POLAND - the country where Maria Skłodowska-Curie was born in 1867. After completing primary education she supplemented her knowledge of physics and chemistry and learnt chemical analysis at the laboratory of the Museum of Industry and Agriculture in Warsaw. This enabled her to isolate radium and polonium. At the age of 24, she left Warsaw to study in Paris, at a time when Polish universities were closed to women.

POLAND - a pioneer of European constitutionalism. In 1781, the "Constitution of 3 May" was adopted, the first on the Old Continent and the second in the world after the US Constitution. Today, the basic principles are laid down in the Constitution of 2 April 1997. It guarantees all citizens the respect and protection of political rights and civil liberties.

POLAND - a full and independent partner in the international community since 1989, following political changes that began in 1980 with "Solidarity" - a broad anti-authoritarian social movement to advance the cause of workers' rights and social change. It joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, and is a committed member of the UN, OECD and WTO.