Other poisons, such as those in certain
molds and mushrooms, cause serious
illness or death.
Some poisons can harm people in seconds.
Others can build up over days,
weeks, or months and then harm
people. For example, a person feels the
sting of a poisonous scorpion right away.
But if a person regularly breathes in
paint dust that has lead in it, the lead
will gradually build up in the body. The
damage will happen slowly.
A person who thinks someone has been
poisoned should immediately telephone
a poison control center or emergency
call center. The person should be ready
to explain what happened and wait for
instructions. Doctors can treat many
types of poisoning.
Still, people should learn to identify
poisons in order to prevent poisoning. It
is especially important to keep medicines,
household cleaners, and other
poisonous substances out of the reach of
children.
..More to explore
Food Poisoning
The skull-and-crossbones symbol
is often used as a warning
that something is poisonous.
106 Poison BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Poland
The Republic of Poland is a country in
eastern Europe. The outline of Poland
often changed during its history. At
times it did not exist at all when foreign
powers took control of the land. In the
late 20th century Poland led the fight
against Communism, a strict form of
government, in eastern Europe. Poland’s
capital is Warsaw.
Geography
Poland borders Germany, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus,
Lithuania, and Russia. The Baltic Sea
lies to the north.
Most of Poland is low and flat. Hills
and mountains rise in the south. The
Tatra Mountains, on the border with
Slovakia, are the highest range. Poland’s
main rivers are the Vistula and the
Oder. Both flow northward into the
Baltic Sea.
Poland has warm summers and cold,
snowy winters. The mountains get the
most rain and snow.
Plants and Animals
Forests cover about one quarter of the
country. Larch, beech, oak, birch, pine,
and spruce are common trees. The animals
of the forests include deer, wild
pigs, beavers, and elk. Bears, wildcats,
and chamois (goatlike animals) roam the
mountains. Small numbers of wisent, or
European bison, live in the east.
People
Most of Poland’s people are Poles. They
speak Polish, a language related to Czech
and Slovak. Small numbers of Ukrainians,
Germans, and Belarusians also live
in the country. The main religion is
Roman Catholicism. More than half of
the population lives in cities and towns.
Economy
Services such as banking, communications,
and tourism are the fastestgrowing
parts of Poland’s economy.
Manufacturing is also important. Factories
make food products, machinery,
transportation equipment, iron and
steel, and chemicals. The country also
mines coal, sulfur, copper, and silver.
Agriculture is a small part of the
economy, but many Poles still work as
farmers. The main crops include pota-
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Poland 107
toes, wheat, and sugar beets. Farmers
produce pork, eggs, and dairy products
as well.
History
People called Slavs came to what is now
Poland more than 3,000 years ago. The
written history of Poland begins in the
AD 900s. At that time the Piast dynasty
(ruling family) gained power in the
region. The Piast ruler adopted
Christianity in 966.
The Piast dynasty ruled Poland until the
1300s. In 1386 Poland’s Queen Jadwiga
married Wladyslaw II Jagiello, the grand
duke of Lithuania. The marriage united
Poland and Lithuania, which were
known together as the Commonwealth.
The marriage also started the Jagiellon
dynasty. The Jagiellon rulers controlled
Hungary and Bohemia (now part of the
Czech Republic). They fought off powerful
enemies.
Weakened Poland
After the Jagiellon dynasty ended in
1572, weak kings ruled the Commonwealth.
In the 1600s the Commonwealth
fought costly wars with Sweden,
Russia, and Turkey.
In 1772 Russia, Prussia (part of Germany),
and Austria each took part of the
Commonwealth’s territory. The three
powers divided the land again in 1793.
After a third division in 1795, Poland no
longer existed as a separate state.
The Poles formed a new Polish kingdom
in 1815, but the Russians controlled it.
The Poles revolted against Russian rule
several times. Russia responded by
stamping out Polish culture. For
example, Russia ordered that Polish
schools use the Russian language.
Rebirth of Poland
WorldWar I (1914–18) led to the
rebirth of Poland. The war weakened
Children wear traditional clothing at a ceremony
in Poland.
Tourists visit an old monastery of
the Roman Catholic church in
Poland. A monastery is a home
for monks.
Facts About
POLAND
Population
(2008 estimate)
38,111,000
Area
120,728 sq mi
(312,685 sq km)
Capital
Warsaw
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Warsaw, Lodz,
Krakow,
Wroclaw, Pozna!
108 Poland BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Russia, Austria, and Germany. Poland
became an independent republic in
1918.
WorldWar II
Germany and Russia (by then part of
the Soviet Union) still wanted parts of
Poland’s land. In 1939 the two countries
secretly agreed to divide Poland between
them. In September 1939 Germany
invaded western Poland. The invasion
startedWorldWar II. Soon the Soviet
