Accommodation
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1 of 83 TeachingEnglishAcademy.com M7 Section 2.4 (Book 2) Living In That Country EASTERN EUROPE: POLAND 2 of 83 TeachingEnglishAcademy.com CONTENT Country Overview ..................................................................................... 3 Poland Interesting Facts ........................................................................... 5 Festivals and Public Holidays ................................................................. 11 Amazing Facts about Poland .................................................................. 11 How to live like a local ............................................................................ 13 VISAS AND IMMIGRATION ................................................................... 14 Cost of Living .......................................................................................... 18 Health and Sickness ............................................................................... 27 Learning the Language ........................................................................... 28 Learning Polish ....................................................................................... 30 The Best Resources for Learning Polish ......................................... 30 Avoiding Scams and Traps in Poland ..................................................... 39 Positives and negatives of living in Poland ............................................. 43 Culture, Society, Taboos and Differences .............................................. 47 Culture Shock in Poland ......................................................................... 49 Accommodation ...................................................................................... 51 Finding Accommodation in Poland ................................................... 51 Meeting Other People ............................................................................. 55 Meeting Other Foreigher ......................................................................... 56 3 of 83 TeachingEnglishAcademy.com Transportation ......................................................................................... 56 Useful Apps ............................................................................................ 57 Discovering a Warsaw you Never Would ............................................... 58 Places to Visit and Things to Do ............................................................. 59 Food and Dishes ..................................................................................... 62 Healthcare Services ................................................................................ 64 Directories and Useful Phone Numbers ................................................. 69 4 of 83 TeachingEnglishAcademy.com International Organisations: Poland is COUNTRY OVERVIEW a member of the European Union (EU), the Schengen Area, North Atlantic Treaty Quick Guide Organisation (NATO), United Nations Official name: Republic of Poland (short (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), form: Poland), Rzeczpospolita United Nations Educational, Scientific and Polska (short form in Polish: Polska) Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations International Official Language: Polish Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Location: Central Europe. Poland borders World Health Organisation (WHO), World Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Trade Organisation (WTO), Organisation Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia for Cooperation and Development (OECD) (the Kaliningrad exclave). Its northern and many others. border (440 km long) runs along the Baltic Sea coast. Main Polish cities Capital: Warszawa (Warsaw: population Warszawa (Warsaw) 1.7 million / Warsaw agglomeration: 2.5 million) The capital of Poland with over 1.7 million inhabitants. It is a business city, to which Population: 38 million. Poland has the many Poles migrate searching for seventh largest population in Europe education and job opportunities. Thanks (omitting Russia), and the sixth largest in to its 50 plus higher education institutions, the European Union. it has a vibrant spirit and constitutes an important scientific and cultural centre. Time zone: Poland belongs to the Central The city was almost completely destroyed European time zone (GMT + 1 hour / UTC during World War II. Its present + 1 hour), except for between the last architectural landscape has largely been Sunday in March and the last Sunday in shaped by the years of communism October when it switches to daylight (symbolized by the Palace of Science and saving time. Culture) and its entrepreneurial character (skyscrapers). Climate: The Polish climate is moderate continental, with relatively cold winters Kraków (Cracow) (from December to March) and hot summers which extend from June to The former seat of the royal family and August. January temperatures average - capital of Poland until 1596. Its stunning 1°C (30°F) to -5°C (23°F). July and architecture and treasures of art attract August average temperatures range from thousands of tourists each year. It is 16.5°C (62°F) to 19°C (65°F), though considered the cradle of the Polish science some days the temperature can reach because the first Polish university, the even 35°C (95°F). Jagiellonian University, was founded here in 1364. Today, it is an important cultural Currency: 1 zloty (PLN) = 100 groszy and academic centre with over 730,000 (current exchange rates: www.nbp.pl) residents. Calling-code:+48; Internet domain: .pl 5 of 83 TeachingEnglishAcademy.com Wrocław where most famous Polish actors, cameramen and directors such as Roman The fourth largest Polish city and the Polanski and Andrzej Wajda learnt their capital of Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk). profession. In total, the city has over 25 Wrocław has a large, beautiful Old Town, higher education institutions. whose unique atmosphere is a result of its rich history and astonishing location. It is situated on several islands that are POLAND INTERESTING surrounded by the Oder River and its tributaries. Wrocław is a city of students, FACTS known for music and theatre festivals, as 1. Poland’s formal name is Rzeczpospolita well as its bustling nightlife. Polska (Republic of Poland). Gdańsk 2. Poland has 120,562 square miles (312,255 km2) of area, which makes the A major Polish seaport. Together with country slightly smaller than New Mexico. Gdynia and Sopot it forms a metropolis called Tricity (Trójmiasto) with approximately 750,000 inhabitants. It has 3. Poland’s highest point is Mt. Rysy at 8,199 feet (2,499 m); its lowest is near a beautiful Old Town reflecting its long and turbulent history. It used to be an Raczki Elbląskie at 6.56 feet (2 m) below important Hanseatic city and was owned sea level. alternately by Poland and Germany. It is also the city where World War II began 4. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. and the birthplace of the Polish Solidarity movement. 5. The Polish flag has two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; the colors Poznań derive from the Polish emblem, which is a One of the oldest and largest Polish cities. white eagle on a red field. Poland’s flag is similar to the flags of Indonesia and Thanks to its location on the Paris-Moscow Monaco, which are red (top) and white. route it has always been an important transport and trade centre. International 6. Poland’s national anthem is Trade Fairs have been held here annually Dąbrowski’s Mazurek. The anthem, since 1925. Today, the city’s economic commonly known as “Jeszcze Polska nie power peaks due to numerous foreign zginęla” (“Poland Has Not Yet Perished”), investments. This, together with a great number of universities and research was written in 1797 by Jozef Wybicki. The anthem was composed in Italy, where institutes, makes it the second fastest Polish troops were fighting at the side of developing city in Poland. Napoleon. Łódź 7. The first Polish ruler recorded in history The third largest city in Poland in terms of was Mieszko, about A.D. 963. In 966, Mieszko adopted Christianity, making the population, located in the centre of the country. In the 19th century it used to be Poland the easternmost country within the orbit of Latin culture. the main industrial power of Poland thanks to its textile industry. Recently, however, 8. Poland's Białowieża Primeval Forest is it has been turning into a cultural centre, home to 800,000 European bison, partly because of the Łódź Film School, an Europe’s heaviest land animal (Valène internationally renowned Polish film school Aure / Creative Commons) 6 of 83 TeachingEnglishAcademy.com 9. The 380,000-acre (150,000-hectare) 17. Poland was the only European country Białowieża Primeval Forest in Poland is which never officially collaborated with the Europe’s last ancient forest and home to Nazis at any level, and no Polish units 800 European bison, Europe’s heaviest fought alongside the Nazi army. Poland land animals. never officially surrendered to Germany, and the Polish Resistance movement in 10. The Mongols’ invasion of Poland from German-occupied Poland during World late 1240 to 1241 culminated in the battle War II was the largest resistance of Legnica, where the Mongols defeated movement in Europe. an alliance of forces from fragmented Poland and members of various Christian 18. The word “Poland” is the Anglicized military orders led by Henry II the Pious, version of Polska, which is ultimately the Duke of Silesia. derived from the word or “field.” Thus, Poland means “land of the Poles”—which 11. Polish King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk,