Difference between revisions of "Poland-Lithuania"

Revision as of 09:05, 30 August 2014

The Federal Republic of Poland-Lithuania Republika Federalna Polska-Litwa
Motto: "Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna"
Anthem: Gaude, Mater Polonia
Capital		Warsaw
Largest		Kiev
Official languages		Polish, Lithuanian, Latin, English
Recognised national languages		Latvian, Estonian, Belorussian, Ruthenian, Slovak, Hungarian
Demonym		Polish
Government		Federal presidential constitutional republic
-	President	Karolina Kligenberg
-	Speaker of the Sejm	Domicylla Gorecka (PPS)
-	Majority Whip	Giertruda Warszawska (PPS)
Legislature		Sejm
-	Upper house	Senate
-	Lower house	Sejm
Establishment
-	Kingdom of Poland	1025
-	Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania	1 July 1569
-	Federal Republic	1 August 2014
Area
-		9,629,091 km2 3,717,813 sq mi
-	Water (%)	3.07%
Population
-	2014 estimate	365 million
-	Density	88.6/km2 34.2/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2014 estimate
-	Total	$29.4 trillion
-	Per capita	$79,834.29
GDP (nominal)		2014 estimate
-	Total	$15.4 trillion
-	Per capita	$41,901.17
Currency		zloty (PLN)
Calling code		+27
Internet TLD		.pl

The Federal Republic of Poland-Lithuania (Polish: Republika Federalna Polska - Litwa/Lithuanian: Federacinė Respublika Lenkija-Lietuva/Latin: Foederalis Reipublicae Poloniae et Lithuaniae) is a federal parliamentary republic located in the European Union.

History

Historians have postulated that throughout Late Antiquity, many distinct ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now known as Poland. The ethnicity and linguistic affiliation of these groups have been hotly debated; the time and route of the original settlement of Slavic peoples in these regions have been the particular subjects of much controversy.

The most famous archeological find from the prehistory and protohistory of Poland is the Biskupin fortified settlement (now reconstructed as a museum), dating from the Lusatian culture of the early Iron Age, around 700 BC. Before adopting Christianity in 960 AD, the people of Poland believed in Svetovid, the Slavic god of war, fertility, and abundance. Many other Slavic nations had the same belief

Mieszko II Lambert (c. 990–1034) King of Poland and Duchess Matilda of Swabia. Earliest known contemporary depiction of a Polish ruler. Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the 10th century under the Piast dynasty. Poland's first historically documented ruler, Mieszko I, accepted baptism in 966 and adopted Catholicism as the new official religion of his subjects. The bulk of the population converted in the course of the next few centuries. In 1000, Boleslaw the Brave, continuing the policy of his father Mieszko, held a Congress of Gniezno and created the metropolis of Gniezno and the dioceses of Kraków, Kołobrzeg, Wrocław.

As he writes in his chronicl of Gallus Anonymus, capitals Polish Piast dynasty during the reign of former Wrocław, Kraków and Sandomierz ("Boleslaus vero, in Wratislaw, et in Cracovia, et in Sandomir, sedes regni principales obtinuat").

In 1109, Bolesław III Wrymouth defeated the King of Germany Henry V in the Battle of Hundsfeld. In 1138, Poland fragmented into several smaller duchies when Bolesław III Wrymouth divided his lands among his sons. In 1226, Konrad I of Masovia, one of the regional Piast dukes, invited the Teutonic Knights to help him fight the Baltic Prussian pagans; a decision which led to centuries of warfare with the Knights. In the middle of 13th-century the Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty (Henry I the Bearded and Henry II the Pious, ruled 1238–1241) almost succeeded in uniting the Polish lands, but the Mongols devastated the country and won the Battle of Legnica where Duke Henry II the Pious died (1241). In 1320, after a number of earlier unsuccessful attempts by regional rulers at uniting the Polish dukedoms, Władysław I consolidated his power, took the throne and became the first King of a reunified Poland. His son, Casimir III (reigned 1333–1370), has a reputation as one of the greatest Polish kings, and gained wide recognition as a protector of trade. He extended his kingdom to 250% of its initial size. Casimir also extended royal protection to Jews.

