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Poland Country Guide
Explore Poland in Europe
The terrain features mostly flat plain with mountains along southern border. The average density of population is approximately 123 per km². The notable climate conditions in Poland can be described as temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation with mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers. Potential natural disasters are flooding.
To reach someone in Poland dial +48 prior to a number. There are 9,556,000 installed telephones. And there are 44,553,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800/3G MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".pl". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Poland
Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white.
Poland's history as a state begins near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in central and eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorders weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among 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 with over ten million members. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 won Solidarity control of the parliament and the presidency, bringing the Communist era to a close. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. 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.
National administrative regions of Poland
- Greater Poland Voivodeship
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie
- Lesser Poland Voivodeship
- Lodz Voivodeship
- Lower Silesian Voivodeship
- Lublin Voivodeship
- Lubusz
- Masovian Voivodeship
- Opole Voivodeship
- Podlasie
- Poland (general)
- Pomeranian Voivodeship
- Silesian Voivodeship
- Subcarpathian Voivodeship
- Swietokrzyskie
- Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
- West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Europe Neighbours: Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia Capital: Warsaw |
| Size | 312,685 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 120,728 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than New Mexico |
| Population | 38,500,000 |
| Currency | Name Zloty, Currency Code:PLN |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .pl |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +48 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 44,553,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 9,556,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 312,685 (sq km) | 70 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,383,809 | 33 |
| Population growth rate | -0.09 (%) | 202 |
| Birth rate | 9.88 (births/1,000 population) | 198 |
| Death rate | 10.31 (deaths/1,000 population) | 46 |
| Net migration rate | -0.47 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 132 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 5.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 175 |
| Infant mortality rate | 6.30 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 169 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.45 (years) | 77 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.32 (children born/woman) | 212 |
| Health expenditures | 7.50 (% of GDP) | 73 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 153 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 27,000 | 70 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 200 | 109 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 25.30 (%) | 56 |
| Education expenditures | 5.10 (% of GDP) | 72 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 28.90 (%) | 30 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 814,100,000,000 | 22 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.00 (%) | 136 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 20,900 | 69 |
| Labor force | 17,920,000 | 34 |
| Unemployment rate | 12.60 (%) | 131 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 34.10 | 92 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 20.30 (% of GDP) | 92 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 18.30 (% of GDP) | 174 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -2.10 (% of GDP) | 86 |
| Public debt | 53.80 (% of GDP) | 52 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.70 (%) | 104 |
| Central bank discount rate | 4.00 (%) | 93 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 8.47 (%) | 109 |
| Stock of narrow money | 152,800,000,000 | 25 |
| Stock of broad money | 293,400,000,000 | 32 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 335,400,000,000 | 33 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 138,200,000,000 | 37 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.80 (%) | 134 |
| Current account balance | -18,290,000,000 | 180 |
| Exports | 192,300,000,000 | 27 |
| Imports | 206,500,000,000 | 26 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 99,930,000,000 | 23 |
| Debt - external | 364,200,000,000 | 30 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 194,900,000,000 | 24 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 44,890,000,000 | 38 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 156,400,000,000 (kWh) | 26 |
| Electricity - consumption | 155,000,000,000 (kWh) | 26 |
| Electricity - exports | 6,610,000,000 (kWh) | 25 |
| Electricity - imports | 5,520,000,000 (kWh) | 36 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 35,760,000 (kW) | 24 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 91.20 (% of total installed capacity) | 74 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 6.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 124 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 2.70 (% of total installed capacity) | 50 |
| Crude oil - production | 12,090 (bbl/day) | 80 |
| Crude oil - exports | 3,615 (bbl/day) | 63 |
| Crude oil - imports | 547,900 (bbl/day) | 18 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 155,000,000 (bbl) | 67 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 636,000 (bbl/day) | 29 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 576,600 (bbl/day) | 31 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 45,860 (bbl/day) | 62 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 129,800 (bbl/day) | 43 |
| Natural gas - production | 6,247,000,000 (cu m) | 50 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 14,380,000,000 (cu m) | 40 |
| Natural gas - exports | 29,000,000 (cu m) | 48 |
| Natural gas - imports | 10,910,000,000 (cu m) | 25 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 95,000,000,000 (cu m) | 56 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 309,900,000 (Mt) | 21 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 6,853,000 | 27 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,160,000 | 28 |
| Internet hosts | 13,265,000 | 12 |
| Internet users | 22,452,000 | 19 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 125 | 46 |
| Railways | 19,428 (km) | 15 |
| Roadways | 423,997 (km) | 15 |
| Waterways | 3,997 (km) | 28 |
| Merchant marine | 9 | 118 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 1.90 (% of GDP) | 70 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens show the conditions within which the Nazi genocide took place in the former concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest in th ... | 1979 |
| Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork This 13th-century fortified monastery belonging to the Teutonic Order was substantially enlarged and embellished after 1309, when the seat of the Grand Master moved here from Venice. A particularly fine example of a medieval brick castle, it later fe ... | 1997 |
| Centennial Hall in Wrocław The Centennial Hall, a landmark in the history of reinforced concrete architecture, was erected in 1911-1913 by the architect Max Berg as a multi-purpose recreational building, situated in the Exhibition Grounds. In form it is a symmetrical quatrefoi ... | 2006 |
| Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Ś widnica, the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe, were built in the former Silesia in the mid-17th century, amid the religious strife that followed the Peace of Westphalia. Constrained by the physi ... | 2001 |
| Historic Centre of Kraków The historic centre of Cracow, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with their magnif ... | 1978 |
| Historic Centre of Warsaw During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw's historic centre was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its ... | 1980 |
| Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a breathtaking cultural landscape of great spiritual significance. Its natural setting – in which a series of symbolic places of worship relating to the Passion of Jesus Christ and the life of the Virgin Mary was laid out at ... | 1999 |
| Medieval Town of Toruń Torun owes its origins to the Teutonic Order, which built a castle there in the mid-13th century as a base for the conquest and evangelization of Prussia. It soon developed a commercial role as part of the Hanseatic League. In the Old and New Town, t ... | 1997 |
| Old City of Zamość Zamosc was founded in the 16th century by the chancellor Jan Zamoysky on the trade route linking western and northern Europe with the Black Sea. Modelled on Italian theories of the 'ideal city' and built by the architect Bernando Morando, a native of ... | 1992 |
| Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines The deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka and Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century. This major industrial undertaking has royal status and is the oldest of its type in Europe. The site is a serial property consisting of Wieliczka and Bochnia sal ... | 1978 |
| Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska The wooden churches of southern Little Poland represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture. Built using the horizontal log technique, common in eastern and northern Europe si ... | 2003 |
| Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine Situated in the eastern fringe of Central Europe, the transnational property numbers a selection of sixteen tserkvas (churches). They were built of horizontal wooden logs between the 16th and 19th centuries by communities of Orthodox and Greek Cathol ... | 2013 |