Geographical and Historical Overview of Poland

Geographical and Historical Overview of Poland Poland is a country located in central Europe to the east of Germany. It lies along the Baltic Sea and today has a growing economy centered on industry and the service sector. Population: 38,482,919 (July 2009 estimate)Capital: WarsawArea: 120,728 square miles (312,685 sq km)Bordering Countries: Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, UkraineCoastline: 273 miles (440 km)Highest Point: Rysy at 8,034 feet (2,449 m)Lowest Point: Raczki Elblaskie at -6.51 feet (-2 m) History of Poland The first people to inhabit Poland were the Polanie from southern Europe in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the 10th century, Poland became Catholic. Shortly thereafter, Poland was invaded by Prussia and divided. Poland remained divided among many different peoples until the 14th century. At this time it grew due to a union by marriage with Lithuania in 1386. This created a strong Polish-Lithuanian state. Poland maintained this unification until the 1700s when Russia, Prussia and Austria again divided the country several times. By the 19th century however, the Polish had a revolt due to the foreign control of the country and in 1918, Poland became an independent nation after World War I. In 1919, Ignace Paderewski became Polands first prime minister. During World War II, Poland was attacked by Germany and Russia and in 1941 it was taken over by Germany. During Germanys occupation of Poland much of its culture was destroyed and there were mass executions of its Jewish citizens. In 1944, the government of Poland was replaced with the communist Polish Committee of National Liberation by the Soviet Union. The Provisional Government was then established in Lublin and members of Polands former government later joined to form the Polish Government of National Unity. In August 1945, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, Joseph Stalin, and Britains Prime Minister Clement Attlee worked to shift Polands borders. On August 16, 1945, the Soviet Union and Poland signed a treaty which shifted Polands borders west. In total Poland lost 69,860 square miles (180,934 square kilometers) in the east and in the west it gained 38,986 square miles (100,973 square kilometers). Until 1989, Poland maintained a close relationship with the Soviet Union. Throughout the 1980s, Poland also experienced a large amount of civil unrest and strikes by industrial workers. In 1989, the trade union Solidarity was granted permission contest government elections and in 1991, under the first free elections in Poland, Lech Walesa became the countrys first president. Government of Poland Today Poland is a democratic republic with two legislative bodies. These bodies are the upper Senate or Senat and a lower house called the Sejm. Each of the members for these legislative bodies are elected by the public. Polands executive branch consists of a chief of state and a head of government. The chief of state is the president, while the head of government is the prime minister. The legislative branch of Polands government is the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Tribunal. Poland is divided into 16 provinces for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Poland Poland currently has a successfully growing economy and has practiced a transition to more economic freedom since 1990. The largest economies in Poland are machine building, iron, steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages and textiles. Poland also has a large agricultural sector with products that include potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat, poultry, eggs, pork and dairy products. Geography and Climate of Poland Most of Polands topography is low lying and makes up a part of the North European Plain. There are many rivers throughout the country and the largest is Vistula. The northern part of Poland has a more varied topography and features many lakes and hilly areas. Polands climate is temperate with cold, wet winters and mild, rainy summers. Warsaw, Polands capital, has an average January high temperature of 32 F (0.1 C) and a July average high of 75 F (23.8 C). More Facts about Poland Polands life expectancy is 74.4 years The literacy rate in Poland is 99.8 percent Poland is 90 percent Catholic Resources and Further Reading Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 22). CIA - The World Factbook - Poland. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.htmlInfoplease (n.d.) Poland: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107891.htmlUllman, H.F. 1999. Geographica World Atlas Encyclopedia. Random House Australia.United States Department of State. (2009, October). Poland (10/09). Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2875.htm

