Capital: Warsaw
Population: 38.5 million
Type of government: Republic
Time zone: 1 hour behind Kiev time
Currency: Zloty

Geography
Climate
Ethnic Divisions
Language
Religion
Business hours
Transport
Currency
Sights
Useful tips
Import and Export

Geography
The total area of Poland is 312 658 (312 683) square kilometers making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe.
Around 2/3 of the country territory is Poland lowland. In the north is the Baltic Ridge, in the south Małopolska and Lublin uplands. Along the south borders -Carpathians (The highest elevation is Mount Rysy, which rises 2,499 meters in the Tatra Range of the Carpathians) and Sudeten range
The longest rivers are the Wisła and the Odra. Lakes are predominantly in the north of the country. Forests cover 28% of Poland’s land area. The Borders of Poland are 3582 kilometers long. Breakdown of border lengths per country: Russia  210 km, Lithuania 103 km, Belarus 416km, Ukraine 529km, Slovakia 539km, Czech Republic 790km, Germany 467km

Climate
The climate is mostly temperate throughout the country. Summers are generally warm, with average temperatures in July 17-19 °C. Winters are cold, with average temperatures in January around -1-5°C.
Annual rainfall ranges from about 500 mm-800 mm in the lowlands and 1000 mm in the mountains.

Ethnic Divisions:
Polish 98%, Also German, Belarusian, Ukrainian, and others.

Language
Polish is the official language. English and German are popular second languages.

Religion
Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. Almost 90 percent of the population is Catholic.

Business hours
Shops are open from 6:00 to 19:00, on Saturdays from 7:00 to 13:00. Some shops are working till 22:00 or 24/h a day.
Banks generally are open from 9:00 until 17:00, Monday through Friday. Banks close at 13:00 on Saturday. Sunday is non working day. Many travel agencies, gas stations, hotels, restaurants and large retail shops accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Tourism offices usually are open from 0800 to 1900, Monday through Friday. Some tourist offices also maintain weekend hours.

Poland is served by an extensive network of railways. In most cities the main railway station is located near a city centre and is well connected to the local transportation system. The infrastructure is operated by PKP.

Currency
The official currency of Poland is the zloty. One zloty equals one 100 groszy. Bank notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 zloty. Coins are minted in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 groszy. Currency exchanges are located at major airports, banks, hotels, tourist offices (many of which are run by the state travel bureau ORBIS), several post offices and at kiosks called “Kantor”, some of which stay open 24-hours. Currency exchanges displaying rates in the window usually give better rates than those that do not display them.

Sights
Warsaw's Old Town is the oldest historic district of the city. After World War II, the Old Town was meticulously rebuilt, as many of the original bricks were reused as possible. The rubble was sifted for reusable decorative elements, which were reinserted into their original places.
Royal Cracow is the biggest monument of history and culture. The heart of the city is The Old Town.  The Old Town was established at the end of the 13th century. During the World War II it was completely destroyed by the Nazis. After war, the area was rebuilt and now is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Wieliczka Salt Mine
The Wieliczka Salt Mine boasts 350km of corridors, of which 2km are accessible to visitors. The tourist route is 64 to 135m underground and passes through impressive chambers, bas-reliefs, chandeliers and a chapel sculpted in the salt.
Torun
The medieval walled town of Torun is best experienced by walking through the gothic Old Town.The famous astronomer Nicolay Copernicus was born here.
Malbork Castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress; it is the world's largest brick castle and one of the most impressive of its kind in Europe.
Zamosc
The Renaissance-style market square in Zamosc with its almost perfectly preserved 16th-century town centre.
Auschwitz
The victims of the holocaust are remembered at Oswiecim-Birkenau (Auschwitz-Birkenau) concentration camp, 70km from Krakow. Visiting is a sobering experience, but helps give you perspective on one of human history's darkest periods.
Primaeval Forest is ancient woodland straddling the border between Belarus and Poland. It is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest which once spread across the European Plain. Bison is a symbol of Belaveskaya Pushcha.

Useful tips
Tipping in restaurants is largely an undefined practice in Poland. A tip may be added to the bill at a restaurant, but if it is not, a patron is not obliged to leave one. When a tip is given for exceptional service, it averages 10 to 20 percent. When paying, if a patron says thank you or "dziekuje" to the waiter, it indicated that he or she does not want change.   Fares for drivers should be rounded up if a price for the trip was not previously agreed upon.

Import and Export
Visitors from non-European Union countries over the age of 17 can import up to the designated amounts of the following non-commercial items (items of personal or family use or items intended as presents) duty-free:
•    200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco;
•    1 liter of spirits over 22 percent volume or 2 liters of fortified wine or sparkling wine or 2 liters of still wine;
•    50 grams of perfume;
•    250 milliliters of eau de toilette; and
•    Other items up to a value of 175 Euro (may be reduced to 90 Euro for travelers under the age of 15).

[Tags: Tours to Poland]
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