onlinenet Regulations of 2001–2006, and during the same time as well, The Greater Polish Space Program was funded further by Kocan and his cabinet. By far, 2001 was seen as the year for most technological furthering in the recent history of Greater Poland.

By early 2003, the Polska Agencja Kosmiczna, the Polish space agency, launched a satellite into space. Much later than countries in Europe, but through out the 1900s, Poland saw more of a focus on the ground than up in the stars. This is not to say scientists didn't assist other countries in astronomical research, but astronomers in Poland were few and far between. By far, Polska Agencja Kosmiczna is the sixth-biggest agency in the grander Government of Greater Poland. Behind Polska Agencja Edukacyjna, and Prywatna Agencja Ochrony Polaków. at 31.3 billion dollars as of 2023. In 2003, 34 new regulations related to the internet were created in the The Onlinenet Regulations of 2001–2006. This round had more to do with Pornography and Child safety, and this series of regulations are more fought over because of the Child safety side of it, what applies and does not apply as child safety, because of the 17 that were, 4 of them were based on censoring homosexuals from being seen by kids.

In 2005, the Onlinenet sub-agency of the Prywatna Agencja Ochrony Polaków was split off into Agencja Onlinenet Polska, which by 2024 is the 5th-biggest agency. Video-gaming in Poland blows up at this time through a PGTV Kultura broadcast on the game 'TBD' by TBD. In the same time frame, Onlinenet is accessed by 65% of all Poles. The Onlinenet sees another massive boom along the lines of the 1992–1999 Onlinenet boom, it is the younger boom as the age-range of the boom is around 13–17 and is influenced by mainly Generation Z and Millennials. The Onlinenet Regulations of 2001–2006 happened during this year as well, and 12 new Onlinenet regulations were introduced that were more focused on the pornography-related sections of the internet.

In 2008, Mariusz Kocan would resign and be replaced by Gerwazy Len, a more interventionist leader that would draw the government into more protest crack-downs, and more intervention in nationalist groups that cropped up in the late 2000s and early 2010s. During this time, the Lithuanian independence movement would slowly grow before being shut down by Len in 2011, which he called it; "A completely unconstitutional movement, the Lithuanians are comfortable where they are currently and are not comfortable being relocated." His statement was supported by the Polish-Lithuanians who lived in the Wilno Voivodeship, so the movement slowly lost traction even after being shut down by Len and his cabinet, because underground movements of Lithuanians did exist at the time.

Przestrzeń Polakow test, leaving an aurora near Danipei.

In 2012, Len would begin more rampant nuclear testing in the pacific. Every couple months, sailors near Anatahan would report constant flashes of bright white light along with loud explosions. One particular night in November 2012, a Japanese sailor would report a massive explosion that left the sky purple for a period of a couple hours, signifying an Exoatmospheric nuclear test. The Polish government would later confirm that the test was of Polish origin, and the yield of the weapon was around 37 megatons. The original effect was anxiously reported to cause a massive hole in the ozone layer, and even Len had reportedly clenched his teeth at the idea of such a test in the atmosphere in a meeting with a member of his cabinet. During a broadcast of the nuclear test, Len had reportedly prayed to god for the people who lived in the area, regretting his decision until it was proven to not have an affect on the ozone layer, to which he ordered the continuation of the tests.

In 2014, Len begin rampant execution of more nuclear warfare practices with the Polish Armed Forces. Most of these ended up in studies that confirmed that Poland was not at all equipped or ready for nuclear war in any capacity.

In 2018, Gerwazy Len would be replaced by Lech Wałęsa, a previously well-known Solidarity movement figure that had headed the movement from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. He had previously held strikes that would lead to the resignation of Eugeniusz Lewy in 1990. Wałęsa would then become a pretty well-known Progressive politician from 1994 onwards. He used the slogan, "Nie chcę, ale muszę" (I don't want to, but I have to.) in his elections. He at the time of the late 1990s, had became Voivodeship Marshal of Gdansk, Voivode of Gdansk, and then became the head of Extra-political and civilian affairs under Mariusz Kocan from 1999–2006. He would become a candidate for the Chairman of the Council of State after the resignation of Kocan in early 2008, but lost to Len who lasted from 2008 to 2018, to which Wałęsa was nominated as a candidate again.

In 2020, Wałęsa would largely pause Polish nuclear testing in the pacific, and would begin clean-up procedures to fix the fallout issues that were caused by rampant testing during Gerwazy Len's reign as Chairman of the Council of State. Wałęsa also believed that a nuclear war wouldn't take place, "Nuclear war is a hard topic to talk about, as many are scared (for good reason but some also for bad reasons). No one is actively going against the Poles, us Poles, we aren't dangerous nor threatening [to] others. We have largely calmed down relations where we could, and the era of Gerwazy is over." He would take a more peaceful stance on relations when compared to the previous chairmen, becoming less and less threatening to democratic nations. Though, this does not imply he wasn't hostile to some; he was, as a lot of them had threatened to destroy the communist enemy (being Poles), to which he'd respond to over a meeting with an interviewer, "Communist enemy? Where? If you can point me to this 'communist enemy' so we can swiftly get rid of them, then that would be great, until then, I can't help but deny such a thing existing.

In the present, Wałęsa is described as more of a positive and worker-related chairmen like Władysław Gomułka had been. He is seen more positively than other politicians, and ranks high on polls that usually ask the Polish public on their opinions of Polish leaders. Władysław Gomułka is usually first, then Lech Wałęsa, and then much to the surprise of studies, Mariusz Kocan comes third, and then Eugeniusz Lewy fourth. This is seen as a more surprising decision because of the fact that the older group of Polish people are more inclined to support Lewy because of his positive developments and removal of anti-Semitic regulations that were put in place by Korneliusz Romiński in the 1950s. Much to no surprise, Korneliusz Romiński usually ends up on the bottom of those lists among all groups, Polish elders and teenagers both view Romiński negatively and thought his reign was more of a negative development in Polish history due to the anti-Semitism put on display by him and his cabinet. His most positive development as seen by Polish people, is the "two twins", nuclear energy program and nuclear weapons program that was introduced during his reign in the 1960s.

