| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
52° 00' North Latitude
20° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
312,685 sq km |
| Climate |
Temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers |
| Natural Resources |
Coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Poland |
| Capital City |
Warsaw |
| 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 Day |
11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
38,635,144 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Polish |
| Ethnic Groups |
Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census) |
| Religion |
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) |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.03% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Zloty (PLN) |
| Industries |
Machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles |
| Labor Force |
17.02 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 16.1%, industry 29%, services 54.9% (2002) |
| Agriculture Products |
Potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003) |
| Export Partners |
Germany 29.8%, Italy 6.3%, France 5.4%, UK 4.7%, Czech Republic 4.4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003) |
| Import Partners |
Germany 29.8%, Italy 8%, France 7%, Russia 6.9%, Netherlands 5.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
23,852 km |
| Highways |
364,697 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 13,552 km; oil 1,772 km (2004) |
| Airports |
123 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+48 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.pl |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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 currently suffers low GDP growth and high unemployment. 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. |
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