Poland

democratic state

Poland as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalWarsaw

Area312,680 km2

Populationas each edition published it

38.39 million July 1992 · 37.78m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.35% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 36 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 72.2 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2 children per woman 1992 · 2.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

14 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 13 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $4,400 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 2% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

312,680km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Mexico

Coastline

491km

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

3,321km total

Belarus 605 km, Czechoslovakia 1,309 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 428 km

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land 46%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures 13%;
forest and woodland 28%;
other 12%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

plain crossed by a few north flowing, meandering streams; severe air and water pollution in south

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

38,385,617

(July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

14Death

10Net migration

-1

Ethnic divisions(1990 est.)

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

Literacy

98%

(male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)

Religions

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

Labor force

17,104,000;
industry and construction 36.1%;
agriculture 27.3%;
trade, transport, and communications 14.8%;
government and other 21.8% (1989)

Government

Democratic state

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

74.7%

second round Lech WALESA 74.7%Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%

49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Biaa Podlaska, Biaystok, Bielsko, Bydgoszcz, Chem, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, odz, omza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroteka, Pia, Piotrkow, Pock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Supsk, Suwaki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun, Wabrzych, Warszawa, Wocawek, Wrocaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora

Independence

11 November 1918, independent republic proclaimed

Constitution

Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952; developing a democratic Constitution

Legal system

mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory;
changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process;
no judicial review of legislative acts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

Constitution Day, 3 May (1794)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Diet (Sejm)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Lech WALESA (since 22 December 1990)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Hanna SUCHOCKA (since 10 July 1992)

Political parties and leaders

Solidarity Bloc:: Democratic Union (UD), Tadeusz MAZOWIECKI;
Christian-National Union (ZCHN), Wieslaw CHRZANOWSKI;
Centrum (PC), Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI;
Liberal-Democratic Congress, Donald TUSK;
Peasant Alliance (PL), Gabriel JANOWSKI;
Solidarity Trade Union (NSZZ), Marian KRZAKLEWSKI;
Solidarity Labor (SP), Ryszard BUGAJ;
Christian-Democratic Party (PCHD), Pawel LACZKOWSKI;
Democratic-Social Movement (RDS), Zbigniew BUJAK;
Kracow Coalition in Solidarity with the President, Mieczyslaw GIL;
Solidarity 80, Marian JURCZYK
Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:: Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), Leszek MOCZULSKI;
Beer Lovers' Party (PPPP), Janusz REWINSKI;
Christian Democrats (CHD), Andrzej OWSINSKI;
German Minority (MN), Henryk KROL;
Western Union (KPN Front), Damian JAKUBOWSKI;
RealPolitik (UPR), Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE;
Democratic Party (SD), Antoni MACKIEWICZ
Communist origin or linked:: Social Democracy (SDRP, or SLD), Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz;
Polish Peasants' Party (PSL), Waldermar PAWLAK;
Party X, Stanislaw Tyminski

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

President:: first round held 25 November 1990, second round held 9 December 1990 (next to be held NA November 1995);
results - second round Lech WALESA 74.7%, Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%
Senate:: last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held no later than NA October 1995); results -
Solidarity Bloc:: UD 21%, NSZZ 11%, ZCHN 9%, PC 9%, Liberal-Democratic Congress 6%, PL 7%, PCHD 3%, other local candidates 11%
Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:: KPN 4%, CHD 1%, MN 1%, local candidates 5%
Communist origin or linked:: PSL 8%, SLD 4%; seats - (100 total)
Solidarity Bloc:: UD 21, NSZZ 11, ZCHN 9, Liberal-Democratic Congress 6, PL 7, PCHD 3, other local candidates 11;
Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:: KPN 4, CHD 1, MN 1 local candidates 5
Communist origin or linked:: PSL 8, SLD 4
Sejm:: last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held no later than NA October 1995); results -
Solidarity Bloc:: UD 12.31%, ZCHN 8.73%, PL 8.71%, Liberal-Democratic Congress 7.48%, PL 5.46%, NSZZ 5.05%, SP 2.05%, PCHD 1.11%
Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:: KPN 7.50%, PPPP 3.27%, CHD 2.36%, UPR 2.25%, MN 1.70%
Communist origin or linked:: SLD 11.98%, PSL 8.67%; seats - (460 total)
Solidarity Bloc:: UD 62, ZCHN 9, PC 44, Liberal-Democratic Congress 37, PL 28, NSZZ 27, SP 4, PCHD 4, RDS 1, Krackow Coalition in Solidarity with the President 1, Piast Agreement 1, Bydgoszcz Peasant List 1, Solidarity 80 1
Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:: KPN 46, PPPP 16, MN 7, CHD 5, Western Union 4, UPR 3, Autonomous Silesia 2, SD 1, Orthodox Election Committee 1, Committee of Women Against Hardships 1, Podhale Union 1, Wielkopolska Group 1, Wielkopolska and Lubuski Inhabitants 1
Communist origin or linked:: SLD 60, PSL 48, Party X 3

Communists

70,000 members in the Communist successor parties (1990)

Other political or pressure groups

powerful Roman Catholic Church;
Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), a nationalist group;
Solidarity (trade union);
All Poland Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ), populist program;
Clubs of Catholic Intellectuals (KIKs)

Member of

BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, ECE, FAO, GATT, Hexagonale, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Kazimierz DZIEWANOWSKI;
Chancery at 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009;
telephone (202) 234-3800 through 3802;
there are Polish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US:: Ambassador Thomas W. SIMONS, Jr.;
Embassy at Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, Warsaw (mailing address is American Embassy Warsaw, Box 5010, or APO AE 09213-5010);
telephone [48] (2) 628-8298;
FAX [48] (2) 628-9326;
there is a US Consulate General in Krakow and a Consulate in Poznan

Flag

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

Economy

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

60%

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.4%

(end December 1991)

Budget

Revenues

$19.5 billionExpenditures

$22.4 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1991 est.)