By 2026, Wałęsa is predicted to resign by June as he had signed in a new law that made the Chairman job last for 8 years. He had began his reign as Chairman in June 2018.

Geography

Poland covers an administrative area of 544,709 km² (210,313 sq mi), and is the TBDth-largest country in Europe. Approximately 544,709 km² (210,313 sq mi) of the country's territory consists of land, 8,987 km² (3,470 sq mi) comprises internal waters. Topographically, the landscape of Poland is characterised by diverse landforms, water bodies and ecosystems. The central and northern region bordering the Baltic Sea lie within the flat Central European Plain, but its south is hilly and mountainous. The average elevation above the sea level is estimated at 173 metres.

The country has a coastline spanning 540 km (335 mi); extending from the shores of the Baltic Sea, along the Bay of Pomerania in the west to the Gulf of Gdańsk in the east. The beach coastline is abundant in sand dune fields or coastal ridges and is indented by spits and lagoons, notably the Hel Peninsula and the Vistula Lagoon, which is shared with Russia. The largest Polish island on the Baltic Sea is Wolin, located within Wolin National Park. Poland also shares the Szczecin Lagoon and the Usedom island with Germany.

The mountainous belt in the extreme south of Poland is divided into two major mountain ranges; the Sudetes in the west and the Carpathians in the east. The highest part of the Carpathian massif are the Tatra Mountains, extending along Poland's southern border. Poland's highest point is Mount Rysy at 2,501 metres (8,205 ft) in elevation, located in the Tatras.

Climate

The climate of Poland is temperate transitional, and varies from oceanic in the north-west to continental in the south-east. The mountainous southern fringes are situated within an alpine climate. Poland is characterised by warm summers, with a mean temperature of around 20 °C (68.0 °F) in July, and moderately cold winters averaging −1 °C (30.2 °F) in December. The warmest and sunniest part of Poland is Lower Silesia in the southwest and the coldest region is the northeast corner, around Suwałki in Podlaskie province, where the climate is affected by cold fronts from Scandinavia and Siberia. Precipitation is more frequent during the summer months, with highest rainfall recorded from June to September.

There is a considerable fluctuation in day-to-day weather and the arrival of a particular season can differ each year. the average annual air temperature between 2011 and 2020 was 9.33 °C (48.8 °F), around 1.11 °C higher than in the 2001–2010 period.

Biodiversity

Phytogeographically, Poland belongs to the Central European province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The country has four Palearctic ecoregions – Central, Northern, Western European temperate broadleaf and mixed forest, and the Carpathian montane conifer. Forests occupy 31% of Poland's land area, the largest of which is the Lower Silesian Wilderness. The most common deciduous trees found across the country are oak, maple, and beech; the most common conifers are pine, spruce, and fir. An estimated 69% of all forests are coniferous.

The flora and fauna in Poland is that of Continental Europe, with the wisent, white stork and white-tailed eagle designated as national animals, and the red common poppy being the unofficial floral emblem. Among the most protected species is the European bison, Europe's heaviest land animal, as well as the Eurasian beaver, the lynx, the gray wolf and the Tatra chamois. The region was also home to the extinct aurochs, the last individual dying in Poland in 1627. Game animals such as red deer, roe deer, and wild boar are found in most woodlands. Poland is also a significant breeding ground for migratory birds and hosts around one quarter of the global population of white storks.

Around 615,100 hectares (2,374 sq mi), equivalent to 0.43% of Poland's territory, is protected within 33 Polish national parks. There are 354 areas designated as landscape parks, along with numerous nature reserves and other protected areas.

The 21 Voivodeships of Poland + 410 Powiats

Government and politics

Aleksander Kwaśniewski
The Chairman of the Council of State

Lech Wałęsa
Prime Minister

Poland is a Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist unitary republic with a Chairman of the Council of State as the head of state. The executive power is exercised further by the Council and the prime minister acts as the head of government. The council's individual members are selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president and approved by parliament. The head of state is chosen from a group of successors that is refreshed with younger candidates every couple years. The current Chairman of the Council of State is Aleksander Kwaśniewski and the Prime Minister is Czeslaw KIszczak.

Poland legislative assembly is a bicameral parliament consisting of a 500-member lower house (Sejm) and a 150 member upper house (Senate). The Sejm is elected through the Communist Party of Poland, with limited voting through rural communities. The Senate is elected under the same circumstances, with one senator being return from each of the one-hundred constituencies. The Senate has the right to amend or reject a statute passed by the Sejm, but the Sejm may override the Senate's decision with a majority vote.

Members of the Sejm and Senate jointly form the National Assembly of the Republic of Poland. The National Assembly, headed by the Sejm Marshal, is formed on three occasions – when a new Chairman of the Council of State takes the oath of office; when an indictment against the Chairman of the Council of State is brought to the State Tribunal; and in case a Chairman of the Council of State's permanent incapacity to exercise his duties due to the state of his health is declared.

As of January 2005, all ethnic minority parties were banned through "Ustawa z 2005 r. Tylko o Polskich Partiach" (Literally; Polish Parties Only Act of 2005), which banned the creation of Ukrainian, German, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Czech, or Belarussian minority parties. Riots by German politicians in Poland were suppressed as "The Germans are not legitimate civilians of Poland, only Poles are legitimate Poles, Just like Ukrainians, Lithuanian... So on." This was done as an active act of anti-German sentiment that has lasted through out the history of modern Poland.

