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Poland
General InformationThe Republic of Poland is located in central Europe. The country covers an area of about 323,250 sq. km. It is bounded by the Baltic Sea and Russia to the north; by Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east; by the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; and by Germany to the west. The capital and largest city is Warsaw. The official state language is Polish. The unit of currency is the zloty. | |
Historical BackgroundThe Polish history dates back to the 10th century, when prince Mieszko I united several Slavic tribes under his rule and gave rise to a Polish state. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Poland, then united with Lithuania, was one of the major European powers under the Jagiellonian dynasty. When the dynasty came to an end in 1572, Poland entered a long period of decline, culminating in the partition of the country between Russia, Austria and Prussia in 1772, 1793 and 1795. Poland was again established as a sovereign state in 1918. In 1939, it was partitioned for the fourth time by Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Since 1944, the Communist party was steadily gaining power. In 1989, with the collapse of the communist system, Poland entered the way of transition towards democracy and market economy. The new Constitution was finally adopted in 1997. | |
GovernmentThe head of state is a president, elected directly for a maximum of two five-year terms. A prime minister is appointed by the president with the approval of the lower house of parliament and is typically a leader of the majority party or coalition. The prime minister heads a Council of Ministers appointed by parliament. The legislature is a bicameral Parliament that comprises a 460 member Sejm, and a 100 member Senat, re-established in 1989. Members of both chambers are elected for a four-year term by universal, direct and secret ballot. The judicial system includes the common, administrative and military courts. All court proceedings should have at least two stages. The Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal. There are also the Supreme Administrative Court, the State Tribunal, and the Constitutional Tribunal. Poland is administratively divided into 16 provinces. The latter are divided into counties, which are subdivided into communes. Local affairs are administered by local authorities at all the above mentioned levels. | |
Population
In 2006, the population of Poland was estimated at 38,1 mln. Some 62 percent of the population reside in urban areas.About 98 percent of the population are ethnic Poles, and the remainder includes Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Germans, and small communities of Slovaks, Czechs, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Roma. About 92 percent of Poles are Roman Catholic. Other largest churches represented are the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Augsburg Church.
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EconomyServices, including transportation and trade, employ some 50 percent of the workforce. Agriculture, fishing and forestry employ 27 percent of the workforce. The principal crops are grains, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, and tobacco. Livestock raising and livestock products are also important. Industry, including manufacturing, mining and construction, employs about 22 percent of the workforce. The country ranks among the world's leading producers of hard coal and sulphur. Poland imports nearly all its gas and oil, mostly from Russia (about 65 percent of gas and 95 percent of oil) The rest comes by sea from the Persian Gulf, North Africa, and Norway. In 2003, Poland exported mainly machinery, raw materials, industry products, food, and chemicals. The leading export partners were Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Leading imports included machinery, raw materials, chemicals, fuels, and food products. Poland's main suppliers of imports were Germany, Italy, Russia, France, China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. | |
Social SystemEducation is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 15. On completion of the six year elementary school programme, children enter the two stage secondary school system. Poland has a long history of higher education. Jagiellonian University, established in Krakow in 1364, is the second oldest university in Central Europe. There are over 170 institutions of higher education in Poland that include universities, medical schools, schools of art and music, and specialised vocational colleges. The health care system has been reformed several times recently. Private medicine has increased in recent years, as has the practice of charging fees for medical care in hospitals. Most pharmacies are privately owned. Social security system is based on social insurance system and covers pensions, sickness and maternity allowances, and unemployment and social benefits, including family and caring benefits. | |
Membership in International OrganisationsPoland is a member of the United Nations and a number of its specialised agencies (UN High Commissioner for Refugees, International Labour Organisation, UNESCO, World Health Organisation, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and International Monetary Fund), the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Central European Initiative. It is a full member of the Inter national Organisation for Migration. Poland is a member of the World Trade Organisation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In 1999, the country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. In 1994, Poland applied to join the European Union (EU) and entered into negotiations for full EU membership in March 1998. In May 2004, Poland and nine other countries joined the EU as full members. | |
Legislation on Migration and AsylumThe migration and asylum issues are regulated by the following main legal documents:
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Participation in International and Regional InitiativesPoland participates in the following international and regional initiatives in the field of asylum, migration and border management:
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