The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as the 12th century, and Poland became one of the most educated countries in Europe. The library catalogue of the Cathedral Chapter of Kraków dating back to 1110 shows that in the early 12th-century Polish intellectuals had access to European literature.

Casimir III realized that the nation needed a class of educated people, especially lawyers, who could codify the country's laws and administer the courts and offices. His efforts to found an institution of higher learning in Poland were finally rewarded when Pope Urban V granted him permission to open the University of Kraków.

The Golden Liberty of the nobles began to develop under Casimir's rule, when in return for their military support, the king made serious concessions to the aristocrats, finally establishing their status as superior to that of the townsmen, and aiding their rise to power. When Casimir died in 1370 he left no legitimate male heir and, considering his other male descendants either too young or unsuitable, was laid to rest as the last of the nation's Piast rulers.

Poland also became a magnet for migrants. Germans settled in the towns; the Jewish community began to settle and flourish in Poland during this era; the same applies in smaller number to Armenians. The Black Death which afflicted most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351 affected Poland less severely.

After the rule of Casimir, Poland began to acquire other lands far away from its center, including Lithuania, Ruthenia (Ukraine), and eventually the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, though incorporated many through wars. This period of unrest and warring feudal lords led to the split of power away from the monarch to the feudal lords, resulting in many battles for control over the whole of the nation. The most powerful family was the Kligenberg family, descendants from Teuton knights, who established control over Warsaw, and eventually all of the Kingdom of Poland, first as economic ventures only, but then in terms of real political power from the 14th to the 16th centuries, culminating in their rise to Royal Family status.

The Commonwealth was officially formed on 1 July 1569, through the Treaty of Warsaw, unifying the crowns of Poland, Lithuania, and Ruthenia into one seat of power. Warsaw became one of the more important thrones in all of Europe. The Kligenberg family's first monarch on this throne was Stefan I, who ruled from 1569-1607. The Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, or simply known to the rest of Europe as the Commonwealth of Poland, did not go without some internal struggles at first, particularly as a multi-ethnic imperial state, but the issues were solved with steady reforms, resulting in a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch held real power, but was forced to share it with the legislature.

Since that democratization, finally realized in 1765, and semi-autonomy granted to Ruthenia and Lithuania, the Commonwealth has lived in harmony, growing in economic strength. August 1, 2014 begins a new era in the Polish government, now a federal republic, ending nearly one thousand years of a monarchy.

Geography

Poland-Lithuania's climate is best described as temperate, and its vast territory makes its environment varied in many different aspects.

There are generally four seasons in Poland: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring fluctuates, and usually begins in mid-March. Summer is in its full swing by June, and temperatures can reach up to 102 F in the southern Poland/northern Ruthenia. Autumn begins around late August, and temperatures moderate themselves around 60 F. Winter approaches in October, and can get as cold as an average high of 20 F, especially in Belarus, southern Poland, Ruthenia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Precipitation falls all year round, but is most heavy in the summer.

Poland is noted for its clear skies and diverse ecosystems. It contains vast forests, both coniferous and deciduous, as well as mountain ranges, lake districts, a desert, marshlands, rolling pastures and hills, and coasts. The most famous mountains are the Carpathian Mountains, the highest of those the Tatra Mountains on the natural border between Poland and Slovakia.

There are two major rivers in the nation, though many smaller rivers exist. The first major river is the Vistula River, which goes through the centre of the country, snaking its way through Warsaw. The second, and the longest, is the Dnieper River, which flows from southern Poland's largest city, Krakow, through to Ruthenia, passing through Kiev, before reaching Halsberg and running through to Thurston.

Much of central Poland and parts of Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia are highly dense forest, made up of a mixed fauna of trees and plants, though coniferous tress dominate the more northern landscapes.