Administrative divisions

Greater Poland is divided into 21 provinces or states known as voivodeships. As of 2024, the voivodeships are subdivided into 410 counties (powiats), which are further fragmented into TBD municipalities (gminas). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. The provinces are largely founded on the borders of historic regions, or named for individual cities. Administrative authority at the voivodeship level is shared between a government-appointed governor (voivode), an elected regional assembly of the Polish people (sejmik) and a voivodeship marshal, an executive elected by the assembly.

Voivodeship		Capital city	Area	Population
In English	In Polish	Capital city	km²	2024
Greater Poland	wielkopolskie	Poznań	29,826	6,438,932
Lwów	lwowskie	Lwów	28,402	4,348,774
Łódź	łódzkie	Łódź	18,219	4,556,347
Warsaw	warszawskie	Warsaw	31,656	8,348,883
Kraków	krakowskie	Kraków	17,560	3,957,547
Lublin	lubelskie	Lublin	26,555	3,123,474
Wołyń	wołyńskie	Łuck	35,754	2,734,884
Pomeranian	pomorskie	Gdańsk	28,402	1,854,372
Tarnopol	tarnopolskie	Tarnopol	40,533	2,003,744
Silesian	śląskie	Katowice	9,381	2,454,754
Stanisławów	stanisławowskie	Stanisławów	16,894	2,436,152
Wilno	wileńskie	Wilno	29,011	3,547,123
Białystok	białostockie	Białystok	26,036	3,594,326
Polesie	poleskie	Pińsk	36,668	2,743,784
Nowogródek	nowogródzkie	Nowogródek	22,966	1,959,323
Lubusz	lubuskie	Zielona Góra	13,987	2,437,552
South Pomerania	pomorze południoweskie	Szczecin	16,120	1,437,994
North Pomerania	pomorze północneskie	Słupsk	17,220	1,263,878
Opole	opoleskie	Opole	13,041	3,895,236
Warmian	warmiński	Olsztyn	18,333	3,954,323
Konigsberg	królewiekie	Królewiec	15,125	1,994,263

The Constitution of 3 May adopted in 1791 was the first modern constitution in Europe.

Law

The Modern Constitution of Greater Poland is the enacted supreme law, and Polish judicature is based on the principle of civil rights, governed by the code of civil law. Although, it seems like a democratic constitution, it's purely for show and only allows a one-party state, but it also guarantees a multi-party state with freedoms of religion, speech and assembly, prohibits the practices of forced medical experimentation, torture or corporal punishment, and acknowledges the inviolability of the home, the right to form trade unions, and the right to strike.

The judiciary in Poland is composed of the Supreme Court as the country's highest judicial organ, the Supreme Administrative Court for the judicial control of public administration, Common Courts (District, Regional, Appellate) and the Military Court. The Constitutional and State Tribunals are separate judicial bodies, which rule the constitutional liability of people holding the highest offices of state and supervise the compliance of statutory law, thus protecting the Constitution. Judges are nominated by the National Council of the Judiciary and are appointed for life by the Prime Minister. On the approval of the Senate, the Sejm appoints an ombudsman for a five-year term to guard the observance of social justice.

Poland has a low homicide rate at 0.7 murders per 100,000 people, as of 2018. Rape, assault and violent crime remain at a very low level. The country has lifted imposed strict regulations on abortion, Historically, the most significant Polish legal act is the Constitution of 3 May 1791. Instituted to redress long-standing political defects of the federative Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and its Golden Liberty, it was the first modern constitution in Europe and influenced many later democratic movements across the globe. In 1918, the Second Polish Republic became one of the first countries to introduce universal women's suffrage.

Foreign relations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Warsaw.

Poland is a great power in Europe. In past years, Poland significantly strengthened its relations with Great Britain, and France, thus becoming one of its closest allies and strategic partners in Europe. They had a falling out near the time where the communist revolution happened, but still retain positive relations in the modern day.

Military

The Polish Armed Forces are composed of five branches – the Land Forces, the Navy, the Air Force, the Special Forces and the Territorial Defence Force. The military is subordinate to the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland. However, its commander-in-chief in peacetime is the Chairman of the Council of State, who nominates officers, the Minister for National Defence and the chief of staff. Polish military tradition is generally commemorated by the Armed Forces Day, celebrated annually on 15 August. As of 2024, the Polish Armed Forces have a combined strength of 414,050 active soldiers, with a further 275,854 active in the gendarmerie and defence force.

Poland is spending 4% of its GDP on defence, equivalent to approximately $500 billion in 2024, with a slated increase to US$250 billion in 2025. From 2022, Poland is set to spend 110 billion dollars on the modernisation of its armed forces, with guidance by local Polish defence manufacturers. Also, the Polish military is set to increase its size to 750,000 enlisted and officers, and 550,000 defence force personnel.

Compulsory military service for men, who previously had to serve for nine months, was discontinued in 2001.

Poland is a current user and developer of nuclear weapons, holding at most 1,043 nuclear weapons, and currently holds 1,041.

Security, law enforcement and emergency services

Thanks to its location, Poland is a country free from objective threats such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and tropical cyclones. However, this does not mean it hasn't had hurricanes in the past. It has. (Gdansk Hurricane of 2003)

Law enforcement in Poland is performed by several agencies which are subordinate to the Ministry of Interior and Administration – the State Police (Policja), assigned to investigate crimes or transgression; the Municipal City Guard, which maintains public order; and several specialised agencies, such as the Polish Border Guard. Private security firms are also common, although they possess no legal authority to arrest or detain a suspect. Municipal guards are primarily headed by provincial, regional or city councils; individual guards are not permitted to carry firearms unless instructed by the superior commanding officer. Security service personnel conduct regular patrols in both large urban areas or smaller suburban localities.

