Poland

Radio broadcast stations

AM 27, FM 27, shortwave 0

Radios

10.9 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system

underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aims to have 10 million phones in service by the year 2000 domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay international: satellite earth stations - NA Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

Telephones

5 million (1994)

Television broadcast stations

40 (Russian repeaters 5)

Televisions

9.6 million

Agriculture - products

potatoes, milk, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry and eggs; pork, beef

Budget

revenues: $37.1 billion expenditures: $40.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Currency

1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy

Debt - external

$45.8 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: Western governments and institutions pledged $22 billion in grants and loans during 1990-94, but much of the money has not been disbursed

Economy - overview

In 1996, Poland continued to make good progress in the difficult transition to a market economy. The transition began on 1 January 1990, when the new democratic government instituted shock therapy by decontrolling prices, slashing subsidies, and drastically reducing import barriers. Although real GDP fell sharply in 1990 and 1991, in 1992 Poland became the first country in the region to resume economic growth with a 2.6% increase. Growth advanced to 3.8% in 1993, 5.2% in 1994, 6.5% in 1995, and 6.0% in 1996. Most of the growth since 1991 has come from the booming private sector, which now accounts for more than 60% of GDP, attributable mostly to the creation of new private firms. Large-scale industry still remains largely in state hands. The trade and current account balances officially are in deficit but in fact both have comfortable surpluses because of large, unrecorded sales to cross-border visitors. The government has promised to extend privatization and social welfare reform and to maintain fiscal and monetary discipline. As for external debt, the burden was sharply reduced by reschedulings and write-offs of both private and official debt during 1991-95.

Electricity - capacity

29.64 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

3,124 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

127.42 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

zlotych (Zl) per US$1 - 2.8158 (January 1997), 2.4250 (1995); note - a currency reform on 1 January 1995 replaced 10,000 old zlotys with 1 new zloty; 22,723 (1994), 18,115 (1993), 13,626 (1992)

Exports

total value: $30.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: intermediate goods 38%, machinery and transport equipment 23%, consumer goods 21%, foodstuffs 10%, fuels 7% (1996 est.) partners : Germany 35.7%, Netherlands 5.9%, Russia 5.4%, Italy 4.9% (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $246.3 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 6% industry: 40% services: 54% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,400 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $34.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 32%, intermediate goods 20%, chemicals 15%, consumer goods 9%, food 9%, fuels 8% (1996 est.) partners: Germany 27.5%, Italy 8.4%, Russia 6.8%, UK 5.3% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

8.5% (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

18.8% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 17.662 million (1996 est.) by occupation: industry and construction 32.0%, agriculture 27.6%, trade, transport, and communications 14.7%, government and other 25.7% (1992)

Unemployment rate

13.3% (yearend 1996)

Area

total: 312,683 sq km land: 304,510 sq km water: 8,173 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Mexico

Climate

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

Coastline

491 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Raczki Elblaskie -2 m highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

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 Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Law of the Sea

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

Irrigated land

1,000 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Land use

arable land: 47% permanent crops : 1% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 29% other: 10% (1993 est.)

Location

Central Europe, east of Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone : defined by international treaties territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt

Terrain

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Administrative divisions

49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko Biala, Bydgoszcz, Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroleka, Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora

Constitution

interim "small constitution" came into effect in December 1992 supplementing the heavily amended constitution of 22 July 1952; referendum for a new constitution to be held 25 May 1997

Country name

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

Data code

PL

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas Andrew REY embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, Warsaw mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 telephone: [48] (2) 628-30-41

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

chief of state : President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Wlodimierz CIMOSZEWICZ (since 7 February 1996), Deputy Prime Ministers Roman JAGIELINSKI (since 7 March 1995), Marek BELKA (since NA February 1997), and Miroslaw PIETRIEWICZ (since 7 February 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister appoints and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election first round held 5 November 1995, second round held 19 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 2000); prime minister and deputy prime ministers elected by the Sejm; election last held NA 1996 (next to be held September 1997) election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI elected president; percent of legislative vote, second round - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 51.7%, Lech WALESA 48.3%; Wlodimierz CIMOSZEWICZ selected prime minister

FAX

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

FAX

[48] (2) 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

Government type

democratic state

Independence

11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of Judiciary

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms) and the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held 14 September 1997); Sejm elections last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held 14 September 1997) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - post-communist parties (PSL 34, SLD 37), post-Solidarity parties (UW 6, NSZZ 12, BBWR 2), non-communist, non-Solidarity (independents 7, unaffiliated 1, vacant 1); Sejm - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - post-communist parties (SLD 171, PSL 132), post-Solidarity parties (UW 74, UP 41, BBWR 16), non-communist, non-Solidarity (KPN 22) note: four seats are constitutionally assigned to ethnic German parties

National capital

Warsaw

National holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Political parties and leaders

post-Communist: Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Jozef OLEKSY]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK] post-Solidarity parties: Freedom Union or UW (Democratic Union and Liberal Democratic Congress merged to form Freedom Union) [Leszek BALCEROWICZ]; Christian-National Union or ZCHN [Marian PILKA]; Center Alliance Party or PC [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; Peasant Alliance or PL [Gabriel JANOWSKI]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Union of Labor or UP [Ryszard BUGAJ]; Conservative Party or PK [Aleksander HALL]; Nonparty Reform Bloc or BBWR [Jacek LIPINSKI]; Nonparty Reform Block United for Elections or BBWR-SW [Jerzy GWIZDZ] non-Communist, non-Solidarity : Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Confederation for an Independent Poland or KPN [Leszek MOCZULSKI]; German Minority or MN [Gerhardt BARTODZIEJ]; Union of Real Politics or UPR [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

powerful Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.46 billion (1997)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.3% (1997)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 10,321,399 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 8,030,056 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 327,862 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21% (male 4,235,659; female 4,038,016) 15-64 years : 67% (male 12,842,909; female 13,020,736) 65 years and over: 12% (male 1,698,505; female 2,779,414) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

10.18 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

9.82 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Polish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.47 years male : 68.27 years female: 76.91 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 98% (1978 est.)

Nationality

noun: Pole(s) adjective: Polish

Net migration rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

38,615,239 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

0% (1997 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%

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: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.43 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

major illicit producer of amphetamines for the international market; transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe PORTUGAL

Airports

134 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 69 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27 914 to 1,523 m : 3 under 914 m: 7 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 65 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m : 32 under 914 m: 18 (1994 est.)

Highways

total: 372,479 km paved : 243,229 km (including 257 km of expressways) unpaved: 129,250 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 125 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,952,937 GRT/2,933,887 DWT ships by type: bulk 72, cargo 30, chemical tanker 4, container 7, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea passenger 5 note: Poland owns an additional 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 233,906 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Cyprus, Liberia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Vanuatu (1996 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 1,986 km; petroleum products 360 km; natural gas 4,600 km (1992)

Ports and harbors

Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wrocaw

Railways

total: 24,313 km broad gauge : 652 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 22,243 km 1.435-m gauge (11,648 km electrified; 8,978 km double track) narrow gauge: 1,418 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1995)

Waterways

3,997 km navigable rivers and canals (1991)