Warsaw,[a] officially the Capital City of Warsaw,[8][b] is the capital and largest
city of Poland.[9] The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central
Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within a
greater metropolitan area of 3.27 million residents, which makes Warsaw the 6th
most-populous city in the European Union.[2] The city area measures 517 km2 (200 sq
mi) and comprises 18 districts, while the metropolitan area covers 6,100 km2 (2,355
sq mi).[10] Warsaw is classified as an alpha global city,[11] a major political,
economic and cultural hub, and the country's seat of government. It is also the
capital of the Masovian Voivodeship.
Warsaw traces its origins to a small fishing town in Masovia. The city rose to
prominence in the late 16th century, when Sigismund III decided to move the Polish
capital and his royal court from Kraków. Warsaw surpassed Gdańsk as Poland's most
populous city by the 18th century. It served as the de facto capital of the Polish–
Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795, and subsequently as the seat of Napoleon's
Duchy of Warsaw. The 19th century and its Industrial Revolution brought a
demographic boom, which made it one of the largest and most densely populated
cities in Europe. Known then for its elegant architecture and boulevards, Warsaw
was bombed and besieged at the start of World War II in 1939.[12][13][14] Much of
the historic city was destroyed and its diverse population decimated by the Ghetto
Uprising in 1943, the general Warsaw Uprising in 1944, and systematic razing.
Warsaw is served by three international airports, the busiest being Warsaw Chopin,
as well as Warsaw Modlin and Warsaw Radom Airport. Major public transport services
operating in the city include the Warsaw Metro, buses, commuter rail service and an
extensive tram network. The city is a significant economic centre for the region,
with the Warsaw Stock Exchange being the largest in Central and Eastern Europe.[15]
[16] It is the base for Frontex, the European Union agency for external border
security, and ODIHR, one of the principal institutions of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe. Warsaw has one of Europe's highest
concentrations of skyscrapers, and the Varso Tower is the tallest building in the
European Union.
The city's primary educational and cultural institutions comprise the University of
Warsaw, the Warsaw University of Technology, the SGH Warsaw School of Economics,
the Chopin University of Music, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the National
Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Museum, and the Warsaw Grand Theatre, the
largest of its kind in the world.[17] The reconstructed Old Town, which represents
a variety of European architectural styles, was listed as a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1980.[18] Other landmarks include the Royal Castle, Sigismund's Column,
the Wilanów Palace, the Palace on the Isle, St. John's Archcathedral, Main Market
Square, and numerous churches and mansions along the Royal Route. Warsaw is a green
capital, with around a quarter of the city's area occupied by parks.[19][20] In
sports, the city is home to Legia Warsaw football club and hosts the annual Warsaw
Marathon.
Toponymy and names
Warsaw's name in the Polish language is Warszawa. Other previous spellings of the
name may have included: Warszewa, Warszowa, Worszewa or Werszewa.[21][22] The exact
origin and meaning of the name is uncertain and has not been fully determined.[23]
[24] Originally, Warszawa was the name of a small fishing settlement on the banks
of the Vistula river. One hypothesis states that Warszawa means "belonging to
Warsz", Warsz being a shortened form of the masculine Old Polish name Warcisław,
which etymologically is linked with Wrocław.[25] However the ending -awa is unusual
for a large city; the names of Polish cities derived from personal names usually
end in -ów/owo/ew/ewo (e.g. Piotrków, Adamów).
Folk etymology attributes the city name to Wars and Sawa. There are several
versions of the legend with their appearance. According to one version, Sawa was a
mermaid living in the Vistula with whom fisherman Wars fell in love.[26][27] The
official city name in full is miasto stołeczne Warszawa ("The Capital City of
Warsaw").[28]
A native or resident of Warsaw is known as a Varsovian – in Polish warszawiak,[c]
warszawianin[d] (male); warszawianka (female); warszawiacy, and warszawianie
(plural).
