Poland
Uploaded by AlPhA on Feb 21, 2002
Poland lies at 52 00 N and 20 00 E, which places it in the midst of several ancient empires. These empires include the German and Russian/Soviet which overran the country during World War II. One major deficit Poland has is no natural boundary. To the north there is the Baltic Sea. In the Baltic Sea, Poland has three major seaports, Gdynia, Gdansk, and Szczecin. In the east, the border runs along the Bug River which separates the country from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. In the south, there are the tall Tatra Mountains to separate the country from Slovakia and Czech Republic. To the west was the Odra River which separates it from Germany.
Another reason for Poland’s difference is its uniqueness in Europe. It’s the only Northwestern European non-Germanic country. There are other smaller countries like Finland, but they are too influenced by other big countries. On the other hand, Poland is large enough to be noticed, developed distinct cultural traits, and develop unique art, architecture, and personalities of the people residing in there.
Poland is a relatively small country, nearly the same size as New Mexico, Unites States. During winter, Poland has cold temperatures, cloudy days and nights, as well as moderately severe winters. In the summer, the temperature is mild and the country has frequent showers and thunderstorms. It’s mainly flat plains which give a lot of living space and a mountainous south. The story of the struggles and endurance of this country began at approximately the tenth century.
Poland’s recorded history began in the tenth century when the eastward spreading of the Holy Roman Empire found the well organized state of Polanie, which had been developing a separate Slavic culture for approximately 200 years. In the marriage of Bohemian princess Dobrawa in 966 Prince to Duke Mietszko, many Christian missionaries arrived in Poland to Christianize the area. This marriage also produced the Piast dynasty (reigned 960-1370), which reigned the country for a long period of time. Under the rule of the Piast dynasty, Gniezno became the first official capital of the country and a writing system was developed. After the death of Duke Mietszko, Boleslaus I (reigned 992-1025), became the new ruler of the country. By now, Poland had become officially Christian and joined the ranks of the Medieval European Countries.
After generations of succeeding Polish monarchs, the country started crumbling because of the constant invasions of alien armies....