| Revision as of 16:00, 29 January 2007 view sourceMD~enwiki (talk | contribs)147 editsm Dec 2006 population data according to latest data from GUS← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:01, 29 January 2007 view source 67.97.130.210 (talk) ←Blanked the pageNext edit → | ||
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| {{otheruse}} | |||
| {{Infobox Country or territory | |||
| | native_name = ''Rzeczpospolita Polska'' | |||
| | conventional_long_name = Republic of Poland | |||
| | common_name = Poland | |||
| | flag_border = Flag of Poland corrected (bordered).svg | |||
| | image_flag = Flag of Poland corrected.svg | |||
| | image_coat = coat of arms of Poland-official.png | |||
| | image_map = EU location POL.png | |||
| |map_caption = Map showing the location of Poland (dark orange) within the EU (]). | |||
| | national_motto = none<sup>1</sup>| <!-- Poland does not have an official motto. Please don't add unofficial ones. Polska nie ma oficjalnej dewizy. Prosimy nie wpisywać tu nieoficjalnych dewiz. --> | |||
| national_anthem = ]<br>({{lang-pl|]}}) | |||
| | official_languages = ]<sup>2</sup> | |||
| | capital = ] | |||
| | latd = 52 | |||
| | latm = 13 | |||
| | latNS = N | |||
| | longd = 21 | |||
| | longm = 02 | |||
| | longEW = E | |||
| | largest_city = Warsaw | |||
| | government_type = ] | |||
| | leader_title1 = ] | |||
| | leader_title2 = ] | |||
| | leader_name1 = ] | |||
| | leader_name2 = ] | |||
| | accessionEUdate = ] ] | |||
| | area_rank = 69th | |||
| | area_magnitude = 1 E11 | |||
| | area = 312,683³ <!--According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland --> | |||
| | areami² = 120,728 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| | percent_water = 3.07 | |||
| | population_estimate = 38,122,000 <!--Dec 2006 official data from GUS, see www.stat.gov.pl--> | |||
| | population_estimate_year = 2006 | |||
| | population_estimate_rank = 31st | |||
| | population_census = 38,530,080 | |||
| | population_census_year = 2002 | |||
| | population_density = 122 | |||
| | population_densitymi² = 319.9 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| | population_density_rank = 83rd | |||
| | GDP_PPP_year = 2006 | |||
| | GDP_PPP = $546.543 billion <!--IMF 2006--> | |||
| | GDP_PPP_rank = 23rd | |||
| | GDP_PPP_per_capita = $14,400 <!--IMF 2006--> | |||
| | GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 48th | |||
| | HDI_year = 2004 | |||
| | HDI = {{profit}} 0.862 | |||
| | HDI_rank = 37th | |||
| | HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> | |||
| | sovereignty_type = Formation | |||
| | established_event1 = ]<sup>4</sup> | |||
| | established_event2 = ] | |||
| | established_date1 = ] | |||
| | established_date2 = ] ] | |||
| | currency = ] | |||
| | currency_code = PLN | |||
| | time_zone = ] | |||
| | utc_offset = +1 | |||
| | time_zone_DST = ] | |||
| | utc_offset_DST = +2 | |||
| | cctld = ]<sup>5</sup> | |||
| | calling_code = 48 | |||
| | footnotes = | |||
| <sup>1</sup> But see ].<br> | |||
| <sup>2</sup> Although not ]s, ] and ] are used in eight ] offices.<br> | |||
| <sup>3</sup> The total area of Poland according to the administrative division, as given by the Central Statistical Office,<ref name=CSO>{{cite web | |||
| | author = Central Statistical Office of Poland | |||
| | year = 2006 | |||
| | url = http://www.stat.gov.pl/opracowania_zbiorcze/maly_rocznik_stat/2006/10_mrs2006.pdf | |||
| | title = Maly Rocznik Statystyczny 2006 | |||
| | accessdate = 3 January | |||
| | accessyear = 2007 | |||
| }}</ref> amounts to 312,683 km² - land area (311 889 km²) and part of internal waters (794 km²) cut by the coast line; area of territory of Poland (including all internal waters and the territorial sea) - 322 575 km².<br> | |||
| <sup>4</sup> The adoption of ] in Poland is seen by many Poles, regardless of their religious affiliation, as one of the most significant national historical events; the new religion was used to unify the tribes in the region.<!--See http://books.google.com/books?id=39SoSG4NGAoC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=poland's+millennium&sig=uQ-qK9oxqMuHmVvZJj8lszrm1ps--><br> | |||
| <sup>5</sup> Also ], as Poland is a member of the ]. | |||
| }} | |||
| <!-- PLEASE DO NOT make any changes to this section before discussing them on Talk:Poland discussion board. Thank you. -->'''Poland''' ({{lang-pl|Polska}}), officially the '''Republic of Poland''' ({{lang-pl|] Polska}}), is a country in ]<ref name="Eastern note">As a relic of the ] where Poland was part of the ], there is a tendency among some sources to state that Poland is in the ]. This is however an obsolete political classification, and incorrect from a geographical standpoint, see also ].{{fact}}</ref> bordered by ] to the west, the ] and ] to the south, ] and ] to the east, and the ], ] (in the form of the ] ]) and ] to the north. It also shares a maritime border with ] and ]. The total ] is 312,683 sq km<ref name=CSO>{{cite web | |||
