Warsaw Warszawa
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Semper invicta (Always invincible)
Warsaw
Coordinates: 52°13′56.28″N 21°00′30.36″E / 52.2323, 21.0084333
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
County	city county
City rights	turn of the 13th century
Boroughs	18 dzielnicas Bemowo Białołęka Bielany Mokotów Ochota Praga North Praga South Rembertów Śródmieście Targówek Ursus Ursynów Wawer Wesoła Wilanów Włochy Wola Żoliborz
Government
- Mayor	Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO)
Area
- City	517 km² (199. The Flag of Warsaw is formed by two horizontal bands of equal width &mdash yellow on the top and red on the bottom The Coat of Arms of Warsaw Gules, a mermaid proper bearing a sword and shield-->consists of a syrenka A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Voivodeship The voivodeship or province (województwo has been a high-level Administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century Masovian Voivodeship (also known as Masovia Province or by its Polish name of województwo mazowieckie or simply Mazowieckie) is the largest and most A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County In the Polish system of local administration a dzielnica is an administrative subdivision of a city or town which in some cases may have its own council and (in Warsaw Bemowo is a district of Warsaw located in the western part of the city Białołęka is a district in Warsaw located in the northern part of the city This article is about district in Warsaw There are also districts in Toruń and Krakow with the same name Mokotów is a Dzielnica ( Borough, District) of Warsaw, the Capital Ochota is a district in Warsaw located in the central part of the city Praga Północ (North Praga is a district in Warsaw located in the central part of the city Praga Południe (South Praga is a borough of Warsaw located on the east bank of the Vistula River Rembertów is one of the boroughs of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Śródmieście ("city centre" is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. Targówek is a district in Warsaw, Poland located in the northern part of the city Ursus ( Latin Bear) is one of the Warsawian districts Between 1952 and 1977 it a was separate Ursynów (pronounce) is the southernmost district of Warsaw. With a surface area of 44 Wawer is one of the districts of Warsaw, located in the south-eastern part of the city Wesoła is one of the districts of Warsaw, and has been since October 27, 2002. Wilanów Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship Wilanów is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland. Włochy is one of the districts of Warsaw, located in the south-western part of city Żoliborz is one of the northern boroughs of the city of Warsaw. Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz ('xanna grɔn'kʲevʲiʧ 'valʦ born November 4, 1952 in Płock) is a Polish liberal-conservative politician who has Civic Platform ( Platforma Obywatelska, PO is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative Polish political party. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 6 sq mi)
- Metro	6,100. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 43 km² (2,355. 4 sq mi)
Elevation	100 m (328 ft)
Population (2007)
- City	1,704,717
- Density	3,297. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 3/km² (8,540/sq mi)
- Metro	3,350,000
- Metro Density	549. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central 14/km² (1,422. 3/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	00-001 to 04-999
Area code(s)	+48 22
Car plates	WA, WB, WD, WE, WF, WH, WI, WJ, WK, WN, WT, WU, WW, WX, WY
Website: http://www.um.warszawa.pl/

Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa [varˈʂava] ( listen); also known by other names) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks In common with many Countries, Polish car number plates indicate the Region of Registration of the Vehicle encoded in the number plate Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status It is located on the Vistula River roughly 370 kilometers (230 mi) from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати Its population as of 2006 was estimated at 1,700,536, with a metropolitan area of approximately 3,350,000. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The city area is 516. 9 square kilometers (199. 6 sq mi), with an agglomeration of 6,100. 43 square kilometers (2,355. 4 sq mi) (Warsaw Metro Area — Obszar Metropolitalny Warszawy). Warsaw is the 8th largest city in the European Union. This is a list of the largest cities in the European Union by population within city limits. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Warsaw gave its name to the Warsaw Pact, Warsaw Convention, Treaty of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising. The Warsaw Pact (see Nomenclature) was an organization of Communist states in Central and Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Convention is an international convention which regulates liability for international carriage of persons luggage or goods performed by aircraft for reward The Treaty of Warsaw (Warschauer Vertrag was a treaty between West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany - the FRG and the People's Republic of Poland The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Geography 2.1 Location 2.2 Climate 2.3 Districts 3 History 4 Demographics 5 Municipal government 5.1 The mayor (the President of Warsaw) 5.2 Municipal government 6 Politics 7 Transport 7.1 Roads and highways 7.2 Airports 7.3 Public transport 7.3.1 Buses 7.3.2 Trams 7.3.3 Metro 7.4 Railway 8 Sports 8.1 Football 8.2 Basketball 8.3 Volleyball 9 Culture 9.1 Theatre in the past 9.2 Theatre 9.3 Music 9.4 Museums and art galleries 9.5 Film 10 Education 11 Economy 11.1 Business and commerce 11.2 Warsaw Stock Exchange 11.3 Industry 12 Tourist attractions 13 Warsaw in rankings 14 Sister Cities 15 Famous people 16 Miscellanea 17 See also 18 References 18.1 Notes 19 External links

Etymology

An older spelling of Warsaw in Polish is Warszewa or Warszowa, meaning "owned by Warsz". Folk etymology attributes the city name to a fisherman Wars and his wife Sawa. Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. ^[1] Actually, Warsz was a nobleman (12th/13th century) who owned a village located at the site of today's Mariensztat neighbourhood. Mariensztat is a neighbourhood in Warsaw 's borough of Śródmieście (city centre ^[2]

The official city name in full is The Capital City of Warsaw (Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa). Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Warsaw has been known in Latin as Varsovia. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A native or resident of Warsaw is called Varsovian. See wiktionary:Warsaw for the name in other languages.

Geography

Location

Warsaw straddles the Vistula River. In Finance, a straddle is an Investment strategy involving the purchase or sale of particular option derivatives that allows the holder to profit It is located in the heartland of the Masovian Plain, and its average altitude is 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level, although there are some hills (mostly artificial) located within the confines of the city. Masovian Plain (Nizina Mazowiecka is a large geographical region in central Poland, roughly covering the historical region of Masovia. Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data

Climate

Warsaw's climate is continental humid. The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between The average temperature is −2 °C (28 °F) in January and 18 °C (64 °F) in July. Temperatures may often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer. Yearly rainfall averages 680 millimeters (26. 8 in), the most rainy month being July.

