Poland

Poland is a country in Central Europe, officially the Republic of Poland. Its territory lies between the Baltic Sea and the Carpathian Mountains.

Piast dynasty: The first ruling dynasty of Poland, which established a durable Polish state in the tenth century. Its rulers built the early state from which Poland’s medieval kingdom emerged.
Central Europe: A region of Europe whose boundaries vary, generally including countries between Western and Eastern Europe. Poland is commonly situated in this region, whose identity has shifted with political history.
European Union: A political and economic union of European member states with shared institutions and common policies. Poland joined in 2004 and participates in the union’s lawmaking and common market.
Invasion of Poland: The German and Soviet invasions of Poland in September 1939 that began the Second World War in Europe. The invasions ended the Second Polish Republic and subjected the country to occupation.
Germany: A country in Central Europe that borders Poland to the west. The two countries share a long border shaped by postwar territorial changes.
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth: A federated state formed by Poland and Lithuania in 1569 and lasting until the late eighteenth century. The Commonwealth shaped Poland’s political traditions and regional influence before its partitions.
Polish language: A West Slavic language spoken primarily in Poland and written with the Latin alphabet. It is the country’s official language and a major marker of national identity.
NATO: A military alliance founded in 1949 around collective defense among its member states. Poland joined in 1999 and relies on the alliance as a framework for security cooperation.
German occupation of Poland: Nazi Germany’s occupation of Polish territory from 1939 to 1945, marked by mass murder and exploitation. It devastated the country and targeted Polish Jews and other populations for destruction.
Czechia: A landlocked country in Central Europe bordering Poland to the south. Its shared border and regional ties distinguish neighboring Czech and Polish histories.

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