| | author = Central Statistical Office of Poland | |||
| | year = 2006 | |||
| | url = http://www.stat.gov.pl/opracowania_zbiorcze/maly_rocznik_stat/2006/10_mrs2006.pdf | |||
| | title = Maly Rocznik Statystyczny 2006 | |||
| | accessdate = 3 January | |||
| | accessyear = 2007 | |||
| }}</ref> (120,728 sq mi) making it the ] in the world with population over 38.5 million people <ref name=WIKI02>{{cite web | |||
| | author = Misplaced Pages | |||
| | year = 2006 | |||
| | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/List_of_countries_by_population | |||
| | title = List of Countries by Population | |||
| | accessdate = 10 December | |||
| | accessyear = 2006 | |||
| }}</ref> concentrated mainly in large cities, including the historical capital of Poland, ], and the present capital, ]. | |||
| The first Polish state was ] in 966, within territory very similar to the present boundaries of Poland. Poland became a kingdom in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long ] with the ] by ] to form the ]. The Commonwealth ] in 1795, and the Poles were without a state for 123 years. Poland regained its independence in 1918 after ] but lost it again in ], emerging several years later as a ] within the ] under control of the former ]. In 1989 ] rule was overthrown and Poland became what is informally known as the "Third Polish Republic". Today, as the ] member state of the ], Poland is a ] made up of sixteen ] ({{lang-pl|województwo}}). Poland is also a member of ], the ], and the ]. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| {{main|History of Poland}} | |||
| From ] and then during the ], ], and ] Ages and throughout the ], the lands of present day Poland were populated by many different peoples, often known ], but of uncertain ] or ] affiliation. ], ] and ] peoples were among the prominent groups. The most famous archeological finding is the ] fortified settlement on the lake, of the ] of the early Iron Age, by some past researchers erroneously considered to be a proto-Slavic development. | |||
| Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the 10th century under the ]. Poland's first historically documented ruler, ], was baptized in 966, adopting ] as the nation's new official religion, to which the bulk of the population converted in the course of the next century. In the 12th century Poland fragmented into several smaller states, which were later ravaged by the ] armies of the ] in 1241, 1259 and 1287. In 1320 ] became the King of a reunified Poland. His son, ], repaired the Polish economy, constructed new castles, and won the war against the ] (] (''Lwów'') became a Polish city). | |||
| Poland was also a centre of migration of peoples and the ] community began to settle and flourish in Poland during this era. See ]. | |||
| The ] which affected most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351 did not reach Poland.<ref name=REF03> Teeple, J. B. (2002). ''Timelines of World History''. Publisher: DK Adult.</ref> | |||
| Under the ] dynasty, Poland forged an alliance with its neighbour ]. A ] ensued during the 16th century after the ], which gave birth to the ]. The ] nobility of Poland, far more numerous than in ] countries, took pride in their ancient freedoms and ], while a majority of the inhabitants of the commonwealth at this time were ]. | |||
| ]In the mid-17th century a Swedish invasion rolled through the country during the turbulent time known as ] (''potop''). Numerous wars against ] eventually led to the abolishment of the ']', which had allowed for any member of parliament to dissolve the parliament and to veto any legislation it had passed. The ] was formally abolished on ], ]. The process of reform ceased with the three ] between ], ], and ] in 1772, 1793, and 1795, which ultimately dissolved the state. Poles resented their shrinking freedoms and several times rebelled against the partitioners (see ]). | |||
| ] recreated a Polish state, the ], but after the ], Poland was again divided by the victorious Allies at the ]. The eastern portion was ] by the Russian ] as a ], and possessed a liberal constitution. However, the Czars soon reduced Polish freedoms and Russia eventually ''de facto'' annexed the country. Later in the 19th century, Austrian-ruled ] became the oasis of Polish freedom. | |||
| During ] all the ] agreed on the restitution of Poland that ] President ] proclaimed in Point 13 of his ]. Shortly after the surrender of ] in November 1918, Poland regained its independence as the ] (''II Rzeczpospolita Polska''). It reaffirmed its independence after a series of military conflicts, the most notable being the 1919-1921 ]. ] | |||