Weather averages for Warsaw
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	2 (33)	5 (34)	11 (44)	12 (54)	18 (65)	24 (70)	30 (86)	31 (88)	28 (82)	15 (54)	10 (42)	5 (36)	12 (53)
Average low °C (°F)	-12 (24)	-15 (24)	-1 (31)	3 (37)	9 (47)	15 (52)	16 (55)	18 (54)	9 (47)	2 (40)	0 (33)	-15 (27)	4 (39)
Precipitation cm (inches)	2. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 8 (1. 1)	2. 6 (1)	3 (1. 2)	3. 8 (1. 5)	5 (2)	6. 6 (2. 6)	7. 6 (3)	7. 1 (2. 8)	4. 6 (1. 8)	4 (1. 6)	3. 8 (1. 5)	3. 6 (1. 4)	54. 9 (21. 6)
Source: Weatherbase[3] 2008-02-11

Districts

Warsaw is a powiat (county), and is further divided into 18 boroughs, each one known as a dzielnica (map), each one with its own administrative body. A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County Each of the boroughs includes several neighbourhoods which have no legal or administrative status. The best known neighbourhoods are the Old Town (Stare Miasto) and New Town (Nowe Miasto) in the borough of Śródmieście. Warsaw's Old Town (Stare Miasto colloquially Starówka is the oldest historic district of the city Warsaw 's New Town (Nowe Miasto is a neighbourhood dating from the 15th century. Śródmieście ("city centre" is the central borough of the city of Warsaw.

District	Population	Area
Mokotów	226,911	35. Warsaw's Old Town (Stare Miasto colloquially Starówka is the oldest historic district of the city Mokotów is a Dzielnica ( Borough, District) of Warsaw, the Capital 4 km² (13. 7 sq mi)
Praga Południe	185,077	22. Praga Południe (South Praga is a borough of Warsaw located on the east bank of the Vistula River 4 km² (8. 6 sq mi)
Ursynów	143,935	44. Ursynów (pronounce) is the southernmost district of Warsaw. With a surface area of 44 6 km² (17. 2 sq mi)
Wola	142,025	19. 26 km² (7. 4 sq mi)
Bielany	135,307	32. This article is about district in Warsaw There are also districts in Toruń and Krakow with the same name 3 km² (12. 5 sq mi)
Śródmieście	134,306	15. Śródmieście ("city centre" is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. 6 km² (6 sq mi)
Targówek	122,872	24. Targówek is a district in Warsaw, Poland located in the northern part of the city 37 km² (9. 4 sq mi)
Bemowo	107,197	24. Bemowo is a district of Warsaw located in the western part of the city 95 km² (9. 6 sq mi)
Ochota	91,643	9. Ochota is a district in Warsaw located in the central part of the city 7 km² (3. 7 sq mi)
Białołęka	76,999	74 km² (28. Białołęka is a district in Warsaw located in the northern part of the city 6 sq mi)
Praga Północ	73,207	11. Praga Północ (North Praga is a district in Warsaw located in the central part of the city 4 km² (4. 4 sq mi)
Wawer	66,094	79. Wawer is one of the districts of Warsaw, located in the south-eastern part of the city 71 km² (30. 8 sq mi)
Żoliborz	49,275	8. Żoliborz is one of the northern boroughs of the city of Warsaw. 5 km² (3. 3 sq mi)
Ursus	47,285	9. Ursus ( Latin Bear) is one of the Warsawian districts Between 1952 and 1977 it a was separate 35 km² (3. 6 sq mi)
Włochy	39,778	28. Włochy is one of the districts of Warsaw, located in the south-western part of city 63 km² (11. 1 sq mi)
Rembertów	22,688	19. Rembertów is one of the boroughs of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. 30 km² (7. 5 sq mi)
Wesoła	20,749	22. Wesoła is one of the districts of Warsaw, and has been since October 27, 2002. 6 km² (8. 7 sq mi)
Wilanów	15,188	36. Wilanów Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship Wilanów is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland. 73 km² (14. 2 sq mi)
Total	1,700,536	517. 90 km² (200 sq mi)

History

Main article: History of Warsaw

Adam Mickiewicz monument, about 1900

City Hall, about 1900

St. Alexander's Church, about 1900

The first fortified settlements on the site of today's Warsaw were Bródno (9th/10th century) and Jazdów (12th/13th century). The history of Warsaw, is mostly synonymous with the history of Poland. Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (pronounced ] in Belarusian, Адам Міцкевіч; in Lithuanian, Adomas Bernardas Mickevičius; December Kościół św Aleksandra (St Alexander's Church is a Roman Catholic church on Plac Trzech Krzyży ( Triple Cross Square) in Bródno is a neighbourhood in the Warsaw 's borough of Targówek, located on the eastern side of the Vistula river Ujazdów Castle (Zamek Ujazdowski is a Castle in Warsaw's historic Ujazdów district between Ujazdów Park ( Park Ujazdowski) and Łazienki After Jazdów was raided, a new similar settlement was established on the site of a small fishing village called Warszowa. This settlement Warszowa (at present Warsaw) a Płock prince established (about 1300), Bolesław II Mazovian (from 1294 prince of entire Masovia). Płock is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river with 131011 inhabitants In the beginning of the 14th century it became one of the seats of the Dukes of Masovia, becoming the capital of Masovia in 1413. The Dukes of Masovia were a line of the Piast Dynasty who ruled in Masovia. Upon the extinction of the local ducal line, the duchy was reincorporated into the Polish Crown in 1526. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland In 1529 Warsaw for the first time became the seat of the General Sejm, permanent since 1569. In 1573 Warsaw gave its name to the Warsaw Confederation, formally establishing religious freedom in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Warsaw Confederation ( January 28, 1573) an important development in the History of Poland and Lithuania, is considered the formal beginning

Due to its central location between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's capitals of Kraków and Vilnius, Warsaw became the capital of the Commonwealth and at the same time of the Polish Crown in 1596, when King Sigismund III Vasa moved the court from Kraków. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Sigismund III Vasa (Zygmunt III Waza ( 20 June 1566 Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Warsaw remained the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia to become the capital of the province of South Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising South Prussia (Südpreußen Prusy Południowe was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1793 to 1807 Liberated by Napoleon's army in 1807, Warsaw was made the capital of the newly created Duchy of Warsaw. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Duchy of Warsaw (Księstwo Warszawskie Duché de Varsovie Herzogtum Warschau Варшавское герцогство was a Polish state established by Napoleon Following the Congress of Vienna of 1815, Warsaw became the centre of the Congress Poland, a constitutional monarchy under a personal union with Imperial Russia. The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Royal University of Warsaw was established in 1816.