Spanish Words Without a One-Word English Equivalent

Spanish Words Without a One-Word English Equivalent Here are some Spanish words for which there is no good one-word English equivalent: Amigovio/amigovia This word is fairly new and has various meanings dependent on context, but it often refers to a live-in girlfriend or boyfriend, or a friend with benefits. Katrina era mi amigovia, pero desde que estoy con Belà ©n no la vi ms. (Katrina was my friend with benefits, but since Ive been with Belà ©n I dont see her any more.) Anteayer The day before yesterday, formed by combining ante (before) and ayer (yesterday). Ese es el restaurante al que fuimos anteayer. (That is the restaurant we went to the day before yesterday.) Aprovechar Although this verb can often be translated simply as to use, it often carries a strong connotation of getting the most out of something. No pude aprovechar de la piscina del hotel porque prefiero la playa. (I couldnt take advantage of the hotels swimming pool because I prefer the beach.) Bimestre As a noun, a bimestre is a period of two months. El ahorro en un bimestre fue de 2,500 euros. (There was a savings of 2,500 euros in two months.) As an adjective, bimestre means bimonthly (every two months). Cacerolazo A type of protest in which participants bang on pots and pans. Los cacerolazos comenzaron ayer temprano en Buenos Aires. (The pots-and-pans protest began early yesterday in Buenos Aires.) Centenar A group of 100. The word is often used as an approximation for a large group. Un centenar de inmigrantes de origen subsahariano han intentado saltar la valla de Melilla. (About 100 sub-Saharan immigrants have tried to jump the fence at Melilla.) Concuado/concuada Someone married to a sibling of your spouse is a concuà ±ado or concuà ±ada. La esposa del hermano de mi esposa is mi concuà ±ada. My wifes brothers wife is my concuà ±ada. Consuegro/consuegra If you have a child, his or her spouses parents are your consuegros. For example, your sons wifes mother would be your consuegra. No sà © si mi consuegra es mi amiga or mi enemiga. (I dont know if my childs spouses mother is friend or foe.) Decena Just as a docena is a dozen or group of 12, a decena is a group of 10. Puedes comprar flores por decena. (You can buy flowers 10 at a time.) Desvelarse This reflexive verb refers to not getting sufficient sleep. Cuando nos desvelamos, el cuerpo obtiene energà ­a de una fuente ms accesible: la comida. (When we dont get enough sleep, the body gets energy from the most accessible source: food.) Someone who is sleep-deprived is desvelado. Empalagar To be excessively sweet, either literally (as of some candy) or figuratively (as with personality). Te voy a enseà ±ar mi receta particular, por causa de que la original me empalaga. (Im going to send you my own recipe, because the original is too sweet for me.) Entrecejo The area above the nose, below the forehead and between the eyebrows. Quiero quitarme sin dolor los pelos del entrecejo. (I want to painlessly remove the hairs between my eyebrows.) Estrenar To wear, use, perform or display something for the first time. Estrenà © las zapatillas que mi marido me habà ­a regalado. (For the first time, I put on the slippers that my husband had given me.) A noun form, estreno, can refer to a movie or play premiere or similar events. Friolento Sensitive to cold. Era friolento y se cubrà ­a los hombros con un suà ©ter. (She was sensitive to the cold and covered her shoulders with a sweater.) Friolero has the same meaning. Estadounidense From or of the United States. American is a common equivalent but is sometimes ambiguous as it can also refer to someone or something from the Americas. La cultura estadounidense est construida por la clase media. (U.S. culture was built by the middle class.) Internauta Internet user. Internauta is not capitalized and can be masculine or feminine. El acceso a Internet para la poblacià ³n mexicana representa al menos 55.3 millones de internautas. (Internet access for the Mexican population is available to at least 55.3 million Internet users.) Manco Having one arm, either from birth or as an amputee. Un dà ­a conocà ­ una muchacha manca. (One day I met a one-armed girl.) Quincena This is a period of 15 days or two weeks. British English has fortnight, which is seldom used in American English. Esta quincena es la ms tranquila del aà ±o en Pamplona. (This two-week period is the quietest of the year in Pamplona.) The word can also refer to the 15th of the month, when many workers in some countries get paid. Sobremesa After-meal conversation, from sobre (over) and mesa (table). Con poco tiempo para la sobremesa volvemos a la carretera. (With little time to chat after eating, we went back to the highway.) Trasnochar To stay up all night or put in an all-nighter. Nos trasnochbamos jugando juegos como Islander y Super Mario. (We would stay up all night playing games such as Islander and Super Mario.) Tuerto Having only one eye, or seeing with only one eye. Se llama Pirata por ser tuerto. (He was called Pirate because he had one eye.) Tutear To speak to someone using tà º, the familiar form of you. A cultural equivalent might be to speak with someone on a first-name basis. Nunca habà ­a llegado al punto de tutear a alguien. (I never have reached the point of using tà º with someone.)