Kraków, also spelled as Cracow or Krakow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596, and has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, economic, cultural and artistic life. Cited as one of Europe's most beautiful cities, its Old Town with Wawel Royal Castle was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, one of the world's first sites granted the status.
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth-most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 million people, and the seventh-largest EU country, covering a combined area of 312,696 km2 (120,733 sq mi). It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordering seven countries. The territory is characterised by a varied landscape, diverse ecosystems, and temperate transitional climate. The capital and largest city is Warsaw; other major cities include Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, and Gdańsk.
The economy of Poland is a high-income, industrialized, developed market with a mixed economy that serves as the sixth-largest in the European Union by nominal GDP and fifth-largest by GDP (PPP). Poland boasts the extensive public services characteristic of most developed economies. Since 1988, Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalisation but retained an advanced public welfare system. This includes universal free public healthcare and university education, extensive provisions of free public childcare, parental leave and social security benefits that are often more generous, both in absolute and relative terms, than in many West European countries. Poland spends more of its GDP on incapacity benefits than the UK; a child benefit in Poland, known as '+800', pays £157 per month for any child and is not means-tested while the UK child benefit pays around £110 for the first child and less for subsequent children in a family and is means-tested. The country is considered by many to be a successful post-communist state. It is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank, ranking 20th worldwide in terms of GDP (PPP), 21st in terms of GDP (nominal), and 21st in the 2023 Economic Complexity Index. Among OECD nations, Poland has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 22.7% of GDP.
The Republic of Poland is a Central European country and member of the European Union and NATO, among others. Poland wields considerable influence in Central and Eastern Europe and is a middle power in international affairs. The foreign policy of Poland is based on four basic commitments: to Atlantic co-operation, to European integration, to international development and to international law.
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw the 7th most-populous city in the European Union. The city area measures 517 km2 (200 sq mi) and comprises 18 districts, while the metropolitan area covers 6,100 km2 (2,355 sq mi). Warsaw is classified as an alpha global city, a major cultural, political and economic hub, and the country's seat of government. It is also capital of the Masovian Voivodeship.
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he previously served as President of the Supreme Audit Office from 1992 to 1995 and later Minister of Justice and Public Prosecutor General in Jerzy Buzek's cabinet from 2000 until his dismissal in July 2001.
Legia Warszawa, commonly referred to as Legia Warsaw or simply Legia, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is the most successful Polish football club in history, winning record 15 Ekstraklasa champions titles, a record 20 Polish Cup and 5 Polish Super Cup trophies. The club's home venue is the Polish Army Stadium. Legia is the only Polish club never to have been relegated from the top flight of Polish football since World War II.
Polonia Warsaw, founded on 19 November 1911, is the oldest existing sports club in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, best known for its football and basketball teams. It also has track and field, swimming, chess, mountain biking, and contract bridge sections. Historically it also had sections in ice hockey, fencing, tennis, volleyball, hazena, cycling and boxing.
TVN is a Polish free-to-air television station, network and a media and entertainment group in Poland. It was co-founded by Polish businessmen Mariusz Walter, Jan Wejchert and Swiss entrepreneur Bruno Valsangiacomo. It is owned by TVN Group, which as of April 2022, is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Current CEO is Katarzyna Kieli.
Jan Jerzy Kulczyk was a Polish billionaire businessman. He was the founder and owner of Kulczyk Holding and an international investment house Kulczyk Investments with headquarters in Luxembourg and offices in London and Kyiv, Ukraine. According to Forbes, Kulczyk was the richest Pole at the time of his death.
Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski Spółka Akcyjna is a Polish multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. It is among the largest financial institutions in Poland, and is also one of the largest financial groups in Central and Eastern Europe, with 1,145 branches located in Poland and abroad and a market capitalization of PLN 52 billion as of 2018.
Bronisław Maria Komorowski is a Polish politician and historian who served as President of Poland from 2010 to 2015.
The Warsaw Zoological Garden, known simply as the Warsaw Zoo, is a scientific zoo located alongside the Vistula River in Warsaw, Poland. Opened in 1928, the zoo covers about 40 hectares in central Warsaw, and sees over 700,000 visitors annually, making it one of the most popular zoos in Poland. It is home to over 11,000 animals representing more than 500 species.
Józef Jan Gosławski was a Polish sculptor and medallic artist. He was a designer of coins, monuments and medals. Laureate of many artistic competitions; decorated with the Silver Cross of Merit.
Jan Mazurkiewicz, pseudonym: "Zagłoba", "Socha", "Sęp", "Radosław" was a Polish military leader and politician, colonel of Home Army and brigadier general of the Polish People's Army. Founder of the Secret Military Organization, commander of Kedyw and the Radosław Group during Warsaw Uprising. After the war, he was a political prisoner of the Stalinist period. From 1964 he was vice-president of Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy.
Television in Poland was introduced on an experimental basis in 1937. It was state owned, and was interrupted by the Second World War in 1939. Television returned to Poland in 1952 and for several decades was controlled by the communist government. Colour television was introduced in Poland in 1971. Private television stations in Poland appeared around the time of the fall of communism, with PTV Echo becoming the first private station in Poland.
PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. is a state-owned public power company and the largest power producing company in Poland. PGE is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the WIG30 index.
Kulczyk Investments SA is an international investment company, founded by Polish entrepreneur Jan Kulczyk in 2007, focusing on business opportunities in high-growth markets. The company's strategic sectors are energy, infrastructure, chemical industry and mineral resources. Kulczyk Holding SA is responsible for the operations of the group in Poland.
Jan Bohdan Wejchert was a Polish businessman and media mogul. He had a net worth of $1.3 billion (Forbes) Wejchert was the co-founder of the ITI Group, one of Poland's largest media groups, as well as the co-founder and co-owner of the TVN television network. He was also the 4th richest Pole.
Wejchert Architects, formerly A&D Wejchert & Partners Architects is a firm of architects based in Dublin, Ireland.