Demographics and Culture

• 34% Polish
• 23% Ruthenian (Ukrainian)
• 13% Belorussian
• 10% Lithuanian
• 8% Hungarian
• 5% Slovak
• 3% Latian
• 2% Estonian
• 2% Jewish

Poland-Lithuania is a multi-ethnic nation, with each group proud of their cultural heritage. The defined nature of Poland's many ethnic groups caused several clashes in the 1970's and 1980's, culminating in the Minsk riots and the Kievan Uprising. Since then, a government policy of tolerance has fostered what has become a special harmony between all the peoples of Poland-Lithuania. Polish people are perhaps some of the most tolerant people in the European Union, despite their Catholic upbringing, and the mixture of cultures and diasporas has been such over a long period of time, starting in the 18th Century.

Culture

It is hard to define culture in Poland-Lithuania, because its culture is so varied depending upon constituent nation and even voivodeship at times. The dominant cultures present in the Commonwealth are: Polish, Lithuanian, Ruthenian, and Belorussian.

As the name suggests, Poland and Lithuania are the two most prominent cultures, and wealthier constituent nations. Polish culture has evolved into a much more modern outlook, and the territory that would make up Poland by itself is surprisingly homogenized with the exception of the Warsaw and Krakow regions, two of the largest and most affluent cities in the Commonwealth. Poland has contributed many scientific and artistic achievements in the European Union.

Poland is the birthplace of many distinguished personalities, among which are: Mikołaj Kopernik, Fryderyk Chopin, Maria Skłodowska Curie, Tadeusz Kościuszko, Kazimierz Pułaski, Józef Piłsudski, Lech Wałęsa and Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła). Great Polish painter Jan Matejko devoted his monumental art to the most significant historical events on Polish lands, along with the playwright, painter and poet Stanisław Wyspiański. Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) was an example of a Polish avant-garde philosopher and author of aesthetic theories.

Polish literature dates back to the 12th century and includes many famous poets and writers such as Mikołaj Rej, Jan Kochanowski, Adam Mickiewicz, Bolesław Prus, Juliusz Słowacki, Witold Gombrowicz, Stanisław Lem, Kornel Makuszyński, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Władysław Reymont, Czesław Miłosz. Polish Joseph Conrad was a notable author of works in English.

Many world famous Polish movie directors include Academy Awards winners Roman Polański, Andrzej Wajda, Zbigniew Rybczyński, Janusz Kamiński, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Agnieszka Holland. Actresses known outside of Poland, include Helena Modjeska and Pola Negri.

Tolerance

Poland has a great, long standing tradition of tolerance towards minorities, as well as an absence of discrimination on the grounds of religion, nationality or race. Poland has maintained a high level of gender equality, an established disability rights movement and promotes peaceful equality. Poland was the first country in the world to prohibit corporal punishment in all its forms. Poland has, throughout most of its long history, experienced only very limited immigration from abroad; this trend can be largely attributed to Poland's rejection of slavery and to a lack of overseas colonies as well as occupation of its territories during much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite this, the country has for a long time been regarded as having a very tolerant society, which affords equal rights to all people no matter what their ethnic background. This can be said to stem largely from the reign of King Casimir III the Great and his acceptance for Poland's Jewish community, in a time when most of Europe recessed into antisemitic moods and actions. The history of Jews in Poland exemplifies peaceful co-existence of a nation with a particular ethnic group.

Music

Poland is perhaps most well-known for its music. The folk music style that is diverse across various regions of the Imperial Commonwealth. Polish music that is by far the most famous are two dances that come from regions in Poland: the krakowiak and the mazurka. Both of these dances are vigorous and lively, and are two of the national dances of Poland, known for their feeling of joy typically. Traditional Polish music features the koza, bagpipes, tambourine, and suka (string instrument) as the core of its bands, with auxiliary instruments added. The dance that is most well known throughout the world, however, is the polonaise, a stately triple-meter dance, taken from the aristocracy of Poland.

