The beginning of Polish statehood goes back to the year 966, when duke Mieszko the First, founder of the Piast dynasty, converted himself to Christianity and introduced the new religion to his realm. During the next centuries Poland thrived. It became a kingdom with a prosperous economy.

During the XVth and XVIth century, Poland became the first European power. It was then called the "Wall of Christianity". Indeed, the period of the First Republic was the golden age of this country: tolerance, harmonious religious and ethnic plurality reached a level never seen thus far.

Among the major events of history, one could enumerate the creation of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow in 1364, one of the centres of cultural and scientific life; the victorious union with Lithuania against the Teutonic Knights, which lasted for several centuries; the first democratic constitution in Europe, voted in 1791.

However, to a certain extent this political system led to the self-destruction of Poland from a military and economic standpoint, resulting in the dismemberment of the country by the end of the XVIIIth century. For 123 years, Poland was erased from the maps of Europe.

In 1918, Poland regained its liberty. During the next twenty years, the country reclaimed its rank in the economic and diplomatic life of Europe. Unfortunately, on September the 1st 1939, Poland sunk into darkness and the following five years of terror and nazi occupation leave the country ruined. Even though the bravery of Polish soldiers contributed to the destruction of nazism, the country's fate was to remain to the east of the Iron Curtain. 45 years of communist administration have slowed the economic and technologic development of Poland.

Nevertheless, the renewal had come and the freedom recovered, peacefully, with the free elections of June 89 and the presidency of Lech Wałęsa. Deep reforms carried out at that time established and consolidated a democratic political system, which became the forerunner of economic and political changes in the whole Central Europe.

Poland joined NATO on the 9th of July 1997 and the European Union on the 1st May 2004.