| The 1926 ] of ] turned the reins of the Second Polish Republic over to the ] movement. It lasted until the start of ] on ] ], when ] and the ] ] (September 17). Warsaw capitulated on ] ] and Poland was split into two zones, one occupied by Nazi Germany the other by the Soviet Union as agreed on in the ]. The eastern portion of the German-occupied zone was forged into the ] area, and the western portion (most of which had belonged to Germany prior to World War I) was incorporated into the German Reich. | |||
| Of all the countries involved in the war, Poland lost the highest percentage of its citizens: over 6 million perished, half of them Polish ]s. Poland also made the 4th largest ] troop contribution, after the ], the ] and the ], to ultimately defeat ]. At the war's conclusion, Poland's borders were shifted westwards, pushing the ] to the ]. Meanwhile, the western border was moved to the ]. The new Poland emerged 20% smaller by 77,500 square kilometres (29,900 ]). The shift forced the migration of millions of people – ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| As a result of these events, Poland became, for the first time in its multicultural history, an ethnically unified country. A Polish minority is still present in neighbouring countries of Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania, as well as in other countries (see ] article for the population numbers). The largest number of ethnic Poles outside of the country can be found in the ]. | |||
| The Soviet Union instituted a new ] government in Poland, analogous to much of the rest of the Eastern Bloc. Military alignment within the ] throughout the ] was also part of this change. In 1948 a turn towards ] brought in the beginning of the next period of totalitarian rule. The ] ('']'') was officially proclaimed in 1952. In 1956 the régime became more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. Persecution of communist opposition figures persisted. Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent ], "]" ("Solidarność" in Polish), which over time became a political force. It eroded the dominance of the ]; by 1989 it had triumphed in parliamentary elections, and ], a Solidarity candidate, eventually won the presidency in 1990. The Solidarity movement greatly contributed to the soon-following collapse of Communism all over Eastern Europe. | |||
| A ] programme during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Despite a temporary slump in social and economic standards, there were numerous improvements in other ], such as free speech, a functioning democracy and the like. Poland was the first post-communist country to reach its pre-1989 ] levels. In ] Poland became a member of the ] and joined the ] (NATO) alliance in 1999 along with the ] and ]. Poles then voted to join the European Union in a referendum in June 2003, with Poland becoming a full member on ], ]. | |||
| Poland is currently undergoing it's biggest social transformation since World War II, with many Poles immigrating to western Europe in hopes of a better life. | |||
| ==Politics== | |||
| ]]]Poland is a ]. Its current ] dates from 1997. The government structure centres on the ], led by a ]. The current prime minister of Poland is ]. The president appoints the ] according to the proposals of the prime minister, typically from the majority coalition in the bicameral judicial lower house (the '']''). The ], elected by popular vote every five years, serves as the ]. The current president is ], the twin brother of Jarosław Kaczyński. | |||
| Polish voters elect a ] parliament consisting of a 460 member lower house ] and a 100 member Senate ('']''). The ] is elected under a ] electoral system using the ] similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems. The Senate, on the other hand, is elected under a rare plurality ] method where several candidates with the highest support are elected from each ]. With the exception of ethnic minority parties, only candidates of ] receiving at least 5% of the total national vote can enter the Sejm. When sitting in joint session, members of the Sejm and Senate form the ], (] ''Zgromadzenie Narodowe''). The National Assembly is formed on three occasions: Taking the oath of office by a new president, bringing an indictment against the President of the Republic to the Tribunal of State, and declaration of a President's permanent incapacity to exercise their duties because of the state of their health. Only the first kind has occurred to date. | |||
