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Poland

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

                          Rzeczpospolita Polska
   Republic of Poland

   Flag of Poland Coat of arms of Poland
   Flag           Coat of arms
   Motto: none^1
   Anthem: Dąbrowski's Mazurka
   ( Polish: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego)
   Location of Poland
   Capital
   (and largest city)    Warsaw
                         52°13′N 21°02′E
    Official languages   Polish^2
   Government            Parliamentary republic
    - President          Lech Kaczyński
    - Prime minister     Jarosław Kaczyński
         Formation
    - Christianisation^4 966
    - Redeclared         November 11, 1918
      Accession to EU    May 1, 2004
                                   Area
    - Total              312,685 km² ( 69th)
                         120,728 sq mi
    - Water (%)          2.65
                                Population
    - 2006 estimate      38,536,869 ( 31st)
    - 2002 census        38,230,080
    - Density            121.9/km² ( 83rd)
                         319.9/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2006 estimate
    - Total              $546.543 billion ( 23rd)
    - Per capita         $14,400 ( 48th)
        HDI  (2004)      0.862 (high) ( 37th)
         Currency        Złoty ( PLN)
         Time zone       CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST)      CEST ( UTC+2)
       Internet TLD      .pl^5
       Calling code      +48
   ^1 But see Unofficial mottos of Poland.

   ^2 Although not official languages, Lithuanian and German are used in
   eight communal offices.
   ^3 Administration area of Poland (area of administartion divisions) -
   land area (311 904 km²) and part of territorial sea; area of territory
   of Poland (according to Polish Law) - 322 577 km².
   ^4 The adoption of Christianity 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.
   ^5 Also .eu, as Poland is a member of the European Union.

   Poland ( Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland ( Polish:
   Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered
   by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south,
   Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania, and
   Russia (in the form of the Kaliningrad Oblast exclave) to the north. It
   also shares a maritime border with Denmark and Sweden. The total land
   area of Poland is about 312,685 sq km (120,728 sq mi) making it the
   69th largest country in the world with population over 38.5 million
   people concentrated mainly in large cities, including the first capital
   of Poland, Cracow ( Polish: Kraków), and present capital, Warsaw (
   Polish: Warszawa).

   The first Polish state was born in 966. Poland became a kingdom in
   1025, and in 1569 it cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy
   of Lithuania by uniting to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The
   Commonwealth collapsed in 1795, and the Poles were without a state for
   123 years. Poland regained its independence in 1918 after World War I
   but lost it again in World War II, emerging several years later as a
   communist country within the Eastern Bloc under control of the former
   Soviet Union. In 1989 it threw off the communist yoke and became what
   is informally known as the "Third Polish Republic". Today, as the 6th
   most populated member state of the European Union, Poland is a liberal
   democracy made up of sixteen voivodeships ( Polish: województwo).
   Poland is also a member of NATO, the United Nations, and the World
   Trade Organization.

History

   Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity
   around the middle of the 10th century under the Piast dynasty. Poland's
   first historically documented ruler, Mieszko I, was baptized in 966,
   adopting Catholic Christianity 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 Mongol armies of the Golden
   Horde in 1241, 1259 and 1287. In 1320 Władysław I became the King of a
   reunified Poland. His son, Casimir III, repaired the Polish economy,
   constructed new castles, and won the war against the Ruthenian duchy (
   Lviv (Lwów) became a Polish City).

   Poland was also a centre of migration of peoples and the Jewish
   community began to settle and flourish in Poland during this era. See
   History of the Jews in Poland.

   The Black Death which affected most parts of Europe from 1347 to 1351
   did not reach Poland.

