Study in Poland

The Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska) is one of the largest countries in Central Europe, bordering Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany. The country is situated between the Baltic Sea in the north and two mountain ranges (the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains) in the south. Its northern frontier on the Baltic Sea gives it easy access to Scandinavian and North Sea ports. Poland’s shape is roughly square, measuring 400-440 miles across. The capital, Warsaw, is located in the centre of the country. Poland’s surface area of 120,727 sq. miles ranks eighth in Europe.

The Polish climate is moderate continental, with relatively cold winters (from December to March) and hot summers, which extend from June to August. January average temperatures range from -1°C (30°F) to -5°C (23°F), whereas July and August average temperatures oscillate between 16.5°C (62°F) and 19°C (65°F). On some summer days, however, the temperature can reach even 35°C (95°F). Poland lies in the Central European time zone, and is, thus, one hour ahead of standard GMT in the winter months and two hours ahead from April to October.The population of Poland amounts to around 38.02 million inhabitants. The cities are mostly small or medium sized.

There are 43 cities with the population of more than 100,000 inhabitants. Warsaw, the capital and Poland’s largest metropolitan area, has a population of 1.7 million people. The other five largest cities are: Łódź, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk.

The majority of Poles are Roman Catholic, followed by members of the Polish Orthodox Church and various Protestant denominations, mainly Lutherans. There is also a small number of Jews and Muslims.

Poland is a parliamentary republic. Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are the leading institutions. The President is the head of state, and is elected every five years. The Parliament is bicameral and consists of the 460-member Sejm (the lower house) and the 100-member Senat. The elections take place every four years.

Poland is a member of the European Union (EU), the Schengen Area, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD), and many others.