Poland
This country has been a member of Europe since 2004, but does not use the Euro yet.
Where is Poland?
Its flag:
General data
– Surface : 312 690 km².
– Population : 38,416,000 inhabitants, 62% urbanized.
– Density: 123 hab./km².
– Capital : Warsaw (1.7 million inhabitants).
– Life expectancy: 76,5 ans.
– Change : le zloty (1 euro = 4 zloty environ)
– Language : the Polish guy.
– Diet : parliamentary democracy.
– Jet lag : no !
– A few sitare classified as UNESCO World Heritage: the historic center of Krakow (1978); the Wieliczka salt mines (1978); the Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau (1979); the Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża forest (1979); the historic center of Warsaw (1980); the Peace Churches in Jawor and Swidnica (2001); the wooden churches of southern Lesser Poland (2003); the Centenary Hall in Wrocław (2006).
History / general
After 123 years of disappearance from the world map (1795-1918), a few brief years of independence then 6 years of Nazi barbarism (1939-1945) and 45 years of communist totalitarianism with the USSR (1945-1989), the Poland is among the nations that have suffered the most in Europe. Happy nations have no history, they say.
From now on, the national destiny of Poland, driven by economic expansion, seems linked to the community projects of Brussels, especially since the nationalist and anti-European excesses of certain leaders were, in part, put aside after the elections of October 2007 and the sudden disappearance of the President of the Republic and his government in a tragic plane accident in 2010.
Obviously, the European economic crisis has slowed down national ambitions, but Poland is the European country which has resisted the best.
Geography
Poland shares borders with Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and the Slovakia South, l’Ukraine and the Belarus to the East, l’enclave Russian of Kaliningrad and the Lithuania North.
With more than 312,000 km², Poland is one of the largest states in Europe (as much as Norway and a little less than Germany).
The Baltic Sea coastline is 528 km long; the highest point is at 2 499 m of altitude, with the Mont Rysy. Three-quarters of the territory is located below 200 m.
Climate and weather
Poland is located between two climatic zones: the Oceanic climate of Western Europe and climat continental of Eastern Europe, which causes great variety in the weather.
Winter is very cold (from – 5 to – 15 °C) and very snowy, especially in the east and in the mountains. It lasts from December to February.
Spring is generally sunny and warm.
Summer is hot, even very hot (it is sometimes more than 30°C) and lasts from June until August. Rain and thunderstorms are common, especially in July in the mountains.
Autumn, dry and sunny, is commonly called “golden autumn” (September and October).
Language
Polish belongs to the family of Slavic languages, but it uses the Latin alphabet. This language is impressive with its endless series of consonants. In addition, the multiplicity of cases makes the practice very complex for a French speaker (all the words agree, including proper nouns).
Many people speak German or English, especially young people; French is becoming rare, but it is still spoken by older people.
Economy
Poland was the first Eastern European country to have returned, in 1995, to its 1989 production level; then it experienced strong economic development in the second half of the 1990s. After a slowdown in growth in the early 2000s, Poland has returned to strong economic expansion since 2005.
But 17% of the population still lives below the threshold of poverty : several generations sometimes live together in the same cramped accommodation.
Cash
The official currency is called the golden, which in Polish means “golden”. The zloty is divided into 100 groszy.
In Poland, the transition to the euro was planned for around 2016, but the euro crisis could postpone this accession until later.
Cuisine
Meals
The breakfast is plentiful and solid – eggs, sausages, ham, cheeses – because the Poles have to survive on this for a large part of the day. In fact, they work straight from 7 or 8 a.m. until 3 or 4 p.m. They have a second breakfast at work, around 11am.
The main meal takes place after work, around 4 p.m.: it includes soup, a main course, a dessert. Dinner is usually less filling, often they are sandwiches or a small reheated dish.
the dishes
Tableware is a national tradition here. And it’s quite a nice surprise!
The meat the most commonly consumed is pork, followed by beef and veal. It is very often accompanied by delicious thick sauces made from flour and crème fraîche.
The potato remains the star vegetable. It accompanies almost all dishes, most often cooked in water or in the form of fries. Other vegetables eaten regularly are beetroot, pickles and green salad. Cabbage is also a traditional vegetable in Polish cuisine.
Some examples :
The soups
– Borscht : beetroot soup cooked with broth, usually served with a pasties, meat pâté surrounded by puff pastry.
– Pea soup: pea soup, very thick, with bacon and pieces of spicy meat.
Appetizers
– Herring : marinated herring, served in oil, with crème fraîche, onions or tomatoes. It's strong and spicy.
– Tatar : steak tartare, served with salted gherkins, an egg and a finely chopped onion.
the dishes
– Pork chop : breaded pork chop. It is the most popular meat dish in Poland.
– Knuckle : ham marinated in herbs or beer, then simmered or cooked in broth.
– Hunter's stew : Polish sauerkraut, a must-try. Cabbage, meat, assortment of cold meats, mushrooms, tomatoes and dried prunes. A dish prepared in advance for the Christmas party.
– Pierogi : large ravioli filled, generally with potatoes and cottage cheese or cabbage, more rarely with meat, more rarely with meat or... red berries. Also available in a sweet version (blueberries, strawberries, etc.). Great and economical!
Pastries
Lovers of Viennese pastry will be spoiled.
– Cheesecake : cottage cheese cake.
– Poppy seed cake : a stunning poppyseed cake. The taste of black grains is enhanced by dried fruits: pears, figs, grapes.
Drinks
Tea (tea) is an institution. Tea rooms (cafe) are very popular; Small cakes and some savory dishes are also served there.
Coffee is sometimes served Turkish style.
Beer : The country mainly produces blonde, and the choice is quite vast. In quite a few towns there are micro-breweries which produce real pleasant surprises available in blondes, reds, browns, even whites and other ginger beers…
Vodka : In Poland, there are no less than 80 different types.
Vin : Polish wine production is very limited. There are 400 vineyards in the country, particularly in the South.
Thank you The backpacker !