   Under the Jagiellon dynasty, Poland forged an alliance with its
   neighbour Lithuania. A golden age ensued during the 16th century after
   the Lublin Union, which gave birth to the Polish-Lithuanian
   Commonwealth. The citizens of Poland took pride in their ancient
   freedoms and Sejm parliamentary system, with the szlachta nobility
   enjoying most benefits. Since that time Poles have regarded freedom as
   their most important value; Poles often call themselves the nation of
   the free people.
   The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at its greatest extent
   Enlarge
   The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at its greatest extent

   In the mid-17th century a Swedish invasion rolled through the country
   during the turbulent time known as "The Deluge" (potop). Numerous wars
   against the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Cossacks, Transylvania and
   Brandenburg-Prussia ultimately reached an end in 1699. During the
   following 80 years, the waning of the central government and deadlock
   of the institutions weakened the nation, leading to anarchistic
   tendencies and a growing dependency on Russia. This eventually led to
   the ' Liberum Veto', which allowed for any member of parliament to
   break off the Sejm's proceedings during the session, effectively
   paralysing any attempt at reform. Russian Czars took advantage of this
   unique political vulnerability by offering money to Parliamentary
   traitors, who in turn would consistently and subversively block
   necessary reforms and new solutions.
   The White Eagle, symbol of Polish statehood
   Polish Statehood
     * Kingdom of the first Piasts
     * Fragmentation
     * Kingdom of the later Piasts
     * Kingdom of the Jagiellons
     * Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
     * Partitions
          + Kingdom of Galicia
          + Duchy of Warsaw
          + Congress Kingdom
          + Free City of Kraków
          + Grand Duchy of Poznań
          + Regency Kingdom
     * Second Polish Republic
     * Polish Secret State
     * People's Republic of Poland
     * Third Polish Republic

   The Enlightenment in Poland fostered a growing national movement to
   repair the state, resulting in the first modern written constitution in
   Europe, the Constitution of May 3 in 1791. The process of reform ceased
   with the three partitions of Poland between Russia, Prussia, and
   Austria in 1772, 1793, and 1795, which ultimately dissolved the state.
   Poles resented their shrinking freedoms and several times rebelled
   against the partitioners (see List of Polish Uprisings).

   Napoleon recreated a Polish state, the Duchy of Warsaw, but after the
   Napoleonic wars, Poland was again divided by the victorious Allies at
   the Congress of Vienna. The eastern portion was ruled by the Russian
   Czar as a Congress Kingdom, 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
   Galicia became the oasis of Polish freedom.

   During World War I all the Allies agreed on the restitution of Poland
   that United States President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed in Point 13 of
   his Fourteen Points. Shortly after the surrender of Germany in November
   1918, Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic
   (II Rzeczpospolita Polska). It reaffirmed its independence after a
   series of military conflicts, the most notable being the 1919-1921
   Polish-Soviet War.
   Poland between 1922 and 1938
   Enlarge
   Poland between 1922 and 1938

   The 1926 May Coup of Józef Piłsudski turned the reins of the Second
   Polish Republic over to the Sanacja movement. It lasted until the start
   of World War II on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany and the Soviet
   Union invaded Poland (September 17). Warsaw capitulated on September
   28, 1939 and Poland was split into two zones, one occupied by Nazi
   Germany the other by the Soviet Union as agreed on in the
   Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. The eastern portion of the German-occupied
   zone was forged into the General Government 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 Jews. Poland also made the 4th largest Allied troop
   contribution, after the Americans, the British and the Soviets, to
   ultimately defeat Nazi Germany. At the war's conclusion, Poland's
   borders were shifted westwards, pushing the eastern border to the
   Curzon line. Meanwhile, the western border was moved to the Oder-Neisse
   line. The new Poland emerged 20% smaller by 77,500 square kilometres
   (29,900 sq mi). The shift forced the migration of millions of people –
   Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, and Jews.
   At the end of World War II, the blue territories were transferred from
   Poland to the Soviet Union, and the yellow territories from Germany to
   Poland.
   Enlarge
   At the end of World War II, the blue territories were transferred from
   Poland to the Soviet Union, and the yellow territories from Germany to
   Poland.

   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 Poles article for the
   population numbers). The largest number of ethnic Poles outside of the
   country can be found in the United States.

