CIA - The World Factbook -- Poland.pdf

7/27/2019 CIA - The World Factbook -- Poland.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/cia-the-world-factbook-polandpdf 1/14

- The World Factbook -- Poland https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geo

4 5/24/2007 1

SelectaCountryorLocationSelectaCountryorLocation

Poland

Click to enlarge

IntroductionGeographyPeopleGovernmentEconomyCommunicationsTransportationMilitaryTransnational Issues

Home Reference Maps Appendixes Print-Friendly Page

This page was last updated on 15 May, 2007

Legend: Definition Field Listing Rank Order

Introduction Poland Top of Page

Background:

Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10thcentury. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following




4 5/24/2007 1

century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened thenation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained itsindependence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union inWorld War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but itsgovernment 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 thecountry 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 itfailed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the newleaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the TradeUnion's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largelycompleted, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic

organizations. Geography Poland Top of Page

Location:

Central Europe, east of Germany

Geographiccoordinates:

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 312,685 sq kmland: 304,465 sq kmwater: 8,220 sq km

Area -comparative:

slightly smaller than New Mexico

Land boundaries:

total: 3,056 km

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 claims:

territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties




4 5/24/2007 1

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: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 mhighest point: Rysy 2,499 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 40.25% permanent crops: 1%

other: 58.75% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1,000 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:

flooding

Environment -current issues:

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

Environment -internationalagreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-MarineLiving Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,

Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of theSea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-PersistentOrganic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Geography - note:

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

People Poland Top of Page

Population:




4 5/24/2007 1

38,518,241 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 15.5% (male 3,070,388/female 2,906,121)15-64 years: 71.1% (male 13,639,012/female 13,761,154)65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,964,429/female 3,177,137) (2007 est.)

Median age:

total: 37.3 yearsmale: 35.4 years female: 39.3 years (2007 est.)

Population growthrate:

-0.046% (2007 est.)

Birth rate:

9.94 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate:

9.94 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)Net migration rate:

-0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.057 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.991 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.618 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.941 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortalityrate:

total: 7.07 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy atbirth:

total population: 75.19 yearsmale: 71.18 years female: 79.44 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.26 children born/woman (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult

prevalence rate:

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

HIV/AIDS - peopleliving withHIV/AIDS:

14,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

100 (2001 est.)




4 5/24/2007 1

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 writetotal population: 99.8%male: 99.8% female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Government Poland Top of Page

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Poland conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polskalocal short form: Polska

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Warsawgeographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 Etime difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday inOctober

Administ rat ivedivisions:

16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskiewojewodztwo, Kujawsko-Pomorskie wojewodztwo, Lodzkie wojewodztwo,

Lubelskie wojewodztwo, Lubuskie wojewodztwo, Malopolskie wojewodztwo,Mazowieckie wojewodztwo, Opolskie wojewodztwo, Podkarpackiewojewodztwo, Podlaskie wojewodztwo, Pomorskie wojewodztwo, Slaskiewojewodztwo, Swietokrzyskie wojewodztwo, Warminsko-Mazurskiewojewodztwo, Wielkopolskie wojewodztwo, Zachodniopomorskie wojewodztwo

Independence:

11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)




4 5/24/2007 1

National holiday:

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Constitution:

adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997

Legal system:

mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legaltheory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of theConstitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to theEuropean Court of Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)head of government: Prime Minister Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI (since 10 July2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Ludwik DORN (since 23 November 2005),

Roman GIERTYCH (5 May 2006), Zyta GILOWSKA (22 September 2006),Andrzej LEPPER (16 October 2006), Przemyslaw GOSIEWSKI (8 May 2007)cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves theCouncil of Ministerselections: 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 in the fall2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejmelection results: Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of popular vote -Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%

Legislative branch:

bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to servefour-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 jointlyelections: 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, Germanminorities 2note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only




4 5/24/2007 1

Judicial branch:

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

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 Partyor PD [Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ]; Dom Ojczysty (Fatherland Home); GermanMinority 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]; PolishAccord 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 pressuregroups and

leaders:

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

SNIADEK]

Internationalorganization

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

Diplomaticrepresentation in

the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Janusz REITER chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomaticrepresentation

from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHEembassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsawmailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State,Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688consulate(s) general: Krakow




4 5/24/2007 1

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 Top of Page

Economy -overview:

Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. In 2006,GDP grew 5.3%, based on rising private consumption, a 16.7% jump in

investment, and burgeoning exports. Poland today has a thriving private sector which created more than 300,000 new jobs during 2006 alone. GDP per capitaroughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Consumer price inflation - at 1.3%in 2006 - remains among the lowest in the EU. Since 2004, EU membership and access to EU structural funds has provided a major boost to the economy.Inflows of direct foreign investment exceeded $10 billion in 2006 alone - and

more than $100 billion since 1990 - with major investments being announced byforeign firms in computer, consumer electronics, and automobile component

production. In early 2006, Poland reached agreement with its EU partners thatwill permit it to benefit from EU funds totaling nearly $80 billion during2007-13. Since 2002, even though the zloty appreciated 30%, Poland's exportsmore than doubled. Despite Poland's successes, more remains to be done.

