Łódź is the third-largest city
in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of
742,387 in December 2009. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is
approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat
of arms is an example of canting: depicting a boat, it alludes to the city's
name which translates literally as "boat
