Poland

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The Republic of Poland is a country located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and Russia (in the form of the Kaliningrad Oblast exclave) to the north.

Related Topics:
Central Europe - Germany - Czech Republic - Slovakia - Ukraine - Belarus - Baltic Sea - Lithuania - Russia - Kaliningrad Oblast - Exclave

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The Polish state was formed over 1,000 years ago under the Piast dynasty, and reached its Golden Age near the end of the 16th century under the Jagiellonian dynasty, when Poland was one of the richest and most powerful countries in Europe. On May 3, 1791 the Sejm of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania voted for the May Constitution of Poland, Europe's first written constitution, and the second in the world after the Constitution of the United States. Soon afterwards, the country ceased to exist after being partitioned by its neighbours Russia, Austria and Prussia. It regained independence in 1918 in the aftermath of the First World War as the Second Polish Republic. Following the Second World War it became a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union known as the People's Republic of Poland. In 1989 the first partially-free elections in Poland's post-World War II history concluded the Solidarity movement's struggle for freedom and resulted in the defeat of Poland's communist rulers. The current Third Polish Republic was established, followed a few years later by the drafting of a new constitution in 1997. In 1999 Poland became a part of NATO and in 2004 it joined the European Union.

Related Topics:
State - Piast dynasty - Golden Age - 16th century - Jagiellonian dynasty - May 3 - 1791 - Sejm - Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania - May Constitution of Poland - Constitution - Constitution of the United States - Partitioned - Russia - Austria - Prussia - 1918 - First World War - Second Polish Republic - Second World War - Communist - Satellite state - Soviet Union - People's Republic of Poland - 1989 - Election - World War II - Solidarity - Third Polish Republic - New constitution - 1997 - 1999 - NATO - 2004 - European Union

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