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PREPARED BY: NATALIA SAS ANNA SUDOŁ
| Date post: | 11-May-2015 |
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PREPARED BY:NATALIA SASANNA SUDOŁ
The objective of the presentation is to introduce you to some important facts concerning Poland and Polish culture, such as Polish national symbols, currency, ethnic and gender structure and Polish national cuisine. The presentation includes a lot of pictures of Polish diverse landscapes and the most famous cities.
INTRODUCTION
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (the Polish anthem; click to listen)
The flag of Poland consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width, the upper one white and the lower one red. The two colours are defined in the Polish constitution as the national colours. Since 2004, Polish Flag Day is celebrated on May 2.
The White Eagle (Polish: Orzeł Biały) is the national emblem. It is an image of a crowned white eagle with a golden beak and talons, and wearing a golden crown, in a red shield in a red field.
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego is the national anthem of Poland. The lyrics was written by Józef Wybicki around 16 July 1797, two years after the Third Partition of Poland erased Poland from the map.
POLAND THE HEART OF EUROPE
Poland is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north.
• Total Area: 312,685 sq. km• Population: 38.5 million
The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres, making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe.
Poland has a population of over 38.5 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the 6th most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member.
Poland is a unitary state made up of 16 voivodeships.
PRESIDENT BRONISŁAW KOMOROWSKI
Bronisław Komorowski won the 2010 presidential election. He was sworn in as full-time President on 6 August 2010.
PEOPLE
Polish 97.6%,
German 1.3%,
Belorussian 0.6%,
Ukrainian 0.5%
ETHNIC STRUCTURE
Ethnically, modern Poland is almost homogenous. According to the 2002 Census, the minorities account for about 3-4 percent of the population, which is equivalent to some 1.5 million people.
The biggest minority in today's Poland is the Germans, who live mainly in Silesia. The second biggest group is the Belorussians, who live mainly in the east. The third largest minority is the Ukrainians, who after the war were forced to resettle in the new territories in the west and north part of the country. Their number is about 31,000 (5 million in 1931).
GENDER STRUCTURE
In 2001 females made up 51.4% of Poland's total population while males accounted for 48.6%, so for every hundred men there were 106 women.
61.8% of Poles live in towns and 38.2% live in rural areas, which means that for every hundred rural residents there are 162 urban residents
• Polish is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Slavonic group.
• Polish began to emerge around the 10th century, the process largely triggered by the establishment and development of the Polish state.
• The first written texts in Polish were translations of Latin prayers and sermons rendered in the vernacular so that the faithful would understand what they prayed for and to whom.
• Polish is an inflected language with seven cases, two numbers, three genders in singular and two in plural.
• Polish has five major dialects, spoken in Silesia, Malopolska, Mazovia, Wielkopolska and Kashubia.
CAPITAL CITY: WARSAW
Warsaw (Warszawa) is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, the longest Polish river. Its population is estimated at 1,708,491 residents, making Warsaw the 9th most populous city proper in the European Union.
Warsaw's mixture of architectural styles reflects the turbulent history of the city and country. During WWII, Warsaw was razed to the ground by bombing raids and planned destruction. After liberation, rebuilding began as in other cities of the communist-ruled PRL. Most of the historical buildings were thoroughly reconstructed. Mass residential blocks were erected, with basic design typical of Eastern bloc countries.
Public spaces attract investment, so that the city has gained entirely new squares, parks and monuments. Warsaw's current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture.
CURRENCY: ZLOTY (PLN, ZŁ)
DIVERSITY OF POLISH LANDSCAPE
The Polish landscape is very diverse, starting from the Mountains in the south through the central lowlands to the Lake District - Masuria and the Baltic Sea - in the north.
THE TATRA MOUNTAINS
THE TATRA MOUNTAINS
The southern Poland is bordered by the Tatra mountains.
This is a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and is the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains. Rysy (2,499 m) located in the north-western part of the Tatras, is the highest mountain in Poland.
The Tatra region is inhabited by a small ethnic group called "the highlanders" (górale).
THE HIGHLANDERS (GÓRALE)
THE MASURIAN LAKE DISTRICT
THE MASURIAN LAKE DISTRICT
It is a region in northeastern Poland famous for its 2,000 lakes. This area has some of the most romantic landscapes in Poland. The magnificent lakes combined with old woods make you forget about everyday urban life.
It is a paradise for sailing, windsurfing and outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, kayaking, bicycling and horseback riding during the warm summer months, and also offers a range of winter activities.
The Masurian Landscape Park includes 11 nature reserves such as the Łuknajno Lake, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The Borecka Pushcha forest is a breeding station for European Bisons.
