Poland π΅π±
Poland is a country in Europe with a population of 39,857,145. Its capital is Warsaw. The official currency is PLN, and the main languages are Polish.
Quick facts
- Capital: Warsaw
- Continent: Europe
- Population: 39,857,145
- Area: 312,696 kmΒ²
- Density: 127 people per kmΒ²
- Currency: PLN
- Languages: Polish
- ISO code: PL
Where Poland sits
Poland π΅π± is one of 46 countries in Europe, with its capital at Warsaw. It covers 312,696 square kilometres β 69th in the world β and is home to about 39,857,145 people, 37th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy. If you are learning geography region by region β which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial β those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Poland compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Poland sits closest to Canada and Afghanistan. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Oman and Ivory Coast.
At 127 people per square kilometre it is about 2.1 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Polish is listed as official in Poland alone. The PLN is used by Poland and no one else.
To see Poland next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Poland
Warsaw stands on the Vistula River in east-central Poland. A legend says the city is named after a fisherman called Wars and a mermaid called Sawa, and a mermaid is still the city's symbol. For the flag, think of the white eagle above its red shield: white on top, red below.
The flag of Poland: white and red
π΅π± The flag is two horizontal stripes, white on top and red below. The colours come from Poland's emblem, a white eagle on a red shield.
Region and neighbours
Poland is a large country in Central Europe, with a coast on the Baltic Sea in the north and the Tatra Mountains on its southern border. It shares land borders with 7 countries: Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. The border with Russia is with Kaliningrad Oblast, a part of Russia on the Baltic coast that is separated from the rest of the country.
- Germany π©πͺ β capital Berlin
- Czechia π¨πΏ β capital Prague
- Slovakia πΈπ° β capital Bratislava
- Ukraine πΊπ¦ β capital Kyiv
- Belarus π§πΎ β capital Minsk
- Lithuania π±πΉ β capital Vilnius
- Russia π·πΊ β capital Moscow
Three facts about Poland
- The scientist Marie Curie (Maria SkΕodowska-Curie) was born in Warsaw, and she was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes.
- BiaΕowieΕΌa Forest, on the border with Belarus, is one of the last parts of the ancient forest that once covered the European Plain, and European bison live there.
- Warsaw's Old Town was rebuilt after the Second World War, and the reconstructed Old Town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.
Sources: Wikipedia: Poland, Wikipedia: Flag of Poland, Wikipedia: Warsaw, Wikipedia: Marie Curie, Wikipedia: BiaΕowieΕΌa Forest, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Poland
- European capitals quiz β match Poland to Warsaw
- European flags quiz β spot the Poland flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Poland
Three angles are worth covering for any country β where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Poland those are:
- Europe map quiz β place it on a blank map
- Europe flags quiz β identify its flag among its neighbours
- Europe capitals quiz β match it to Warsaw
- Poland capital quiz β five quick questions starting with Poland
- Daily Map Challenge β five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Poland
- Capital of Poland: Warsaw β the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 46 countries of Europe
Nearby countries
- Albania π¦π± β capital Tirana
- Andorra π¦π© β capital Andorra la Vella
- Austria π¦πΉ β capital Vienna
- Belarus π§πΎ β capital Minsk
- Belgium π§πͺ β capital Brussels
- Bosnia and Herzegovina π§π¦ β capital Sarajevo
- Bulgaria π§π¬ β capital Sofia
- Croatia ππ· β capital Zagreb
- Cyprus π¨πΎ β capital Nicosia
- Czechia π¨πΏ β capital Prague
- Denmark π©π° β capital Copenhagen
- Estonia πͺπͺ β capital Tallinn
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Poland flag?
The flag of Poland is two horizontal stripes, white on top and red below. The colours come from Poland's emblem, a white eagle on a red shield.
Which countries border Poland?
Poland shares land borders with Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. The border with Russia is with Kaliningrad Oblast, a part of Russia on the Baltic coast that is separated from the rest of the country.
How can I remember the capital of Poland?
Warsaw stands on the Vistula River in east-central Poland. A legend says the city is named after a fisherman called Wars and a mermaid called Sawa, and a mermaid is still the city's symbol. For the flag, think of the white eagle above its red shield: white on top, red below.