Poland is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast, to the north.
The total area of Poland is 312,679 km² (120,728 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and 5th in Europe. Poland's population is over 38.5 million people.
The first Polish state was baptized in 966. Poland became a kingdom in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by uniting to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth collapsed in 1795. Poland regained its independence in 1918 but lost it again in World War II, occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In 1989, communist rule was overthrown and Poland became what is informally known as the "Third Polish Republic".
Poland is the 33rd most populous country in the world. Poland is a unitary state made up of sixteen voivodeships (Polish: województwo). Poland is also a member of the European Union, NATO and OECD.
