STUDY IN  Poland - About POland

General Information | Geography | Government | Communication

General Information

Area: 312,685 sq km

Population: 38,635,144 (July 2005 est.)

Capital: Warsaw

Ethnicity / Race: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)

Independence: 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

Language: Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)

Currency: zloty (PLN)

Religion: Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)

Time: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 230 volts, three-phase AC, 50Hz. Two-pin continental plugs are used.

Communications: Telephone system: general assessment: under-developed and outmoded system in the process of being overhauled; partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly is underway; the long waiting list for main line telephone service has resulted in a boom in mobile cellular telephone use

Domestic: cable, open-wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital

International: country code - 48; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Geography

Location: Central Europe, east of Germany

Geographic coordinates: 52 00 N, 20 00 E

Area:
total: 312,685 sq km
land: 304,465 sq km
water: 8,220 sq km

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

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: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

Natural hazards: flooding

Geography - note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Poland Government

Government Structure:

Chief of state: President
Head of Government: Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister

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

Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

Communication

Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 48. Outgoing international code: 00. Cheap rate on long-distance calls is available from 1600-0600. Telephone cards can be purchased from post offices, newsagents and hotel receptions for local calls.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900 and 1800 networks cover the whole country.

Internet: ISPs include SuperMedia (website: http://www.supermedia.com.pl).

Telegram: Services are provided at all main post offices and by phone.

Post: Service to Western Europe takes up to four days. Poste Restante facilities are available at post offices throughout the country. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800.

Press: Independent publications are flourishing following the changes in the political system; about 100 newspapers are now available. The principal dailies are Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Wprost. English-language publications include The Warsaw Voice (weekly).

Radio: BBC World Service Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice .From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.