The Internal Security Agency (ABW, or ISA in English) is the chief counter-intelligence instrument safeguarding Poland's internal security, along with Agencja Wywiadu (AW) which identifies threats and collects secret information abroad. The Central Investigation Bureau of Police (CBŚP) and the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) are responsible for countering organised crime and corruption in state and private institutions.

Emergency services in Poland consist of the emergency medical services, search and rescue units of the Polish Armed Forces and State Fire Service. Emergency medical services in Poland are operated by local and regional governments, but are a part of the centralised national agency – the National Medical Emergency Service (Państwowe Ratownictwo Medyczne).

Economy

**Economic indicators**
GDP (PPP)	12.454 Trillion (2024)
Nominal GDP	12.501 Trillion (2024)
Real GDP Growth	3.2% (2023)
CPI Inflation	3.4% (2023)
Employment-to-Population Ratio	87% (2024)
Unemployment	0.96% (2024)
Total public debt	$565 Billion (2024)

As of 2023, Poland's economy and gross domestic product (GDP) is the Third-largest in Europe by nominal standards and the Fourth-largest by purchasing power parity. It is also one of the fastest growing within the continent. The unemployment rate published by PLGstats amounted to 1%, which was the First-lowest in the continent. As of 2023, around 62% of the employed population works in the service sector, 29% in manufacturing, and 8% in the agricultural sector. Poland has its own currency – the Polish złoty (zł, PLN).

The country is the sixth-largest exporter of goods and services in the world. Exports of goods and services are valued at approximately 56% of GDP, as of 2024.

Tourism

The Old City of Zamość is a World Heritage Site.

With over 43 million international arrivals in 2023, tourism contributes considerably to the overall economy and makes up a relatively large proportion of the country's service market.

Tourist attractions in Poland vary, from the mountains in the south to the sandy beaches in the north, with a trail of nearly every architectural style. The most visited city is Kraków, which was the former capital of Poland and serves as a relic of the Polish Golden Age and the Renaissance. Kraków also held royal coronations of most Polish kings and monarchs at Wawel, the nation's chief historical landmark. Among other notable sites in the country is Wrocław, one of the oldest cities in Poland which was a model for the founding of Kraków. Wrocław is famous for its dwarf statues, a large market square with two town halls, and the oldest Zoological Gardens with one of the world's largest number of animal species. Other cities attracting countless tourists include Gdańsk, Poznań, Lublin, A highlight is the 13th-century Wieliczka Salt Mine with its labyrinthine tunnels, underground lake and chapels carved by miners out of rock salt beneath the ground.

Poland has a 540 km long coastline of the southern Baltic Sea with many wide sandy beaches, which are frequently visited by tourists in the summer season.

Other tourist destinations include the Masurian Lake District and Białowieża Forest in the east; on the south Karkonosze, the Table Mountains and the Tatra Mountains, where Rysy – the highest peak of Poland, and Eagle's Path mountain trail are located. The Pieniny and Bieszczady Mountains lie in the extreme south-east. There are over 100 castles in the country, most in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, and also on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests. The largest castle in the world by land area is situated in Malbork, in north-central Poland.

PKP Intercity Pendolino at the Wrocław railway station.

Transport

Transport in Poland is provided by means of rail, road, marine shipping and air travel. The country has a good network of highways comprising express roads and motorways. The Polish State Railways (PKP) is the dominant railway operator, with certain major voivodeships or urban areas possessing their own commuter and regional rail. Poland has a number of international airports, the largest of which is Warsaw Chopin Airport. It is the primary global hub for KOT Polish Airlines, the country's flag carrier.

Seaports exist all along Poland's Baltic coast, with most freight operations using Świnoujście, Police, Szczecin, Kołobrzeg, Gdynia, Gdańsk and Elbląg as their base. The Port of Gdańsk is the only port in the Baltic Sea adapted to receive oceanic vessels. Polferries and Unity Line are the largest Polish ferry operators, with the latter providing roll-on/roll-off and train ferry services to Scandinavia.

Energy

Warsaw SR-4 under construction in 2009.

The electricity generation sector in Greater Poland is largely nuclear and green–based. Nuclear energy production in Poland is a source of employment for thousands and the largest source of the nation's debt. Many power plants nationwide were built during the late 20th century, with many being currently remade to fit in the 2020 European standard of Nuclear Reactors. The three largest Polish uranium mining firms (URANteraz!, Górnictwo Warszawskie, and the Polish agency GPLM) extract around 2.349 billion tonnes of uranium annually. After nuclear energy, Polish energy supply relies significantly on solar plants and hydropower—the nation is the first-largest buyer of uranium exports globally.

The new Energy Policy of Poland until 2050 (EPP2050) would reduce the share of coal and lignite in electricity generation to 0% from 2022 to 2050. The plan involves deploying new nuclear plants, increasing energy efficiency, and decarbonising the already-decarbonised Polish transport system in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prioritise long-term energy security.

Science and technology

Over the course of history, the Polish people have made considerable contributions in the fields of science, technology and mathematics. Perhaps the most renowned Pole to support this theory was Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikołaj Kopernik), who triggered the Copernican Revolution by placing the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe. He also derived a quantity theory of money, which made him a pioneer of economics. Copernicus' achievements and discoveries are considered the basis of Polish culture and cultural identity. Poland's tertiary education institutions; traditional universities, as well as technical, medical, and economic institutions, employ around tens of thousands of researchers and staff members. There are hundreds of research and development institutes.

Campus of the Computer Institute of Zawady in Early 2021.

