Those countries with which Poland borders, with the exception of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, like it, are members of the European Union. In the Middle Ages, the borders of Poland changed several times. In the sixteenth century, this country was the largest in Europe, but in the eighteenth it ceased to exist as a sovereign state.
Polish borders
On October 8, 1939, most of the Polish territory was annexed to the Third Reich by a special order of Adolf Hitler, a special occupation administration was created to manage the new imperial lands. So Poland once again ceased to exist as a sovereign state.
After the liberation of Poland by the Soviet troops, its borders were changed. According to the Potsdam Agreement, territories east of the Oder and Neisse rivers came under the control of the Poles. The land of the south of East Prussia was also torn away from Germany.
Despite the fact that the Polish-Soviet border was established along the so-called "Curzon Line" with a concession to17-30 kilometers in favor of Poland, the territory of the post-war republic decreased by 77 thousand kilometers. The border between Czechoslovakia and Poland was established in October 1938. The change in the post-war borders of Poland was followed by a massive population exchange with Germany and the USSR, as a result of which Poland turned into a mono-ethnic state.
The situation with which countries borders Poland has changed after the collapse of the USSR. At one point, the borders in Europe changed, and the state had new neighbors.
Poland borders countries: list
The total length of the Polish borders is approximately 3528 kilometers, while the sea of them is only 401 kilometers. Poland, being a state of Central Europe, borders on many countries of both Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, the country has access to the B altic Sea, which allows it to take advantage of its central location for maritime trade.
This is the list of countries bordering Poland:
- Lithuania;
- Belarus;
- Ukraine;
- Czech Republic;
- Slovakia;
- Germany.
Thanks to the Kaliningrad region, Russia also has a common border with Poland, two hundred and ten kilometers long. However, the longest border, over 610 kilometers, is between Poland and the Czech Republic.
Poland and its neighbors. Challenges and Prospects
The history of Polish statehood is inextricably linked with the history of the pan-European and is full of conflicts and quarrelswith neighbors. However, constant mutual cultural and economic interaction with those countries with which Poland borders is also characteristic of this state.
During the entire post-war period, Poland's relations with its neighbors were determined by which political bloc this or that country belonged to. After the unification of Germany, the division of Czechoslovakia and the liquidation of the Soviet Union, international relations in Europe reached a qualitatively new level.
Post-communist Poland has developed extremely warm relations with the united Germany, despite the very recent sad past. The Foundation for Polish-German Reconciliation was established to deal with the painful legacy of World War II.
In 2004, Poland joined the European Union, despite the fact that, according to some members of the organization, it did not fully meet its requirements. However, the relations of states within the European community deserve special mention.
Poland in a united Europe
After the UK announced its intention to leave the European Union, a wave of anti-European speeches arose in various member countries of the organization. However, the population of some countries still remained true to the ideas of a united Europe, devoid of internal borders. First of all, we are talking about Germany, Poland and Austria. It is not difficult to understand which country Poland borders on from the above - it is Germany, and Poland is separated from Austria by the territories of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Despite the negative legacy of the Second World War, one can often hear accusations from the nationalist-minded politicians in Germany and Poland about the past crimes of their neighbors. German politicians reproach their Polish colleagues for evicting the German population from the territories seized by Poland, and Polish politicians rightly recall the crimes against humanity committed by German troops in Eastern and Central Europe.
