The Polish Culture Essay Sample

Poland is the ninth biggest in Europe and the largest economy in Central Europe. The country is located in the temperate climate zone and borders Germany to the West, Slovakia and Czech Republic to the south and Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania to the West (Central Statistical Office of Poland, 2011). Poland also borders the Baltic Sea to the north where the country has a 770km shoreline. Geographically, Poland is a lowland country and most of its territory does not exceed 200m above sea level (Central Statistical Office of Poland, 2011). The country attracts a lot of tourists due to its abundant and picturesque lakes in the northern territory. Poland is renowned as the multicultural country in Europe. Before the Second World War, Poland was noted for its richness in ethnic communities such as the Germans, Ukrainians, Jews, Lithuanians and people from Belarus. However, the cultural background of Poland has changed in the last half a century. Currently, 97 % of the population is ethnic Poles while the rest are minority groups from Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Jews. As of 2010, the country's population was estimated to be 38.2 million people, the sixth largest in the European Union (Intopoland.com, n.d.).

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Military History

The worst military conflict that Poland experienced was during the start of the Second World War when the Nazis invaded the country. In particular, the Holocaust had a universal effect because the Nazis massacred three million Jews on Poland's soil. Millions of Polish people were killed during the worst military conflict in history. Before the war, Poland had the highest Jewish population but only 350, 000 survived the Holocaust (Dwernicki, 2015). In 1944, the poorly-armed Polish army launched a resistance known as the Warsaw Uprising that aimed at clearing the German army out of the country's capital. The resistance lasted for two months and was the longest resistance against Nazis in Poland. However, the uprising led to the death of over 200,000 civilians and 18,000 Polish troops (Dwernicki, 2015). The events of the Second World War altered the history of Poland. After the conflict, Poland was absorbed into the USSR as a communist republic. However, Poland became the first country to establish a non-communist government under the Soviet bloc in 1989 that was a significant achievement (Davis, 2010). To this day, the role of Poles in the Holocaust is unclear. However, the country developed a culture of peace. As a result, Poles are known for their hospitality and friendliness.

Weather Analysis

Climate change is one of the worrying factors for the fluctuations of weather conditions in Europe and Poland. The change in climatic conditions has led to Poland experiencing weather fluctuations such as hurricanes and tornadoes. The weather has a significant impact on the agricultural sector. Poland's economy also relies on Agricultural products. With the expected climatic changes, experts expect a negative impact on the country's agricultural sector (Klimada, 2013). The water resources will also be affected by climate change especially during the summer due to the increased rate of evaporation. Besides, the human health and well-being could be affected empirically because the body reacts differently to temperature and humidity fluctuations (Szwed et al., 2010).

Civil Consideration

The Polish People believe that they brought western civilization in Central Europe and influenced the eastern countries such as Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus. Due to the past military conflicts, Poland is ethnically homogenous because of the shifts in borders. Most of the minority groups that resided in Poland now live in neighboring countries like Belarus. However, 60% of the population lives in the urban areas. For instance, Warsaw is the largest city with a population of 1.6 million inhabitants (Davis, 2010). The Polish people speak a Slavic language while English is the most spoken foreign language. The national culture of the country emerged from a synthesis of Byzantine and Latin influences, a factor that was engendered by the various European occupations in the country's history (Polandforvisitors.com, 2016). Therefore, the customs and morals of Poland display a diverse mix of the West and East. The strategic location of Poland promoted the cultural integration of the western and eastern forms of civilization.

On the other hand, religion is an integral component of Poland. Some studies indicate that adoption of Christianity contributed to the creation of the Polish state (Heinen, 2009). The church is considered a symbol of the culture and heritage of Poland. As a result, 90% of the population is predominantly Roman Catholic. During the 16th and 17th century, Poland was renowned for its religious tolerance and many people immigrated into the country while escaping religious persecution since Europe was at a religious turmoil during those days (Intopoland.com, n.d). As a result, the Orthodox Church is the second largest group of Christians in the country. Protestant churches such as the Lutheran are still available. Besides, the 10,000 Polish Jews in the country still practice their religious, cultural and social traditions (Intopoland.com, n.d.).

In conclusion, Poland is a country located in Central Europe that was once a highly multicultural center. However, after the Second World War, the cultural dynamics changed and cross-border migration led to the creation of a homogenous society with 97% of Polish nationality. The country has a rich history of cultural tolerance and is still considered multicultural due to the peaceful coexistence minority ethnic groups like the Jews, Germans, Lithuanians, and Muslims etcetera. The Poles love peace and they are very hospitable and Christianity is the dominant religion that is part of the culture and heritage of Poland.

References

Central Statistical Office of Poland. (2011). This is Poland. Retrieved from:http://www.stat.gov.pl

Davis, C. (2010). Country profile: Poland - CNN.com. Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/06/20/poland.country.profile/index.html

Dwernicki, E. (2015). How World War II shaped modern Poland. Euronews. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/03/how-world-war-ii-shaped-modern-poland.

Heinen, J. (2009). Religion, Politics and Gender Equality in Poland. Pl.boell.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from https://pl.boell.org/sites/default/files/downloads/Poland_Final_Research_Report.pdf

Intopoland.com. (n.d.). Geography of Poland: landscape, climate, nature & economy. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://www.intopoland.com/poland-info/geography-of-poland.html

Intopoland.com. (n.d). Religion in Poland. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://www.intopoland.com/poland-info/religion.html

Klimada. (2013). Climate change in Poland. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://klimada.mos.gov.pl/en/climate-change-in-poland/

Polandforvisitors.com. (2016). Polish Culture and Life Style. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://www.polandforvisitors.com/travel_poland/culture

Szwed, M., Karg, G., Pinskwar, I., Radziejewski, M., Graczyk, D., Kedziora, A., & Kundzewicz, Z. (2010). Climate change and its effect on agriculture, water resources and human health sectors in Poland. Natural Hazards And Earth System Science, 10(8), 1725-1737. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-10-1725-2010