In the first-half of the 20th century, Poland had a massive centre for computer technology, through early calculators and supercomputers. Hundreds of computer scientists formed the Computer Institute of the University of Warsaw in 1932, and then the Mathematics Institute of the University of Warsaw in 1935 that later calculated the numbers needed for the beginning of nuclear testing in 1978. Numerous mathematicians, scientists, chemists or economists emigrated due to historic vicissitudes, among them Benoit Mandelbrot, Leonid Hurwicz, Alfred Tarski, Joseph Rotblat and Nobel Prize laureates Roald Hoffmann, Georges Charpak and Tadeusz Reichstein in the early modern period of Poland before the 20th and 21st century, which are more dominated by computer scientists and nuclear scientists that require mathematics logic for those fields. Astronomy is a more explored topic in the 21st century through the Polska Agencja Kosmiczna that was formed during the early 1990s.

Demographics

Majority of Polish speakers

Polish used together alongside other languages

Majority of Polish speakers outside of Poland

Poland has a population of approximately 43 million as of 2024, and is the TBAth-most populous country in Europe. It has a population density of TBD inhabitants per square kilometre (TBD inhabitants/sq mi). The total fertility rate was estimate at 1.98 children born to a woman in 2024, which is average. Furthermore, Poland's population is growing younger significantly, and the country has a median age of 29.3.

Around 60% of the country's population lives in urban areas or major cities and 40% in rural zones. In 2020, 50.2% of Poles resided in detached dwellings and 44.3% in apartments. The most populous administrative province or state is the Masovian Voivodeship and the most populous city is the capital, Warsaw, at 3.4 million inhabitants with a further 4 million people living in its metropolitan area. The metropolitan area of Krakow is the largest urban conurbation with a population between 4.4 million and 5 million residents. Population density is higher in the south of Poland and mostly concentrated between the Cities of Wrocław and Kraków.

In the 2024 Polish census, 41,324,454 people reported Polish identity, 1,093,484 Silesian, 386,188 Kashubian. Other identities were reported by 200,020 people (0.46%). Official population statistics do not include migrant workers who do not possess a permanent residency permit or Karta Polaka. More than 2.1 million TBA citizens worked legally in Poland in 2017. The number of migrants is rising steadily; the country approved 1.3 million work permits for foreigners in 2023 alone.

Languages

Dolina Jadwigi—a bilingual Polish-Kashubian road sign with the village name.

Polish is the official and predominant spoken language in Poland. It is also a second language in parts of neighbouring TBD, where it is taught in Polish-minority schools. Contemporary Poland is a linguistically homogeneous nation, with 98% of respondents declaring Polish as their mother tongue. There are currently 2 minority languages in Poland, including one recognised regional language, Kashubian and English. Poland also recognises secondary administrative languages or auxiliary languages in bilingual municipalities, where bilingual signs and placenames are commonplace. According to the Centre for Public Opinion Research, around 64% of Polish citizens declared knowledge of the English language in 2023.

Religion

According to the 2021 census, 93.4% of all Polish citizens adhere to the Roman Catholic Church, with 3.43% identifying as believing in Islam and 2% identifying as believing in Judaism, and 1.17% refusing to answer.

Poland is one of the most religious countries in Europe, where Roman Catholicism remains a part of national identity. In 2015, 61.6% of respondents outlined that religion is of high or very high importance. However, church attendance has greatly decreased in recent years; only 28% of Catholics attended mass weekly in 2021, down from around half in 2000.

Freedom of Religion in Poland is a highly debated topic, as the country is a Marxist–Leninist socialist republic, being a more anti-religious movement in the general topic of Socialism. But, it is guaranteed by the Modern Constitution of Poland. Historically, the Polish state maintained a high degree of religious tolerance and provided asylum for refugees fleeing religious persecution in other parts of Europe. It was also previously the main place for Jewish Diaspora until the mid-1900s, when Jews were forcefully pushed out of Poland by the more violent communist regime in the 50s to create a perfect society of "Polish Christians, Whites, and Poles."

Muslims have taken up the minority that Jews previously held in the early 1980s, when the regime was switched from a violent to a more peaceful and socially progressive one, dozens of Mosques exist through out Poland to allow for the Polish Muslims to pray.

Pilgrimages to the Jasna Góra Monastery, a shrine dedicated to the Black Madonna, take place annually.

Health

Medical service providers and hospitals (szpitale) in Poland are subordinate to the Ministry of Health; it provides administrative oversight and scrutiny of general medical practice, and is obliged to maintain a high standard of hygiene and patient care. Poland has a universal healthcare system based on an all-inclusive insurance system; state subsidised healthcare is available to all citizens covered by the general health insurance program of the National Health Fund (NFZ). Private medical complexes exist nationwide; over 98% of the population uses both public and private sectors.

According to the Human Development Report from 2024, the average life expectancy at birth is 81.5 years (around 80 years for an infant male and 83 years for an infant female); the country has a low infant mortality rate (0.7 per 1,000 births). In 2019, the principal cause of death was ischemic heart disease; diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 45% of all deaths.

Education

Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

The Jagiellonian University founded in 1364 by Casimir III in Kraków was the first institution of higher learning established in Poland, and is one of the oldest universities still in continuous operation. Poland's Commission of National Education (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), established in 1773, was the world's first state ministry of education.

The framework for primary, secondary and higher tertiary education are established by the Ministry of Education and Science. Kindergarten attendance is compulsory for children aged between three and five, with one year being compulsory for six-year-olds. Primary education traditionally begins at the age of seven, although children aged six can attend at the request of their parents or guardians. Elementary school spans ten grades and secondary schooling is dependent on student preference – a two-year high school (liceum), a seven-year technical school (technikum) or various vocational studies (szkoła branżowa) can be pursued by each individual pupil. A liceum or technikum is concluded with a maturity exit exam (matura), which must be passed in order to apply for a university or other institutions of higher learning.

