Poland

The Republic of Poland is a European country bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, Lithuania and Russia to the north. Poland dates back to over 1,000 years ago and had its golden age towards the end of the 16th century under the Jagiellonian dynasty, when Poland was one of the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful countries in Europe. At the end of the 18th century the country was partitioned by Russia, Austria, and Prussia. It regained independence in 1918, then became a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union after World War II until the fall of communism in the early 90s. In 2004 Poland joined the European Union.