Białystok is the largest city in the north-east part of Poland and the capital of the Podlasie region. Due to historical conditions Białystok has become a place where people representing different cultures, religions and nationalities have lived together for ages. This situation shaped the specific character of the city. In Białystok we can find the largest concentration of Orthodox and Islam believers in Poland; it is also the center of Belarusian and Tatar communities. The coat of arms of Białystok itself depicts the Polish eagle and the Lithuanian Pogoń.