Fun facts about Poland

1. The name Poland originates from the name of the tribe Polanie which means people living in open fields.
2. Poland's formal name is Rzeczpospolita Polska (Republic of Poland).
3. Seven countries share a border with Poland.
4. Warsaw is the largest city and capital of Poland.
5. On November 11, 1918, Poland declared itself a republic, independent of Russia.
6. Poland's national symbol is the white eagle.
7. The last Polish monarch, Stanislaw Poniatowski, died in prison in 1798 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
8. Famous physicist Maria Skłodowska-Curie (known abroad as Marie Curie) was Polish, though she lived most of her life in France.
9. Poland has lakes, the sea side and mountains.
10. Easter is the biggest holiday in Poland. Spring baskets are made containing bread, ham, salt, eggs and babka
11. Poland has a traditional style of singing called white voice.
12. Poland joined NATO in 1999.
13. The first surviving cookbook of Polish recipes dates from 1682 with dishes influenced by strong Lithuanian, Tartar-Turkish, and German influences.
14. Pierogi, or Polish dumplings, are one of the most recognizable Polish dishes outside of Poland.
15. The biggest section in many grocery stores in Poland is the candy section.
16. Located in Wroclaw is the oldest restaurant in Europe, Piwnica Swidnicka, operating since 1275.
17. The most popular sport in Poland is football (soccer).
18. Many Polish people live abroad. Polish speaking communities can be found in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Australia, Brazil and Argentina.
19. Poles are well educated. 90% of Poland's youths complete at least secondary education and 50% have an academic degree.
20. Polish has the second largest number of speakers among the Slavic languages after Russian.
21. The Polish language is one of the difficult languages to master for non-native speakers.
22. It is estimated that 100 million paczki, a Polish doughnut, are consumed every year on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday alone.
23. About 90% of the Polish population identify as Roman Catholic.
24. Poland is home to more winners of the World's Strongest Man title than any other country in the world.
25. Poles peel bananas from the blossom end, opposite the stem.