Poland
Autumn Gordy
Introduction
Halo, or hi in English. You just said hi or hello in Polish; the official language of Poland. In this flyer you will learn about Poland's geography, government, economy, and more. In addition to useful information there will also be lots of fun facts for your enjoyment while learning about this unique country.
Geography and Traveling
Poland Physical Map
Poland Major Cities Map
Government and Foreign Policy
Poland's government is a limited multiparty democracy with a two chamber parliament. The head of state is the president, elected for a five year term. Parliament is divided into the Senate or the upper chamber and the Sejm or lower chamber. The senate consist of 100 members and the Sejm of 460 members. Poland's internal and foreign policy is decided by the Council of Ministers, who is lead by the prime minister. The office of prime minister is appointed by the president. The current Prime Minister is Beata Szydto, and the current President is Andrzej Duda. The rights of Polish citizens are almost exactly like those of United States citizens, but the responsibilities and obligations of a Polish citizen compared to a United State's citizen are quite different. Some aspects are the same such as you must follow the laws, take care of the environment, and pay taxes. However, in Poland, should there be an invasion every citizen must help defend the homeland. In the United States it's your choice to defend our country, you aren't obligated to do so.
Economy
The currency used in Poland is the Polish Ztoty: worth one U.S. quarter. Poland has $193 billion worth of exports. The most recent exports are vehicle parts and cars. Poland has $203 billion worth of imports. The most recent exports crude petroleum, and vehicle parts. The GDP per capita for Poland is $25,000. The GDP for the U.S. is $54,00. I wouldn't consider Poland as a wealthy country compared to the U.S. because Poland's GDP per capita is less than half of the United States, but I wouldn't consider them a poor country.
Social and Ethnic Groups
The Polish ethnic group is the only ethnic group in Poland. Education in Poland is almost identical to the U.S. You start school at age 5 or 6. Grades 1 - 12 are free and paid for by taxes. If you want to go to college in Poland you will have to pay for it, just like we do in America. Women and children have basically the same rights in both Poland and America. In Poland, 99.9% of males, and 99.7% of females can read and write.
Religion, Language, Flag
In Poland 87.2% of the population is catholic; making it the dominant religion. Poland’s official language is Polish, spoken by 96.9% of its people. The Polish flag is a true representation of its heritage in symbolism and longevity. As the unofficial colors, red, white and blue (cockades), stem from a sympathetic civilian population wearing the colors of their soldiers in support, gave way to the first legal act by the nation’s supreme representatives establishing red and white as the nation’s colors in 1831. The flag is divided horizontally into two equal halves. The top, white, and the bottom, red. The white stands for peace and honesty. While the red stands for hardness, bravery, strength, and valor.
Traditional Holidays or Festivals, Traditional Clothing, and Food
All saints day, celebrated annually on November 1, is a holiday for remembering and honoring the dead.People decorate graves with thousands of candles and flowers. People dress in nice clothes to honor the deceased. Poles is the term the citizens of Poland use to identify themselves. Poles dress just like Americans for the most part. The cultures differ when it comes to female attire. In Poland women do not wear pants as often as they do in America.Tradition dictates skirts and dresses as the more appropriate fashion statement. A staple of the polish diet is the pierogi. This traditional food is basically a fried dumpling and is commonly filled sauerkraut, mushrooms, ground meat, curd cheese, and potatoes.
Pierogi Recipe
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PIEROGI DOUGH:
1 pint sour cream
5 cups flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk2 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons olive oilFOR THE FILLING:1/2 pound ground beefSaltFreshly ground black pepper1/2 pound soft farmers cheese2 tablespoons minced shallots2 tablespoons minced garlic1/2 cup green onions, chopped1 whole eggTO FINISH:4 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves1/2 cup sour cream
DIRECTIONS
For the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, flour, butter, 2 whole eggs, egg yolk, 2 teaspoons salt and olive oil. Knead the mixture into a soft dough. Divide the dough in half and cover for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each half of the dough into a thin circle, 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough using a 3-inch circle cutter. For the filling: Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, render the ground beef for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, ground beef, shallots,garlic, green onion and egg. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle of dough and fold over. Press and seal into half-moon shapes. Use a little water to seal the pierogi's. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pierogi for 8 minutes, or until they float. Remove from the water and drain. In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Sear the pierogi for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan. The pierogi will need to be sauteed in batches. Arrange thepierogi's on a platter. Garnish with parsley and serve with sour cream.