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| 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
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, boosting hopes for acceptance to
the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999. |
| Location: |
Central Europe, east of Germany |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
52 00 N, 20 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 312,685 sq km
land: 304,465 sq km
water: 8,220 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly smaller than New Mexico |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 2,888 km
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 |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately
severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers
with frequent showers and thundershowers |
| Terrain: |
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern
border |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Raczki Elblaskie
-2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m |
| Natural
resources: |
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver,
lead, salt, arable land |
| Land use: |
arable land: 47%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 29%
other: 10% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,000 sq km (1993 est.) |
| 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-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, 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 |
| Geography -
note: |
historically, an area of conflict because
of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the
North European Plain |
| Population: |
38,633,912 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 18.39% (male
3,640,451; female 3,463,604)
15-64 years: 69.17% (male 13,288,471; female
13,434,753)
65 years and over: 12.44% (male 1,836,816;
female 2,969,817) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.03% (2001 est.) |
| Birth rate: |
10.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death rate: |
9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net migration
rate: |
-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| 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: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
9.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 73.42 years
male: 69.26 years
female: 77.82 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate: |
0.07% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish |
| Ethnic groups: |
Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%,
Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.) |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing),
Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over
can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1978 est.) |
| Country name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form: Polska |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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 |
| Independence: |
11 November 1918 (independent republic
proclaimed) |
| National
holiday: |
Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) |
| Constitution: |
16 October 1997; adopted by the National
Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23
May 1997 |
| 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 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: President
Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Leszek
MILLER - Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) - (since 19
October 2001), Deputy Prime Ministers Marek POL (since 19
October 2001), Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI (since 19 October
2001), Marek BELKA (since 19 October 2001)
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
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election held 8 October 2000 (next
to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed
by the Sejm
election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI
reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander
KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian
KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1% |
| 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)
elections: Sejm elections last held 25
September 2001 (next to be held by NA September 2005);
Senate - last held 25 September 2001 (next to be held by
NA September 2005)
election results: Sejm - percent of vote by
party - SLD-UP 41%, PO 12.7%, Samoobrona 10.2%, PiS 9.5%,
PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW 3.1%, other 1%; seats by
party - SLD-UP 216, PO 65, Samoobrona 53, PiS 44, PSL 42,
LPR 38, German minorities 2; note - SLD-UP have split: SLD
has 200 deputies and UP has 16; Senate - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - SLD-UP 75, Senate Block
2001 15, PSL 4, Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2
note: two seats are assigned to ethnic
minority parties |
| 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) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Citizens Platform or PO [Maciej PLAZYNSKI];
Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of
Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Bronislaw
GEREMEK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk
KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Lech KACZYNSKI]; League of
Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Polish Accord
or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw
KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER]; Solidarity
Electoral Action of the Right or AWSP [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI];
Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy
BUZEK]; Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ
(trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade
union) |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
(observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU,
WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI
chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles,
and New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Christopher R. HILL
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540,
Warsaw P1
mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41
FAX: [48] (22) 628-82-98
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 |
| Economy -
overview: |
Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of
liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of
the most successful and open transition economies. GDP
growth has been strong and steady since 1992 - the best
performance in the region. The privatization of small and
medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on
establishing new firms has allowed for the rapid
development of a vibrant private sector. In contrast,
Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by
structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small
farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and
privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g.,
coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun. Structural
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 privatization of Poland's remaining
state sector. The government's determination to enter the
EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its
economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current
account deficit and reining in inflation are priorities.
Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a
continued large inflow. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $327.5 billion
(2000 est.) |
| GDP - real
growth rate: |
4.8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000
est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 36.6%
services: 59.6% (1999) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
18.4% (2000 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 26.3% (1996) |
| Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
10.2% (2000 est.) |
| Labor force: |
17.2 million (1999 est.) |
| Labor force -
by occupation: |
industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services
50.4% (1999) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
12% (1999) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $49.6 billion
expenditures: $52.3 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999) |
| Industries: |
machine building, iron and steel, coal
mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass,
beverages, textiles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4.3% (1999) |
| Electricity -
production: |
134.351 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel: 96.43%
hydro: 3.16%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.41% (1999) |
| Electricity -
consumption: |
120.007 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity -
exports: |
8.43 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity -
imports: |
3.491 billion kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture -
products: |
potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat;
poultry, eggs, pork |
| Exports: |
$28.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports -
commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment 30.2%,
intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous
manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5%
(1999) |
| Exports -
partners: |
Germany 36.1%, Italy 6.5%, Netherlands
5.3%, France 4.8%, UK 4.0%, Czech Republic 3.8% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$42.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment 38.2%,
intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%,
miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) |
| Imports -
partners: |
Germany 25.2%, Italy 9.4%, France 6.8%,
Russia 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Netherlands 3.7% (1999) |
| Debt -
external: |
$57 billion (2000) |
| Economic aid -
recipient: |
$NA |
| Exchange
rates: |
zlotych per US dollar - 4.3126 (December
2000), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793
(1997), 2.6961 (1996) |
| Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones -
main lines in use: |
8.07 million (1998) |
| Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
1.78 million (1998) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aimed to
have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process
of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone
monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million
applicants on the waiting list for telephone service
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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
20.2 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) |
| Televisions: |
13.05 million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.pl |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
19 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
2.8 million (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 23,420 km
broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 21,639 km 1.435-m gauge
(11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double-track)
narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges
including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998) |
| Highways: |
total: 381,046 km
paved: 249,966 km (including 268 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 131,080 km (1998) |
| Waterways: |
3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals)
(1996) |
| 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 |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 943,540 GRT/1,532,694 DWT
ships by type: bulk 41, cargo 2, chemical
tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2000
est.) |
| Airports: |
122 (2000 est.) |
| Airports -
with paved runways: |
total: 83
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 42
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| 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 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
19 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 10,447,931
(2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 8,139,245
(2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 344,781 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$3.17 billion (FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.95% (FY00) |
| Disputes -
international: |
none |
| Illicit drugs: |
major illicit producer of amphetamine for
the international market; minor transshipment point for
Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe |
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