Poland-Austria Border: Is There A Shared Border?

Poland and Austria do not share a border. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania to the east, and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. Austria, meanwhile, is bordered by eight countries: Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the northeast, Slovenia and Italy to the south, Switzerland to the west, and Liechtenstein to the southwest.

The borders of Poland were defined after World War II

Poland's borders were significantly altered after World War II, with the country losing and gaining territories. The new borders were decided at the Tehran Conference in 1943 and ratified at the Potsdam Conference in 1945.

Loss of Territories

The eastern border of Poland, known as the Curzon Line, was shifted westwards, resulting in the loss of the Eastern Borderlands to the Soviet Union. These lands, which were home to over 12 million people, are now part of sovereign Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania. The decision to cede these territories to the USSR was made by the Moscow-backed Polish government, and the population transfer during 1945-46 involved millions of people.

Gain of Territories

Poland gained territories to the west, including the Free State of Danzig and German areas east of the Oder-Neisse line, which became known as the Recovered Territories. These newly acquired lands included the southern portion of East Prussia, most of Pomerania, Neumark, German Silesia, and the towns of Swinemunde and Stettin. The German population in these areas was expelled, and the territories were repopulated by Poles, including those expelled from the eastern regions.

Impact of Border Changes

The territorial changes resulted in a net loss of land for Poland, with the country's area decreasing from 386,418 square kilometres before World War II to 312,679 square kilometres after the border changes. However, Poland gained a much longer coastline along the Baltic Sea compared to its pre-war borders.

Bilateral Agreements

While the Yalta and Potsdam Agreements defined the general course of Poland's borders, the specification and demarcation of the borders were normalized through bilateral agreements between the states concerned.

Poland's neighbours include Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia

Poland is bordered by several countries in Central Europe. To the west, Poland shares a 467km border with Germany. In the south, Poland borders the Czech Republic (796km) and Slovakia (541km). To the east, Poland is bordered by Ukraine (535km) and Belarus (418km). In the northeast, Poland shares a border with Lithuania (104km) and the Russian province of Kaliningrad Oblast (210km). Finally, Poland's northern border (440km) runs along the Baltic Sea coast.

The total land border of Poland is approximately 3,500km (2,182mi) and the country has a coastline of 770km (480mi). The borders of modern Poland were defined after World War II and the establishment of the People's Republic of Poland, with the Yalta Agreement of February 11, 1945, and the Potsdam Agreement of August 2, 1945, being particularly significant.

Poland's neighbours have changed over time due to historical events and shifts in political boundaries. For example, Poland used to share borders with former countries such as Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. Additionally, Poland once shared a common border with Romania, Hungary, and Latvia.

Poland's territory covers an area of 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 9th largest country in Europe and the 69th largest in the world. The country is characterised by a varied landscape, diverse ecosystems, and a temperate transitional climate. Poland is divided into 16 administrative provinces or states known as voivodeships and has a population of over 38 million people, making it the 7th most populous country in Europe (excluding Russia) and the 5th most populous member state of the European Union.

Poland's coastline is 770km long

Poland's coastline is part of its Baltic Coastal Plain, which stretches from Germany in the west to Russia in the east. This low-lying region is built from various sediments deposited by the sea. The coastline was shaped by the rising sea levels following the retreat of the Scandinavian ice sheet. The Pomeranian Bay and the Gulf of Gdańsk are the two major inlets along this coastline, with the Vistula River forming a large delta at the head of the latter. Sandbars, dunes, cliffs, and spits characterise much of the coast, with dunes moving at a rate of 3 to 10 metres per year. The largest spits are the Hel Peninsula and the Vistula Spit, and the largest island is Wolin.

The Baltic Coastal Plain is largely occupied by the ancient province of Pomerania, which means "along the sea". The central portion of this plain is sparsely populated, with only small fishing ports like Kołobrzeg dotting the landscape. The main urban centres are the ports of Szczecin, Gdańsk, and Gdynia.

The Baltic Sea activity in Słowiński National Park has also contributed to the formation of Poland's coastline. The rising sea levels created sand dunes that separated the bay from the sea. As winds and currents carry sand inland, dunes slowly migrate, sometimes closing off former lagoons.

Poland's coastline and borders were established after World War II, with the Yalta Agreement of 1945 and the Potsdam Agreement of 1945 playing a significant role in defining them.

Poland's border with Slovakia is 541km long

Poland does not share a border with Austria. The countries that neighbour Poland are Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, Lithuania and the Russian province of Kaliningrad Oblast to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the north.

Poland's border with Slovakia is 541km (336 mi) long, or 539km (335 mi) according to some sources. This makes it the second-longest border of Poland after the border with Germany. The border broadly follows the same line as the Czechoslovakia border with Poland. The border passes through the Tatra Mountains and the Dunajec River gorge. In 2005, Poland and Slovakia exchanged territories of equal size near the Dukla pass and the Zilina region to meet the practical and logistical needs of local residents.

Poland's border with Germany is 467km long

Poland does not share a border with Austria. However, Poland's border with Germany is 467km (290mi) long. This border mostly follows the Oder–Neisse line, stretching from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Czech Republic in the south. The Oder–Neisse line is an unofficial term for the modern border between Germany and Poland, generally following the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers.

The Germany–Poland border is a state border that traces its origins to the beginnings of the Polish state. Under the first Polish rulers Mieszko I and Bolesław I the Brave, the Polish western border reached further west than it does today. The Oder (Odra) and Lusatian Neisse (Nysa) rivers were among the earliest natural boundaries of the early Polish state under the Piast dynasty. The border has not always been in its current position; between the 11th and 14th centuries, it moved west or east in various sections at various times.

The border between Poland and Germany was settled at 1,912km (1,188mi) long after Poland regained independence following World War I. The border was shaped by the Treaty of Versailles and the Silesian plebiscite. However, Germany repeatedly contested this border, and the German invasion of Poland in 1939 started World War II. After World War II, the border was redrawn, mostly along the Oder–Neisse line, with the main Allies of World War II agreeing to this at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences.

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