| Poland
Traveling Tales |
Even a clock that is not going is right twice a day.
- Polish Proverb
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Stories |
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Country Overview |
Poland
is located in Central Europe east of Germany with a total area of
312,685 sq km and 491 km of coastline along the Baltic Sea in the north.
Terrain is mostly flat plain, with some mountains in the south. Climate
is temperate with cold winters, mild summers and plenty of precipitation
year round.
Government
type is republic with the capital of Warsaw. President Aleksander
Kwasniewski has served as chief of state since December 1995, while
Prime Minister Leszek Miller has lead the government since October 2001.
Population
is 38.6 million with a zero percent rate of natural increase.
Language
is officially Polish, with over 98% of citizens speak fluently. Minority
languages also spoken include Czech, Greek, Lithuanian, Russian,
Slovak, and Eastern Yiddish.
Economy
stands out as one of the most successful transition economies in the world.
The rapidly developing private sector is supported by state law and
regulation. Unfortunately, Poland's large agricultural sector suffers from
infrastructure problems, surpluss labor, inefficiency and underinvestment.
GDP per capita is US$8,500, with 18.4% of the population living below
the poverty line and 12% unemployed.
Maps:
Political Map -
Physical Map
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