2000 Edition

Background

Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of an independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. Complete freedom came with the implosion of the USSR in 1991. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for early acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999.

Area

land

304,465 sq km

total

312,685 sq km

water

8,220 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Mexico

Climate

temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Coastline

491 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Rysy 2,499 m

lowest point

Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

Environment - current issues

situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note

historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Irrigated land

1,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 428 km

total

2,888 km

Land use

arable land

47%

forests and woodland

29%

other

10% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

13%

Location

Central Europe, east of Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

defined by international treaties

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land

Terrain

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Age structure

0-14 years: 19% (male 3,767,454; female 3,587,822) 15-64 years: 69% (male 13,201,825; female 13,352,950) 65 years and over: 12% (male 1,809,839; female 2,926,133) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

10.13 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

9.99 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

9.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Polish

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.6 years (2000 est.)

male

69.01 years

total population

73.19 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98% (1978 est.)

male

99%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Polish

noun

Pole(s)

Net migration rate

-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

38,646,023 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.04% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.38 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie

Capital

Warsaw

Constitution

16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly on 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Poland

conventional short form

Poland

local long form

Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form

Polska

Data code

PL

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Daniel FRIED

embassy

Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw P1

mailing address

American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)

telephone

(22) 628-30-41

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Jerzy KOZMINSKI

telephone

(202) 234-3800 through 3802

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers

chief of state

President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)

election results

Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI elected president; percent of popular vote, second round - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 51.7%, Lech WALESA 48.3%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election first round held 5 November 1995, second round held 19 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 2000); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

head of government

Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK (since 31 October 1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Leszek BALCEROWICZ (since 31 October 1997), Longin KOMOLOWSKI (since 19 October 1999)

FAX

(202) 328-6271

(22) 625-67-31

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

consulate(s) general

Krakow

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

Government type

republic

Independence

11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period; Constitutional Tribunal, judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms

Legal system

mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)

election results

Sejm - percent of vote by party - RS-AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%, UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, MNSO 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats by party - AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, MNSO 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AWS 51, SLD 28, UW 8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note - seats by party in the Sejm as of January 2000: AWS 186, SLD 159, UW 60, PSL 26, PP 7, ROP 4, MNSO 2, KPN-O 5, PPS-RLP 3, other 8

elections

Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001); Senate - last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001)

note

two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties

National holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791); Independence Day, November 11 (1918)

Political parties and leaders

Center Alliance Party or PC [Antoni TOKARCZUK]; Christian National Union or ZCHN ; Confederation for an Independent Poland or KPN ; Confederation for an Independent Poland-Patriotic Camp or KPN-OP (KPN-Fatherland or KPN-O is a small group within the KPN-OP) [Adam SLOMKA]; Conservative Peasant Party or SKL ; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW ; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO ; Labor Party or PP ; Labor Union or UP ; Movement of Polish Working People or RLP ; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Polish Christian Democrats or PPChD ; Polish Peasant Party or PSL ; Polish Socialist Party or PPS ; Realpolitik Union or UPR [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS (includes RS-AWS and Solidarity) ; Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS

note

post-Communist - SLD and PSL; post-Solidarity - UW, Freedom Union, ZCHN, PC, PL, RS AWS, UP, and PK; non-Communist, non-Solidarity - ROP, KPN, MN, and UPR

Political pressure groups and leaders

All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, beef, milk, cheese

Budget

expenditures

$34.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$31.6 billion

Currency

1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy

Debt - external

$44 billion (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$4.312 billion (1995)

Economy - overview

Poland today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms marked the rapid development of a private sector now responsible for 70% of economic activity. In contrast to the vibrant expansion of private non-farm activity, the large agriculture component remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's worsening current account deficit and tightening monetary policy, now focused on inflation targeting, also are priorities. Warsaw continues to hold the budget deficit to around 2% of GDP. Structural reforms advanced in pensions, health care, and public administration in 1999, but resulted in larger than anticipated fiscal pressures. Further progress on public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal and steel) has begun, but work remains to be done. Growth in 2000 should be moderately above 1999.

Electricity - consumption

121.938 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

8.1 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

4.6 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

134.879 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

96.47%

hydro

3.18%

nuclear

0%

other

0.35% (1998)

Exchange rates

zlotych (Zl) per US$1 - 4.1696 (December 1999), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997), 2.6961 (1996), 2.4250 (1995)

Exports

$27.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

manufactured goods and chemicals 57%, machinery and equipment 21%, food and live animals 12%, mineral fuels 7% (1997)

Exports - partners

Germany 36%, Italy 5.8%, Russia 5.6%, Netherlands 4.7%, France 4.6%, Ukraine 3.8%, UK 3.8 (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $276.5 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

5%

industry

35%

services

60% (1998)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.8% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 22.1% (1992)

Imports

$40.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods and chemicals 43%, machinery and equipment 36%, mineral fuels 9%, food and live animals 8% (1997)

Imports - partners

Germany 25.8%, Italy 9.4%, France 6.5%, Russia 5.1%, UK 4.9%, US 3.8%, Netherlands 3.8% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

4.5% (1999 est.)

Industries

machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.4% (1999 est.)

Labor force

15.3 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

industry 25%, agriculture 25%, services 50% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

23.8% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

11% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

161 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

20.2 million (1997)

Telephone system

underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aims to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun

domestic

cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Telephones - main lines in use

8.07 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.58 million (1998)

Television broadcast stations

150 (1997)

Televisions

13.05 million (1997)

Airports

123 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

85 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 20 (1999 est.)

Heliports

3 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways)

total

381,046 km

unpaved

131,080 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 50, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 2 (1999 est.)

total

57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,120,165 GRT/1,799,569 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996)

Ports and harbors

Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw

Railways

broad gauge

646 km 1.524-m gauge

narrow gauge

1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998)

standard gauge

21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track)

total

23,420 km

Waterways

3,812 km navigable rivers and canals (1996)

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.2 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.1% (FY00)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 10,454,717 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 8,138,723 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

336,293 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

major illicit producer of amphetamines for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe

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