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{{Short description|People native to Poland}}{{Hatnote|For a specific analysis of the population of Poland, see Demographics of Poland.}}{{About|Poles as an ethnic group|Polish nationality law or citizenship|Polish nationality law|Poles living outside Poland|Polish diaspora}}{{pp|small=yes}}{{pp-move}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}

factoids

37,394,000 (2011)| region1 = United States| pop1 = 10,600,000 (2015)ARCHIVE-DATE=24 OCTOBER 2013WEBSITE=WSPOLNOTA-POLSKA.ORG.PLTITLE=LUDNOść. STAN I STRUKTURA DEMOGRAFICZNO-SPOÅ‚ECZNAURL=HTTP://STAT.GOV.PL/CPS/RDE/XBCR/GUS/LUD_LUDNOSC_STAN_STR_DEM_SPO_NSP2011.PDFPUBLISHER=GłóWNY URZÄ…D STATYSTYCZNYPAGES=89–101ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20190706044038/HTTPS://STAT.GOV.PL/CPS/RDE/XBCR/GUS/LUD_LUDNOSC_STAN_STR_DEM_SPO_NSP2011.PDF, live, | region2 = Germany| pop2 = 2,253,000 (2018)Bevölkerung mit Migrationshintergrund - Ergebnisse des Mikrozensus - Fachserie 1 Reihe 2.2 - 2018 {{Webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807135312www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Migration-Integration/Publikationen/Downloads-Migration/migrationshintergrund-2010220187004.pdf?__blob=publicationFile |date=7 August 2020 }}, page 62, retrieved 29 November 2019.| region3 = Brazil| pop3 = 1,800,000 (2007)| ref3 = | region4 = Canada| pop4 = 1,010,705 (2013)DATE=2013-05-08ARCHIVE-DATE=24 DECEMBER 2018URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region5 = France| pop5 = 1,000,000 (2022)TITLE=PRéSENTATION DE LA POLOGNE ACCESS-DATE=1 JULY 2022ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20231214064655/HTTPS://WWW.DIPLOMATIE.GOUV.FR/FR/DOSSIERS-PAYS/POLOGNE/RELATIONS-BILATERALES/ ACCESS-DATE=24 JANUARY 2021ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20210122173125/HTTPS://WWW.DIPLOMATIE.GOUV.FR/FR/DOSSIERS-PAYS/POLOGNE/PRESENTATION-DE-LA-POLOGNE/ACCESS-DATE=27 JULY 2020 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160609135216/HTTP://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/NEWS/DATABLOG/2012/JAN/26/EUROPE-POPULATION-WHO-LIVES-WHERE, live, | region6 = United Kingdom| pop6 = 682,000 (2021)WEBSITE=ONS.GOV.UKACCESS-DATE=5 FEBRUARY 2023ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20240103215501/HTTPS://WWW.ONS.GOV.UK/FILE?URI=/PEOPLEPOPULATIONANDCOMMUNITY/POPULATIONANDMIGRATION/INTERNATIONALMIGRATION/DATASETS/POPULATIONOFTHEUNITEDKINGDOMBYCOUNTRYOFBIRTHANDNATIONALITY/JULY2020TOJUNE2021/POPULATIONBYCOUNTRYOFBIRTHANDNATIONALITYJUL20TOJUN21.XLSACCESS-DATE=JULY 31, 2020ARCHIVE-DATE=21 NOVEMBER 2019URL-STATUS=LIVE, {{collapsed infobox section begin|Other countries}}| region7 = Argentina| pop7 = 500,000 (2014)WEBSITE=EDANT.CLARIN.COMACCESS-DATE=14 NOVEMBER 2014ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160303185845/HTTP://EDANT.CLARIN.COM/DIARIO/2004/04/27/T-749506.HTM, live, | region8 = Belarus| pop8 = 288,000 (2019)WEBSITE=WWW.BELSTAT.GOV.BY ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20210709182430/HTTPS://WWW.BELSTAT.GOV.BY/UPLOAD/IBLOCK/B49/B49A6306EC95B5C2D851E897490581A3.PDF, 9 July 2021, | region9 = Russia| pop9 = 273,000 (2013)ARCHIVE-DATE=24 OCTOBER 2013AUTHOR=WSPóLNOTA POLSKAACCESS-DATE=14 NOVEMBER 2014, | region10 = Australia| pop10 = 216,056 (2006)ACCESS-DATE=7 NOVEMBER 2021 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20200715131722/HTTPS://WWW.ABS.GOV.AU/CENSUS?OPENAGENT=&20050-XCP-AUSTRALIA.ZIP=&20060=&MAIN+FEATURES=&02006+CENSUS+EXPANDED+COMMUNITY+PROFILE28%2F11%2F071=&0=&2006=&28.11.2007=&LATEST=, | region11 = Israel| pop11 = 202,300 (2011)DATE=26 SEPTEMBER 2011 PUBLISHER=ISRAEL CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS ACCESS-DATE=11 FEBRUARY 2012 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20190105202349/HTTP://WWW.CBS.GOV.IL/READER/SHNATON/TEMPL_SHNATON_E.HTML?NUM_TAB=ST02_24X&CYEAR=2011%20, live, Poles in Lithuania>Lithuania| pop12 = 183,000 (2021) DATE=16 DECEMBER 2015 ARCHIVE-DATE=16 FEBRUARY 2008 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region13 = Ukraine| pop13 = 144,130 (2001)WEBSITE=2001.UKRCENSUS.GOV.UAARCHIVE-DATE=2 DECEMBER 2013URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region14 = Ireland| pop14 = 112,500 (2018)DATE=17 OCTOBER 2018 ARCHIVE-DATE=6 AUGUST 2020 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region15 = Norway| pop15 = 108,255 (2019)DATE=9 MARCH 2020 ARCHIVE-DATE=11 APRIL 2016 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region16 = Italy| pop16 = 97,000 (2016)TRANS-TITLE=THE NUMBER OF POLES IN ITALY IS DECREASINGWEBSITE=NASZSWIAT.NETARCHIVE-DATE=3 NOVEMBER 2016,www.naszswiat.net/wiadomosci/wiadomosci/wlochy/maleje-liczba-polakow-we-wloszech.