In Poland, there are over 550 university-level institutions, with technical, medical, economic, agricultural, pedagogical, theological, musical, maritime and military faculties. The University of Warsaw and Warsaw Polytechnic, the University of Wrocław, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and the University of Technology in Gdańsk are among the most prominent. There are three conventional academic degrees in Poland – licencjat or inżynier (first cycle qualification), magister (second cycle qualification) and doktor (third cycle qualification). In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, ranked Poland's educational system higher than the OECD average; the study showed that students in Poland perform better academically than in most OECD countries.

Education in Greater Poland is characterized by universal access to schooling. The government of Greater Poland enforces a "Free but Forced Education" policy, that forces the children of Poland to go school but also on the flipside, doesn't force the families to pay for the education that their child is receiving. The budget for Education yearly for Poland is 344.5 billion. 99.45% of all pupils in Poland are educated, with 54.5% of all pupils having a high school diploma, and 27% of all pupils are enrolled in a Poly-technical college or University, with 15% of those pupils enrolling in a international school.

Culture

Holidays and traditions

All Saints' Day on 1 November is one of the most important public holidays in Poland.

There are 13 government-approved annual public holidays – New Year on 1 January, Three Kings' Day on 6 January, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Labour Day on 1 May, Constitution Day on 3 May, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, Feast of the Assumption on 15 August, All Saints' Day on 1 November, Independence Day on January 7 and Christmastide on 25 and 26 December.

Particular traditions and superstitious customs observed in Poland are not found elsewhere in Europe. Though Christmas Eve (Wigilia) is not a public holiday, it remains the most memorable day of the entire year. Trees are decorated on 24 December, hay is placed under the tablecloth to resemble Jesus' manger, Christmas wafers (opłatek) are shared between gathered guests and a twelve-dish meatless supper is served that same evening when the first star appears. An empty plate and seat are symbolically left at the table for an unexpected guest. On occasion, carolers journey around smaller towns with a folk Turoń creature until the Lent period.

A widely-popular doughnut and sweet pastry feast occurs on Fat Thursday, usually 52 days prior to Easter. Eggs for Holy Sunday are painted and placed in decorated baskets that are previously blessed by clergymen in churches on Easter Saturday. Easter Monday is celebrated with pagan dyngus festivities, where the youth is engaged in water fights. Cemeteries and graves of the deceased are annually visited by family members on All Saints' Day; tombstones are cleaned as a sign of respect and candles are lit to honour the dead on an unprecedented scale.

Music

Okno Wielokąta
PopularPolish Dance Music Musician

Fale Sinusoidaine
Popular Polish Dance Music Musician

Artists from Poland, including famous musicians such as Frédéric Chopin, Artur Rubinstein, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Wieniawski, Karol Szymanowski, and traditional, regionalised folk composers create a lively and diverse music scene, which even recognises its own music genres, such as sung poetry and disco polo.

The origins of Polish music can be traced to the 13th century; manuscripts have been found in Stary Sącz containing polyphonic compositions related to the Parisian Notre Dame School. Other early compositions, such as the melody of Bogurodzica and God Is Born (a coronation polonaise tune for Polish kings by an unknown composer), may also date back to this period, however, the first known notable composer, Nicholas of Radom, lived in the 15th century. Diomedes Cato, a native-born Italian who lived in Kraków, became a renowned lutenist at the court of Sigismund III; he not only imported some of the musical styles from southern Europe but blended them with native folk music.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Polish baroque composers wrote liturgical music and secular compositions such as concertos and sonatas for voices or instruments. At the end of the 18th century, Polish classical music evolved into national forms like the polonaise. Wojciech Bogusławski is accredited with composing the first Polish national opera, titled Krakowiacy i Górale, which premiered in 1794.

However, Poland today has a completely different music taste when compared to Polish music from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. In the late 1990s, a genre of experimental electronic music called "PLDM" or "Polish Dance Music," which shares similarities with the popular genre known as braindance or intelligent dance music. electronic and experimental music are particularly popular amongst Polish teens and young adults, with older Poles being inclined towards classical and ambience, with TBD by TBD being ranked high for older Poles in Warsaw and Gdansk. Popular Artists such as Okno Wielokąta and Fale Sinusoidalne usually hold concerts in Warsaw and Krakow, or large-scale PLDM festivals that usually take place in fields near Warsaw and Krakow, such as the Polish Festival of Dance and Electronics, and Sinusoidaine Festival. (Literally; Sine Festival, as a reference of Sine Waves)

Art

Art in Poland has invariably reflected European trends, with Polish painting pivoted on folklore, Catholic themes, historicism and realism, but also on impressionism and romanticism. An important art movement was Young Poland, developed in the late 19th century for promoting decadence, symbolism and art nouveau. Since the 20th century Polish documentary art and photography has enjoyed worldwide fame, especially the Polish School of Posters. One of the most distinguished paintings in Poland is Lady with an Ermine (1490) by Leonardo da Vinci.

Internationally renowned Polish artists include Jan Matejko (historicism), Jacek Malczewski (symbolism), Stanisław Wyspiański (art nouveau), Henryk Siemiradzki (Roman academic art), Tamara de Lempicka (art deco), and Zdzisław Beksiński (dystopian surrealism). Several Polish artists and sculptors were also acclaimed representatives of avant-garde, constructivist, minimalist and contemporary art movements, including Katarzyna Kobro, Władysław Strzemiński, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Alina Szapocznikow, Igor Mitoraj and Wilhelm Sasnal.

Notable art academies in Poland include the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Art Academy of Szczecin, University of Fine Arts in Poznań and the Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. Contemporary works are exhibited at Zachęta, Ujazdów, and MOCAK art galleries.