   The Soviet Union instituted a new Communist government in Poland,
   analogous to much of the rest of the Eastern Bloc. Military alignment
   within the Warsaw Pact throughout the Cold War was also part of this
   change. In 1948 a turn towards Stalinism brought in the beginning of
   the next period of totalitarian rule. The People's Republic of Poland (
   Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) 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 trade union, " Solidarity" ("Solidarność"
   in Polish), which over time became a political force. It eroded the
   dominance of the Communist Party; by 1989 it had triumphed in
   parliamentary elections, and Lech Wałęsa, 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 shock therapy program 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 human rights, such as free speech, a
   functioning democracy and the like. Poland was the first post-communist
   country to reach its pre-1989 GDP levels. In 1991 Poland became a
   member of the Visegrad Group and joined the North Atlantic Treaty
   Organization (NATO) alliance in 1999 along with the Czech Republic and
   Hungary. Poles then voted to join the European Union in a referendum in
   June 2003, with Poland becoming a full member on May 1, 2004.

Politics

   Poland is a liberal democracy. Its current constitution dates from
   1997. The government structure centres on the Council of Ministers, led
   by a prime minister. The current prime minister of Poland is Jarosław
   Kaczyński. The president appoints the cabinet according to the
   proposals of the prime minister, typically from the majority coalition
   in the bicameral judicial lower house (the Sejm). The president,
   elected by popular vote every five years, serves as the head of state.
   The current president is Lech Kaczyński, the twin brother of Jarosław
   Kaczyński.

   Polish voters elect a bicameral parliament consisting of a 460 member
   lower house Sejm and a 100 member Senate ( Senat). The Sejm is elected
   under a proportional representation electoral system using the d'Hondt
   method similar to that used in many parliamentary political systems.
   The Senate, on the other hand, is elected under a rare plurality bloc
   voting method where several candidates with the highest support are
   elected from each constituency. With the exception of ethnic minority
   parties, only candidates of political parties 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 National Assembly, (
   Polish 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 judicial branch plays an important role in decision-making. Its
   major institutions include the Supreme Court of Poland (Sąd Najwyższy),
   the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland (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 Constitutional Tribunal of Poland (Trybunał
   Konstytucyjny) with judges chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms, and
   the State Tribunal of Poland (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 Sejm (on approval of the Polish Senate) appoints
   the Ombudsman or the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (
   Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich) 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 citizens, the law and principles of
   community life and social justice.

Geography

   Poland
   Enlarge
   Poland
   Warsaw, the castle and the cathedral in the background.
   Enlarge
   Warsaw, the castle and the cathedral in the background.
   Łódź, Izrael Poznański's Factory.
   Enlarge
   Łódź, Izrael Poznański's Factory.
   Kraków, Wawel castle by night.
   Enlarge
   Kraków, Wawel castle by night.
   Wrocław.
   Enlarge
   Wrocław.
   Old Market square in Poznań.
   Enlarge
   Old Market square in Poznań.
   Old town in Gdańsk.
   Enlarge
   Old town in Gdańsk.
   Bydgoszcz.
   Enlarge
   Bydgoszcz.
   The Trinitarian Tower and the Cathedral in Lublin.
   Enlarge
   The Trinitarian Tower and the Cathedral in Lublin.
   Katowice, Silesian Insurgents Monument on the right and The Spodek in
   the background.
   Enlarge
   Katowice, Silesian Insurgents Monument on the right and The Spodek in
   the background.
   Toruń.
   Enlarge
   Toruń.

Topography

   The Polish landscape consists almost entirely of the North European
   Plain, with an average height of 173 m. The Sudetes (including the
   Karkonosze) and the Carpathian Mountains (including the Tatra
   mountains) form the southern border. This is also where one finds
   Poland's highest point, Rysy, at 2,499 m. Several large rivers cross
   the plains, i.e., the Vistula (Wisła), Oder (Odra), Warta and the
   (Western) Bug. Poland also contains over 9,300 lakes, predominantly in
   the northern part of the country. Masuria (Mazury Lake District) forms
   the largest and most-visited lake district in Poland. Remnants of the
   ancient forests are present: see list of forests in Poland, i.e.
   Białowieża Forest. Poland enjoys a temperate climate, with cold,
   cloudy, moderately severe winters and mild summers with frequent
   showers and thunderstorms.

