Poland

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Poland

Poland lies at a geographical crossroads, linking the forested landscapes of north-western Europe with the sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean and the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier. Poland, now bounded by seven nations, has waxed and waned throughout the centuries, shaken by the forces of regional history. During the early Middle Ages, the small principalities and cities of Poland were overrun by successive waves of conquest, from the Germans and Balts to the Mongols. By the mid-1500s, united Poland was the biggest state in Europe and probably the most powerful nation on the continent. But two and a half centuries later, at the time of the Partition of Poland, it vanished when it was divided between the competing empires of Russia, Prussia and Austria. But even in times of national crisis, Polish culture stayed strong and even flourished. Re-established in 1918, but devastated by two world wars, Poland suffered greatly during the 20th century. The Second World War was especially damaging, and with the fall of the Third Reich, Poland lost its independence and became a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union. Then, in May 1989, the Polish government fell together with all the communist regimes in Eastern Europe, beginning Poland's quick transition to democracy. Poland is a land of stunning beauty, dotted with vast forests and rivers, wide plains and high mountains. Warsaw, the capital of the country, blends modern buildings with historic architecture, much of which was badly damaged during the Second World War, but has since been faithfully reconstructed.