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 repeatedly changed. In the sixteenth century, this country was the largest in Europe, but in the eighteenth it ceased to exist as a sovereign state.
Borders of Poland
On October 8, 1939, most of the Polish territory was annexed to the Third Reich by 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 Soviet troops, its borders were changed. According to the Potsdam Agreement, territories to the east of the Oder and Neisse rivers passed 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 of 17-30 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. A 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 Poland borders with has changed after the collapse of the USSR. At one point, the borders in Europe changed, and the state had new neighbors.
Which countries borders Poland: list
The total length of the Polish borders is approximately 3,528 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 Baltic Sea, which allows it to take advantage of the central position for maritime trade.
This is the list of those states with which Poland borders:
- Lithuania;
- Belarus;
- Ukraine;
- Czech;
- Slovakia;
- Germany.
Thanks to the Kaliningrad region, Russia also has a common border with a length of two hundred and ten kilometers with Poland. However, the longest border, more than 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 pan-European and is full of conflicts, quarrels with neighbors. However, the constant mutual cultural and economic interaction with those countries with which Poland borders is also characteristic of this state.
Throughout the post-war period, relations between Poland and its neighbors were determined by the political block to which this or that country belonged. 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 united Germany, despite the very recent sad past. The Polish-German Reconciliation Fund was created to resolve issues related to the difficult 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 satisfy its requirements. However, the relations of states within the European community deserve special mention.
Poland in united Europe
After Britain announced its intention to withdraw from the European Union, a wave of anti-European protests rose in various member countries of the organization. However, the population of some countries remained faithful 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 borders Poland 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 World War II, quite often from nationalist politicians in Germany and Poland one can hear reproaches about past crimes of neighbors. German politicians reproach Polish colleagues for expelling the German population from the territories taken away by Poland, and Polish politicians rightly recall the crimes against humanity that the German troops committed on the territory of Eastern and Central Europe.