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Warsaw Warszawa
File:Warsaw6vb.jpg
FlagCoat of arms
Motto: Semper invicta (Always invincible)
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovia
Powiat	city county
Gmina	Warszawa
Districts	18 boroughs
City Rights	turn of the 13th century
Government
• Mayor	Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO)
Area
• City	516.9 km (199.6 sq mi)
• Metro	6,100.43 km (2,355.39 sq mi)
Elevation	100 m (328 ft)
Population
• City	1,702,100
• Metro	3,050,000
• Metro density	3,258/km (8,440/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	00-001 to 04-999
Area code	+48 22
Car Plates	WA, WB, WD, WE, WF, WH, WI, WJ, WK, WN, WT, WU, WW, WX, WY
Website	www.um.warszawa.pl

Warsaw (Template:Lang-pl, ; known also by other names) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. It is located on the Vistula River roughly Template:Km to mi from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2006 was estimated at 1,700,536, with a metropolitan area of approximately 2,600,000. The city area is Template:Km2 to mi2, with an agglomeration of Template:Km2 to mi2 (Warsaw Metro Area — Obszar Metropolitalny Warszawy). Warsaw is the 8th biggest city in the European Union.

Warsaw gave its name to the Warsaw Pact, Warsaw Convention, Treaty of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising.

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.. Actually, Warsz was a nobleman (12th/13th century) who owned a village located at the site of today's Mariensztat neighbourhood .

The official city name in full is The Capital City of Warsaw (Template:Lang-pl). Warsaw has been known in Latin as Varsovia. 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. 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

Climate

Warsaw's climate is continental humid. The average temperature is Template:C to F in January and 18 °C (64 °F) in July. Temperatures may often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer. Yearly rainfall averages Template:Mm to in, the most rainy month being July.

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. 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.

History

Historic Centre of Warsaw

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: ii, vi
Reference	30
Inscription	1981 (4th Session)

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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.

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.

Demographics

Warsaw has historically been a destination of internal and foreign immigration, especially from Eastern Europe. For nearly 300 years it was the largest capital east of Paris, and was known as the Paris of Eastern Europe. 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.

Municipal government

The mayor (the 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. 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.

Municipal government

The Warsaw Act abolished all the former counties around Warsaw and formed one city powiat with a unified municipal government.

Legislative power in Warsaw is vested in a unicameral Warsaw City Council (Rada Miasta), which comprises 60 members. 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

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. In the Polish parliament the city and the area are represented by 31 MPs (out of 460). Additionally, Warsaw elects two MEPs.

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.

Roads and highways

Template:Future infrastructure 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 to run approximately Template:Km to mi from the city centre through the city streets and across two new bridges. The other is 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. It is to become completed between 2010 and 2012.

Airports

Warsaw has one airport, Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (usually referred to as Okęcie airport), located just Template:Km to mi from the city centre. 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 is under construction (partly opened in 2006) in order to alleviate current overcrowding, and to extend the airport's capacity by another 6 million passengers.

There are plans to convert an ex-military airfield in Modlin, Template:Km to mi north of Warsaw, into an airport for low-cost carriers, cargo and charter traffic. It will not be ready for use before 2008 at the earliest.

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

Mass transit

Mass transit in Warsaw includes, buses, streetcars, metro and regional rail The first three are operated by the ZTM (Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego, the Warsaw Transport Authority). 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 is operated by the only double-decker bus owned by the city, and a "180" bus which follows the Royal Route from the War Cemetery in the North to Wilanów.

Buses

Bus service covers the entire city, with approx. 170 routes totalling about Template:Km to mi in length, and with some 1,600 vehicles. Between midnight and 5 am the city and suburbs are served by night lines.

Streetcars

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|} The first tramway (streetcar) line in Warsaw was opened on 11 December 1866. The last horse-drawn tram run on 26 March 1908. In the period between the world wars, the tramway network was nationalized and extended significantly. After the Defence War of 1939 the service was halted for approximately three months due to war losses. However, by 1940 the trams were back on track. In 1941 the present colours of the cars were introduced (yellow and red, in the Flag of Warsaw colours. Up to this point, the trams were painted either white and red, or entirely red).

During the Warsaw Uprising the tramway system was destroyed. However, the first tram line was opened again on 20 June 1945.

Following the Second World War the tramway in Warsaw underwent fast development. 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. The tramway net was shortened, while more buses were bought.

Currently the Tramwaje Warszawskie company runs 863 cars on almost Template:Km to mi of track. Twenty-odd lines run across the city with additional lines opened on special occasions (such as All-Saints Day).

Metro

See also Warsaw Trolleybuses for the history of this type of transport. Trolleybuses no longer operate in Warsaw.

Railway

The first railway opened in Warsaw in 1845 (the Warsaw-Vienna Railway). 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. 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 Template:Km to 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.

The principal railway stations are:

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

Sports

Football

Legia Warszawa — men's football team (est. 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; Polish SuperCup winner: 1989, 1994, 1997; 1st league in 2006/2007 season)
Polonia Warszawa — men's football team (est. 1911), (Polish Champion: 1948, 2000; Polish Cup winner: 1952, 2001; Polish SuperCup winner: 2000; 2nd league in 2006/2007 season)

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 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).

Warsaw also attracts many young and off-stream directors and performers who add to the city's theatre culture. Their productions may be viewed mostly in smaller theatres and Houses of Culture (Domy Kultury), mostly outside Śródmieście (downtown Warsaw). Warsaw hosts the International Theatrical Meetings.

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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. 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.