   For detailed view see: Poland Topo Map on-line

Principal cities

      Agglomeration or conurbation  Voivodeship      Inhabitants
                                                  (Estimated, 2005)
    1 Upper Silesian Industry Area Silesia                3,487,000
    2 Warsaw (Warszawa)            Masovia                2,679,000
    3 Kraków                       Lesser Poland          1,400,000
    4 Łódź                         Łódź                   1,300,000
    5 Tricity                      Pomerania              1,100,000
    5 Poznań                       Greater Poland           855,000
             City            Voivodeship    Inhabitants
                                            May 20, 2002    Inhabitants
                                                         December 31, 2005
    1 Warsaw (Warszawa)   Masovia              1,671,670         1,697,596
    2 Łódź                Łódź                   789,318           767,628
    3 Kraków              Lesser Poland          758,544           756,629
    4 Wrocław             Lower Silesia          640,367           635,932
    5 Poznań              Greater Poland         578,886           567,882
    6 Gdańsk              Pomerania              461,334           458,053
    7 Szczecin            Western Pomerania      415,399           411,119
    8 Bydgoszcz           Kuyavia-Pomerania      373,804           366,074
    9 Lublin              Lublin                 357,110           354,967
   10 Katowice            Silesia                327,222           317,220
   11 Białystok           Podlasie               291,383           294,864
   12 Gdynia              Pomerania              253,458           252,791
   13 Częstochowa         Silesia                258,436           246,890
   14 Radom               Masovia                229,699           227,018
   15 Sosnowiec           Silesia                232,622           226,034
   16 Kielce              Świętokrzyskie         212,429           208,193
   17 Toruń               Kuyavia-Pomerania      211,243           208,007
   18 Gliwice             Silesia                203,814           199,451
   19 Zabrze              Silesia                195,293           191,247
   20 Bytom               Silesia                193,546           187,943
   21 Bielsko-Biała       Silesia                178,028           176,864
   22 Olsztyn             Warmia-Masuria         173,102           174,473
   23 Rzeszów             Subcarpathia           160,376           163,069
   24 Ruda Śląska         Silesia                150,595           146,582
   25 Rybnik              Silesia                142,731           141,580
   26 Tychy               Silesia                132,816           131,153
   27 Dąbrowa Górnicza    Silesia                132,236           130,128
   28 Opole               Opole                  129,946           128,268
   29 Płock               Masovia                128,361           127,461
   30 Elbląg              Warmia-Masuria         128,134           127,275
   31 Wałbrzych           Lower Silesia          130,268           126,465
   32 Gorzów Wielkopolski Lubusz                 125,914           125,416
   33 Włocławek           Kuyavia-Pomerania      121,229           119,939
   34 Tarnów              Lesser Poland          119,913           117,560
   35 Zielona Góra        Lubusz                 118,293           118,221
   36 Chorzów             Silesia                117,430           114,686
   37 Kalisz              Greater Poland         109,498           108,841
   38 Koszalin            Western Pomerania      108,709           107,886
   39 Legnica             Lower Silesia          107,100           105,750
   40 Grudziądz           Kuyavia-Pomerania       99,943            99,578
   41 Słupsk              Pomerania              100,376            98,695

   See also: a complete Gazetteer of Polish towns and settlements.

