About Poland
ICT
"Poland's information technology and telecommunications (ICT) sectors
are said to follow general trends observed in Western Europe, though Poland
tends to lag approximately 3 years behind in terms of the latest technology.
While Poland has experienced an economic slow-down, the ICT sectors have
been performing better than average. The IT market in Poland has a total
value of USD 3 billion while the telecommunications market is estimated
at USD 9.4 billion. The EITO (European Information Technology Observatory)
estimates Poland's expenditures on information technology at 2.1% of GDP,
compared to an average of 3.8% in Europe and 2.3% in Central Europe.
The dominating trend in the Polish ICT sectors is an integration of computer
and telecommunications technologies. This trend can be observed from a
perspective of an office with structural cabling systems or integrated
office equipment. From an operator's perspective, there is a trend to
use the same platform for providing voice service and data transmission.
With one platform, operators can make savings while building the infrastructure
and are in a position to offer wider range of services. Data transmission
networks, traditionally treated as a part of an information technology
infrastructure, have become increasingly used for transmitting voice,
once the sole domain of telephone operators." (1)
General Information(2)
(All information provided below has been reflected from the CIA World
Fact Book - Poland page)
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Background
|
Poland
is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of the 10th
century. It's golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the
following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders
weakened the nation, until an agreement in 1772 between Russia, Prussia,
and Austria partitioned Poland. 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 country following the war, but one
that 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, boosting hopes for
acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999. |
|
Geographic
Location:
|
Central
Europe, east of Germany |
|
Geographic
coordinates:
|
52
00 N, 20 00 E |
|
Map
references:
|
Europe |
|
Area:
total:
|
312,685
sq km: water: 8,220 sq km land: 304,465 sq km |
|
Area
- comparative:
|
slightly
smaller than New Mexico |
|
Land
boundaries: total:
|
2,788
km border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany
456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia
444 km, Ukraine 526 km
Coastline: 491 km |
|
Maritime
claims:
|
exclusive
economic zone: defined by international treaties territorial sea:
12 NM |
|
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 |
|
Elevation
extremes:
|
lowest point: Raczki Elblaskie -2 m highest point: Rysy 2,499 m |
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Natural
Resources
|
coal,
sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land |
|
Land
use:
|
arable
land: 46% permanent crops: 1% other: 53% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated
land:
|
1,000
sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural
Hazards:
|
flooding |
|
Environment
- current issues:
|
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 |
|
Environment
- international agreements:
|
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed,
but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
|
Geography
- note:
|
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the
lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain |
|
Population:
|
38,625,478
(July 2002 est.) |
|
Age
structure:
|
0-14
years: 17.9% (male 3,535,701; female 3,361,515) 15-64 years: 69.5%
(male 13,358,128; female 13,500,443) 65 years and over: 12.6% (male
1,860,274; female 3,009,417) (2002 est.) |
|
Population
growth rate:
|
-0.02% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth
rate:
|
10.29
births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death
rate:
|
9.97
deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net
migration rate:
|
-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex
ratio: at birth:
|
1.06
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 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 (2002 est.) |
|
Infant
mortality rate:
|
9.17
deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est |
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Life
expectancy at birth: total population:
|
73.66
years female: 78.05 years (2002 est.) male: 69.52 years |
|
Total
fertility rate:
|
1.37
children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS
-
|
adult
prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.) 9.97 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS
-
|
people
living with HIV/AIDS: NA |
|
HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
|
less
than 100 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
noun:
|
Pole(s) adjective: Polish |
|
Ethnic
groups:
|
Polish
97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990 est.) |
|
Religions:
|
Roman
Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant,
and other 5% |
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Languages:
|
Polish
|
|
Literacy:
definition:
|
age
15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female:
98% (1978 est.) |
|
Country
name: :
|
conventional
long form: Republic of Poland, conventional short form: Poland, local
short form: Polska, local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska |
|
Government
type:
|
republic |
|
Capital:
|
Warsaw
|
|
Administrative
divisions:
|
16
provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie,
Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie,
Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie,
Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie |
|
Independence:
|
11
November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) |
|
National
holiday:
|
Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) |
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Constitution:
|
16
October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed
by national referendum 23 May 1997 |
|
Legal
system:
|
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 |
|
Suffrage:
|
18
years of age; universal |
|
Executive
branch:
|
chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December
1995) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; election last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October
2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president and confirmed by the Sejm head of government: Prime Minister
Leszek MILLER (SLD) (since 19 October 2001), Deputy Prime Ministers
Marek POL (since 19 October 2001), Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI (since 19 October
2001), Grzegorz KOLODKO (since 8 July 2002) 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 election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president;
percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI
17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1% |
|
Legislative
branch:
|
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 23 September
2001 (next to be held by September 2005); Senate - last held 23 September
2001 (next to be held by September 2005) election results: Sejm -
percent of vote by party - SLD-UP 41%, PO 12.7%, Samoobrona 10.2%,
PiS 9.5%, PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW 3.1%, other 1%; seats by
party - SLD-UP 216, PO 65, Samoobrona 53, PiS 44, PSL 42, LPR 38,
German minorities 2; note - SLD-UP has split: SLD has 200 deputies
and UP has 16; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- SLD-UP 75, AWSP (an electoral alliance of some 36 parties) 15, PSL
4, Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2 note: two seats are assigned
to ethnic minority parties |
|
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: Citizens Platform or PO [Maciej PLAZYNSKI];
Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek
MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; German Minority
of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Lech
KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI];
Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL
[Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER]; Solidarity Electoral
Action of the Right or AWSP [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Social Movement-Solidarity
Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK]; Union of Labor or UP [Marek
POL] |
|
Political
pressure groups and leaders:
|
All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic
Church; Solidarity (trade union) |
|
International
organization participation:
|
ACCT
(observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE,
CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP,
UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic
representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI chancery: 2640
16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s)
general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800
through 3802 |
|
Diplomatic
representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie
29/31 00-540, Warsaw P1 mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw,
US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone:
[48] (22) 628-30-41 FAX: [48] (22) 628-82-98 consulate(s) general:
Krakow |
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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 |
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Economy
- overview:
|
Poland
has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalizing the economy and today
stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies.
