People referred to as Poles, or Polish, come from Poland. Poland is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia's Kaliningrad region. Its capital and largest city is Warsaw.
The terms “Poles” and “Polish” usually describe the people and culture associated with Poland. Ethnic Poles are a West Slavic people, and Polish is a West Slavic language related to Czech and Slovak. The Polish name for the country is Polska, while Polish people are called Polacy.
Poland has a history stretching back more than a thousand years. The first Polish state is traditionally associated with the Piast dynasty, and Duke Mieszko I's baptism in 966 helped connect Poland with Western Christian Europe. Modern Poland was re-established as an independent state in 1918 after more than a century of partitions.
A common mix-up is confusing Polish nationality with the broader idea of Slavic identity: Poles are Slavs, but not all Slavic people are Polish.