Po‧land /ˈpəʊlənd/
a country in central Europe, east of Germany and west of Belarus. Population: 38,500,696 (2008). Capital: Warsaw. After World War II, Poland became a Communist country, and its government was strongly influenced by the former Soviet Union. A new political group, Solidarity, led by Lech Walesa, began to oppose the Communist government in 1980, and in 1989 Solidarity became the party of government. Poland's main industries traditionally include coal, shipbuilding, and farming, but new industries are now being developed. Poland became a member of the EU in May 2004, and many people from Poland now work in Britain. It is a strongly Catholic country. People from Poland are called Poles.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