POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country?

There can only one country occupy the central spot and that is Germany, sorry!
Everything east of us is eastern Europe and everything west of us is western Europe.

So!

;)

*runs very quickly*

I see you guys moved your capitol closer to the center of your imagined empire.

More practical...not so long ways! :)

I'll be worried when the Russians move their capitol to Kiev. :) Gotta keep an eye on you guys.

Germany is THE Central European country but Poland, Czech Rep, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria are all in Central Europe (Maybe Switzerland too but I am not sure)


Ey! Don't run from our discussion!!!

What are the criteria for "centrality"? GDP, geography, history, prestige to be known to be located there,...? I think we can only answer the question about Poland if we answer the above questions.

Central Europe has apparently become a very prestigious address on the continent.

It's a matter of interpretation but is it actually a problem to any of view if someone is calling it an Eastern European country?

The best! :)

Mostly Geography, although in Central Europe there are very specific highlanders. With special hats and instruments and etc as either they are near the Carpathian mountains or the Alps.

But mostly it's geographically speaking. It's also very common that those countries citizen's know German or some of it. At least it's not unheard of

So, what is Poland's location in relation to this point?


/wiki/Geographical_midpoint_of_Europe

At least 6 countries claim to have a center of Europe within its boundaries. Poland and Ukraine claim they have 2 centers of Europe, which is amazing. But if we consider the majority's geographical location (Estonia, Lithuania, Belorus and Ukraine vs. Poland and Slovakia) than Poland is indeed in Western Europe as the center would be to its east.

Problem solved. Poland is not an Eastern European country :)

What?!

Oh right the globe...
I don't like the globe.. I like flat maps...
THE EARTH IS FLAT! There problem solved

Merged: Are Poles annoyed at being refferd to as Eastern Europe?

As far as I see it Poland is in Eastern Europe and is refferd to as such by the media in the UK. But Iv'e heard that some Poles get pissed off at being referd to as Eassern Europe not Central.

I know Hungarians and Czech people do get quite annoyed but Serbs and Bulgarians have no problem with being from Eastern Europe.

Source: My father is a Serb

There were countless internet discussions about it. It all depends on what do you mean by that...
Poles are annoyed when by "Eastern Europe" someone means the "wild east land far far away where white bears eats children for breakfast"...

The problem is that except post-comunist meaning of term "Eastern Europe", Poland is in central Europe (in terms of climate, geoghraphy, culture - yes, strange but mostly true, politics, economy, etc...). So, if someone is using term EE, then one of possible conclusions in the Polish mind is: "hm... it seems that someone is trying to offend me" ;)

btw:


If Serbs are from Eastern Europe, then Greeks too ;-)

I can see how they might be annoyed.

Personally, for me it's Eastern Europe and probably always will be.

If an individual Pole I know objects to the term I would accomodate them but in general, since so many Poles talk about "The West" in such a 1950s non-specific way, I couldn't really give a sh1te if Eastern Europe annoys them ; )

It's certainly to the East of centre anyway whatever way you look at it

: )

Look at the map.If we don't belong to southern Europe then who does?

^^
Malta perphaps? ;-) Anyway, I was a bit ironic...

everyone here in England sees Poles as Eastern Europeans. Central European is a term only used by the Guardian or left wing papers.

You can **** off noimmigration, we're a Central European people, not East European; stop believing what you read in The Sun.

The Poles are Continental Europeans who have more in common with France ,Germany and Italy than an Englishman has with a Frenchman, A German or an Italian !

OT and don't mean to be rude, but are you actually Polish SC?

I mean born there to Polish parents for example? Only reason I ask is that you seem very...er... anglicised and I was surprised to see you use the term "we"

Hope I don't come across as cheeky by asking this, but I'm just curious.

I have more in common with a Dutchman or an Irishman than a Pole, I see the Dutch as very culturally similar to us. You have more in common with Russia than with England or even Germany culturally.

Born in England to Polish parents.

I believe that the term used on here for people like me is "Plastic Pole", but anyone who says that to my face will "dostanie w mordę" lol ;)

sorry my mistake even the guardian refers to Poles as Eastern European:

Poland is now the second highest in this table (behind India) with 503,000 people. In 2004 it wasn't in the top 60.

guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/apr/29/eastern-european-immigration-uk-general-election

Russia is neither Europe nor Asia, if you exclude European Russia, then you are still pretty Eastern.

People sometimes talk about 'Russia's relations with Europe'. ie Russia is neither Europe nor Asia. Poland is in the East of Europe. stop getting so damn touchy about it.


get over it, we do the same thing in the uk

I suspected it will once again become a flamewar, wait, I will catch some popcorn ;)


How come "Third Rome" can be not in Europe?


You are aware that "Europe" in this sentence is a mental leap for European Union? You can also in such context say "Switzerland relations with Europe"...

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5He_PGomJVs

Here is zhirinovsky saying 'Russia stands between Europe and Asia'.

Nah, I'm not completely sure of the rules for this little term but I believe that having ACTUAL Polish parents may exclude you from the club!

And on topic, when Poles stop talking about "The West" I might consider relocating poland to central Europe - deal?

; )

Zhirinovsky as an ultimate guru? You must be joking... If you have cited Dostoyevsky or someone of that kind...
Of course Russia is a country that is on the edge of Europe and Asia (or judging by its size it is rather rest of Europe which is on the edge of Russia), but in most terms - population clusters included - it lies in Europe. On the other hand suppossedly Mao said that Europe is a small peninsula of Asia :-)


I guess Polish perception is quite logical, as it is in CE then everything west is WE ;-) Ok, it would be if didn't add to that Sweden and sometimes... Australia ;)

All these sources refer to Poland as Eastern Europe:

stockholm.sgir.eu/uploads/Paper%20Zeilinger%20SGIR%202010.pdf
timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6934213.ece
spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,759325,00.html
economist.com/node/8080744
independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/figures-show-nu mber-of-eastern-europeans-in-britain-exaggerated-432927.html

You are in Eastern Europe on the borders of Russia. they are your ethnic brethren so embrace your Slavic roots and do not be ashamed of being from Eastern Europe.

You're referring to Kaliningrad, right?