Poland - Its History, Culture, and a Brief Overview

Poland is an eastern European country with a population of approximately 38 million people and is also retains membership in the coveted European Union. The country is geographically influential, as it shares borders with most of the eastern bloc, including: Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Poland boasts an economy that promises tremendous growth in the international markets, thus their role in international policy has recently been increased.

Numerous well-known international figures have ties to or are originally from Poland, including: famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, painter Jan Matejko, pianist Frederic Chopin, as well as numerous other famous poets, artists, and scientists. However, perhaps the most prominent individual with a connection to Poland, is Pope John Paul II, known in his home country as Karol Wojtyla. Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born on May 18th, 1920 in Wadowice in southern Poland.. His mother died in 1929, when he was just nine years old, and his brother died when he was just twelve years old. Though young Karol grew up surrounded by Jewish culture, he eventually entered into the priesthood. Karol later ascended into the position as Archbishop of Krakow, the capital of Poland, and he was promoted to cardinal in 1967 by Pope Paul VI. In 1978, following the death of Pope Paul VI, Karol was chosen as the successor to the papacy, and he chose the name Pope John Paul II. Another historical figure often associated with Poland is Marie Curie, a world-renowned scientist in the late 19th and early 20th century. Marie Curie was responsible for developing methods of separating radium from radioactive residues in sufficient quantities to allow for its characterization and the careful study of its properties. Alongside her husband, in 1903, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. She was also unique, in that she was the recipient of a second Nobel Prize, this time for Chemistry in 1911, in recognition of her work in radioactivity. Unfortunately, the inevitable exposure to radioactive materials during her scientific studies, led to her unfortunate death as a result of excess radiation.

Poland's history as not only a country, but as a people, is one of great significance. The Polish people have been united as a "nation" since before 1000 A.D. and their country has long been victim of savage hostility due to their geographic location. Throughout most of the 1700's and the early 1800's, Poland was the target of numerous military campaigns by the Prussian, Austria, and Russian empires, all of them vying for the opportunity to spread their influence into such a key geographic stronghold. In 1939, through a treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland was split among the two nations. However, after the German's unsuccessful military campaign, the Allied Powers agreed to "release" Poland to the USSR, and thus the nation became a satellite for the confederacy. In recent history, Poland incited what would ultimately be the fall of the Soviet Union, when in 1989, they were the first Soviet satellite to officially declare independence from Moscow. Soon after, as a direct result of their bravery, as well as the bravery of other former Soviet states, the Berlin Wall came down and the USSR collapsed. Though Poland is trying to establish itself as a dominant player in international diplomacy circles, their foreign policies are typically aligned with other European and Western powers.

The governmental structure in Poland is often admired by other former USSR nations, as the nation peacefully evolved into a democratic government. The fundamental component to the nation's government is the Polish Constitution, drafted in 1997. The country has a parliamentary structure that incorporates two independent legislative bodies: a Lower House (known as the Sejm) and the Upper House. Much like the legislative structure in the United States, the Lower House seats, in which there are 460 of them, are proportionally distributed according to regional populations, whereas the Senate is composed of 100 representatives. Elections are held every four years for the two legislative bodies, and the President is elected once every five years. The government is formally headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President.

The economy in Poland is one of great admiration in eastern Europe, though it is still in the developing stage. Like other former Soviet states, Poland suffered initially after their independence, and economic growth has been slow but steady. In 1990, the country suffered from severe hyperinflation and the government struggled to convert their economy into a capitalistic one, where private enterprise, the key component to a flourishing economy, was encouraged. Inflation in Poland is now under control, and is into single-digit rates. Unfortunately, as a result of their economic revolution, the country now has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union, with close to 15 percent.