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20161103134022www.naszswiat.net/wiadomosci/wiadomosci/wlochy/maleje-liczba-polakow-we-wloszech.html,">web.archive.org/web/20161103134022www.naszswiat.net/wiadomosci/wiadomosci/wlochy/maleje-liczba-polakow-we-wloszech.html, | region17 = Sweden| pop17 = 75,323 (2012)PUBLISHER=STATISTICS SWEDEN ACCESS-DATE=22 DECEMBER 2013 ARCHIVE-DATE=24 SEPTEMBER 2015 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region18 = Austria| pop18 = 69,898 (2015)www.statistik.at/web_de/statistiken/menschen_und_gesellschaft//bevoelkerung_am_1.1.2015_nach_detailliertem_geburtsland_und_bundesland-2.pdf {{dead link>date=August 2017}}| region19 = Spain| pop19 = 63,000 (2019)DATE=10 FEBRUARY 2014ARCHIVE-DATE=28 MARCH 2020URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region20 = Netherlands| pop20 = 60,000 (2017)| ref20 = | region21 = Belgium| pop21 = 49,600 (2019)| ref21 = | region22 = Latvia| pop22 = 44,783 (2011)WEBSITE=CSB.GOV.LVARCHIVE-DATE=6 JULY 2018URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region23 = Denmark| pop23 = 37,876 (2014)PUBLISHER=STATISTICS DENMARKARCHIVE-DATE=29 NOVEMBER 2019URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region24 = Kazakhstan| pop24 = 34,057 (2018)ARCHIVE-DATE=2018-11-18WEBSITE=STAT.KZ, | region25 = South Africa| pop25 = 30,000 (2014)AUTHOR=WSPóLNOTA POLSKAACCESS-DATE=14 NOVEMBER 2014ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180810205001/HTTP://WWW.WSPOLNOTA-POLSKA.ORG.PL/INDEX.PHP?ID=DUBD2, live, | region26 = Iceland| pop26 = 20,927 (2022)PUBLISHER=STATISTICS ICELANDACCESS-DATE=31 AUGUST 2023ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20230927201903/HTTPS://PX.HAGSTOFA.IS/PXEN/PXWEB/EN/IBUAR/IBUAR__MANNFJOLDI__3_BAKGRUNNUR__FAEDINGARLAND/MAN12103.PX/?RXID=412C9DCA-B461-4DF8-ADCA-DCD0687A6CE6, live, | region27 = Czech Republic| pop27 = 20,305 (2017)ACCESS-DATE=11 OCTOBER 2017 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180112214925/HTTPS://WWW.CZSO.CZ/DOCUMENTS/11292/27914491/1612_C01T14.PDF/4BBEDD77-C239-48CD-BF5A-7A43F6DBF71B?VERSION=1.0, | region28 = Hungary| pop28 = 20,000 (2018)URL=HTTP://WWW.KSH.HU/DOCS/HUN/XFTP/IDOSZAKI/MIKROCENZUS2016/MIKROCENZUS_2016_12.PDFTRANS-TITLE=2016 MICROCENSUS - 12. ETHNIC DATAWORK=HUNGARIAN CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICEYEAR=2018ISBN=978-963-235-542-9ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20190808024307/HTTP://WWW.KSH.HU/DOCS/HUN/XFTP/IDOSZAKI/MIKROCENZUS2016/MIKROCENZUS_2016_12.PDF, live, | region29 = Switzerland| pop29 = 20,000 (2007)| ref29 = archiwum.wspolnotapolska.org.pl/?id=pwko00" title="web.archive.org/web/20120326104317archiwum.wspolnotapolska.org.pl/?id=pwko00">Polska Diaspora na Å›wiecie, Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota Polska, 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2020.| region30 = Paraguay| pop30 = 16,748 (2012)LANGUAGE=ES YEAR=2012 ARCHIVE-DATE=18 MAY 2015, | region31 = Greece| pop31 = 15,000 (2019)| ref31 = | region32 = United Arab Emirates| pop32 = 14,500 (2015)| ref32 = | region33 = Chile| pop33 = 10,000 (2007)| ref33 = | region34 = Mexico| pop34 = 10,000 (2007)| ref34 = | region35 = Moldova| pop35 = 10,000 (2007)| ref35 = | region36 = Uruguay| pop36 = 10,000 (2007)| ref36 = | region37 = Slovakia| pop37 = 5,282 (2021)ACCESS-DATE=2022-08-25 ARCHIVE-DATE=15 JULY 2022 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | region38 = Portugal| pop38 = 4,326www.sef.pt/pt/Documents/RIFA2022%20vF2a.pdf, | region39 = Japan| pop39 = 1,762 (2023)LANGUAGE=JA ACCESS-DATE=20 MAY 2024, {{collapsed infobox section end}}Predominantly Polish}}Catholic Church>Roman CatholicismHTTP://STAT.GOV.PL/DOWNLOAD/GFX/PORTALINFORMACYJNY/PL/DEFAULTAKTUALNOSCI/5515/1/19/1/MALY_ROCZNIK_STATYSTYCZNY_POLSKI_2018.PDF>TITLE=MAÅ‚Y ROCZNIK STATYSTYCZNY POLSKI 2018 (CONCISE STATISTICAL YEARBOOK OF POLAND 2018)JOURNAL=CONCISE STATISTICAL YEARBOOK OF POLAND = MAÅ‚Y ROCZNIK STATYSTYCZNY POLSKIPAGES=114–115ISSN=1640-3630LANGUAGE=PL, ENARCHIVE-DATE=24 MAY 2020URL-STATUS=LIVE, | related = Other West SlavsEspecially other Lechites| native_name_lang = pl60 million}}37.5–38 million in Poland and 21–22 million ethnic Poles or people of ethnic Polish extraction elsewhere. “Polmap. Rozmieszczenie ludnoÅ›ci pochodzenia polskiego (w mln)” {{webarchivepolmap.pdg.pl/mapy/polonia_na_swiecie.htm >date=30 July 2015 }}}}Polish people, or Poles,{{efn|, {{IPA-pl|pɔˈlatÍ¡sɨ|pron}}; singular masculine: Polak, singular feminine: Polka}} are a West Slavic ethnic group and nationBOOK,books.google.com/books?id=97saAAAAYAAJ&dq=polacy+nar%C3%B3d+lechicki&pg=PA68, Historya ksia̜żaÌœt i królów polskich krótko zebrana – Teodor Waga – Google Books, 2020-07-09, J. Zawadzki, 19 March 2023, 27 September 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230927201919/https://books.google.com/books?id=97saAAAAYAAJ&dq=polacy+nar%C3%B3d+lechicki&pg=PA68#v=onepage&q=polacy%20nar%C3%B3d%20lechicki&f=false, live, BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=_7xoAAAAcAAJ&dq=polacy+nar%C3%B3d+lechicki&pg=PA67, Historya krolow i ksiazat polskich krotko zebrana dla lepszego uzytku Wyd ... – Theodor Waga – Google Books, 2020-07-09, Zupanski, 19 March 2023, 27 September 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230927201919/https://books.google.com/books?id=_7xoAAAAcAAJ&dq=polacy+nar%C3%B3d+lechicki&pg=PA67#v=onepage&q=polacy%20nar%C3%B3d%20lechicki&f=false, live, Gerard Labuda. Fragmenty dziejów SÅ‚owiaÅ„szczyzny zachodniej, t. 1–2 s.72 2002; Henryk ŁowmiaÅ„ski. PoczÄ…tki Polski: z dziejów SÅ‚owian w I tysiÄ…cleciu n.e., t. 5 s.472; StanisÅ‚aw Henryk Badeni, 1923. s. 270. who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Central Europe. The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland defines the Polish nation as comprising all the citizens of Poland, regardless of heritage or ethnicity. The majority of Poles adhere to Roman Catholicism.The population of self-declared Poles in Poland is estimated at 37,394,000 out of an overall population of 38,512,000 (based on the 2011 census),WEB, The national-ethnic affiliation in the population – The results of the census of population and housing in 2011,www.stat.gov.pl/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/Przynaleznosc_narodowo-etniczna_w_2011_NSP.pdf, 6 March 2013, Central Statistical Office, 1, pl, January 2013, Central Statistical Office (Poland), 15 May 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200515165423/https://stat.gov.pl/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/Przynaleznosc_narodowo-etniczna_w_2011_NSP.pdf, live, of whom 36,522,000 declared Polish alone.BOOK,stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5670/22/1/1/struktura_narodowo-etniczna.pdf, Struktura narodowo-etniczna, jÄ™zykowa i wyznaniowa ludnoÅ›ci Polski. Narodowy Spis Powszechny LudnoÅ›ci i MieszkaÅ„ 2011., Gudaszewski, Grzegorz, Główny UrzÄ…d Statystyczny, November 2015, 978-83-7027-597-6, Warsaw, 132–136, 8 February 2018, 8 August 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190808010836/https://stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5670/22/1/1/struktura_narodowo-etniczna.pdf, live, BOOK,stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5670/22/1/1/struktura_narodowo-etniczna.pdf, Struktura narodowo-etniczna, jÄ™zykowa i wyznaniowa ludnoÅ›ci Polski [Narodowy Spis Powszechny LudnoÅ›ci i MieszkaÅ„ 2011], Główny UrzÄ…d Statystyczny, November 2015, 978-83-7027-597-6, Warsaw, 129–136, pl, 8 February 2018, 8 August 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190808010836/https://stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/5670/22/1/1/struktura_narodowo-etniczna.pdf, live, A wide-ranging Polish diaspora (the Polonia) exists throughout Eurasia, the Americas, and Australasia. Today, the largest urban concentrations of Poles are within the Warsaw metropolitan area and the Katowice urban area.Ethnic Poles are considered to be the descendants of the ancient West Slavic Lechites and other tribes that inhabited the Polish territories during the late antiquity period. Poland’s recorded history dates back over a thousand years to {{circa}} 930–960 AD, when the Western Polans – an influential tribe in the Greater Poland region – united various Lechitic clans under what became the Piast dynasty,Gerard Labuda. Fragmenty dziejów SÅ‚owiaÅ„szczyzny zachodniej, t.1–2 p.72 2002; Henryk ŁowmiaÅ„ski. PoczÄ…tki Polski: z dziejów SÅ‚owian w I tysiÄ…cleciu n.e., t. 5 p.472; StanisÅ‚aw Henryk Badeni, 1923. p. 270. thus creating the first Polish state. The subsequent Christianization of Poland by the Catholic Church, in 966 CE, marked Poland’s advent to the community of Western Christendom. However, throughout its existence, the Polish state followed a tolerant policy towards minorities resulting in numerous ethnic and religious identities of the Poles, such as Polish Jews.