Administrative divisions

   Poland is subdivided into sixteen administrative regions known as
   voivodeships (województwa, singular - województwo):
   Voivodeship Capital city (cities)
   Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (Kujawsko-Pomorskie) Bydgoszcz and
   Toruń
   Greater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolskie) Poznań
   Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Małopolskie) Kraków
   Łódź Voivodeship (Łódzkie) Łódź
   Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Dolnośląskie) Wrocław
   Lublin Voivodeship (Lubelskie) Lublin
   Lubusz Voivodeship (Lubuskie) Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra
   Masovian Voivodeship (Mazowieckie) Warsaw
   Opole Voivodeship (Opolskie) Opole
   Podlasie Voivodeship (Podlaskie) Białystok
   Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie) Gdańsk
   Silesian Voivodeship (Śląskie) Katowice
   Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Podkarpackie) Rzeszów
   Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship (Świętokrzyskie) Kielce
   Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (Warmińsko-Mazurskie) Olsztyn
   West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie) Szczecin

   Lower levels of administrative division are:
     * powiats (counties)
     * gminas (commune)

Economy

                                                          Warsaw at night.
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                          Warsaw at night.

                                                        Katowice at night.
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                        Katowice at night.

                                                     The Marina at Gdynia.
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                     The Marina at Gdynia.

                                                               Lanckorona.
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                               Lanckorona.

                                                   Żnin - a medieval town
                                                                   Enlarge
                                                   Żnin - a medieval town

                                      Mikołajki in the Masuria lake area.
                                                                   Enlarge
                                      Mikołajki in the Masuria lake area.

               Sand dunes at the Baltic coast in Słowiński National Park
                                                                   Enlarge
               Sand dunes at the Baltic coast in Słowiński National Park

                    Gothic Church of the Transfiguration of Lord in Iława
                                                                   Enlarge
                    Gothic Church of the Transfiguration of Lord in Iława

   Since its return to democracy, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy
   of liberalising the economy and today stands out as one of the most
   successful and open examples of the transition from a partially
   state-capitalist market economy to a primarily privately owned market
   economy.

   The privatisation 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 consumer
   rights organisations later on. Restructuring and privatisation of
   "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railways, and energy) has
   begun. 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 agricultural sector of private farms, that could be
   a leading producer of food in the European Union now that Poland is a
   member. Challenges remain, especially under-investment. Structural
   reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state
   administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures.
   Warsaw leads Central Europe in foreign investment and needs a continued
   large inflow. GDP 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 equalled 5.4%, and in 2005 3.3%. Forecasted
   GDP for 2006 is 5.5 - 6.0%.

   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% |

   Although the Polish economy is currently undergoing economic progress,
   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 European Single Currency. There is much speculation as to just
   when Poland might be allowed to join the Eurozone, although the best
   guess estimates put the entry date somewhere between 2009 and 2013 .
   For now, Poland is preparing to make the Euro its official currency
   (though it has not joined the ERM 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 (14.1% in September 2006).

   Products Poland produces include clothes, electronics, cars (including
   luxury car Leopard), buses ( Autosan, Jelcz SA, Solaris, Solbus),
   helicopters ( PZL Świdnik), transport equipment, locomotives, planes (
   PZL Mielec), ships, military engineering (including tanks, SPAAG
   systems), medicines ( Polpharma, Polfa, etc), food, chemical products
   etc.

Science, technology and education

History

   The education of Polish society was a goal of rulers as early as the
   12th century. The library catalog of the Cathedral Chapter of Kraków
   dating back to 1110 shows that already in the early 12th century Polish
   intellectuals had access to the European literature. In 1364, in
   Kraków, the Jagiellonian University, founded by King Casimir III,
   became one of Europe's great early universities. In 1773 King Stanisław
   August Poniatowski established his Commission on National Education (
   Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), 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 Gdańsk,
   Bydgoszcz, Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Olsztyn, Poznań, Rzeszów,
   Toruń, Warsaw, Wrocław and Zielona Góra 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 innovation. Conditions for
   knowledge creation are worsening, particularly because of a decline in
   business Research and development, from 0.28% of GDP in 1998 to 0.16%
   in 2003. Public R&D expenditures were 0.43% of GDP in 2003. The share
   of university R&D funded by the business sector has also declined,
   indicating that firms have not turned to outsourcing research to make
   up for declining R&D expenditures. Because of the very low levels of
   R&D, the process of transition of Poland to a knowledge economy is
   slow. For more info, see Innovation performance factsheet.