| The ] plays an important role in decision-making. Its major institutions include the ] (''Sąd Najwyższy''), the ] (''Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny'') with judges appointed by the president of the Republic on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period, the ] (''Trybunał Konstytucyjny'') with judges chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms, and the ] (''Trybunał Stanu'') with judges chosen by the Sejm for the current term of office of the Sejm, (except for the position of chairperson which is held by the First President of the Supreme Court). The ] (on approval of the Polish Senate) appoints the Ombudsman or the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection ('']'') for a five-year term. The Ombudsman has the duty of guarding the observance and implementation of the rights and liberties of people and the ], the law and principles of community life and social justice. | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| ] | |||
| ], the castle and the cathedral in the background.]] | |||
| ], ]'s Factory.]] | |||
| ], ] castle by night.]] | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ] capital of USIA]] | |||
| <!--] (now it's the city's history museum).]] commented out because this is the largest phote and creates whitespace--> | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ].]] | |||
| {{seesubarticle|Geography of Poland}} | |||
| ===Topography=== | |||
| The Polish landscape consists almost entirely of the ], with an average height of 173 m (568 ]). The ] (including the ]) and the ] (including the ]) form the southern border. This is also where one finds Poland's highest point, ], at 2,499 m (8,199 ft). Several large rivers cross the plains, i.e., the ] (''Wisła''), ] (''Odra''), ] and the (Western) ]. Poland also contains over 9,300 lakes, predominantly in the northern part of the country. ] (''Mazury'' Lake District) forms the largest and most-visited lake district in Poland. Remnants of the ancient forests are present: see ], i.e. ]. Poland enjoys a ] ], with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters and mild summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms. | |||
| ''For detailed view see:'' '''''' | |||
| ===Principal cities=== | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| |- bgcolor=#DDDDDD | |||
| ! | |||
| ! City | |||
| ! Voivodeship | |||
| ! Inhabitants<br>] ] | |||
| ! Inhabitants<br>] ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 1 || ] (Warszawa) || ] || align="right" | '''1,671,670''' || align="right" | '''1,697,596''' | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 2 || ] || ] || align="right" | 789,318 || align="right" | 767,628 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 3 || ] || ] || align="right" | 758,544 || align="right" | 756,629 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 4 || ] || ] || align="right" | 640,367 || align="right" | 635,932 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 5 || ] || ] || align="right" | 578,886 || align="right" | 567,882 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 6 || ] || ] || align="right" | 461,334 || align="right" | 458,053 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 7 || ] || ] || align="right" | 415,399 || align="right" | 411,119 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 8 || ] || ] || align="right" | 373,804 || align="right" | 366,074 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 9 || ] || ] || align="right" | 357,110 || align="right" | 354,967 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 10 || ] || ] || align="right" | 327,222 || align="right" | 317,220 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 11 || ] || ] || align="right" | 291,383 || align="right" | 294,864 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 12 || ] || ] || align="right" | 253,458 || align="right" | 252,791 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 13 || ] || ] || align="right" | 258,436 || align="right" | 246,890 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 14 || ] || ] || align="right" | 229,699 || align="right" | 227,018 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 15 || ] || ] || align="right" | 232,622 || align="right" | 226,034 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 16 || ] || ] || align="right" | 212,429 || align="right" | 208,193 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 17 || ] || ] || align="right" | 211,243 || align="right" | 208,007 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 18 || ] || ] || align="right" | 203,814 || align="right" | 199,451 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 19 || ] || ] || align="right" | 195,293 || align="right" | 191,247 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 20 || ] || ] || align="right" | 193,546 || align="right" | 187,943 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 21 || ] || ] || align="right" | 178,028 || align="right" | 176,864 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 22 || ] || ] || align="right" | 173,102 || align="right" | 174,473 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 23 || ] || ] || align="right" | 160,376 || align="right" | 163,069 