Exonyms

{{see also|Name of Poland}}The Polish endonym Polacy is derived from the Western Polans, a Lechitic tribe which inhabited lands around the River Warta in Greater Poland region from the mid-6th century onward.WEB, GliÅ„ski, MikoÅ‚aj, 6 December 2016, The Many Different Names of Poland,culture.pl/en/article/the-many-different-names-of-poland, 31 March 2019, Culture.pl, 31 March 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190331110229/https://culture.pl/en/article/the-many-different-names-of-poland, live, The tribe’s name stems from the Proto-Indo European *plehâ‚‚-, which means flat or flatland and corresponds to the topography of a region that the Western Polans initially settled.BOOK, Lehr-SpÅ‚awiÅ„ski, Tadeusz, 1978, JÄ™zyk polski. Pochodzenie, powstanie, rozwój, Warszawa (Warsaw), PaÅ„stwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 64, BOOK, PotkaÅ„ski, Karol, 1922, 2004, Pisma poÅ›miertne. Granice plemienia Polan, 1 & 2,books.google.com/books?id=b78eAAAAMAAJ&q=p%C5%82aska%20wielkopolska%20polanie, Kraków, Polska Akademia UmiejÄ™tnoÅ›ci, 423, 978-83-7063-411-7, 19 March 2023, 4 April 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230404210016/https://books.google.com/books?id=b78eAAAAMAAJ&q=p%C5%82aska%20wielkopolska%20polanie, live, The prefix pol- is used in most world languages when referring to (:wiktionary:Pole#English|Pole)s (Spanish polaco, Italian polacche, French polonais, German Pole).Among other foreign exonyms for the Polish people are Lithuanian Lenkai; Hungarian Lengyelek; Turkish Leh; Lehastan; and (Lahestān). These stem from Lechia, the ancient name for Poland, or from the tribal Lendians. Their names are equally derived from the Old Polish term lÄ™da, meaning plain or field.BOOK, MaÅ‚ecki, Antoni, 1907, Lechici w Å›wietle historycznej krytyki, Lwów, ZakÅ‚ad Narodowy im. OssoliÅ„skich, 37, 978-83-65746-64-1,