Telecommunication and IT

   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

     * Rail: Poland's railways constitute one of the larger railway
       systems in the European Union, with 23,420 km of network (1998).
       Access to track has been opened up to competition as required by
       the EU. However, delays by successive Governments in reforming the
       state railway company, PKP , 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 the withdrawal of feeder services similar to those
       that took place in the UK under the 'Beeching Axe' 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. 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:
       Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Poznań, Szczecin,
       Rzeszów, Bydgoszcz and Łódź), 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. The merchant marine consists of 114 ships, with an additional
       100 ships registered outside the country. The principal ports and
       harbours are: Port of Gdańsk, Port of Gdynia, Port of Szczecin,
       Port of Świnoujście, Port of Ustka, Port of Kolobrzeg, Gliwice,
       Warsaw, Wrocław.

Demographics

   Poland formerly played host to many languages, cultures, and religions.
   There was a particularly rich Jewish life in Poland prior to the Nazi
   Holocaust where Poland's Jewish population, estimated at 3 million was
   mass murdered, with an estimated 300,000 survivors. The outcomes of
   World War II and the following shift westwards to the area between the
   Curzon line and the Oder-Neisse line gave Poland an appearance of
   homogeneity. Today 36,983,700 people, or 96.74% of the population
   considers itself Polish (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: Germans, Ukrainians,
   Lithuanians, Jews and Belarusians. The Polish language, a member of the
   West Slavic branch of the Slavic languages, functions as the official
   language of Poland. Most Poles adhere to the Roman Catholic faith,
   89.8% are Catholic (according to church baptise statistics) with 75%
   counting as practicing Catholics. The rest of the population consists
   mainly of Eastern Orthodox (about 509 500), Jehovah's Witnesses (about
   123 034) and various Protestant (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 2005
   the census office estimated the total population of Poland at
   38,173,835, a slight fall 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 UK
   and Ireland.

Culture

   "Stańczyk" painted by Jan Matejko.
   Enlarge
   " Stańczyk" painted by Jan Matejko.

   Polish culture has a rich thousand-year history influenced by both west
   and east. Today, we can see these influences in Polish architecture,
   folklore and art. Poland's culture has also been influenced by
   countries such as Italy, Ottoman Empire, France, the United Sates and
   many more. Poland is the birthplace of many world famous people,
   including Pope John Paul II ( Polish: Papież Jan Paweł II), Marie
   Skłodowska Curie ( Polish: Maria Skłodowska-Curie), Casimir Pulaski (
   Polish: Kazimierz Pułaski), Frederic Chopin ( Polish: Fryderyk Chopin),
   Nicolaus Copernicus ( Polish: Mikołaj Kopernik), etc.

   Many other famous people, including Krzysztof Penderecki, Tadeusz
   Kościuszko, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Bolesław Prus, Adam Mickiewicz, Czesław
   Miłosz, Jan Matejko, Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polański, Krzysztof
   Kieślowski, Juliusz Słowacki, Witold Gombrowicz, Władysław Reymont,
   Wisława Szymborska came from Poland.

   Famous meals from Polish cuisine include bigos, kiełbasa, barszcz ,
   czernina (duck blood soup), schabowy z kapustą, pierogi, gołąbki and
   various potato dishes.

International rankings

     * Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2005: Rank
       53rd out of 167 countries.
     * Index of Economic Freedom 2005: Rank 41st out of 155 countries.
     * Summary Innovation Index 2005: Rank 21st out of 25 countries

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Denmark  Denmark Flag of Sweden  Sweden
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation North.png
   Baltic Sea Baltic Sea Flag of Russia  Russia •  Flag of Lithuania
   Lithuania
   Flag of Belarus  Belarus
   Flag of Germany  Germany North
   West    Flag of Poland  Poland     East
   South
   Flag of Czech Republic  Czech Republic Flag of Slovakia  Slovakia Flag
   of Ukraine  Ukraine
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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