Following the repeated violations of the Polish constitution by the Russians, the 1830 November Uprising broke out. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The November Uprising (1830&ndash1831&mdashalso known as the Cadet Revolution &mdashwas an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire in Poland However, the Polish-Russian war of 1831 ended in the uprising's defeat and in the curtailment of the Kingdom's autonomy. On 27 February 1861 a Warsaw crowd protesting the Russian rule over Poland was fired upon by the Russian troops. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Five people were killed. The Underground Polish National Government resided in Warsaw during January Uprising in 1863–4. Polish National Government 1863-1864 - underground Polish supreme authority during January Uprising against Russian occupation of Poland. The January Uprising ( Polish: powstanie styczniowe, Lithuanian: 1863 m

Warsaw flourished in the late nineteenth century under Mayor Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1875–92), a Russian-born general appointed by Tsar Alexander III. Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1820-1902 Сократ Иванович Старинкевич was a Russian general and the 19th President of Warsaw between 1875 and 1892 Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor Under Starynkiewicz Warsaw saw its first water and sewer systems designed and built by the English engineer William Lindley and his son, William Heerlein Lindley, as well as the expansion and modernization of trams, street lighting and gas works. William Lindley (b September 7, 1808 in London - d May 22, 1900 in Blackheath London) was a famous English William Heerlein Lindley (1853 - 1917 One of three sons of the famous British engineer William Lindley, WH Lindley worked together with his father on a number of projects A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard or lamp standard, is a raised source of Light on the edge of a Road This is a historical article For current information see Syngas.

Warsaw became the capital of the newly independent Poland in 1918. The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. In the course of the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920, the huge Battle of Warsaw was fought on the Eastern outskirts of the city in which the capital was successfully defended and the Red Army defeated. The Battle of Warsaw (Russian Варшáвское сражéние Polish: Bitwa Warszawska sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, Polish The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya

During the Second World War central Poland, including Warsaw, came under the rule of the General Government, a Nazi colonial administration. The failure of the Warsaw Uprising and subsequent Capitulation agreement left Warsaw almost uninhabited World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The General Government (Generalgouvernement refers to a part of the territories of Poland (and Ostrava Czechoslovakia under German Military occupation Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German All higher education institutions were immediately closed and Warsaw's entire Jewish population — several hundred thousand, some 30% of the city — herded into the Warsaw Ghetto. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish Ghettos located in the territory of General Government during World War II, established by When the order came to annihilate the Ghetto as part of Hitler's "final solution" on April 19, 1943, Jewish fighters launched the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately The Final Solution ( Die Endlösung) was Nazi Germany 's plan and execution of its systematic Genocide against European Jewry during World The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (German "Aufstand im Warschauer Ghetto", Polish "Powstanie w getcie warszawskim") was the Jewish Despite being heavily outgunned and outnumbered, the Ghetto held out for almost a month. When the fighting ended, almost all survivors were massacred, only few managed to escape or hide.

By July 1944 the Red Army was deep into Polish territory pursuing the Germans toward Warsaw. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Knowing that Stalin was hostile to the idea of an independent Poland, the Polish government-in-exile based in London gave orders to the underground Home Army (AK) to try to seize the control of Warsaw from the Nazis just before the Red Army's arrival. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The Government of the Polish Republic in Exile was the government of Poland after the country had been occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union during September–October London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Thus, on 1 August 1944, as the Soviet army was nearing the city very fast, the Home Army and the civilian population started the Warsaw Uprising. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw The armed struggle, planned to last 48 hours, went on for 63 days, and eventually the Home Army fighters were forced to capitulate. They were transported to the POW camps in Germany, while the entire civilian population was expelled. Hitler, ignoring the agreed terms of the capitulation, ordered the entire city to be razed to the ground, and the library and museum collections taken to Germany or burned. About 85% of the city had been destroyed, including the historic Old Town and the Royal Castle. After the war, large prefabricated housing projects were erected in Warsaw to address the housing shortage. Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a Structure in a Factory or other Manufacturing site and Transporting complete Public housing is a form of Housing tenure in which the property is owned by a Government authority which may be central or local The city resumed its role as the capital of Poland and the country's centre of political and economic life. Many of the historic streets, buildings, and churches were restored to their original form. In 1980 Warsaw's historic Old Town was inscribed onto UNESCO's World Heritage list. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

In 1995 the Warsaw Metro opened, and with the entry of Poland into the European Union in 2004, Warsaw is currently experiencing the biggest economic boom of its history. The Warsaw Metro (Polish Metro warszawskie) is one of Europe 's newest metro systems and Poland 's first (and the only one so far The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The opening match of the UEFA Euro 2012 is scheduled to take place in Warsaw. The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams

1573

1617

1656

1770

Demographics

Warsaw has historically been a destination of internal and foreign immigration, especially from Eastern Europe. For nearly 300 years it was known as the "New Paris". Demographically it was the most diverse city in Poland, with as much as 20% of its population being either Jewish Poles or foreign born. World War II changed all of this, and to this day there is much less ethnic diversity than in the previous 300 years of the city's history. Most of the modern day population growth is based on internal migration and urbanization.

1700: 30,000 (est. ) 1792: 120,000 1800: 63,400 1830: 139,700 1850: 163,600 1882: 383,000 1900: 686,000 1925: 1,003,000 1939: 1,300,000

1945: 422,000 (September) 1950: 803,800 1960: 1,136,000 1970: 1,315,600 1980: 1,596,100 1990: 1,655,700 2000: 1,672,400 2002: 1,688,200 2006: 1,702,100

Municipal government

The mayor (the President of Warsaw)

Main article: President of Warsaw

According to the Warsaw Act (Ustawa warszawska) of October 27, 2002, the President of Warsaw carries out the executive duties in the city. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The president's prerogative is, among others, governing the city-owned property that constitutes a major part of the city. The current President of Warsaw is Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz. Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz ('xanna grɔn'kʲevʲiʧ 'valʦ born November 4, 1952 in Płock) is a Polish liberal-conservative politician who has

Municipal government

The Warsaw Act abolished all the former counties around Warsaw and formed one city powiat with a unified municipal government. A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County

Legislative power in Warsaw is vested in a unicameral Warsaw City Council (Rada Miasta), which comprises 60 members. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber Warsaw City Council (Rada Miasta Warszawy is a unicameral governing body of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland Council members are elected directly every four years. Like most legislative bodies, the City Council divides itself into committees which have the oversight of various functions of the city government. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor (the President of Warsaw), who. may sign them into law. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote.