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 24 || ] || ] || align="right" | 150,595 || align="right" | 146,582 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 25 || ] || ] || align="right" | 142,731 || align="right" | 141,580 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 26 || ] || ] || align="right" | 132,816 || align="right" | 131,153 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 27 || ] || ] || align="right" | 132,236 || align="right" | 130,128 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 28 || ] || ] || align="right" | 129,946 || align="right" | 128,268 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 29 || ] || ] || align="right" | 128,361 || align="right" | 127,461 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 30 || ] || ] || align="right" | 128,134 || align="right" | 127,275 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 31 || ] || ] || align="right" | 130,268 || align="right" | 126,465 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 32 || ] || ] || align="right" | 125,914 || align="right" | 125,416 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 33 || ] || ] || align="right" | 121,229 || align="right" | 119,939 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 34 || ] || ] || align="right" | 119,913 || align="right" | 117,560 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 35 || ] || ] || align="right" | 118,293 || align="right" | 118,221 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 36 || ] || ] || align="right" | 117,430 || align="right" | 114,686 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 37 || ] || ] || align="right" | 109,498 || align="right" | 108,841 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 38 || ] || ] || align="right" | 108,709 || align="right" | 107,886 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 39 || ] || ] || align="right" | 107,100 || align="right" | 105,750 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 40 || ] || ] || align="right" | 99,943 || align="right" | 99,578 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 41 || ] || ] || align="right" | 100,376 || align="right" | 98,695 | |||
| |} | |||
| {{seealso|List of cities in Poland over 20,000 population (2002 census)}} | |||
| See also: a complete of Polish towns and settlements.<br> | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| |- bgcolor=#DDDDDD | |||
| ! | |||
| ! ] or ] | |||
| ! Voivodeship | |||
| ! Inhabitants <br>(Estimated, 2005) | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 1 || ] (])|| ] || align="right" | 3,487,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 2 || ] (Warszawa) || ] || align="right" | 2,679,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 3 || ] || ] || align="right" | 1,400,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 4 || ] || ] || align="right" | 1,300,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 5 || ] || ] || align="right" | 1,100,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 6 || ] || ] || align="right" | 945,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| | align="right" | 7 || ] || ] || align="right" | 855,000 | |||
| |- | |||
| |} | |||
| ] | |||
| == Administrative divisions == | |||
| {{details|Administrative division of Poland}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Poland is subdivided into sixteen ]s known as ]s (''województwa'', singular - ''województwo''): | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| ! Voivodeship!! Capital city (cities) | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Kujawsko-Pomorskie) || ] and ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Wielkopolskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Małopolskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Łódzkie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Dolnośląskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Lubelskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Lubuskie) || ] and ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Mazowieckie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Opolskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Podlaskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Pomorskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Śląskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Podkarpackie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Świętokrzyskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Warmińsko-Mazurskie) || ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |valign="top"|] (Zachodniopomorskie) || ] | |||
| |} | |||
| Lower levels of administrative division are: | |||
| * ]s (counties) | |||
| * ]s (commune) | |||
| ==Economy== | |||
| {{seesubarticle|Economy of Poland}} | |||
| ] note]] | |||
| {{wrapper}} | |||
| |] at night.]] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] at night.]] | |||