As for art music, Poland has strong ties to the piano, as its most famous composer, Frederic (Fryderyk) Chopin, wrote primarily for the piano, greatly influencing the instrument. Each one of his compositions reflect a style that is described as "stile brillante", or a virtuoso quality with patterns, and that of an originality that has complex harmonies and counterpoint weaved into his music. Chopin's influence on the piano can be seen in other Polish composers like Franz Xaver Scharwenka, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Maria Syzmanowska, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky is another world famous Polish composer, this in a more "Russian" tradition, however, and much like Chopin transformed the piano, Tchaikovsky influenced and used primarily the orchestra, though he wrote for choirs, string quartets, solo piano, and solo instruments with orchestra. He also was the most important composer of ballet music, giving the dance style its most played repertoire: "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty".

Government and politics

Legislature

Sejm of the Polish Commonwealth

• Name: Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Sejm of the Polish Commonwealth)
• Conventional Name: Sejm
• Party in Power: PPS
• Structure: Unicameral legislature
• Seats: 648 (8 from each vovoideship)
• Election: Universal vote, mixed member proportional (MMP)

The Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Sejm of the Polish Commonwealth) is made up of 620 members, called przedstawiciele, or reperesentatives. The przedstawiciele are elected from województwa (voivodeships/provinces), one from a district in that voivodeship. The system to elect the Sejm is mixed member proportional, where there are two choices in each vovoideship: favored candidate and favorite party. Half of the votes in each vovoideship are given to the "first past the post" winner, while the others are adjusted to better represent the poll numbers and will of the people. From there, the przedstawiciele are sent to the Sejm, where they carry out the daily governance. The Sejm can:

• Write laws regarding regular life
• Regulate commerce
• Declare war
• Create bureaucracy that helps regulate commerce
• Ratify treaties
• Amend the constitution
• Override Presidential veto with a super majority

The President of the Polish Republic

The President of the Polish Republic is the head of state and head of government of Poland-Lithuania. The President is an office that has replaced the historical role of the monarch of the Polish Commonwealth, effective since 1 August 2014. The President of the Polish Republic is the most powerful politician in the nation, and one of the most powerful in Eastern Europe. The President has been issued the following powers based on the 1 August 2014 constitution:

• Nominate judges to the Supreme Court
• Nominate senior officials of government
• Declare war
• Conduct police actions
• Issue Executive Orders
• Enforce laws
• Veto laws
• Take no action regarding laws
• Appoint ambassadors
• Head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Indirectly guide the Sejm

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Poland-Lithuania will have appellate jurisdiction on constitutional matters, and original jurisdiction in matters regarding the federal government.

Federal Political Parties

Polish Socialist Party (PPS)
Ideology: Democratic socialists, unionist

Polish Environmentalist Party (PEP)
Ideology: Green politics, socially liberal

National Front for Poland (FNP)
Ideology: Socially and fiscally conservative, Polish nationalist

Polish Christian Democrat Party (PCDP)
Ideology: Socially and fiscally conservative, sponsored by the Polish Catholic Church

Liberal Alliance
Ideology: Keynesian policies, leftist social policies, secularists

Republican Party
Ideology: Anti-monarchist, republican movement (federalists)

Military

Economy

Industries

Poland-Lithuania maintains a diverse selection of industries that span all aspects of life. The largest industry in Poland is the tourism industry, where nearly 30 million tourists come to Poland's many cities every year, as well as visit its national parks and ecosystems. The prominent eco-tourism in Poland-Lithuania have supported nearly 700,000 jobs. Poland is also strong in natural resources, particularly oil, natural gas, minerals, metals and logging of specific trees, though logging has since slowed. Poland also has a large information technology sector, with many international corporations housing their Eastern European operations in Kiev. LOT Polish Airlines has a large presence in the aviation industry, with its planes being built by the United Aircraft Corporation, a state-owned aviation company inside Poland-Lithuania who are building several new aircraft like Ilyushin Il-114, Ilyushin Il-96, Irkut MS-21, Sukhoi Superjet 100, Sukhoi Superjet 130, Sukhoi Su-80 and Tupolev Tu-204. They also specialize in smaller aircraft, including the Curie 83-R7 regional commercial jet.

List of Cities in Poland-Lithuania