The Republic of Poland, located in Central Europe just east of Germany, officially became a separate state when it gained its independence once and for all in 1918. Riddled with conflicts and agreements between 1772 and 1795 with Russia, Prussia, and Austria, Poland had been fractioned into independent partitions ruled by these states. Following a history of being a Soviet satellite state, the 312,685 sq km sized country, similar to New Mexico, began to transform itself into an independent economy and political system. Now with 16 administrative provinces, the state is run by a President who is head of the executive branch and is accompanied by a bicameral legislature and a judicial branch.