| |- | |||
| |].]] | |||
| |- | |||
| |].]] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] - a medieval town]] <!-- what's so exceptionally notable in Żnin ? --> | |||
| |- | |||
| |] in the ] lake area.]] | |||
| |- | |||
| |] coast in ]]] | |||
| |- | |||
| |], ]]] | |||
| {{end}} | |||
| Since the fall of communism, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of ] the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open examples of the transition from a partially state-directed economy to a primarily privately owned market economy. | |||
| The ] of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed the development of an aggressive private sector, followed by a development of ] organisations later on. Restructuring and privatisation of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., ], ], ]s, and energy) has begun. The government plans to float 20 public companies on the stock market in the years 2007-2010, including parts of the coal industry. The biggest privatisations so far were a sale of Telekomunikacja Polska, a national telecom to France Telecom (2000) and an issue of 30% shares of the biggest Polish bank, PKO BP, on the Polish stockmarket (2004). | |||
| Poland has a large ] sector of private farms, that could be a leading producer of food in the ] now that Poland is a member. Challenges remain, especially under-investment. Structural reforms in health care, education, the ] system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Warsaw leads ] in foreign investment {{fact}} and needs a continued large inflow. ] growth had been strong and steady from 1993 to 2000 with only a short slowdown from 2001 to 2002. The prospect of closer integration with the European Union has put the economy back on track, with growth of 3.7% annually in 2003, a rise from 1.4% annually in 2002. In 2004 GDP growth equaled 5.4%, in 2005 3.3% and in 2006 5.8%. For 2007 the government has set a target for GDP growth at 6.5%-7.0%. Recently the head of the National Bank Leszek Balcerowicz was replaced by Sławomir Skrzypek. At first the markets reacted sceptically and fell but now they have stabilized and have seen a sharp rise with the ] breaking records. | |||
| Annual growth rates broken down by quarters: | |||
| * 2003: Q1 - 2.2% | Q2 - 3.8% | Q3 - 4.7% | Q4 - 4.7% | |||
| * 2004: Q1 - 7.0% | Q2 - 6.1% | Q3 - 4.8% | Q4 - 4.9% | |||
| * 2005: Q1 - 2.1% | Q2 - 2.8% | Q3 - 3.7% | Q4 - 4.3% | |||
| * 2006: Q1 - 5.2% | Q2 - 5.5% | Q3 - 5.8% | Q4 - 6.3% | |||
| Although the Polish economy is currently undergoing ], there are many challenges ahead. The most notable task on the horizon is the preparation of the economy (through continuing deep structural reforms) to allow Poland to meet the strict economic criteria for entry into the ]. There is much speculation as to just when Poland might be allowed to join the ], although the best guess estimates put the entry date somewhere between 2009 and 2013 {{fact}}. For now, Poland is preparing to make the Euro its official currency (though it has not joined the ] yet), and the Złoty will eventually be abolished from the Polish economy. | |||
| Since joining the European Union, many young Polish people have left their country to work in other EU countries because of high unemployment, which is the highest in the EU (13.6% in November 2006).<ref name=EUR>{{cite web | |||
| | author = Eurostat | |||
| | year = 2006 | |||
| | url = http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007_MONTH_01/3-05012007-EN-CP.PDF | |||
| | title = Euro-Indicators: News Release | |||
| | accessdate = 5 January | |||
| | accessyear = 2007 | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| Products Poland produces include clothes, electronics, cars (including luxury ]), buses (], ], ], ]), helicopters (]), transport equipment, locomotives, planes (]), ships, military engineering (including ], ]), medicines (], ], etc), food, chemical products etc. | |||
| ==Science, technology and education== | |||
| {{seesubarticle2|Polish science and technology|Education in Poland}} | |||
| ===History=== | |||
| The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as the 12th century. The library catalogue of the Cathedral Chapter of ] dating back to 1110 shows that already in the early 12th century Polish intellectuals had access to the European literature. In 1364, in ], the ], founded by King ], became one of Europe's great early universities. In 1773 King ] established his Commission on National Education (]), the world's first state ministry of education. | |||
| ===Current situation=== | |||
| Today, Poland has more than a hundred tertiary education institutions; traditional universities to be found in its major cities of ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] as well as technical, medical, economic institutions elsewhere, employing around 61,000 workers. There are also around 300 research and development institutes, with about 10,000 more researchers. In total, there are around 91,000 scientists in Poland today. | |||
