2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.9% (male 3,142,811/female 2,976,363) 15-64 years: 70.8% (male 13,585,306/female 13,704,763) 65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,961,326/female 3,166,300) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

Airports

122 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 40 914 to 1,523 m: 8

total

83

under 914 m

2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m

21 (2006)

Area

land

304,465 sq km

total

312,685 sq km

water

8,220 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Mexico

Background

Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations. Geography Poland

Birth rate

9.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$71.25 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$62 billion

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

52 15 N, 21 00 E

name

Warsaw

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

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

Coastline

491 km

Constitution

adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed by national referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Poland

conventional short form

Poland

local long form

Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form

Polska

Currency (code)

zloty (PLN)

Currency code

PLN

Current account balance

$-4.548 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

9.89 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$147.3 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Victor ASHE

embassy

Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw

mailing address

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

telephone

[48] (22) 504-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Janusz REITER

telephone

[1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

Disputes - international

as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland must implement the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine

Distribution of family income - Gini index

34.1 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$13.9 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)

Economy - overview

Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done, especially in bringing down the unemployment rate - still the highest in the EU despite recent improvement. The privatization of small- and medium-sized state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers, most of whom pay no tax. The previous Socialist-led government introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about $17 billion through 2007, but full implementation of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in 2005. The right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentary elections in September, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidential election in October 2005, running on a state-interventionist fiscal and monetary platform. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's appreciation. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Poland benefited from nearly $23.2 billion in EU funds, which were available through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of membership via booming exports, higher food prices, and EU agricultural subsidies.

Electricity - consumption

124.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

14.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

5.3 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

143.5 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

98.1%

hydro

1.5%

nuclear

0%

other

0.4% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Rysy 2,499 m

lowest point

near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

Environment - current issues

situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist 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; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Ethnic groups

Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)

Exchange rates

zlotych per US dollar - 3.11 (2006), 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891 (2003), 4.08 (2002), note, zlotych is the plural form of zloty

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 Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)

election results

Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October 2005 (next to be held fall 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

head of government

Prime Minister Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI (since 10 July 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Ludwik DORN (since 23 November 2005), Roman GIERTYCH (since 5 May 2006), Zyta GILOWSKA (since 22 September 2006), Andrzej LEPPER (since 16 October 2006)

Exports

$110.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)

Exports - partners

Germany 28.2%, France 6.2%, Italy 6.1%, UK 5.6%, Czech Republic 4.6%, Russia 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 328-6271

[48] (22) 504-2688

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

consulate(s) general

Krakow

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Poland

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 Economy Poland

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

4.8%

industry

31.2%

services

64% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$265.4 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$542.6 billion (2006 est.)

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 People Poland

Government type

republic

Heliports

3 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

14,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.7% (2002)

lowest 10%

3.1%

Illicit drugs

major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$113.2 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)

Imports - partners

Germany 29.6%, Russia 8.7%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 5.9%, France 5.7% (2005)

Independence

11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

Industrial production growth rate

10.2% (2006 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

6.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

7.95 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.22 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT (observer), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code

.pl

Internet hosts

358,476 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

19 (2000)

Internet users

10.6 million (2005) Transportation Poland

Investment (gross fixed)

19.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

1,000 sq km (2003)

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)

Labor force

17.26 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

16.1%

industry

29%

services

54.9% (2002)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belarus 416 km, Czech Republic 790 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 103 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 529 km

total

3,056 km

Land use

arable land

40.25%

other

58.75% (2005)

permanent crops

1%

Languages

Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)

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, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PiS 49, PO 34, LPR 7, SO 3, PSL 2, independents 5; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PiS 27%, PO 24.1%, SO 11.4%, SLD 11.3%, LPR 8%, PSL 7%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PiS 155, PO 133, SO 56, SLD 55, LPR 34, PSL 25, German minorities 2

elections

Senate - last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by September 2009); Sejm elections last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by September 2009)

note

two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.23 years (2006 est.)

male

70.95 years

total population

74.97 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.7% (2003 est.) Government Poland

male

99.8%

total population

99.8%

Location

Central Europe, east of Germany

Manpower available for military service

females age 17-49

9,480,641 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

9,681,703

Manpower fit for military service

females age 17-49

7,859,165 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

7,739,472

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 17-49

265,164 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

275,446

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

defined by international treaties

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

39 years (2006 est.)

male

35.1 years

total

37 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1

foreign-owned

1 (Nigeria 1)

registered in other countries

106 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas 15, Belize 2, Cyprus 20, Liberia 14, Malta 27, Norway 2, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 5) (2006)

total

11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,701 GRT/45,082 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.5 billion (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.71% (2002) Transnational Issues Poland

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for compulsory military service after January 1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; in 2005, Poland plans to shorten the length of conscript service obligation from 12 to 9 months; by 2008, plans call for at least 60% of military personnel to be volunteers; only soldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004, women are only allowed to serve as officers and noncommissioned officers (2004)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Nationality

adjective

Polish

noun

Pole(s)

Natural gas - consumption

15.67 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

46 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

9.963 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

5.957 billion cu m (2004)

Natural gas - proved reserves

164.8 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

445,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

53,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

413,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

35,880 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

142.4 million bbl (December 2004)

Pipelines

gas 13,552 km; oil 1,384 km; refined products 777 km (2006)

Polish Armed Forces

Land Forces (includes Navy (Marynarka Wojenna, MW)), Polish Air Force (Sily Powietrzenje Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, SPRP) (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL [Artur BALASZ]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wojciech OLEJNICZAK]; Democratic Party or PD [Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ]; Dom Ojczysty (Fatherland Home); German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Roman GIERTYCH]; Peasant-Democratic Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK]; Ruch Patriotyczny or RP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Marek BOROWSKI]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Andrzej SPYCHALSKI]

Political pressure groups and leaders

All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]

Population

38,536,869 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

17% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.05% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin Military Poland

Public debt

49% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

20.2 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

629 km 1.524-m gauge

standard gauge

22,443 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational; 11,910 km electrified) (2005)

total

23,072 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$49.69 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

295,356 km (including 484 km of expressways)

total

423,997 km

unpaved

128,641 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service available since 1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks, has grown rapidly in response to the weak fixed-line coverage; third generation UMTS service available in urban areas; cellular coverage is generally good with more gaps in the east; fixed-line service is growing slowly and still lags in rural areas

general assessment

modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in 2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony

international

country code - 48; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik)

Telephones - main lines in use

11.803 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

29,166,400 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

40 (2006)

Televisions

13.05 million (1997)

Terrain

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

14.9% (November 2006 est.)

Waterways

3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2005)