Poland
Republic of PolandRzeczpospolita Polska
republicIndependence 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
Poland as the 2008 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 138 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Central Europe, east of Germany
20 fieldsLand useshare of 312,679 sq km
Climate
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 11.73 cu km/yr (13%/79%/8%)
- per capita:
- 304 cu m/yr (2002)
Environment - current issues
- situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by 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 - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic 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 - note
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2008 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2008 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2002 census)
Religions(2002)
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 (2008 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- intermediate
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea
- vectorborne disease:
- tickborne encephalitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Government
Republic; President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005); Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007)
18 fieldsSenate, 460 seats, elected 21 October 2007seats by party
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Poland
- conventional short form:
- Poland
- local long form:
- Rzeczpospolita Polska
- local short form:
- Polska
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 divisions
- 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo);
- Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie, Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie, Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)
Constitution
- adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997;
- passed by national referendum 25 May 1997;
- effective 17 October 1997
Legal system
- based on a 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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 16 November 2007);
- Deputy Prime Ministers Waldemar PAWLAK (since 16 November 2007) and Grzegorz SCHETYNA (since 16 November 2007)
- 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 in the fall 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 branch
- bicameral legislature consists of an upper house, the 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 21 October 2007 (next to be held by October 2011); Sejm elections last held 21 October 2007 (next to be held by October 2011)
- election results:
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PO 60, PiS 39, independents 1;
- Sejm - percent of vote by party - PO 41.5%, PiS 32.1%, LiD 13.2%, PSL 8.9%, other 4.3%;
- seats by party - PO 209, PiS 166, LiD 53, PSL 31, German minorities 1;
- note - seats by party as of February 2008 - PO 209, PiS 159, LiD 53, PSL 31, German minorities 1, nonaffiliated 7
note: one seat is assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on 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 parties and leaders
- Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK];
- Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Grzegorz NAPIERALSKI];
- Democratic Party or PD [Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ];
- German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL];
- Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI];
- League of Polish Families or LPR [Sylwester CHRUSZCZ];
- Left and Democrats or LiD [Wojciech OLEJNICZAK] (a coalition formed by the SLD, PD, SDPL, and UP);
- Polish People's Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK];
- Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej LEPPER];
- Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Bartosz DOMINIK, acting];
- Union of Labor or UP [Andrzej SPYCHALSKI]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ];
- Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, Archbishop Jozef MICHALIK];
- Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]
International organization participation
Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Robert KUPIECKI
- chancery:
- 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 328-6271
- consulate(s) general:
- Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Victor ASHE
- embassy:
- Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
- 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 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 has pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2007 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. In 2007, GDP grew an estimated 6.5%, based on rising private consumption, a jump in corporate investment, and EU funds inflows. GDP per capita is still much below the EU average, but is similar to that of the three Baltic states.
Since 2004, EU membership and access to EU structural funds have provided a major boost to the economy. Unemployment is falling rapidly, though at roughly 12.8% in 2007, it remains well above the EU average. Tightening labor markets, and rising global energy and food prices, pose a risk to consumer price stability.
In December 2007 inflation reached 4.1% on a year-over-year basis, or higher than the upper limit of the National Bank of Poland's target range. Poland's economic performance could improve further if the country addresses some of the remaining deficiencies in its business environment.
An inefficient commercial court system, a rigid labor code, bureaucratic red tape, and persistent low-level corruption keep the private sector from performing up to its full potential. Rising demands to fund health care, education, and the state pension system present a challenge to the Polish government's effort to hold the consolidated public sector budget deficit under 3.0% of GDP, a target which was achieved in 2007.
The PO/PSL coalition government which came to power in November 2007 plans to further reduce the budget deficit with the aim of eventually adopting the euro. The new government has also announced its intention to enact business-friendly reforms, reduce public sector spending growth, lower taxes, and accelerate privatization.
However, the government does not have the necessary three-fifths majority needed to override a presidential veto, and thus may have to water down initiatives in order to garner enough support to pass its pro-business policies.
Industries
machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Exports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)
Exchange rates
zlotych (PLN) per US dollar - 2.81 (2007), 3.1032 (2006), 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891 (2003) note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- modernization of the 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:
- mobile-cellular service available since 1993 and provided by three nation-wide networks with a fourth provider beginning operations in late 2006;
- cellular coverage is generally good with some 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 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2007)
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
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) (2006)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 15
- by type:
- cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1
- foreign-owned:
- 2 (Cyprus 1, Nigeria 1)
- registered in other countries:
- 98 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Bahamas 17, Cyprus 18, Liberia 13, Malta 24, Norway 3, Panama 11, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Slovakia 2, Vanuatu 7) (2008)
Military
Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes Navy (Marynarka Wojenna, MW)), Polish Air Force (Sily Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, SPRP) (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes Navy (Marynarka Wojenna, MW)), Polish Air Force (Sily Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, SPRP) (2008)
Military service age and obligation
- 17 years of age for male compulsory military service after January 1st of the year of 18th birthday;
- 17 years of age for voluntary military service;
- conscript service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005;
- 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 (2006)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 9,741,508
- females age 16-49:
- 9,514,843 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented 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 sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market;
- minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Poland.” The World Factbook 2008. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/poland/2008.