Each of the 18 separate city districts has its own council (Rada dzielnicy). Their duties are focused on aiding the President and the City Council, as well as supervising various municipal companies, city-owned property and schools. The head of each of the District Councils is named the Mayor (Burmistrz) and is elected by the local council from the candidates proposed by the President of Warsaw.

Politics

Main article: Members of Sejm from Warsaw constituency

As the capital of Poland, Warsaw is the political centre of the country. As the capital of Poland, Warsaw is the political centre of the country All state agencies are located there, including the Polish Parliament, the Presidential Office and the Supreme Court. The President of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, shorter form Prezydent RP) is the Polish Head of In the Polish parliament the city and the area are represented by 31 MPs (out of 460). A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Additionally, Warsaw elects two MEPs. A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament.

Transport

Although many streets were widened, and new ones created, during rebuilding of Warsaw in 1950s, the city is currently plagued with traffic problems. . Public transport in Warsaw is ubiquitous, serving the city with buses, tramways, and metro. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The Warsaw Metro (Polish Metro warszawskie) is one of Europe 's newest metro systems and Poland 's first (and the only one so far

Roads and highways

Warsaw lacks a good circular road system and most traffic goes directly through the city centre. Currently two circular roads are under consideration. The first (called OEW, or Obwodnica Etapowa Warszawy) is planned to run approximately 10 kilometers (6 mi) from the city centre through the city streets and across two new bridges. The other is planned to become a part of both the A-2 motorway (itself a part of the European route E30 from Berlin to Moscow) and the S-7 (Gdańsk–Kraków) express road, and will run through a tunnel under the southern area of Ursynów. History The first highway planned along part of this route was a Reichsautobahn initiated by Nazi Germany to connect Berlin with Poznań (Posen Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation European route E30 is an A-Class West - East European route, extending from the southern Irish port of Cork in the west to the Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Ursynów (pronounce) is the southernmost district of Warsaw. With a surface area of 44 It is to be completed between 2010 and 2012.

Airports

Warsaw has one airport, Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (usually referred to as Okęcie airport), located just 10 kilometers (6 mi) from the city centre. Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Port Lotniczy im Fryderyka Chopina is an International airport located in the With over 70 international and domestic flights a day and with over 8,270,000 passengers served in 2006, it is by far the biggest airport in Poland. Immediately adjacent to the main terminal complex Terminal 1, is the Etiuda terminal, serving routes flown by low-cost carriers. Domestic flights operate from a domestic terminal, adjoining Terminal 1. A new Terminal 2 has been opened in March 2008 in order to alleviate current overcrowding, and to extend the airport's capacity by another 6 million passengers.

There are plans to convert disused military Modlin Airport, 35 kilometers (22 mi) north of the city centre, into the second Warsaw airport, mainly for low-cost carriers. Modlin Airport is a disused military airfield with plans for conversion into a passenger airport for Low-cost carriers serving the Warsaw, Poland It will not be ready for use before 2010 at the earliest.

There also are long-term plans to build an entirely new international airport. Its location has not yet been decided.

Public transport

Public transport in Warsaw includes, buses, trams (streetcars), metro and regional rail. Most Świętokrzyski (Holy Cross Bridge is a bridge over the Vistula river in Warsaw, Poland linking Powiśle neighbourhood with Praga A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The Warsaw Metro (Polish Metro warszawskie) is one of Europe 's newest metro systems and Poland 's first (and the only one so far Various terms are used for Passenger rail lines and equipment The first three are operated by the ZTM (Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego, the Warsaw Transport Authority). Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego (lit Urban Transport Authority, translated as Warsaw Transport Authority; ZTM) is the local authority controlled body managing There are also some suburban bus lines run by private operators.

There are three tourist routes: "T", a vintage tram running in July and August; bus "100" which runs on weekends and which operates the only double-decker bus owned by the city; and the "180" bus, a regular scheduled service that follows the "Royal Route" from the War Cemetery in the North, near the Old Town and down city's most prestigious thoroughfares – Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Nowy Swiat and Aleje Ujazdowskie – and terminating at Wilanów Palace. Wilanów Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship Wilanów is a district of the city of Warsaw, Poland.

Buses

Bus service covers the entire city, with approx. 170 routes totalling about 2,603 kilometers (1,617 mi) in length, and with some 1,600 vehicles. Between midnight and 5 am the city and suburbs are served by night lines.

Trams

A modern tram in Warsaw

Plac Wilsona metro station

The first tram (streetcar) line in Warsaw was opened on 11 December 1866. Metro Plac Wilsona (Wilson Square is one of the Warsaw Metro stations A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The last horse-drawn tram run on 26 March 1908. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year In the period between the world wars, the tram network was nationalized and extended significantly. After the German invasion of September 1939 the service was halted for approximately three months due to war damage, but the trams were back in service by 1940. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied In 1941 the present colours of the cars were introduced (yellow and red, in the colours of the Flag of Warsaw. The Flag of Warsaw is formed by two horizontal bands of equal width &mdash yellow on the top and red on the bottom Previously, trams were painted either white and red, or entirely red).

During the Warsaw Uprising the tram system was destroyed. The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw The first tram line was reopened on 20 June 1945. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Following the Second World War the tram network in Warsaw underwent fast development. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The tracks reached all the principal parts of the city. However, in the sixties the official policy of both Polish and Soviet authorities promoted the use of Soviet oil, hence more buses were purchased and the tram network was shortened. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Currently the Tramwaje Warszawskie company runs 863 cars on almost 470 kilometers (292 mi) of track. Twenty-odd lines run across the city with additional lines opened on special occasions (such as All-Saints Day). Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi

Metro

Main article: Warsaw Metro

See also Warsaw Trolleybuses for the history of this type of transport. The Warsaw Metro (Polish Metro warszawskie) is one of Europe 's newest metro systems and Poland 's first (and the only one so far During World War II most of the mass transit infrastructure in Warsaw was destroyed Trolleybuses no longer operate in Warsaw.