| According to a recent report by the European Commission, Poland ranks 21st on the list of EU states in the area of ]. Conditions for knowledge creation are worsening, particularly because of a decline in business ], from 0.28% of GDP in 1998 to 0.16% in 2003. Public ] expenditures were 0.43% of GDP in 2003. The share of university ] funded by the business sector has also declined, indicating that firms have not turned to outsourcing research to make up for declining ] expenditures. Because of the very low levels of ], the process of transition of Poland to a ] is slow. For more info, see . | |||
| ===Telecommunication and IT=== | |||
| {{seesubarticle2|Communications in Poland|Software development in Poland}} | |||
| The share of the telecom sector in the GDP is 4.4% (end of 2000 figure), compared to 2.5% in 1996. Nevertheless, despite high expenditures for telecom infrastructure (the coverage increased from 78 users per 1000 inhabitants in 1989 to 282 in 2000) | |||
| the coverage mobile cellular is 850 users per 1000 people (2006) | |||
| * Telephones - mobile cellular: 32.5 million (Raport Telecom Team 2006) | |||
| * Telephones - main lines in use: 12.5 million (Raport Telecom Team 2005) | |||
| ===Transportation=== | |||
| {{seesubarticle|Transport in Poland}} | |||
| *'''Rail''': Poland's railways constitute one of the larger railway systems in the European Union, with 23,420 km (14,552 miles) of network ]). Access to track has been opened up to ] as required by the EU. However, delays by successive Governments in reforming the state railway company, ], combined with the imposition of severe budgetary constraints, have caused a major cash crisis. Refurbishment of the network, bringing key routes into line with the standards on western European railway networks, is proceeding very slowly, and serious arrears of maintenance have resulted in the imposition of speed restrictions on many other lines. Line closures and withdrawal of feeder services similar to those that took place in the UK under the ']' have accelerated since 2000. | |||
| *'''Road''': by Western European standards, Poland has a relatively poor infrastructure of expressways/highways. The Government has undertaken a programme to improve the standard of a number of significant national highways by 2013. The total length of expressways/highways is 364,657 km (226,587 miles). There are a total of 9,283,000 registered passenger automobiles, as well as 1,762,000 registered trucks and buses (2000). | |||
| *'''Air''': Poland has ten major airports (in decreasing order of traffic: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]), a total of 123 airports and airfields, as well as three heliports. The number of passengers at Polish airports has consistently increased since 1991. | |||
| *'''Marine''': the total length of navigable rivers and canals is 3,812 km (2,369 miles). The ] consists of 114 ships, with an additional 100 ships registered outside the country. The principal ports and harbours are: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]. | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| {{seesubarticle|Demographics of Poland}} | |||
| Poland formerly played host to many languages, cultures, and religions. There was a particularly rich ] life in Poland prior to the ] ] where Poland's ] population, estimated at 3 million was mass murdered, with an estimated 300,000 survivors. The outcomes of ] and the following shift westwards to the area between the ] and the ] gave Poland an appearance of homogeneity (especially due to the ]). Today 36,983,700 people, or 96.74% of the population considers itself ] (Census 2002), 471,500 (1.23%) declared another nationality. 774,900 people (2.03%) didn't declare any nationality. The officially recognized ethnic minorities include: ]s (most in the ]), ], ], ]s and ]. The ], a member of the West Slavic branch of the ], functions as the official language of Poland. Most Poles adhere to the ] faith, 89.8% are Catholic (according to church baptism statistics) with 75% counting as practising Catholics. The rest of the population consists mainly of ] (about 509 500), ] (about 123 034) and various ] (about 86 880 in the largest Evangelical-Augsburg Church and about as many in smaller churches) religious minorities. | |||