Museums and art galleries

There are many museums and art galleries in Warsaw, the most notable are the Muzeum Narodowe, Zachęta Art Gallery, Centre for Contemporary Art, Museum of the Polish Army and the Warsaw Uprising Museum. The biggest of them, the Warsaw National Museum has numerous subsidiaries located in various parts of Warsaw, in particular in the Royal Castle and the Wilanów Palace.

Film

Since World War II Warsaw has been the second most important centre of film production in Poland. 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 and 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 centers of Poland. It is home to four major universities and over 62 smaller schools of higher education. The most important are:

• University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski)
• Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska)
• Warsaw School of Economics (Szkoła Główna Handlowa)
• Warsaw Agricultural University (Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego)
• Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego)
• Medical University of Warsaw (Akademia Medyczna w Warszawie)
• Military University of Technology (Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna)
• Academy of National Defence (Akademia Obrony Narodowej)
• Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Warszawie)
• Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music (Akademia Muzyczna im. Fryderyka Chopina)
• Theatre Academy (Akademia Teatralna im. Aleksandra Zelwerowicza)

The overall number of students of all grades of education in Warsaw is almost 500,000 (29% of the city population; 2002). The number of university students is over 255,000.

Economy

In 2007 Warsaw was ranked 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.

Business and commerce

Warsaw, especially its city center (Śródmieście), is home not only to many national institutions and government agencies, but also to many domestic and international companies. 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. Warsaw produces more than 15% of Poland's national income. The GDP (PPP) per capita in Warsaw was about $28,000 in 2005.

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.

It has been said that Warsaw, together with Frankfurt, London and Paris, is one of the tallest cities in Europe. 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.

Warsaw hosts the headquarters of Frontex, the EU's border control agency.

Warsaw Stock Exchange

Although Warsaw was home to a stock exchange since 1817, in 1945, because of political changes after World War II, it could not be recreated. It 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. Oddly enough, from 1991 until 2000 the stock exchange was situated in the building previously used as the headquarters of the PZPR (Polish Communist Party).

Industry

During Warsaw's reconstruction after World War II, the communist authorities decided that the city would become a major industrial center. 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.

Tourist attractions

• Although today's Warsaw is a fairly young city, it has a lot of tourist attractions. Apart from the Warsaw Old Town quarter, carefully reconstructed after World War II, each borough has something to offer. Among the most notable landmarks of the Old Town are the Royal Castle, King Sigismund's Column, Market Square, and the Barbican.

• Further south is the so-called Royal Route, with many classicist palaces, the Presidential Palace and the Warsaw University campus. 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.

• 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, full of sculptures, some of them by the most renowned Polish artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Since it serves the religious communities of Warsaw, be it Catholics, Jews, Muslims or Protestants, it is often called a necropolis. Nearby is the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery, one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.

• To the north of the city centre is the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto.

• The borough of Żoliborz is famous for its architecture from the 1920s and 1930s. Between Żoliborz and the Vistula is the Warsaw Citadel, a monument of 19th century military architecture.

• Former royal residence of king Jan III Sobieski — Wilanów Palace is notable for their baroque architecture and beautiful parks.

• Notable examples of contemporary architecture include the Palace of Culture and Science, a Soc-realist skyscraper located in the city center, the Stadion Dziesięciolecia which is the biggest open-air market in Europe also attracts many tourists. 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, and the Plac Konstytucji with its monumental Social realism architecture.

• Warsaw Uprising Museum

• Ulica Kubusia Puchatka, probably the only street in the world named after Winnie-the-Pooh and located in the very centre of a metropolis.
• 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 center

• Planned:
  • Museum of the History of Polish Jews
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • "Kopernik" Science Center (Copernicus)
  • Złota 44 — Apartment tower of unique shape by Daniel Libeskind

• Planned reconstructions:
  • Saxon Palace
  • Brühl Palace

Twin cities

Miscellanea

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (November 2007)

• 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. 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. 2 (Service) Dress.
• One of David Bowie's songs featured on the album Low is called Warszawa.
• One of Joy Division's songs on the album Substance is called Warsaw. The band itself was previously called "Warsaw" as well.
• There is a Danish heavy metal band called Red Warszawa.
• In August 2007, a band from Norway, Superfamily, recorded a song 'Warszawa', with video shot in the city's notable places
• There are ten towns in the USA called Warsaw.
• Leo Gerstenzang invented cotton swabs in Warsaw.
• The Miss World 2006 competition took place in Warsaw, in the Palace of Culture and Science, Congress Hall.
• The mermaid, or syrenka, is the symbol of Warsaw. This symbol can be found on the coat of arms of Warsaw and on statues throughout the city.

Famous people

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

1. Economist Intelligence Unit report retrieved 15 June 2007
3. ATLAS — Warsaw retrieved 24 October 2007

External links

• Template: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)

Warsaw in the European Union

v t e Capital cities of the member states of the European Union Netherlands: Amsterdam Greece: Athens Germany: Berlin Slovakia: Bratislava Belgium: Brussels Romania: Bucharest Hungary: Budapest Denmark: Copenhagen Ireland: Dublin Finland: Helsinki Portugal: Lisbon Slovenia: Ljubljana Luxembourg: Luxembourg Spain: Madrid Cyprus: Nicosia France: Paris Czech Republic: Prague Latvia: Riga Italy: Rome Bulgaria: Sofia Sweden: Stockholm Estonia: Tallinn Malta: Valletta Austria: Vienna Lithuania: Vilnius Poland: Warsaw Croatia: Zagreb

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