THE BALTIC SEA
THE BALTIC SEA
The Baltic Sea shore stretches for over 300 km in the north of Poland and provides very diverse scenery, from wide sandy beaches to high rocky cliffs.
The coastal zone is inhabited by about 10% of the country’s population and is home to a variety of economic activities linked to shipbuilding, fisheries and marine transport, chemical industry and tourism.
POLISH LANDMARKSWarszawa
Kraków
Wrocław
Gdańsk
Zakopane
WARSZAWA (WARSAW)
The capital of Poland and its largest city
TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN WARSAW
• the Old Town
• the park and palace complex at Łazienki
• The Wilanów Park - the summer residence of King Jan III Sobieski and then Augustus II as well as subsequent aristocratic families
• Palace of Culture and Science: completed in 1955 as a ‘gift from the Soviet people’, the building is the embodiment of Socialist Realist architecture.
• Warsaw Rising Museum: opened in 2004, on the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, the museum pays tribute to all those who fought and died for their country’s independence.
KRAKÓW (CRACOW)
Formerly, the capital of Poland and now the cultural and intellectual centre
Kraków is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland (Małopolska) region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland's most important economic hubs.
Popular points of interest in Kraków: the Wawel Castle, the Czartoryski Museum, Collegium Maius, St. Mary's Basilica, Cloth Hall, the Main Market Square, Barbican.
THE JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY
The oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest
universities in the world.
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz (district of Kraków).
It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world.
The university has over 50.000 students and more then 3.000 academic staff.
Programmes of study are offered in 48 disciplines and 93 specialisations.
WROCŁAW
The fourth largest city in Poland
Wrocław, situated on the River Oder in Lower Silesia, is the largest city in western Poland.
Wrocław is the historical capital of Silesia, and today is the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. At various times it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, the Austrian Empire, Prussia, and Germany; it has been part of Poland since 1945, as a result of border changes after World War II.
Wrocław was the host of EuroBasket 1963, FIBA EuroBasket 2009, and UEFA Euro 2012. The city has been selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2016.
GDAŃSK
Poland's principal seaport
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland's principal seaport and the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.
The city was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa, played a major role in bringing an end to Communist rule across Central Europe.
Gdansk had moving history and therefore offers many different memorials, monuments and statues. To the most important belong the medieval port crane, called Żuraw over the Motława river, The Town Hall, the so-called Long Market, Westerplatte , Neptune's Fountain, Artus Court, PGE Arena Gdańsk.
ZAKOPANE
Zakopane is called the Winter capital of Poland
Zakopane lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains.
The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a glade called Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants.
Zakopane is a centre of góral culture and is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing, and tourism.
Zakopane is visited by over 250,000 tourists a year. Many come to experience góral culture, which is rich in its unique styles of food, speech, architecture, music, and costume.
A popular tourist activity is taking a stroll along the town's most popular street: Krupówki. It is lined with stores, restaurants, carnival rides, and performers. Here, you can buy unique Zakopane souvenirs, such as an oscypek (salty sheep cheese) or a ciupaga (a stick with a decorative axe-like handle).
POLISH FOOD
POLISH NATIONAL CUISINE
Polish food is very diverse and unique.
Polish cuisine shares some similarities with other Central European and Eastern European traditions.
Polish national cuisine is rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and beef (depending on the region), vegetables and spices. There are many varieties of dishes prepared with cabbage, barley, beet and potatoes.
Among the most popular Polish national dishes there are pierogi ruskie, rosół, żurek and gołąbki.
PIEROGI RUSKIE(BOILED PASTA FILLED WITH CHEESE, ONION
AND POTATOES – HALF MOON SHAPED)
ROSÓŁ (CHICKEN SOUP WITH POLISH NOODLES)
ŻUREK (TRADITIONAL POLISH SOUR SOUP
WITH SAUSAGE AND BOILED EGGS)
GOŁĄBKI (COOKED MINCED MEAT AND RICE WRAPPED IN CABBAGE LEAVES)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POLAND VISIT:
http://www.poland.gov.pl/
http://poland.pl/poland/0,0.html
http://www.polska.travel/pl
http://www.um.warszawa.pl/en
http://www.cracow-life.com/
http://www.cracow.com/
DISCUSSION
1. Which Polish city would you like to visit and why?
2. On the basis of what you know about Poland, do you consider Polish and Ukrainian cultures very different?
3. If you were to prepare a similar presentation about your country, what information would you include?
4. If you were to recommend places to visit in Ukraine, what would they be?
5. What is Ukrainian national cuisine famous for? What would you call "a true Ukrainian national dish”?