Overview

Poland is undergoing a difficult transition from a Soviet-style economy - with state ownership and control of productive assets - to a market economy. On January 1, 1990, the new Solidarity-led government implemented shock therapy by slashing subsidies, decontrolling prices, tightening the money supply, stabilizing the foreign exchange rate, lowering import barriers, and restraining state sector wages.

As a result, consumer goods shortages and lines disappeared, and inflation fell from 640% in 1989 to 60% in 1991. Western governments, which hold two-thirds of Poland's $48 billion external debt, pledged in 1991 to forgive half of Poland's official debt by 1994, and the private sector grew, accounting for 22% of industrial production and 40% of nonagricultural output by 1991.

Production fell in state enterprises, however, and the unemployment rate climbed steadily from virtually nothing in 1989 to 11.4% in December 1991. Poland fell out of compliance with its IMF program by mid-1991, and talks with commercial creditors stalled. The increase in unemployment and the decline in living standards led to popular discontent and a change in government in January 1991 and again in December.

The new government has promised selective industrial intervention, some relaxation in monetary policy, and an improved social safety net, but will be constrained by the decline in output and the growing budget deficit.

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $162.7 billion, per capita $4,300; real growth rate -5% (1991 est.)

Exports

$12.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: machinery 23%, metals 17%, chemicals 13%, fuels 11%, food 10% (1991 est.)
partners:: FRG 25.1%, former USSR 15.3%, UK 7.1%, Switzerland 4.7% (1990)

Imports

$12.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: machinery 35%, fuels 20%, chemicals 13%, food 11%, light industry 7% (1991 est.)
partners:: FRG 20.1%, former USSR 19.8%, Italy 7.5%, Switzerland 6.4% (1990)

External debt

$48.5 billion (January 1992); note - Poland's Western government creditors promised in 1991 to forgive 30% of Warsaw's official debt - currently $33 billion - immediately and to forgive another 20% by 1994, if Poland adheres to its IMF program

Industrial production

growth rate -14% (State sector 1991 est.)

Electricity

31,530,000 kW capacity; 136,300 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

machine building, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Agriculture

accounts for 15% of GDP and 27% of labor force;
75% of output from private farms, 25% from state farms;
productivity remains low by European standards;
leading European producer of rye, rapeseed, and potatoes;
wide variety of other crops and livestock;
major exporter of pork products;
normally self-sufficient in food

Illicit drugs

illicit producers of opium for domestic consumption and amphetamines for the international market;
emerging as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Economic aid

donor - bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries, $2.2 billion (1954-89);
note - the G-24 has pledged $8 billion in grants and credit guarantees to Poland

Currency

Zoty (plural - Zotych); 1 Zoty (Z) = 100 groszy

Exchange rates

Zotych (z) per US$1 - 13,443 (March 1992), 10,576 (1991), 9,500 (1990), 1,439.18 (1989), 430.55 (1988), 265.08 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 222 ships by type

short-sea passenger 5cargo 79refrigerated cargo 4roll-on/roll-off cargo 14container 12petroleum tanker 1chemical tanker 4bulk 102passenger; Poland owns 1 ship of 6,333 DWT operating under Liberian registry 1222 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,851,016 GRT/4,019,531 DWT

Airports, 160 total, 160 usable

permanent-surface runways

85runway over | 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

35runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

299,887 (1985)Railroads

27,041 (1989)

Highways: ; 130,000 km improved hard surface (concrete, asphalt, stone block); 24,000 km unimproved hard surface (crushed stone, gravel); 100,000 km earth; 45,887 km other urban roads · Railroads: ; 24,287 km 1.435-meter gauge, 397 km 1.520-meter gauge, 2,357 km narrow gauge; 8,987 km double track; 11,016 km electrified; government owned

Railroads

27,041 km total;
24,287 km 1.435-meter gauge, 397 km 1.520-meter gauge, 2,357 km narrow gauge;
8,987 km double track;
11,016 km electrified;
government owned (1989)

Highways

299,887 km total;
130,000 km improved hard surface (concrete, asphalt, stone block);
24,000 km unimproved hard surface (crushed stone, gravel);
100,000 km earth;
45,887 km other urban roads (1985)

severely underdeveloped and outmoded system;
cable, open wire and microwave;
phone density is 10.5 phones per 100 residents (October 1990);
3.1 million subscribers;
exchanges are 86% automatic (February 1990);
broadcast stations - 27 AM, 27 FM, 40 (5 Soviet repeaters) TV;
9.6 million TVs;
1 satellite earth station using INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, INMARSAT and Intersputnik

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 9,785,823;
7,696,425 fit for military service;
294,191 reach military age (19) annually

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - 19.2 trillion zotych, NA% of GDP (1991);
note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Central Intelligence Agency. “Poland.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/poland/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →