Poland- a nation of flat plains and gently rolling hills

What You Might Want To Know About Poland?

Ever dreamed travelling in Poland one day? Have you considered studying in Poland? How about working? Living?

Whatever might be your reasons, here is a list of information you might want to get before travelling in the country.

GOVERNMENT

• Poland was once a country ruled by a communist type of government. Today, Poland is a democratic country having the official name- Rzeczypospolita Polska or Republic of Poland.
• The structure of the national government is parliamentary and it is called the National Assembly. It is composed of two houses which are the lower house (sejm) and the upper house (senate).
• For the local government, Poland is divided into 49 voivodships (provinces) and under each province divides the urban and rural communities. Citizens under each province elects a legislative body called Council. The local executive branch is to be elected by the council.

PEOPLE

• About 98 per cent of the total population in Poland are purely Poles. They are the descendants from Slavic tribes that settled in the nation’s great rivers for civilization a thousand years ago.
• The remaining minority groups are mostly Germans, Ukrainians and Beluarusians.
• The language used is Polish and it is somewhat related Czech and Slavic languages.

FOOD

• A typical Polish meal in an ordinary day are meaty stews, hearty beetroot, cabbage soup and mushrooms.
• Favorite Polish foods include bread, pork, sausages, potatoes, apples and dairy.
• Polish families also have special meals on holidays.

  Among the most popular foods are rich pastries and fish.

RELIGION

• Religion play an important role in Polish life.
• About 95 per cent of Poles belong to the Roman Catholic Church. The remaining 5 per cent of the population are Protestants, Jews, and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
• Many of Poland’s citizens center their social life on church and family gatherings. Some religious holidays have its own festive celebrations.

EDUCATION

• Literacy rate for all Poles ages 15 years of age and older is 99.8 per cent (Knoema.com).
• Government-operated schools in Poland are free of charge but there are also numbers of private schools and is increasing annually.
• Poland’s Law states that it is a requirement for children starting the age of 7 up to 15 must attend school.
• Primary schooling takes 6 years to complete. Lower secondary school will be taken for three years. Then, students have the option to continue their secondary school choosing from three-year vocational high school, three-year general high school or four-year technical high school. Any student who wishes to pursue college or university must pass entrance examinations.

FAMOUS POLES

• Karol Wojtyla or the blessed Pope John Paul II came from Poland and became the first non-Italian pope in the Roman Catholic Church.
• Nicolaus Copernicus who have contributed a lot of theories and studies in many fields especially astronomy paved the way for Poles to value the long-time tradition of giving respect to education.

These are some of the highlights of Poland to give you some ideas when considering travelling in the place. Next part is to know some of the amazing tourist spots in Poland so keep an eye for this blog and subscribe.