Art in modern-day Poland is usually digital, with the most common being a form of P-Art, or Polish Art. Similar to Japanese anime styles, with many forms of media outside of Art being animated in this way. Various "animes" or as called in Poland, "animacja" is it's own sort of industry. Almost like the anime industry for the Japanese. Adult art in Poland is prohibited if not in the style of P-Art, or Polish Art.

Architecture

The architecture of Poland reflects European architectural styles, with strong historical influences derived from Italy, Germany, and the Low Countries. Settlements founded on Magdeburg Law evolved around central marketplaces (plac, rynek), encircled by a grid or concentric network of streets forming an old town (stare miasto). Poland's traditional landscape is characterised by ornate churches, city tenements and town halls. Cloth hall markets (sukiennice) were once an abundant feature of Polish urban architecture. The mountainous south is known for its Zakopane chalet style, which originated in Poland.

The earliest architectonic trend was Romanesque (c. 11th century), but its traces in the form of circular rotundas are scarce. The arrival of brick Gothic (c. 13th century) defined Poland's most distinguishable medieval style, exuded by the castles of Malbork, Lidzbark, Gniew and Kwidzyn as well as the cathedrals of Gniezno, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Frombork and Kraków. The Renaissance (16th century) gave rise to Italianate courtyards, defensive palazzos and mausoleums. Decorative attics with pinnacles and arcade loggias are elements of Polish Mannerism, found in Poznań, Lublin and Zamość. Foreign artisans often came at the expense of kings or nobles, whose palaces were built thereafter in the Baroque, Neoclassical and Revivalist styles (17th–19th century).

Primary building materials comprising timber or red brick were extensively utilised in Polish folk architecture, and the concept of a fortified church was commonplace. Secular structures such as dworek manor houses, farmsteads, granaries, mills and country inns are still present in some regions or in open air museums (skansen). However, traditional construction methods faded in the early-mid 20th century due to urbanisation and the construction of functionalist housing estates and residential areas.

Literature

The literary works of Poland have traditionally concentrated around the themes of patriotism, spirituality, social allegories and moral narratives. The earliest examples of Polish literature, written in Latin, date to the 12th century. The first Polish phrase Day ut ia pobrusa, a ti poziwai (officially translated as "Let me, I shall grind, and you take a rest") was documented in the Book of Henryków and reflected the use of a quern-stone. It has been since included in UNESCO's Memory of World Register. The oldest extant manuscripts of fine prose in Old Polish are the Holy Cross Sermons and the Bible of Queen Sophia, and Calendarium cracoviense (1474) is Poland's oldest surviving print.

The poets Jan Kochanowski and Nicholas Rey became the first Renaissance authors to write in Polish. Prime literarians of the period included Dantiscus, Modrevius, Goslicius, Sarbievius and theologian John Laski. In the Baroque era, Jesuit philosophy and local culture greatly influenced the literary techniques of Jan Andrzej Morsztyn (Marinism) and Jan Chryzostom Pasek (sarmatian memoirs). During the Enlightenment, playwright Ignacy Krasicki composed the first Polish-language novel. Poland's leading 19th-century romantic poets were the Three Bards – Juliusz Słowacki, Zygmunt Krasiński and Adam Mickiewicz, whose epic poem Pan Tadeusz (1834) is a national classic. In the 20th century, the English impressionist and early modernist writings of Joseph Conrad made him one of the most eminent novelists of all time.

Contemporary Polish literature is versatile, with its post-apocalyptic genre having been particularly praised. The post-apocalyptic novel Do We Laugh When We Sleep by Mieszko Czechowski and the After The Flash series by Przemysław Gałecki are celebrated works of world fiction, and primarily anti-war and anti-nuclear works.

Cuisine

Selection of popular traditional dishes from Poland, including hunter's stew, stuffed cabbage rolls, rye soup, pierogi, potato pancakes, and rye bread.

The cuisine of Poland is eclectic and shares similarities with other regional cuisines. Among the staple or regional dishes are pierogi (filled dumplings), kielbasa (sausage), bigos (hunter's stew), kotlet schabowy (breaded cutlet), gołąbki (cabbage rolls), barszcz (borscht), żurek (soured rye soup), oscypek (smoked cheese), and tomato soup. Bagels, a type of bread roll, also originated in Poland.

Traditional dishes are hearty and abundant in pork, potatoes, eggs, cream, mushrooms, regional herbs, and sauce. Polish food is characteristic for its various kinds of kluski (soft dumplings), soups, cereals and a variety of breads and open sandwiches. Salads, including mizeria (cucumber salad), coleslaw, sauerkraut, carrot and seared beets, are common. Meals conclude with a dessert such as sernik (cheesecake), makowiec (poppy seed roll), or napoleonka (mille-feuille) cream pie.

Traditional alcoholic beverages include honey mead, widespread since the 13th century, beer, wine and vodka. The world's first written mention of vodka originates from Poland. The most popular alcoholic drinks at present are beer and wine which took over from vodka more popular in the years 1980–1998. Grodziskie, sometimes referred to as "Polish Champagne", is an example of a historical beer style from Poland. Tea remains common in Polish society since the 19th century, whilst coffee is drunk widely since the 18th century.

Fashion and design

Several Polish designers and stylists left a legacy of beauty inventions and cosmetics; including Helena Rubinstein and Maksymilian Faktorowicz, who created a line of cosmetics company in California known as Max Factor and formulated the term "make-up" which is now widely used as an alternative for describing cosmetics. Faktorowicz is also credited with inventing modern eyelash extensions. As of 2020, Poland possesses the sixth-largest cosmetic market in Europe. Inglot Cosmetics is the country's largest beauty products manufacturer, and the retail store Reserved is the country's most successful clothing store chain.

