Poland

noun:

Pole(s)

adjective:

Polish

• Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3%;
• note - data represent the language spoken at home;
• shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census;
• Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing Kashub as a regional language, Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages, and Karaim, Lemko, Romani (Polska Roma and Bergitka Roma), and Tatar as ethnic minority languages (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):

Księga Faktów Świata, niezbędne źródło podstawowych informacji. (Polish); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

0.94 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2016)

vectorborne diseases:

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

• decreased emphasis on heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-communist governments has improved environment;
• air pollution remains serious because of emissions from burning low-quality coals in homes and from coal-fired power plants;
• the resulting acid rain causes forest damage;
• water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes

particulate matter emissions:

20.54 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

299.04 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

46.62 megatons (2020 est.)

urban population:

60.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

-0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2016)

vectorborne diseases:

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

10.863 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

2,866,746 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

26.4% (2015 est.)

municipal:

2.028 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

7.035 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

1.018 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Poland

conventional short form:

Poland

local long form:

Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form:

Polska

former:

Polish People's Republic

etymology:

• name derives from the Polanians, a west Slavic tribe that united several surrounding Slavic groups (9th-10th centuries A.D.) and who passed on their name to the country;
• the name of the tribe likely comes from the Slavic "pole" (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of their country

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

etymology:

the origin of the name is unknown; the Polish designation "Warszawa" was the name of a fishing village and several legends/traditions link the city's founding to a man named Wars or Warsz

history:

several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997

amendments:

• proposed by at least one fifth of Sejm deputies, by the Senate, or by the president of the republic;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Sejm and absolute majority vote in the Senate;
• amendments to articles relating to sovereignty, personal freedoms, and constitutional amendment procedures also require passage by majority vote in a referendum;
• amended 2006, 2009

• civil law system;
• judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts;
• constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

both parents must be citizens of Poland

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Mateusz MORAWIECKI (since 11 December 2017);
• Deputy Prime Ministers Piotr GLINSKI (since 16 November 2015), Jacek SASIN (since 15 November 2019), Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI (6 October 2020) and Henryk KOWALCZYK (26 October 2021)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 28 June 2020 with a second round on 12 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025);
• prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

election results:

2020: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49%; 2015: Andrzej DUDA elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5%

highest courts:

• Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the first president of the Supreme Court and 120 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and extraordinary appeals and public affairs and disciplinary chambers);
• Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)

judge selection and term of office:

• president of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland;
• other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judicial Council and appointed by the president of Poland;
• judges serve until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended;
• Constitutional Tribunal judges chosen by the Sejm for single 9-year terms

subordinate courts:

• administrative courts;
• military courts;
• local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts

• Civic Coalition or KO [Donald TUSK]
• Confederation Liberty and Independence or KWiN [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE, Robert WINNICKI, Grzegorz BRAUN]
• New Left [Wlodzimierz CZARZASTY]
• German Minority or MN [Ryszard GALLA]
• Kukiz 15 or K15 [Pawel KUKIZ]
• Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]
• TERAZ! (NOW!) [Ryszard PETRU]
• Nowoczesna (Modern) or N [Adam SZLAPKA]
• Poland 2050 or PL2050 [Szymon HOLOWNIA]
• Polish People's Party or PSL [Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ]
• Razem (Together) [collective leadership]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Piotr Mark MAGIEROWSKI (since 23 November 2021)

chancery:

2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 499-1700

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-2152

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires B. Bix ALIU (since January 2021)

embassy:

Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, 00-540 Warsaw

mailing address:

5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010

telephone:

[48] (22) 504-2000

FAX:

[48] (22) 504-2088

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://pl.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

Krakow

name:

"Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka)

lyrics/music:

Jozef WYBICKI/traditional

note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied

Fitch rating:

A- (2007)

Moody's rating:

A2 (2002)

Standard & Poors rating: A- (2018)

agriculture:

11.5%

industry:

30.4%

services:

57.6% (2015)

total:

10.8%

male:

10.3%

female:

11.6% (2020 est.)

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

23.9% (2015 est.)

• state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels;
• privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels;
• many privately owned channels broadcasting locally;
• roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks;
• state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations;
• 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

6 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 169

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

9,277,538 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

271.49 million mt-km (2018)

total:

19,231 km (2016)

standard gauge:

18,836 km 1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016)

broad gauge:

395 km 1.524-m gauge (2016)

total:

420,000 km (2016)

paved:

291,000 km (includes 1,492 km of expressways, 1,559 of motorways) (2016)

unpaved:

129,000 km (2016)

total:

143

by type:

general cargo 7, oil tanker 6, other 130 (2021)

major seaport(s):

Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie

container port(s) (TEUs):

Gdansk (2,073,215) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import):

Swinoujscie

river port(s):

Szczecin (River Oder)

• the inventory of the Polish Armed Forces consists of a mix of Soviet-era and more modern Western weapons systems;
• since 2010, the leading suppliers of armaments to Poland are Finland, Germany, Italy, and the US (2020)