Ethnogenesis

{{see also|Early Slavs|Western Slavs|Lechites}}File:Gesta Hamburgensis trans oddara st polanos.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Fragment of Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (1073) by Adam of Bremen, containing the name “Polans”: ”trans Oddaram sunt Polanos”]]Slavs have been in the territory of modern-day Poland for over 1500 years. During the Migration Period, central Europe was becoming increasingly settled by the early Slavs (500–700 AD).Zbigniew KobyliÅ„ski. “The Slavs” {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522135116www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/new-cambridge-medieval-history/slavs/BA9F5D451AAE4AEC657C6960F28EF244 |date=22 May 2022 }}. The New Cambridge Medieval History, pp. 530–537 They organized into tribal units, of which the larger ones further west were later known as the Polish tribes (Lechites);Zenon Klemensiewicz: Historia jÄ™zyka polskiego t.III. Warszawa: PWN, 1985. P. 418-471. ISBN 83-01-06443-9. the names of many tribes are found on the list compiled by the anonymous Bavarian Geographer in the 9th century.BOOK, God’s Playground A History of Poland: Volume 1: The Origins to 1795: Origins, Norman Davies, 2005, OUP Oxford, 978-0-19-925339-5, xxvii, In the 9th and 10th centuries the tribes gave rise to developed regions along the upper Vistula (the Vistulans), the Baltic Sea coast and in Greater Poland. The ultimate tribal undertaking (10th century) resulted in a lasting political structure and the creation of a Polish state.BOOK, U źródeÅ‚ Polski (do roku 1038), Marek Derwich, Adam Å»urek, 2002, 122–143, pl,

Language

File:Book of Henryków.PNG|thumb|upright=1.1|left|Book of Henryków. Highlighted in red is the earliest known sentence written in the Old Polish languageOld Polish languagePolish is the native language of most Poles. It is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group and the sole official language in the Republic of Poland. Its written form uses the Polish alphabet, which is the basic Latin alphabet with the addition of six diacritic marks, totalling 32 letters. Bearing relation to Czech and Slovak, it has been profoundly influenced by Latin, German and other languages over the course of history.WEB,books.google.com/books?id=y_lgAAAAMAAJ&q=wplyw+francuskiego+na+j%C4%99zyk+polski, JÄ™zyk polski, July 27, 2000, Towarzystwo MiÅ‚oÅ›ników JÄ™zyka Polskiego., Google Books, 29 September 2021, 27 September 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230927201922/https://books.google.com/books?id=y_lgAAAAMAAJ&q=wplyw+francuskiego+na+j%C4%99zyk+polski, live, BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=hjq2AAAAIAAJ&q=wp%C5%82yw+jezyka+niemieckiego+na+polski, Tendencje rozwojowe współczesnych zapożyczeÅ„ angielskich w jÄ™zyku polskim, Elżbieta, MaÅ„czak-Wohlfeld, July 27, 1995, Universitas, 978-83-7052-347-3, Google Books, 29 September 2021, 27 September 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230927201924/https://books.google.com/books?id=hjq2AAAAIAAJ&q=wp%C5%82yw+jezyka+niemieckiego+na+polski, live, Poland is linguistically homogeneous – nearly 97% of Poland’s citizens declare Polish as their mother tongue.WEB,www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-poland.html, Which Languages Are Spoken in Poland?, WorldAtlas, 18 July 2018, 29 September 2021, 23 December 2021,web.archive.org/web/20211223070736/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-poland.html, live, Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner throughout most of Poland, though numerous dialects and a vernacular language in certain regions coexist alongside standard Polish. The most common lects in Poland are Silesian, spoken in Upper Silesia, and Kashubian, widely spoken in historic Eastern Pomerania (Pomerelia), today in the northwestern part of Poland.BOOK, Lucjan Adamczuk, SÅ‚awomir ŁodziÅ„ski, 2006, MniejszoÅ›ci narodowe w Polsce w Å›wietle Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego z 2002 roku, Warszawa (Warsaw), Wydawn. Nauk. Scholar, 149, 978-83-7383-143-8, Kashubian possesses its own status as a separate language.WEB,docplayer.pl/57273906-Instytut-kaszubski-acta-cassubiana-tom-xvii.html, Acta Cassubiana. Vol. XVII (map on p. 122), 2015, Instytut Kaszubski, 9 February 2018, 10 February 2018,docplayer.pl/57273906-Instytut-kaszubski-acta-cassubiana-tom-xvii.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20180210002849docplayer.pl/57273906-Instytut-kaszubski-acta-cassubiana-tom-xvii.html,">web.archive.org/web/20180210002849docplayer.pl/57273906-Instytut-kaszubski-acta-cassubiana-tom-xvii.html, live, WEB,instytutkaszubski.republika.pl/pdfy/niemiecki.pdf, Kaschuben heute: Kultur-Sprache-Identität, 2007, de, 3 January 2016, 3 January 2016,instytutkaszubski.republika.pl/pdfy/niemiecki.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20160103000918instytutkaszubski.republika.pl/pdfy/niemiecki.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20160103000918instytutkaszubski.republika.pl/pdfy/niemiecki.pdf, The Goral people in the mountainous south use their own nonstandard dialect, accenting and different intonation.The geographical distribution of the Polish language was greatly affected by the border changes and population transfers that followed the Second World War – forced expulsions and resettlement during that period contributed to the country’s current linguistic homogeneity.

Culture

File:ArrasyWawel.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Polish White Eagle is Poland’s enduring national and cultural symbol ]]The culture of Poland is closely connected with its intricate 1,000-year history, and forms an important constituent in the Western civilisation.Adam Zamoyski, The Polish Way: A Thousand Year History of the Poles and Their Culture {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928231729www.amazon.co.uk/Polish-Way-Thousand-History-Culture/dp/0781802008/ |date=28 September 2020 }}. Published 1993, Hippocrene Books, Poland, {{ISBN|0-7818-0200-8}} Strong ties with the Latinate world and the Roman Catholic faith also shaped Poland’s cultural identity.Officially, the national and state symbol is the white-tailed eagle (bielik) embedded on the Coat of arms of Poland (godÅ‚o).{{in lang|pl}} Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601213602www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/polski/kon1.htm |date=1 June 2019 }} [{{in lang|en}} Constitution of the Republic of Poland {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515155657www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm |date=15 May 2019 }}], Dz.U. 1997 nr 78 poz. 483 The national colours are white and red, which appropriately appear on the flag of Poland (flaga), banners, cockades and memorabilia.File:Album p0227a v3 - Adam Mickiewicz.jpg|thumb|upright|Adam Mickiewicz is regarded as a national poet in PolandPolandPersonal achievement and education plays an important role in Polish society today. In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment ranked Poland 11th in the world for mathematics, science and reading.WEB,www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/pisa-2018-results.htm, PISA 2018 results, 2018, oecd.org, OECD, 29 September 2021, 3 December 2019,web.archive.org/web/20191203141933/https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/pisa-2018-results.htm, live, Education has been of prime interest to Poland since the early 12th century, particularly for its noble classes. In 1364, King Casimir the Great founded the Kraków Academy, which would become Jagiellonian University, the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Central Europe.BOOK, Zachara, MaÅ‚gorzata, 2018, Poland in Transatlantic Relations after 1989, Cambridge, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 323, 978-1-5275-0740-1, People of Polish birth have made considerable contributions in the fields of science, technology and mathematics both in Poland and abroad,BOOK,uatacz.up.krakow.pl/~wwwchemia/pliki/ISBN_978_83_7271_768_9_From_alchemy_to_the_present_day, From Alchemy to the Present Day – the Choice of Biographies of Polish Scientists, NodzyÅ„ska, MaÅ‚gorzata, CieÅ›la, PaweÅ‚, Pedagogical University of Kraków, 2012, 978-83-7271-768-9, Cracow, 3 May 2018, 3 March 2016,uatacz.up.krakow.pl/~wwwchemia/pliki/ISBN_978_83_7271_768_9_From_alchemy_to_the_present_day," title="web.archive.org/web/20160303201958uatacz.up.krakow.pl/~wwwchemia/pliki/ISBN_978_83_7271_768_9_From_alchemy_to_the_present_day,">web.archive.org/web/20160303201958uatacz.up.krakow.pl/~wwwchemia/pliki/ISBN_978_83_7271_768_9_From_alchemy_to_the_present_day, among them Vitello, Nicolaus Copernicus, Marie SkÅ‚odowska–Curie, Rudolf Modrzejewski, Rudolf Weigl, BronisÅ‚aw Malinowski, Stefan Banach, StanisÅ‚aw Ulam, Leonid Hurwicz, Benoit Mandelbrot and Alfred Tarski.Poland’s folk music, especially the mazurka, krakowiak and polonaise, were popularized by Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, and they soon spread across Europe and elsewhere.BOOK, Berend, Ivan T., 2005, History Derailed. Central and Eastern Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century, Berkeley, University of California Press, 66, 978-0-520-24525-9, Latin songs and religious hymns such as Gaude Mater Polonia and Bogurodzica were once chanted in churches and during patriotic festivities, but the tradition has faded.According to a 2020 study, Poland ranks 12th globally on a list of countries which read the most, and approximately 79% of Poles read the news more than once a day, placing it 2nd behind Sweden.WEB,geediting.com/world-reading-habits-2020/, World Reading Habits in 2020 [Infographic], Cabrera, Isabel, 2020, geediting.com, Global English Editing, 29 September 2021, 4 May 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220504004350/https://geediting.com/world-reading-habits-2020/, live, As of 2021, six Poles received the Nobel Prize in Literature.{{efn|In some instances only five laureates are acknowledged as Isaac Bashevis Singer resided in the United States and primarily wrote in Yiddish.}} The national epic is Pan Tadeusz (English: Master Thaddeus), written by Adam Mickiewicz. Renowned novelists who gained much recognition abroad include Joseph Conrad (wrote in English; Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim), StanisÅ‚aw Lem (science-fiction; Solaris) and Andrzej Sapkowski (fantasy; The Witcher).File:Chopin concert.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Frederic Chopin plays for the RadziwiÅ‚Å‚ family, 1829 (painting by Henryk SiemiradzkiHenryk SiemiradzkiVarious regions in Poland such as Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Mazovia, Silesia, and Pomerania developed their own distinct cultures, cuisines, folk costumes and dialects. Also, Poland for centuries was a refuge to many Jews and to Armenians, who became an important part of Polish society and similarly developed their own unique cultures.Popular everyday foods in Poland include pork cutlets (kotlet schabowy), schnitzels, kielbasa sausage, potatoes, coleslaw and salads, soups (barszcz, tomato or meat broth), pierogi dumplings, and bread rolls. Traditional Polish cuisine is hearty and Poles are one of the more obese nations in Europe – approximately 58% of the adult population was overweight in 2019, above the EU average.WEB,ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics, Overweight and obesity - BMI statistics, Eurostat, 2019, ec.europa.eu, European Union, 30 September 2021, 8 January 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230108163155/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics, live, According to data from 2017, meat consumption per capita in Poland was one of the highest in the world, with pork being the most in demand.WEB,www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS, Food balances data 2017, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2017, FAO.org, 21 October 2021, 11 May 2017,www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS," title="web.archive.org/web/20170511194947www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS,">web.archive.org/web/20170511194947www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS, live, Alcohol consumption is relatively moderate compared to other European states;WEB,apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274603/9789241565639-eng.pdf, WHO Global status report on alcohol and health 2018, who.int, live,web.archive.org/web/20210210160224/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274603/9789241565639-eng.pdf, 2021-02-10, popular alcoholic beverages include Polish-produced beer, vodka and ciders.

