Poland is a European nation.
Poland ( Polska [ ˈpɔlska ] ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( [ Rzeczpospolita Polska , links = no ] , ) , is a parliamentary republic in Central Europe . Poland 's capital and largest city is Warsaw . Poland is the eighth largest and one of the most dynamic economies in the European Union , simultaneously achieving a `` very high '' ranking on the Human Development Index . Poland is a member state of the European Union , the Schengen Area , the United Nations , NATO and the OECD . Warsaw . Its population is estimated at 1.750 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 3.101 million residents , which makes Warsaw the 9th most-populous capital city in the European Union .