Poland

Annie Okonski

Geography

Greeting Card

Wigilia

Poland is a largely catholic country and Christmas Eve is a very important and busy day. Traditionally it's a day of fasting and meat is not normally allowed to be eaten. A special Christmas Eve meal called Wigilia is eaten after the first star has been seen in the sky.

Traveling Abroad

1. When you greet someone, it is customary to do so with two or three air-kisses on alternate cheeks.

2. Refer to people you don’t know well as “pan” (Mr.) or “pani” (M’am).

3. If you are invited for a meal to someone’s home, prepare to eat a lot! You may be asked several times if you are still hungry.

4. And in some homes, it is expected to take off your shoes when you enter, but it’s not a rule. The best thing is to ask.

5. In terms of topics of conversation, World War II, communism, religion, and relations with Germany and Russia might be touchy subjects to some. Approach with caution.

6. Also, knowing basic phrases in Polish might come in handy.

Continued………

7. Lots of people speak English, but don’t expect that to be the case everywhere.

8. Beware of pickpockets, especially when using public transportation.

9. Also, crowds might be wild during major soccer matches.

10. Most people are Catholic so make sure to not use any offensive words that could offend their religion.

Developing Country

Poland is the fifth biggest economy in the EU, one of the highest HDI in the world, ranking 14 in world education and second country with lowest homicide rates in the EU. It's a highly developed country and one of the fastest growing in the EU. Poland is increasingly engaging with other countries in their development efforts. However, Poland has the lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. The country is also the bearer of the highest unemployment rate of any member in the EU. The unemployment rate is 13.5%. The birth rate is 9.88/1000 and the death rate is 10.31/1000. The life expectancy is 76.45 years, which is pretty good since the countries comparison to the world is 77 years.

World War II

During the war, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany occupied Poland.

Germans bombed planes, railroads, communication posts, weapons and ammo depots, other military targets, and often civilians.

Germans confiscated food from Poles to feed their army.

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Soviets looted Polish industrial goods and machinery.

Soviets and Germans created intentional conflict between Poland’s Jews, Ukrainian immigrants, and Christians.

Soviets arrested and deported up to 1.5 million people for slave labor to gulags in Siberia and elsewhere.

Large portions of the Jewish population in Poland were sent to ghettos and concentration camps by the SS.

During the war, approximately 6 million Poles were killed. This represents a greater proportion of Poland’s population than any other participant in the war.

In addition, Nazis and Soviets killed cultural, intellectual, and economic elites in Poland. Germany also destroyed museums, universities, and burned the capital, Warsaw.

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Poland was the only German occupied country where the death penalty for helping Jews was officially enforced.

Government

Poland is the republic of Poland. The president, who is the head of state, is elected for a five-year term and is eligible for a second term. The prime minister, who is the head of government, is appointed by the president, as well as the cabinet, with the approval of the Sejm. The bicameral National Assembly consists of a 460-seat Sejm (lower house) and a 100-seat Senate (upper house). Members of both bodies are elected for four-year terms.

Work Cited

Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

"Geography." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

"History." Poland. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.