Railway

The first railway opened in Warsaw in 1845 (the Warsaw-Vienna Railway). The Warsaw-Vienna Railway (Kolej Warszawsko-Wiedeńska was a Railway system which operated in Congress Poland, a part of the Russian Empire, from 1845 Nowadays Warsaw is one of the main railway hubs in Poland.

The main railway station is Warszawa Centralna serving both domestic traffic to almost every major city in Poland, and international connections mainly to Germany, Czech Republic and former Soviet Union countries. Warsaw Central Rail Station (Warszawa Centralna is the most important railway station in Warsaw, Poland. There are also 5 other major railway stations and a number of smaller suburban stations.

The main railway line crosses the city in a tunnel (tunel średnicowy) approximately 2. Warsaw cross-city line (Linia Średnicowa is a 7 km railway line crossing downtown Warsaw in the East-West direction 2 kilometers (1. 4 mi) long and running directly under the city centre. It is part of an east-west line connecting the Warszawa Zachodnia, Warszawa Centralna and Warszawa Wschodnia stations through the tunnel and a railway bridge over the Vistula River. Warsaw Central Rail Station (Warszawa Centralna is the most important railway station in Warsaw, Poland.

The principal railway stations are:

• Warszawa Centralna and Warszawa Śródmieście
• Warszawa Gdańska
• Warszawa Wileńska
• Warszawa Zachodnia
• Warszawa Wschodnia

Sports

Main article: Sports in Warsaw

Football

Legia Warszawa — men's football team (est. Warsaw Central Rail Station (Warszawa Centralna is the most important railway station in Warsaw, Poland. Warszawa Śródmieście PKP station (Warsaw City Centre is a railway station on the Warsaw Cross-City Line, used mainly by suburban trains Warszawa Gdańska station (also known as Dworzec Gdański; literally Gdańsk station in Warsaw) is a railway station in northern Warsaw, Warsaw is home to 2 major professional football clubs and a number of smaller clubs Legia Warszawa ( pron ˈlɛgʲa varˈʂava Leg-ya Var-sha-va) is a Polish professional football club based in Warsaw In Poland, Football (soccer is the most popular sport. Over 400000 Poles play football regularly while millions more 1916), (Polish Champion: 1955, 1956, 1969, 1970, 1993,1994, 1995, 2002, 2006; Polish Cup winner: 1955, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1995, 1997, 2008; Polish SuperCup winner: 1989, 1994, 1997; 1st league in 2006/2007 season)
Polonia Warszawa — men's football team (est. The Polish Cup in football (Puchar Polski is an elimination tournament for Polish Football clubs held continuously from 1950 and The Polish Super Cup in football (official Polish title "Superpuchar Polski") is an annually held match between the Champion of the ( Polish 1st league Polonia Warszawa, ( pron pɔˈlɔɲa varˈʂava is a Polish Sports club with football and Basketball teams In Poland, Football (soccer is the most popular sport. Over 400000 Poles play football regularly while millions more 1911), (Polish Champion: 1946, 2000; Polish Cup winner: 1952, 2001; Polish SuperCup winner: 2000; 2nd league in 2006/2007 season)

Basketball

Polonia Warbud Warszawa - men's basketball team, 3rd in Era Basket Liga in 2003/2004 season. The Polish Cup in football (Puchar Polski is an elimination tournament for Polish Football clubs held continuously from 1950 and The Polish Super Cup in football (official Polish title "Superpuchar Polski") is an annually held match between the Champion of the ( Polish 1st league SPEC Polonia Warszawa is a Polish Basketball team based in Warsaw, playing in Dominet Bank Ekstraliga.

Legia Warszawa (basketball) - basketball team

Volleyball

Culture

Theatre in the past

From 1833 to the outbreak of World War II, Plac Teatralny (Theatre Square) was the country's cultural hub and home to the various theatres.

The main building housed the Teatr Wielki from 1833–4, the Rozmaitości Theatre from 1836 to 1924 and then the National Theatre, the Reduta Theatre from 1919 to 1924, and from 1928 to 1939 — the Nowy Theatre, which staged productions of contemporary poetical drama, including those directed by Leon Schiller.

Nearby, in Ogród Saski (Saxon Garden), the Summer Theatre was in operation from 1870 to 1939, and in the inter-war period, the theatre complex also included Momus, Warsaw's first literary cabaret, and Leon Schiller's musical theatre Melodram. The Saxon Garden ( Polish: Ogród Saski) is a 155 Hectare public garden in Warsaw 's Downtown ( Śródmieście Leon Schiller de Schildenfeld ( April 14, 1887 - March 25, 1954) was a Polish theater and film director critic and theoretician The Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre (1922–6), was the best example of "Polish monumental theatre". From the mid-1930s, the Teatr Wielki building housed the State Institute of Dramatic Arts — the first state-run academy of dramatic art, with an Acting Department and a Stage Directing Department.

Plac Teatralny and its environs was the venue for numerous parades, celebrations of state holidays, carnival balls, and concerts.

Theatre

Warsaw is home to over 30 major theatres spread throughout the city, including the National Theatre (founded in 1765) and the Grand Theatre in Warsaw (established 1778). Teatr Narodowy (the National Theater in Warsaw, Poland, was founded by that country's last monarch, Stanisław August Poniatowski ^[4]

Warsaw also attracts many young and off-stream directors and performers who add to the city's theatre culture. The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest A performance, in Performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers behave in a particular way for another group of people Their productions may be viewed mostly in smaller theatres and Houses of Culture (Domy Kultury), mostly outside Śródmieście (downtown Warsaw). Śródmieście ("city centre" is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. Warsaw hosts the International Theatrical Meetings.

