from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Poland
Introduction
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
Location: Central Europe, east of Germany
Geographic 52 00 N, 20 00 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 312,685 sq km
land: 304,465 sq km
water: 8,220 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than New Mexico
comparative:
Land total: 3,056 km
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
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: defined by international
treaties
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 lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
extremes: highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
Natural coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt,
resources: amber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 40.25%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 58.75% (2005)
Irrigated 1,000 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural flooding
hazards:
Environment - situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in
current heavy industry and increased environmental concern by
issues: 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 - party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental
international Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic
agreements: 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
Geography - historically, an area of conflict because of flat
note: terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North
European Plain
People
Population: 38,536,869 (July 2006 est.)
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.)
Median age: total: 37 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 39 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.05% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 9.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.89 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 7.22 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 6.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 74.97 years
expectancy at male: 70.95 years
birth: female: 79.23 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001
adult est.)
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 14,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 100 (2001 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish
Ethnic groups: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian
0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)
Religions: Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern
Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified
8.3% (2002)
Languages: Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form: Polska
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Warsaw
geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo);
divisions: 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 Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
holiday:
Constitution: adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed
by national referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17
October 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,
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23
branch: December 2005)
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)
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 (eligible for a second term); election
last held 9 and 23 October 2005 (next to be held
October 2010); prime minister and deputy prime
ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by
the Sejm
election results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president;
percent of popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald
Tusk 46%
Legislative bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the
branch: 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
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)
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
note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
in the Sejm only
Judicial Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on
branch: 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 Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ];
parties and Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative
leaders: Peasants Party or SKL [Artur BALASZ]; Democratic Left
Alliance or SLD [Wojciech OLEJNICZAK]; Democratic Party
or PD [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; 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 [Marek KOTLINOWSKI];
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 All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union)
pressure [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef
groups and GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]
leaders:
International ACCT (observer), Arctic Council (observer), Australia
organization Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC,
participation: EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, 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, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Janusz REITER
representation chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE
representation embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
from the US: mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department
of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000
FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688
consulate(s) general: Krakow
Flag two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red;
description: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are
red (top) and white
Economy
Economy - Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic
overview: liberalization throughout the 1990s 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 - currently the highest in
the EU. 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 stands to benefit from nearly $23.2 billion in
EU funds, available through 2006. Farmers have already
begun to reap the rewards of membership via booming
exports, higher food prices, and EU agricultural
subsidies.
GDP $505.2 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $246.2 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $13,100 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 5%
composition by industry: 31.1%
sector: services: 64% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 17.1 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 16.1%
by occupation: industry: 29%
services: 54.9% (2002)
Unemployment 18.2% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 17% (2003 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 3.1%
income or highest 10%: 26.7% (2002)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 34.1 (2002)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 2.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 18.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $52.73 billion
expenditures: $63.22 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 47.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs,
products: pork, dairy
Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining,
chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass,
beverages, textiles
Industrial 3.7% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 150.8 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 98.1%
production by hydro: 1.5%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0.4% (2001)
Electricity - 121.3 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 15.2 billion kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 5 billion kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 24,530 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 476,200 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 53,000 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 413,700 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved 142.4 million bbl (December 2004)
reserves:
Natural gas - 4.33 billion cu m (2004)
production:
Natural gas - 14.97 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 44 million cu m (2004)
exports:
Natural gas - 9.45 billion cu m (2004)
imports:
Natural gas - 154.4 billion cu m (December 2004)
proved
reserves:
Current $-4.364 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $92.72 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate
commodities: manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured
goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)
Exports - Germany 28.2%, France 6.2%, Italy 6.1%, UK 5.6%, Czech
partners: Republic 4.6%, Russia 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)
Imports: $95.67 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate
commodities: manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals,
fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)
Imports - Germany 29.6%, Russia 8.7%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands
partners: 5.9%, France 5.7% (2005)
Reserves of $42.56 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $101.5 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $13.9 billion in available EU structural adjustment and
recipient: cohesion funds (2004-06)
Currency zloty (PLN)
(code):
Currency code: PLN
Exchange zlotych per US dollar - 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004),
rates: 3.8891 (2003), 4.08 (2002), 4.0939 (2001)
note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 11.803 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 29,166,400 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modernization of the
system: 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
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
international: country code - 48; international direct
dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth
station - 1 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and
Intersputnik)
Radio AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 20.2 million (1997)
Television 40 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 13.05 million (1997)
Internet .pl
country code:
Internet 358,476 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 19 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 10.6 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 122 (2006)
Airports - total: 83
with paved over 3,047 m: 4
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 40
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 39
with unpaved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 21 (2006)
Heliports: 3 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 13,552 km; oil 1,384 km; refined products 777 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 23,072 km
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)
Roadways: total: 423,997 km
paved: 295,356 km (including 405 km of expressways)
unpaved: 128,641 km (2004)
Waterways: 3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2005)
Merchant total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,701 GRT/45,082
marine: DWT
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)
Ports and Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin
terminals:
Military
Military Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes Navy
branches: (Marynarka Wojenna, MW)), Polish Air Force (Polskie
Sily Powietrzne, PSP) (2006)
Military 17 years of age for compulsory military service after
service age January 1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of
and age for voluntary military service; in 2005, Poland
obligation: 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)
Manpower males age 17-49: 9,681,703
available for females age 17-49: 9,480,641 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 17-49: 7,739,472
for military females age 17-49: 7,859,165 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 275,446
reaching females age 17-49: 265,164 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $3.5 billion (2002)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.71% (2002)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - as a member state that forms part of the EU's external
international: border, Poland must implement the strict Schengen
border rules
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