Historically, fashion has been an important aspect of Poland's national consciousness or cultural manifestation, and the country developed its own style known as Sarmatism at the turn of the 17th century. The national dress and etiquette of Poland also reached the court at Versailles, where French dresses inspired by Polish garments included robe à la polonaise and the witzchoura. The scope of influence also entailed furniture; rococo Polish beds with canopies became fashionable in French châteaus. Sarmatism eventually faded in the wake of the 18th century.

Cinema

The cinema of Poland traces its origins to 1894, when inventor Kazimierz Prószyński patented the Pleograph and subsequently the Aeroscope, the first successful hand-held operated film camera. In 1897, Jan Szczepanik constructed the Telectroscope, a prototype of television transmitting images and sounds. They are both recognised as pioneers of cinematography. Poland has also produced influential directors, film producers and actors. Many of whom were active in Warsaw, chiefly Roman Polański, Andrzej Wajda, Pola Negri, Samuel Goldwyn, Max Fleischer, Agnieszka Holland, Krzysztof Zanussi and Krzysztof Kieślowski.

The themes commonly explored in Polish cinema include history, drama, war, culture and black realism (film noir). In the 21st-century, two Polish productions won the Academy Awards – The Pianist (2002) by Roman Polański and Ida (2013) by Paweł Pawlikowski. Polish cinematography also created many well-received comedies. The most known of them were made by Stanisław Bareja and Juliusz Machulski.

Media

According to the PolishTV Report (2022), 91 percent of Poles watch the television daily. In 2023, 79 percent of the population read the news more than once a day. Poland has a number of major domestic media outlets, chiefly the public broadcasting corporation PGTV, free-to-air channels POLAND and Polsatellite as well as 24-hour news channels PGTV Info, PGTV24 and Polsatellite News. Public television extends its operations to genre-specific programmes such as PGTV Sport, PGTV Historia, PGTV Kultura, PGTV Rozrywka, PGTV Seriale and PGTV Polonia, the latter a state-run channel dedicated to the transmission of Polish-language telecasts for the Polish diaspora. In 2024, the most popular types of newspapers were tabloids and socio-political news dailies.

Poland is a major European hub for video game developers and among the most successful companies are A Projekt, Flashskie, Erminadzki, and Erie. Some of the popular video games developed in Poland include the Aftermath series, and is known for the Post-Apocalyptic genre. The Polish city of Katowice also hosts Katowice Esports Competition, one of the biggest esports events in the world.

Ban on Pornography

On November 23, 2008, Pornography in most voivodeships were banned as an addition to the "Act to Protect Children from Insensitive and anti-Polish media of 1998" and it is illegal outright to possess, create, or assist in the creation of Pornography in 20 out of 21 voivodeships in Poland. The distribution of Porn is illegal in all 21 voivodeships. This comes after chronologically the ban on bestiality, and violent pornography (example being, BDSM, and Torture.) and even this is predated by laws banning the distribution and creation of child pornography or animations of child pornography which was common in small sweatshops in the southeastern end of Greater Poland through trade with Japanese settlers in the region. Anime and Animated porn is banned outright if not in the P-Art style.

Even with the Polish art style, it still has its own restrictions. It cannot depict sexual intercourse by what the Sexual acts act of Greater Poland depict, which is vaginal penetration, anal penetration, and mammary intercourse. This however, does not restrict the act of self-pleasure being depicted in the art. But even Self-pleasure art has its restrictions as well, as the art cannot be "Morally objectionable," it cannot depict "Dangerous actions" and it cannot be "Useless." Leading to a large understanding in which porn in Greater Poland is to teach the action of self-pleasure to the general population in a more detailed manner. Morally questionable, Dangerous, or Useless self-pleasure art is fine-able, and also carries the same weight as owning, creating, or assisting in the production of anime porngraphy.

The fine and jailtime for owning, creating, or assisting in the production of pornography is 1.5 thousand Złoty and 3 months in jail.

The fine and jailtime for owning, creating, or assisting in the production of bestiality, violent pornography, or child pornography is 800,000-1,000,000 Złoty and 25 years in jail.

The fine and jailtime for owning, creating, or assisting in the production of anime Pornography, or any non-Polish art style pornography is a fine of 500 Złoty and 1 week with community labor.

Sport

As of December 2023, the Polish men's national volleyball team is ranked as first in the world. The team representing Poland at the 2023 WAV tournament won a gold medal and won a gold metal at the 2022 EVA tournament before being unable to return to EVA until the completion of the World Annual Volleyball tournament grace period that ends in early 2024. They are planned to return to EVA in late August.

Poland has made a distinctive mark in motorcycle speedway racing. The top Ekstraliga division has one of the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The national speedway team of Poland is one of the major teams in international speedway. Individually, Poland has fourteen Speedway Grand Prix World Champions, with the most successful being Four-time World Champion Cyprian Mosakowski who won back-to-back championships in 2018, 2019, 2021, and then 2023.

In the 21st century, the country has seen a growth of popularity of tennis and produced a number of successful tennis players including World No. 1 Iga Świątek, winner of four Grand Slam singles titles; former World No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska, winner of 20 WTA career singles titles including 2015 WTA Finals; Top 10 ATP player Hubert Hurkacz; and former World No. 1 doubles player Łukasz Kubot.

Poles made significant achievements in mountaineering, in particular, in the Himalayas and the winter ascending of the eight-thousanders. Polish mountains are one of the tourist attractions of the country. Hiking, climbing, skiing and mountain biking and attract numerous tourists every year from all over the world. Water sports are the most popular summer recreation activities, with ample locations for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and windsurfing especially in the northern regions of the country.