Unemployment, which stood at 15% in December 2006, is still the highest in theEU. An inefficient commercial court system, a rigid labor code, bureaucratic red tape, and persistent corruption keep the private sector from performing to its potential. Agriculture is handicapped by inefficient small farms and inadequateinvestment. Restructuring and privatization of the remaining state-owned industries, especially "sensitive sectors" such as coal, oil refining, railroads, and

energy transmission and generation, have stalled due to concerns about loss of

control over critical national assets and lay-offs. Reforms in health care,education, the pension system, and state administration have failed so far toreduce the government budget deficit, which was roughly 2.7 percent of GDP in2006. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses inPolish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code.

The previous Socialist-led government introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about $17 billionthrough 2007, but full implementation of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in 2005. The right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentaryelections in September 2005, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidentialelection in October, running on a state-interventionist fiscal and monetary

platform. The new government has proceeded cautiously on economic matters,however, retaining, for example, the corporate income tax cuts initiated by the previous administration and indicating its intention to reduce the top personalincome tax rate.

GDP (purchasingpower parity):

$542.6 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (officialexchange rate):

$337 billion (2006 est.)




4 5/24/2007 1

GDP - real growthrate:

5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capi ta

(PPP):

$14,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - compositionby sector:

agriculture: 4.8%industry: 31.2%

services: 64% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

17.26 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - byoccupation:

agriculture: 16.1%industry: 29%

services: 54.9% (2002)

Unemploymentrate:

14.9% (November 2006 est.)

Population belowpoverty line:

17% (2003 est.)

Household incomeor consumption bypercentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.1%highest 10%: 26.7% (2002)

Distribution of family income -

Gini index:

34.1 (2002)

Inflation rate(consumer prices):

1.3% (2006 est.)

Investment (grossfixed):

19.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $62 billionexpenditures: $71.25 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt:

49% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agricu lture -products:

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

Industries:

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




14 5/24/2007 1

Industrialproduction growth

rate:

10.2% (2006 est.)

Electricity -production:

143.5 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity -consumption:

124.1 billion kWh (2004)Electricity -

exports:


Electricity -imports:


Oil - production:

35,880 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:

445,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:

53,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:

413,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - provedreserves:

142.4 million bbl (December 2004)

Natural gas -

production: 5.957 billion cu m (2004)

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 -proved reserves: 164.8 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current accountbalance:

-$4.548 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:

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




14 5/24/2007 1

Exports -commodities:

machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods23.7%, 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)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)

Reserves of foreign exchange

and gold:

$49.69 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

$147.3 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid -recipient:

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

Currency (code):

zloty (PLN)

Exchange rates:

zlotych per US dollar - 3.1032 (2006), 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891(2003), 4.08 (2002)note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Poland Top of Page

Telephones - mainlines in use:

11.803 million (2005)

Telephones -mobile cellular:

29.166 million (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network hasaccelerated with market based competition finalized in 2003; fixed-line service,




14 5/24/2007 1

dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth inwireless telephonydomestic: wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service available since1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks, has grown rapidly inresponse to the weak fixed-line coverage; third generation UMTS serviceavailable 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 areasinternational:

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

Radio broadcaststations:

AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)

Televisionbroadcast stations:

40 (2006)

Internet countrycode:

.pl

Internet hosts:

358,476 (2006)

Internet users:

10.6 million (2005)

Transportat ion Poland Top of Page

Ai rpor ts:

122 (2006)

Airpor ts - wi thpaved runways:

total: 83over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 291,524 to 2,437 m: 40914 to 1,523 m: 8under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Airpor ts - wi thunpaved runways:

total: 392,438 to 3,047 m:

11,524 to 2,437 m: 4914 to 1,523 m: 13under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Heliports:

3 (2006)

Pipelines:

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




14 5/24/2007 1

Railways:

total: 23,072 kmbroad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gaugestandard gauge: 22,443 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational; 11,910 kmelectrified) (2005)

Roadways:

total: 423,997 km paved: 295,356 km (includes 484 km of expressways)unpaved: 128,641 km (2004)

Waterways:

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

Merchant marine:

total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 55,701 GRT/45,082 DWTby type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehiclecarrier 1

foreign-owned: 1 (Nigeria 1)registered in other countries: 106 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Bahamas 15, Belize2, Cyprus 20, Liberia 14, Malta 27, Norway 2, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 5) (2006)

Ports andterminals:

Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin

Military Poland Top of Page

Military branches:

Armed Forces of the Polish Republic (Sily Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej,

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

Military service ageand 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; onlysoldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004, women are only allowed to serve asofficers and noncommissioned officers (2004)

Manpower available for

military service:

males age 17-49: 9,681,703 females age 17-49: 9,480,641 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 17-49: 7,739,472 females age 17-49: 7,859,165 (2005 est.)




Manpower reaching military

service age

annually:

males age 18-49: 275,446 females age 17-49: 265,164 (2005 est.)

Militaryexpenditures -

percent of GDP:

1.71% (2005 est.)

TransnationalIssues Poland Top of Page

Disputes -international:

as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland mustimplement the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and

trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine

Illicit drugs:

despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharingon cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for theinternational market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe

This page was last updated on 15 May, 2007

Date post:	14-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	jgrzadka2
View:	216 times
Download:	0 times

CIA - The World Factbook -- Poland.pdf

Documents