GDP growth had been strong and steady in 1993-2000 but fell back in
2001 with slowdowns in domestic investment and consumption and the
weakening in the global economy. The privatization of small and medium
state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms
have allowed for the rapid development of a vibrant private sector.
In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped
by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and
lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive
sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun.
Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system,
and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal
pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization
of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's determination
to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic
policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account deficit and
reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign
investment and needs a continued large inflow. |
|
GDP:
|
GDP
- purchasing power parity - $339.6 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 32% services:
64% (2000 est.) |
|
Population
below poverty line:
|
18.4%
(2000 est.) |
|
Household
income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 24.7% (1998) |
|
Distribution
of family income -
|
Gini index: 32.7 (1998) |
|
Inflation
rate (consumer prices):
|
5.3%
(2001 est.) |
|
Labor
force:
|
17.6
million (2000 est.), Labor force - by occupation: industry 22.1%,
agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999) |
|
Unemployment
rate:
|
16.7% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $49.6 billion expenditures: $52.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999) |
|
Industries:
|
machine
building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food
processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (1999) |
|
Electricity
|
production: 135.161 billion kWh (2000) |
|
|
Electricity
- production by source: fossil fuel: 98.1% hydro: 1.54% other: 0.36%
(2000) nuclear: 0% |
|
|
Electricity
- consumption: 119.327 billion kWh (2000) |
|
|
Electricity
- exports: 9.663 billion kWh (2000) |
|
|
Electricity
- imports: 3.29 billion kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture
- products:
|
potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork |
|
Exports:
|
$30.8
billion (f.o.b., 2001) |
|
Exports
- commodities:
|
machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured
goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live
animals 8.5% (1999) |
|
Exports
- partners:
|
Germany
34.9%, Italy 6.3%, France 5.2%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 4.5%, Czech Republic
3.8% (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$41.7
billion (f.o.b., 2001) |
|
Imports
- commodities:
|
machinery
and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%,
chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) |
|
Imports
- partners:
|
Germany 23.9%, Russia 9.4%, Italy 8.3%, France 6.4%, UK 4.5%, US 4.4%
(2000) |
|
Debt
- external:
|
$57 billion (2000) |
|
Economic
aid - recipient:
|
$NA |
|
Currency:
|
zloty (PLN) |
|
Currency
code:
|
PLN |
|
Exchange
rates:
|
zlotych
per US dollar - 4.0144 (December 2001), 4.0939 (2001), 4.3461 (2000),
3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997) note: zlotych is the plural
form of zloty |
|
Fiscal
year:
|
calendar year |
|
Railways:
|
total:
23,420 km broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 21,639
km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double-tracked)
narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m,
0.750-m, and 0.600-m (2001) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
381,046 km paved: 249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways) unpaved:
131,080 km (1998) |
|
Waterways:
|
3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996)
Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas
17,000 km (1996) |
|
Ports
and harbors:
|
Gdansk,
Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw,
Wroclaw |
|
Merchant
marine:
|
total:
19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 382,518 GRT/641,657 DWT ships
by type: bulk 14, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002
est.) |
|
Airports:
|
122
(2001) |
|
Airports
- with paved runways:
|
total:
83 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914
m: 3 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 |
|
Airports
- with unpaved runways:
|
total: 39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 21
(2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 13 |
|
Heliports:
|
3 (2001) |
|
Military
branches:
|
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force |
|
Military
manpower - military age:
|
19 years of age (2002 est.) |
|
Military
manpower - availability:
|
males age 15-49: 10,415,598 (2002 est.) |
|
Military
manpower - fit for military service:
|
males
age 15-49: 8,120,098 (2002 est.) |
|
Military
manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males: 344,781 (2002 est.) |
|
Military
expenditures - dollar
figure:
|
$3.5 billion (2002) |
|
Military
expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.71% (2002) |
|
Disputes
- international:
|
none |
|
Illicit
drugs:
|
major
illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor
transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to
Western Europe |
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