|
|
|
 |
 
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Geography: Poland -
July 2002
 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Natural
resources: |
coal,
sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 46%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 53% (1998 est.) |
|
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 |
|
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.) |
|
Death
rate: |
9.97
deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net
migration rate: |
-0.49
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
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.) |
|
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.) |
|
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% |
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
