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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $33.8 billion expenditures: $35.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$43 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US, $210 million (1995-97)

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

Poland today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms marked the rapid development of a private sector now responsible for at least two-thirds of economic activity. In contrast to the vibrant expansion of private non-farm activity, the large agriculture component remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects all aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's worsening current account deficit also is a priority. To date, the government has resisted pressure for protectionist solutions and continues to support regional free trade initiatives. The government export strategy emphasizes a more aggressive export assistance program. Warsaw continues to hold the budget deficit to less than 2% of GDP. Further progress on public finance depends mainly on comprehensive reform of the social welfare system and privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel) has been delayed. Long-awaited privatizations in aviation, energy, and telecommunications are scheduled for 1998.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

33.5 million kW (1997 est.)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

3,360 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

142 billion kWh (1997 est.)

Exchange rates [time series]

zlotych (Zl) per US$1-3.54 (January 1998), 3.2793 (1997), 2.6961 (1996), 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 [time series]

total value: $26.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: intermediate goods 38%, machinery and transport equipment 23%, consumer goods 21%, foodstuffs 10%, fuels 7% (1996 est.) partners: Germany 34.5%, Russia 6.8%, France 5.9%, Italy 5.6%, US 4.8%, Netherlands 4.1% (1996)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$280.7 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 6.6% industry: 34.9% services: 58.5% (1996 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$7,250 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

6.9% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $44.5 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 32%, intermediate goods 20%, chemicals 15%, consumer goods 9%, food 9%, fuels 8% (1996 est.) partners: Germany 26.5%, Italy 10.4%, Russia 7.3%, UK 6.3%, Netherlands 4.8%, France 4.4% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

11.2% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

15% (1997 est.)

Labor force [time series]

total: 17.7 million (1997 est.) by occupation: industry and construction 29.9%, agriculture 26%, services 44.1% (1996)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 27, FM 75, shortwave 1 (1994 est.)

Radios [time series]

9.9 million registered (1996)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aims to have 10 million phones in service by the year 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

8.2 million (1996)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

143 (1996)

Televisions [time series]

9.4 million registered (1996)

Unemployment rate [time series]

12% (1997)

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than New Mexico

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

491 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

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 [time series]

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

1,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Central Europe, east of Germany

Map references [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly on 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

December 1997 [time series]

AWS 200, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 26, ROP 4, German Minority 2, other 4 note: four seats are constitutionally assigned to ethnic German parties

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel FRIED embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK (since NA October 1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Leszek BALCEROWICZ (since 31 October 1997), Janusz TOMASZEWSKI (since 31 October 1997) 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; 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 appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI elected president; percent of legislative vote, second round-Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 51.7%, Lech WALESA 48.3%; Jerzy BUZEK selected prime minister

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[48] (22) 628-82-98 consulate(s) general: Krakow

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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 [time series]

democratic state

Independence [time series]

11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

International organization participation [time series]

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, 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, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

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 a 9-year term

Legal system [time series]

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 although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms) elections: Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001); Senate-last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001) election results: Sejm-percent of vote by party-AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%, UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, German Minority 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats by party-AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, German Minority 2; Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-AWS 51, SLD 28, UW 8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note-seats by party in the Sejm as of

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Warsaw

National holiday [time series]

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791); Independence Day, November 11 (1918)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

post-Communist: Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI] post-Solidarity parties: Freedom Union or UW; note-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 [Aleksander MALACHOWSKI]; 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 [Mariusz DZIERZAWSKY]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, Territorial Defense Forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$3.46 billion (1997)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

2.3% (1997)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 10,374,242 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 8,069,611 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower-military age) [time series]

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower-reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 333,074 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 21% (male 4,075,959; female 3,883,778) 15-64 years: 68% (male 12,956,689; female 13,129,495) 65 years and over: 11% (male 1,732,788; female 2,828,213) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

9.79 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.76 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

13.18 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

Polish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.77 years male: 68.6 years female: 77.16 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Pole(s) adjective: Polish

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

38,606,922 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.04% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.36 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

83 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 68 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)

Heliports [time series]

3 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 374,990 km paved: 245,243 km (including 258 km of expressways) unpaved: 129,747 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 90 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,574,637 GRT/2,446,849 DWT ships by type: bulk 67, cargo 10, chemical tanker 3, container 2, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 4 note: Poland owns an additional 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 459,793 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, and Vanuatu (1997 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

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 (1996)

Waterways [time series]

3,812 km navigable rivers and canals (1996)