Chopin Museum

Stanisław Kostka Potocki mausoleum

Music

Thanks to numerous musical venues, including the Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera, the Chamber Opera, the National Philharmonic Hall and the National Theatre, as well as the Roma and Buffo music theatres and the Congress Hall in the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw hosts many events and festivals. Ostrogski Palace, otherwise known as Ostrogski Castle (Pałac Ostrogskich or Zamek Ostrogskich is a large manor in the city centre of Warsaw, at Tamka Life Potocki was a son of General and Starost of Lwów, Eustachy Potocki and Anna Kątska and was a brother of Ignacy Potocki. The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra ( Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie) one of Poland 's premier musical institutions was established in 1901 on Teatr Narodowy (the National Theater in Warsaw, Poland, was founded by that country's last monarch, Stanisław August Poniatowski The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest Among the events worth particular attention are: the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition, the International Contemporary Music Festival Warsaw Autumn, the Jazz Jamboree, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, the Mozart Festival, and the Festival of Old Music. The International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious Piano competitions in the world taking place in Warsaw since 1927 and held every Warsaw Autumn (Warszawska Jesień is the largest international Polish festival of Contemporary music.

Museums and art galleries

There are many museums and art galleries in Warsaw, the most notable are:

• National Museum - Muzeum Narodowe
• Zachęta Art Gallery - Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki
• Centre for Contemporary Art - Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej
• Museum of the Polish Army - Muzeum Wojska Polskiego
• Royal Castle - Zamek Królewski
• Warsaw Uprising Museum - Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego
• Fryderyk Chopin Museum - Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina

Film

Main article: List of films featuring Warsaw

Since World War II Warsaw has been the second most important centre of film production in Poland. The National Museum Warsaw, in Poland, was established on 20 May 1862 as the "Museum of Fine Arts Warsaw" and in 1916 renamed "National Museum Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki, Zachęta (lit Encouragement, short for Towarzystwo Zachęty do Sztuk Pięknych, Society for Encouragement of Fine Polish Army Museum (Muzeum Wojska Polskiego is a museum in Warsaw documenting the military aspects of the History of Poland. The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie is a Royal palace and official residence of the Polish monarchs, located at the Plac Zamkowy in The Warsaw Uprising Museum ( Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego, officially translated into English as the Warsaw Rising Museum) located in Warsaw, Ostrogski Palace, otherwise known as Ostrogski Castle (Pałac Ostrogskich or Zamek Ostrogskich is a large manor in the city centre of Warsaw, at Tamka Since World War II Warsaw has been the second most important centre of film production in Poland The Łazienki Palace (Pałac Łazienkowski also called the Palace on the Water (Pałac na Wodzie and the Palace on the Isle (Pałac na Wyspie is a Neoclassical It has also been featured in numerous movies, both Polish and foreign, for example

• Kanał and Korczak by Andrzej Wajda
• Eroica by Andrzej Munk
• The Decalogue by Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Miś by Stanisław Bareja
• The Pianist by Roman Polański

Education

For a full list of Warsaw-based institutions of higher education see: Education in Warsaw

Warsaw is one of the most important education centres of Poland. Kanał ( Sewer in Polish) is a 1956 Polish Film directed by Andrzej Wajda. Andrzej Wajda (born 6 March 1926 in Suwałki) is an award-winning Polish Film director. Heroism ( Original title Eroica) is a 1958 film by Andrzej Munk. Andrzej Munk (October 16 1920&ndashSeptember 20 1961 was a Polish film director screenplay writer and camera operator and was one of the most influential artists of the Dekalog ( The Decalogue) ( 1988) is a Polish Film series originally made as a Television Miniseries ( June 27, 1941 &ndash March 13, 1996) was an influential Oscar -nominated Polish Film director and Teddy Bear is the English title of Miś, a 1980 Polish film directed by Stanisław Bareja. Works Director Zmiennicy (1986 Alternatywy 4 (1983 Teddy Bear University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski is the largest University in Poland, ranked by the Times Higher Education Supplement as the second best Polish University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski is the largest University in Poland, ranked by the Times Higher Education Supplement as the second best Polish UserPolishPoliticians, to do it Halibutt --> Warsaw It is home to four major universities and over 62 smaller schools of higher education. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The most important are:

• University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski)
• Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska)
• Warsaw School of Economics (Szkoła Główna Handlowa)
• Warsaw University of Life Science (Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego)
• Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego)
• Medical University of Warsaw (Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny)
• Military University of Technology (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna)
• Academy of National Defence (Akademia Obrony Narodowej)
• Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Warszawie)
• Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music (Akademia Muzyczna im. University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski is the largest University in Poland, ranked by the Times Higher Education Supplement as the second best Polish Warsaw University of Technology ( Polish: Politechnika Warszawska) is the largest academic school of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Warsaw School of Economics (SGH is the oldest Economic University in Poland. The Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego SGGW, literally "chief school of rural economy" is the largest agricultural university Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego is a state university in Warsaw. The Medical University of Warsaw ( Polish name Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny) was founded in January 1950 building on the University The National Defence University ( AON, Akademia Obrony Narodowej) is the highest Military University of Poland, located in Warsaw Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego Józefa Piłsudskiego w Warszawie is a public institution of higher learning in Warsaw Fryderyka Chopina)
• The Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy (Akademia Teatralna im. Aleksandra Zelwerowicza)

See also: List of universities in Poland

The overall number of students of all grades of education in Warsaw is almost 500,000 (29% of the city population; 2002). This is a list of state run universities in Poland. In total there are approximately 500 Universities and schools for higher education in Poland The number of university students is over 255,000.

Economy

In 2007 Warsaw was ranked^[5] the 67th world's most expensive city to live in. It was classified as a gamma world city (also known as a 'minor world city') on par with cities such as Rome and Beijing by Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group and Network from Loughborough University. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Loughborough University is a Campus university located in the Market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands ^[6]

Business and commerce

Warsaw, especially its city centre (Śródmieście), is home not only to many national institutions and government agencies, but also to many domestic and international companies. Śródmieście ("city centre" is the central borough of the city of Warsaw. In 2003, 268,307 companies were registered in the city. Foreign investors' financial participation in the city's development was estimated in 2002 at over 650 million euro. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Warsaw produces 13. 3% of Poland's national income which per capita is estimated at around 290 % of Polish average. The nominal GDP (PPP) per capita in Warsaw was about $28,000 in 2005 and $ 38,000 in 2007.

