Polish Domains

Surrounded by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast, and a Russian exclave lies Poland. 38 million people call Poland (officially known as the Republic of Poland) home, ranking it the sixth most populated country of the European Union. Poland is made of 16 voivodeships and is a member of the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, NATO, and various other world organizations.

In 1025, the Kingdom of Poland was formed. In 1569 it formed a commonwealth with Lithuania until 1795 when Poland was split between Prussia, the Russian Empire and Austria. Poland didn't gain its independence again until 1918. However, it was short lived because in 1939, events during World War II resulted in the death of six million Polish citizens. The Soviet Union invaded Poland and Poland remained under its influence until 1989 when democratic rule was put back into place.

Since, the government is constitutionally known as the Third Polish Republic. Poland has now achieved what has been called a "very high" ranking for human development and is home to 14 heritage sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list due to the events of World War II.