| In recent years Poland's population has stopped increasing because of an increase in emigration and a sharp drop in the birth rate. In 2006 the census office estimated the total population of Poland at 38,536,869, a slight rise on the 2002 figure of 38,230,080. Since Poland's accession to the European Union, a significant number of Polish people have moved to work in West European countries like the ] and ]. Some organisations have estimated that 1 million people have left. Poland which suffers heavy unemployment (14.7%) is beginning to have problems with finding highly educated specialists for certain jobs because these were the people that mainly left to the west. To encourage Poles to reproduce ] has been introduced. The state pays new mothers 1000 ] for every baby in 2008 this is meant to rise to 5000zl. The governments pro family bill is meant to be discussed by parliament in 2007. Also the Government is trying to encourage people to return by raising the minimum wage, and many other incentives have been proposed. The governments official projects are yet to be confirmed. At the moment, the efforts for people to return are being conducted by individual towns; the town of ] has seen some success with over 9000 people returning. 80% of the Poles that emigrated have indicated that they want to return to Poland. They want cheaper medicine, school materials and better social care. Currently, poverty is rife within Poland's eastern provinces and in rural areas.{{cn}} | |||
| ==Culture== | |||
| {{seesubarticle|Culture of Poland}} | |||
| ]. ] (left), ] (centre), Town Hall Tower (right).]] | |||
| ]" painted by ].]] | |||
| ] ({{lang-pl|pierniki}}) from ].]] | |||
| Polish culture has a rich thousand-year history influenced by both west and east. Today, these influences are evident in Polish ], ], and ]. Poland is the birthplace of many ], including ] ({{lang-pl|Papież Jan Paweł II}}), ] ({{lang-pl|Maria Skłodowska-Curie}}), ] ({{lang-pl|Kazimierz Pułaski}}), ] ({{lang-pl|Mikołaj Kopernik}}), and many more. | |||
| The unique character of Polish art always reflected world trends. Famous Polish painter, ], included many significant historical events in his paintings. ] dates back to 1100s<ref name=LIT01>{{cite web | |||
| | author = Koca, B. | |||
| | year = 2006 | |||
| | url = http://www.sat.org.au/reviews/articles_pl_middle_ages.htm | |||
| | title = Polish Literature - The Middle Ages (Religious writings) | |||
| | accessdate = 10 December | |||
| | accessyear = 2006 | |||
| }} {{pl icon}}</ref> and includes many famous poets and writers such as ], ], ] (1905 Nobel Prize winner), ], ], ], ], ] (1980 Nobel Prize winner), ] (1996 Nobel Prize winner), ],to name a few. Many world renowned ] include ]s winners ], ], ], ], ], and so on. The traditional Polish music composers include world famous pianist ] ({{lang-pl|Fryderyk Chopin}})<ref name=CHOPIN>{{cite web | |||
| | author = Polskie Centrum Informacji Muzycznej: Związek Kompozytorów Polskich | |||
| | year = 2002 | |||
| | url = http://www.culture.pl/pl/culture/artykuly/in_or_towarzystwo_chopina | |||
| | title = Towarzystwo im. Fryderyka Chopina | |||
| | accessdate = 8 December | |||
| | accessyear = 2006 | |||
| }} {{pl icon}}</ref><!-- Please do not change the name Chopin! The original spelling of Fryderyk Chopin's name and the spelling of his name in his original signature is Chopin but not Szopen. Please discuss this in "Talk:Poland" discussion section! Prosimy nie zmieniać Nazwiska! Thanks --> as well as ], ], and many more. | |||
| Many popular styles of modern music in Poland include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], to name a few. Famous ] singers and musicians in Poland are ], ], Piotr Rubik and so on. Many popular music bands include ], Blue Cafe, Virgin etc. | |||
| Famous meals from ] include ] ({{lang-pl|kiełbasa}}), ] ({{lang-pl|barszcz}}), ] ({{lang-pl|czernina}}), ] ({{lang-pl|pierogi}}), ] ({{lang-pl|gołąbki}}), ] ({{lang-pl|kotlety schabowe}}), ] ({{lang-pl|bigos}}), various ] dishes, a fast food sandwich ], and many more. Traditional Polish desserts include ] ({{lang-pl|pączki}}), ] ({{lang-pl|pierniki}}), etc. | |||
| ==International rankings== | |||
| * ] world-wide press freedom index 2005: Rank 53rd out of 167 countries. | |||
| * ] 2005: Rank 41st out of 155 countries. | |||
| * Summary Innovation Index 2005: Rank 21st out of 25 countries | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| <div style="font-size:90%"><references/></div> | |||
| {{portal|Poland|Flag of Poland corrected (bordered).svg}} | |||
| {{sisterlinks|Poland}} | |||
| ===Governmental institutions=== | |||
| * - Sejm - lower chamber of the Parliament | |||
| * - Senate - upper chamber of the Parliament | |||
| * - President of the Republic of Poland | |||
| * - Prime Minister's Office | |||
| * - Supreme Court | |||
| ===English-language websites on Poland=== | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * {{wikitravel}} | |||
| {{Countries of Europe}} | |||
| {{Baltic}} | |||
| {{EU members}} | |||
| {{Visegrád Group}} | |||
| {{Weimar Triangle}} | |||
| {{La Francophonie}} | |||
| {{Slavic States}} | |||
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