At the same time the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in Poland, not exceeding 3%, according to the official figures.

The city itself collects around 8,740,882,000 złotys in taxes and direct government grants. The złoty (/ˈzwɔtɨ/, plural for numbers ending in 2 3 and 4 (except 12 13 and 14 złote /ˈzwɔtɛ/ plural for all other numbers złotych /ˈzwɔtɨx/

It has been said that Warsaw, together with Frankfurt, London and Paris, is one of the tallest cities in Europe. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city 11 of the tallest skyscrapers in Poland, 9 of which are office buildings, are located in Warsaw. The tallest structure, the centrally located Palace of Culture and Science, is the 4th tallest building in the European Union. The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Warsaw hosts the headquarters of Frontex, the EU's border control agency. Frontex (from French: Frontières extérieures for ‘external borders’ legally European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External

Warsaw Stock Exchange

Although Warsaw was home to a stock exchange from 1817, because of political changes after World War II, it could not be reopened after 1945. The Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie is a Stock exchange located in Warsaw, Poland. The WSE only started operating again in April 1991, after the reintroduction of the free-market economy. It is now the biggest stock exchange in the country, with more than 300 companies listed. Ironically enough, from 1991 until 2000 the stock exchange was located in the building previously used as the headquarters of the PZPR (Polish Communist Party). The Polish United Workers' Party (PUWP Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza - PZPR was a Communist party in the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1990 The capitalization of the exchange was US$440. 92 billion (as at 28 December 2007).

Industry

During Warsaw's reconstruction after World War II, the communist authorities decided that the city would become a major industrial centre. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Numerous large factories were built in the city or just outside it. The largest were the Huta Warszawa Steel Works and two car factories.

As the communist economy deteriorated, these factories lost significance and most went bankrupt after 1989. Today, the Arcelor Warszawa Steel Mill (formerly Huta Warszawa) is the only major factory remaining. The FSO car factory produces cars mostly for export. Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych ( FSO) (literally translated as Factory of Passenger Cars) is a Polish automobile manufacturer located in Warsaw

Tourist attractions

Main article: Tourist attractions in Warsaw

Historic Centre of Warsaw*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Poland
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, vi
Reference	30
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1981  (4th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

• Although today's Warsaw is a fairly young city, it has a lot of tourist attractions. Warsaw's Castle Square (plac Zamkowy w Warszawie is a Square in front of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Apart from the Warsaw Old Town quarter, carefully reconstructed after World War 2, each borough has something to offer. Warsaw's Old Town (Stare Miasto colloquially Starówka is the oldest historic district of the city World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Among the most notable landmarks of the Old Town are the Royal Castle, King Sigismund's Column, Market Square, and the Barbican. The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie is a Royal palace and official residence of the Polish monarchs, located at the Plac Zamkowy in Zygmunt's Column or Sigismund's Column (Kolumna Zygmunta erected in 1644 is one of Warsaw 's most famous landmarks and one of the oldest secular monuments in northern The Warsaw Barbican (Barbakan warszawski is a Barbican (semicircular fortified outpost in Warsaw, Poland, and one of few remaining relics of the complex

• Further south is the so-called Royal Route, with many classicist palaces, the Presidential Palace and the Warsaw University campus. For the works or study of works from classical antiquity see Classics Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to Presidential Palace (also known as Pałac Prezydencki, Pałac Koniecpolskich, Lubomirskich, Radziwiłłów, or Pałac Namiestnikowski University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski is the largest University in Poland, ranked by the Times Higher Education Supplement as the second best Polish Also the popular Nowy Świat Street is worth mentioning.

• Warsaw's oldest public park, the Ogród Saski, is located within 10 minutes' walk from the old town. The Saxon Garden ( Polish: Ogród Saski) is a 155 Hectare public garden in Warsaw 's Downtown ( Śródmieście

• Warsaw's biggest public park and said to be the most beautiful is the Łazienki Park. It is also very old — established in the 17th century and given its current classical shape in late 18th century — is located further south, on the Royal Route, about 3 km from the Warsaw Old Town

• The Powązki Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe,^[7] full of sculptures, some of them by the most renowned Polish artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Warsaw's Old Town (Stare Miasto colloquially Starówka is the oldest historic district of the city Powązki Cemetery ( Polish Cmentarz Powązkowski) is the oldest and most famous cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, and is situated in the Since it serves the religious communities of Warsaw, be it Catholics, Jews, Muslims or Protestants, it is often called a necropolis. A necropolis (plural necropoleis or necropoles) is a large Cemetery or burial place (from Greek nekropolis "city of the dead" Nearby is the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. The Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe

• To the north of the city centre is the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish Ghettos located in the territory of General Government during World War II, established by

• The borough of Żoliborz is famous for its architecture from the 1920s and 1930s. Żoliborz is one of the northern boroughs of the city of Warsaw. Between Żoliborz and the Vistula River is the Warsaw Citadel, a monument of 19th century military architecture. Cytadela ( Polish for Citadel) is a 19th-century Fortress in Warsaw, Poland.

• Former royal residence of king Jan III Sobieski — Wilanów Palace is notable for their baroque architecture and beautiful parks. John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Wilanów Palace (Pałac w Wilanowie Pałac Wilanowski in Wilanów, Warsaw is together with its park and other buildings one of the most precious monuments of Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc

• Notable examples of contemporary architecture include the Palace of Culture and Science, a Soc-realist skyscraper located in the city centre, the Stadion Dziesięciolecia which used to be the biggest open-air market in Europe and the Plac Konstytucji with its monumental Social realism architecture. The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest Socialist realism is a teleologically -oriented style of realistic art which has as its purpose the furtherance of the goals of Socialism and Communism Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an Artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts Working class The central part of the right-bank (east) Praga borough it is a place where very run-down houses stand right next to modern apartment buildings and shopping malls. Praga Łódź Voivodeship In some languages Praga is used as a name for Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

• Ulica Kubusia Puchatka, probably the only street in the world named after Winnie-the-Pooh and located in the very centre of a metropolis. Ulica Kubusia Puchatka is a street in central Warsaw, Poland named after Winnie-the-Pooh. Winnie-the-Pooh, commonly shortened to Pooh Bear and once referred to as Edward Bear, is a fictional Bear created by A
• The modern architecture in Warsaw is represented by:
  • Metropolitan Office Building at Plac Piłsudskiego (Pilsudski Square) by Sir Norman Foster
  • Warsaw University Library (BUW) by Marek Budzyński and Zbigniew Badowski with a garden on the roof and beautiful view on the Vistula River
  • Rondo 1 office building by SOM
  • Zlote Tarasy retail and business centre