Religion

{{see also|Roman Catholicism in Poland|Polish National Catholic Church|Polish Orthodox Church|Polish Lutheran Church|Pentecostal Church in Poland|Baptist Union of Poland|Polish Reformed Church}}File:Pope John Paul II in Kraków – 1983.jpg|thumb|upright|John Paul II was the first Pole to become a Roman Catholic PopeRoman Catholic PopePoles have traditionally adhered to the Christian faith; an overwhelming majority belongs to the Roman Catholic Church,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/poland/, The World Factbook, 14 November 2014, Europe: Poland — the World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency,web.archive.org/web/20230108080850/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/poland/, 8 January 2023, live, with 87.5% of Poles in 2011 identifying as Roman Catholic.GUS, Narodowy Spis Powszechny Ludnosci 2011: 4.4. Przynależność wyznaniowa (National Survey 2011: 4.4 Membership in faith communities) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010210701stat.gov.pl/download/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/LUD_ludnosc_stan_str_dem_spo_NSP2011.pdf |date=10 October 2017 }} p. 99/337 (PDF file, direct download 3.3 MB). {{ISBN|978-83-7027-521-1}} {{nowrap|Retrieved 27 December 2014.}} According to Poland’s Constitution, freedom of religion is ensured to everyone. It also allows for national and ethnic minorities to have the right to establish educational and cultural institutions, institutions designed to protect religious identity, as well as to participate in the resolution of matters connected with their cultural identity.There are smaller communities primarily comprising Protestants (especially Lutherans), Orthodox Christians (migrants), Jehovah’s Witnesses, those irreligious, and Judaism (mostly from the Jewish populations in Poland who have lived in Poland prior to World War II){{in lang|pl}} KoÅ›cioÅ‚y i zwiÄ…zki wyznaniowe w Polsce {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805132751kzbb.org/ind.php?kzbb=statystyka&w=kiz2000 |date=5 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 17 June 2008. and Sunni Muslims (Polish Tatars). Roman Catholics live all over the country, while Orthodox Christians can be found mostly in the far north-eastern corner, in the area of BiaÅ‚ystok, and Protestants in Cieszyn Silesia and Warmia-Masuria regions. A growing Jewish population exists in major cities, especially in Warsaw, Kraków and WrocÅ‚aw. Over two million Jews of Polish origin reside in the United States, Brazil, and Israel.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}File:Wojciech Gerson, PrzyjÄ™cie Å»ydów.jpg|thumb|Casimir III the Great welcomes the Jews to Poland (by Wojciech GersonWojciech GersonReligious organizations in the Republic of Poland can register their institution with the Ministry of Interior and Administration creating a record of churches and other religious organizations who operate under separate Polish laws. This registration is not necessary; however, it is beneficial when it comes to serving the freedom of religious practice laws.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}Slavic Native Faith (Rodzimowiercy) groups, registered with the Polish authorities in 1995, are the Native Polish Church (Rodzimy KoÅ›ciół Polski), which represents a pagan tradition going back to WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw KoÅ‚odziej’s 1921 Holy Circle of Worshippers of Åšwiatowid (ÅšwiÄ™te KoÅ‚o Czcicieli Åšwiatowida), and the Polish Slavic Church (Polski KoÅ›ciół SÅ‚owiaÅ„ski). There is also the Native Faith Association (Zrzeszenie Rodzimej Wiary, ZRW), founded in 1996.Scott Simpson, Native Faith: Polish Neo-Paganism at the Brink of the 21st Century, 2000.