• Planned:
  • Museum of the History of Polish Jews
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • "Kopernik" Science Centre (Copernicus)
  • Złota 44 — Apartment tower of unique shape by Daniel Libeskind
  • Lilium Tower - Apartment tower by Zaha Hadid

• Planned reconstructions:
  • Saxon Palace
  • Brühl Palace

Fryderyk Chopin monument

Skyscrapers of Warsaw

Saxon Garden

St. Kazimierz Church

Warsaw in rankings

• Largest cities of the European Union - ranked 8th
• Most expensive cities - ranked 62nd out of 144
• Best cities in terms of quality of living - ranked 86th out of 100
• Best cities in terms of health and sanitation - ranked 100th out of 215

Sister Cities

— Astana, Kazakhstan (2002) — Berlin, Germany (1991) — Budapest, Hungary (2005) — Chicago, United States (1995) — Düsseldorf, Germany (1989) — Grozny, Russia (1997) — The Hague, Netherlands (1991) — Hamamatsu, Japan (1990) — Hanoi, Vietnam (2000)

— Harbin, China (1993) — Île-de-France, France (1990) — Istanbul, Turkey (1991) — Kyiv, Ukraine (1994) — Moscow, Russia (1993) — Oslo, Norway (2005) — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997) — Riga, Latvia (2002)

— Saint-Étienne, France (1995) — St. Petersburg, Russia (1997) — Seoul, South Korea (1996) — Taipei, Taiwan (1995) — Tel Aviv, Israel (1992) — Toronto, Canada (1990) — Vienna, Austria (2001) — Vilnius, Lithuania (1998)

references - city's official site - [1]

Famous people

Further information: Category:People from Warsaw

Miscellanea

• Every member of the Queen's Royal Hussars of the United Kingdom light cavalry wears the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. Norman Robert Foster Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM, FRIBA, RDI, (born 1 June 1935) is a British architect whose company Skidmore Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM is a Chicago -based Architectural and Engineering firm that was formed in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and The Złote Tarasy (English Golden Terraces) is a commercial office and entertainmentcomplex in the center of Warsaw, Poland, located next to the Złota 44 is a proposed mainly residential Skyscraper (192 meters high 52 storeys in central Warsaw, Poland. Daniel Libeskind, (born May 12 1946 in Łódź, Poland) is an American Architect, Artist, and Set designer of Zaha Hadid (زها حديد CBE (born October 31 1950 Baghdad, Iraq) is a notable British Iraqi deconstructivist Architect The Saxon Palace ( Polish: Pałac Saski) was one of the most distinctive buildings in prewar Warsaw, Poland. The Brühl Palace (Pałac Brühla otherwise known as Sandomierski Palace standing at Piłsudski Square. The Saxon Garden ( Polish: Ogród Saski) is a 155 Hectare public garden in Warsaw 's Downtown ( Śródmieście St Kazimierz Church ( Polish: in full Warszawski kościół Sakramentek pod wezwaniem św This is a list of the largest cities in the European Union by population within city limits. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in This is a list of the World 's most expensive cities, according to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting Cost of Living Surveys This is a list of the world's cities by quality of living according to the " Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2007 Quality of Living Survey" Astana ( Kazakh: Астана آستانه former names include Akmola, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, and Aqmola) is the capital Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Grozny (Гро́зный Соьлж-ГIала Sölƶ-Ġala or Соьлжа-ГIала Sölƶa -Ġala sometimes referred to as ce Джовхар-ГIала Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and is the largest city in the prefecture For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Hanoi ( Vietnamese: Hà Nội Hán Tự: 河[[wikt 内|内]], estimated population 3398889 (2007, is the Capital of Vietnam Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially ( Russian Kharbin) is a Sub-provincial city and the Capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Île-de-France ( pronounced /il d̪ə fʁɑ̃s/ literally "Island of France" is one of the twenty-six administrative regions of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Saint-Étienne ( Sant-Etiève in Arpitan) is a city in the central eastern part of France, 60 km (40 miles southwest of Lyon. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish (QRH is the senior United Kingdom light cavalry regiment. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on 2 (Service) Dress.
• Members of 651 Squadron Army Air Corps of the United Kingdom also wear the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of their No. The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army, first formed in 1942 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 2 (Service) Dress.
• In August 2007, a band from Norway, Superfamily, recorded a song 'Warszawa', with video shot in the city's notable places
• Leo Gerstenzang invented cotton swabs in Warsaw. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Taxonomic rank ( rank, category, taxonomic category is an abstract term used in the Scientific classification, or Taxonomy, of organisms Cotton swabs ( British English: cotton buds) are used in First aid, Cosmetics application and a variety of other uses
• The Miss World 2006 competition took place in Warsaw, in the Palace of Culture and Science, Congress Hall. Miss World 2006, the 56th Miss World pageant took place in Warsaw, Poland on Saturday September 30th The Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki also abbreviated PKiN) in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest
• The mermaid, or syrenka, is the symbol of Warsaw. ^[8] This symbol can be found on the coat of arms of Warsaw and on statues throughout the city. The Coat of Arms of Warsaw Gules, a mermaid proper bearing a sword and shield-->consists of a syrenka

See also

• Siege of Warsaw (1939)
• Warsaw Uprising
• Warsaw dialect
• Stefan Starzyński
• Warsaw concentration camp
• Warsaw Pact
• Warsaw Fire Brigade
• History of Poland
• Royal coronations in St. John's Cathedral
• Soviet military cemetery in Warsaw
• Dukes of Masovia
• List of films featuring Warsaw

References

Notes

External links

• Warsaw travel guide from Wikitravel
• Official web page of Warsaw includes 360° panoramas of the UNESCO listed region
• Interactive city map in Polish
• Skyscrapers Diagram of Warsaw
• Skyscrapers in Warsaw. Pictures, map, future projects, 3d models
• District Police Headquarters – Warsaw II (part of Warsaw Metropolitan Police)

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