Geographic distribution

{{More citations needed section|date=September 2021}}(File:Map of the Polish Diaspora in the World.svg|thumb|upright=1.7|The map depicts countries by number of citizens who reported Polish ancestry or citizenship (based on sources in this article){{Legend|#000000|Poland}}{{Legend|#a40e2a|+ 10,000,000}}{{Legend|#dc143c|+ 1,000,000}}{{Legend|#f26986|+ 100,000}}{{Legend|#f8c4cf|+ 10,000}})File:Grojcowianie 15-08-2016.jpg|thumb|Young Gorals of the Beskid Mountains (Å»ywiec)]]Polish people are the sixth-largest national group in the European Union (EU).NationMaster.com 2003–2008. People Statistics: Population (most recent) by country {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603024628nationmaster.com/red/graph/peo_pop-people-population%26int%3D-1%26id%3DEUR%26b_ac%3D1 |date=3 June 2009 }}. Retrieved 25 January 2008. Estimates vary depending on source, though available data suggest a total number of around 60 million people worldwide (with roughly 18-20 million living outside of Poland, many of whom are not of Polish descent, but are Polish nationals).WEB, Record number of Poles in Britain: statistics office,thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/365138,Record-number-of-Poles-in-Britain-statistics-office, association “Polish Community”, 21 November 2013, pl, 17 May 2019,thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/365138,Record-number-of-Poles-in-Britain-statistics-office," title="web.archive.org/web/20190517095154thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/365138,Record-number-of-Poles-in-Britain-statistics-office,">web.archive.org/web/20190517095154thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/365138,Record-number-of-Poles-in-Britain-statistics-office, There are almost 38 million Poles in Poland alone. There are also strong Polish communities in neighbouring countries, whose territories were once occupied or part of Poland – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, western Ukraine, and western Belarus.The term “Polonia” is usually used in Poland to refer to people of Polish origin who live outside Polish borders. There is a notable Polish diaspora in the United States, Brazil, and Canada. France has a historic relationship with Poland and has a relatively large Polish-descendant population. Poles have lived in France since the 18th century. In the early 20th century, over a million Polish people settled in France, mostly during world wars, among them Polish émigrés fleeing either Nazi occupation (1939–1945) or Communism (1945/1947–1989).In the United States, a significant number of Polish immigrants settled in Chicago (billed as the world’s most Polish city outside of Poland), Milwaukee, Ohio, Detroit, New Jersey, New York City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and New England. The highest concentration of Polish Americans in a single New England municipality is in New Britain, Connecticut. The majority of Polish Canadians have arrived in Canada since World War II. The number of Polish immigrants increased between 1945 and 1970, and again after the end of Communism in Poland in 1989. In Brazil, the majority of Polish immigrants settled in Paraná State. Smaller, but significant numbers settled in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Espírito Santo and São Paulo (state). The city of Curitiba has the second largest Polish diaspora in the world (after Chicago) and Polish music, dishes and culture are quite common in the region.A recent large migration of Poles took place following Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004 and with the opening of the EU’s labor market; an approximate number of 2 million, primarily young, Poles taking up jobs abroad.WEB,wiadomosci.onet.pl/swiat/sueddeutsche-zeitung-polska-przezywa-najwieksza-fale-emigracji-od-100-lat/yrtt0, “Sueddeutsche Zeitung”: Polska przeżywa najwiÄ™kszÄ… falÄ™ emigracji od 100 lat, 26 September 2014, Wiadomosci.onet.pl, 20 August 2017, 8 March 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210308055401/https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/swiat/sueddeutsche-zeitung-polska-przezywa-najwieksza-fale-emigracji-od-100-lat/yrtt0, live, It is estimated that over half a million Polish people went to work in the United Kingdom from Poland. Since 2011, Poles have been able to work freely throughout the EU where they have had full working rights since Poland’s EU accession in 2004. The Polish community in Norway has increased substantially and has grown to a total number of 120,000, making Poles the largest immigrant group in Norway. Only in recent years has the population abroad decreased, specifically in the UK with 116.000 leaving the UK in 2018 alone. There is a large minority of Polish people in Ireland that makes up approximately 2.57% of the population.WEB, Polish - CSO - Central Statistics Office,www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpnin/cpnin/polish/, 2022-05-02, www.cso.ie, en, 18 September 2018,web.archive.org/web/20180918193759/https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpnin/cpnin/polish/, live,

See also

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}

• Demographics of Poland
• Karta Polaka
• Lechites
• List of Poles
• Names of Poland (etymology of the demonym)
• Pole and Hungarian brothers be
• Poles in France
• Poles in Germany
• Poles in Latvia
• Poles in Lithuania
• Poles in Norway
• Poles in Romania
• Poles in the Soviet Union
• Poles in Spain
• Poles in the United Kingdom
• Polish Americans
• Polish Argentines
• Polish Australians
• Polish Brazilians
• Polish Canadians
• Polish Chileans
• Polish Mexicans
• Polish minority in Ireland
• Polish Czechs
• Polish nationality law
• Polish New Zealanders
• Polish Uruguayans
• Polish Venezuelans
• Polonization
• Sons of Poland
• West Slavs{{div col end}}

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}{{commons category|People of Poland}}{{Slavic ethnic groups}}{{Polish diaspora}}{{Ethnic groups in Poland}}{{Authority control}}