Background: Poland's history as a state began near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in Central and Eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorders weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union 'Solidarity' that over time became a political force with over 10 million members. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 won Solidarity control of the parliament and the presidency, bringing the communist era to a close. A 'shock therapy' program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed and with large investments in defense, energy, and other infrastructure, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.

Geographic coordinates: 52 00 N, 20 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 312,685 km²
Land: 304,255 km²
Water: 8,430 km²
Rank: 71
Comparative: about twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 3,071 km
Border countries: (6) Belarus 418 km; , Czech Republic 796 km; , Germany 467 km; , Lithuania 104 km; , Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km; , Slovakia 541 km; , Ukraine 535 km

Coastline: 440 km

Maritime claims
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
Mean elevation: 173 m
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

Land use
Agricultural land: 48.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 30.6% (2011 est.)
Other: 21.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 970 km² (2012)

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

Population
Distribution: population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk: 38,282,325 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 37
Growth rate: -0.19% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 209
Below poverty line: 17.6% (2015 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Pole(s)
Adjective: Polish

Ethnic groups: Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.)
Note:  represents ethnicity declared first

Languages: Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.)
Note: data represents the language spoken at home; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing Kashub as a regional language, Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages, and Karaim, Lemko, Romani (Polska Roma and Bergitka Roma), and Tatar as ethnic minority languages

Religions: Catholic 85.9% (includes Roman Catholic 85.6% and Greek Catholic, Armenian Catholic, and Byzantine-Slavic Catholic .3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentacostal), other 0.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, Hare Krishna, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon), unspecified 12.1% (2017 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.83% (male 2,918,518/female 2,756,968)
15-24 years: 9.8% (male 1,928,637/female 1,823,894)
25-54 years: 43.33% (male 8,384,017/female 8,203,646)
55-64 years: 13.32% (male 2,424,638/female 2,675,351)
65 years and over: 18.72% (male 2,867,315/female 4,299,341) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.4
Youth dependency ratio: 23
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.4
Potential support ratio: 3.5 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.9 years
Male: 40.3 years
Female: 43.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 39

Population growth rate: -0.19% (2020 est.)
Rank: 209

Birth rate: 8.9 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 205

Death rate: 10.6 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 28

Net migration rate: -0.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 119

Population distribution: population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk

Urbanization
Urban population: 60% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: -0.25% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.783 million WARSAW (capital), 769,000 Krakow (2020)

Environment
Current issues: decreased emphasis on heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-communist governments has improved environment; air pollution remains serious because of emissions from burning low-quality coals in homes and from coal-fired power plants; the resulting acid rain causes forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.8 years (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.9 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 184

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.3 years
Male: 74.5 years
Female: 82.3 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 69

Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 217

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 62.3% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.5% (2017)

Physicians density: 2.38 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 6.6 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0.3% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0.2% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 23.1% (2016)
Rank: 69

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 75

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.8%
Male: 99.9%
Female: 99.7% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 17 years (2018)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Poland
Conventional short form: Poland
Local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
Local short form: Polska
Former: Polish Peoples Republic
Etymology: name derives from the Polanians, a west Slavic tribe that united several surrounding Slavic groups (9th-10th centuries A.D.) and who passed on their name to the country; the name of the tribe likely comes from the Slavic pole (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of their country

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Warsaw
Geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October: etymology: the origin of the name is unknown; the Polish designation 'Warszawa' was the name of a fishing village and several legends/traditions link the city's founding to a man named Wars or Warsz

Administrative divisions: 16 voivodships [provinces] (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie (Lodz), Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie (Opole), Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross), Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)

Independence: 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 14 April 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997
Amendments: proposed by at least one fifth of Sejm deputies, by the Senate, or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Sejm and absolute majority vote in the Senate; amendments to articles relating to sovereignty, personal freedoms, and constitutional amendment procedures also require passage by majority vote in a referendum; amended 2006, 2009

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Poland
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state:  President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)
Head of government: Prime Minister Mateusz MORAWIECKI (since 11 December 2017); Deputy Prime Ministers Piotr GLINSKI and Jaroslaw GOWIN (since 16 November 2015), Jacek SASIN (since 4 June 2019)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 June 2020 with a second round on 12 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
Election results: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49%

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:
Note: the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the 2 houses meet jointly

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the first president of the Supreme Court and 120 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and extraordinary appeals and public affairs and disciplinary chambers); Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)
Judge selection and term of office: president of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland; other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judicial Council and appointed by the president of Poland; judges serve until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended; Constitutional Tribunal judges chosen by the Sejm for 9-year terms
Subordinate courts: administrative courts; military courts; local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts

Political parties and leaders: Civic Coalition or KO [Grzegorz SCHETYNA]Confederation Liberty and Independence or KWiN [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE, Robert WINNICKI, Grzegorz BRAUN]Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wlodzimierz CZARZASTY]German Minority or MN [Ryszard GALLA]Kukiz 15 or K15 [Pawel KUKIZ]Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]TERAZ! (NOW!) [Ryszard PETRU]Nowoczesna (Modern) or N [Katarzyna LUBNAUER]Polish People's Party or PSL [Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ]Razem (Together) [collective leadership]Wiosna (Spring) [Robert BIEDRON]

International organization participation: Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Piotr Antoni WILCZEK (since 18 January 2017)
In the us chancery: 2,640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 499-1700
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-6,271
In the us consulate: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Georgette MOSBACHER (since 6 September 2018) 
From the us telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000
From the us embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-5,010 (pouch)
From the us FAX: [48] (22) 504-2,226
From the us consulate: Krakow

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field
Note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

National symbols: white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red

National anthem
Name: Mazurek Dabrowskiego (Dabrowskis Mazurka)
Lyricsmusic: Jozef WYBICKI/traditional
Note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as 'Jeszcze Polska nie zginela' (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 61

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars
Rank: 77

Gross national saving:
Rank: 97

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 58.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 17.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 54% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -49.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.4% (2017 est.)
Industry: 40.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 57.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 28

Labor force: 9.561 million (2020 est.)
Rank: 51
By occupation agriculture: 11.5%
By occupation industry: 30.4%
By occupation services: 57.6% (2015)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 88

Population below poverty line: 17.6% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 23.9% (2015 est.)

Budget
Revenues: 207.5 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 216.2 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 96

Taxes and other revenues: 39.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 45

Public debt:
Note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, the data include subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Rank: 100

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 115

Current account balance:
Rank: 35

Exports:
Rank: 21
Partners: Germany 27.4%, Czech Republic 6.4%, UK 6.4%, France 5.6%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2012 est.)

Imports:
Rank: 20
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 15%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9% (2011 est.)
Partners: Germany 27.9%, China 8%, Russia 6.4%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5.3%, France 4.2%, Czech Republic 4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 22

Debt external:
Rank: 31

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 156.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 25
Consumption: 149.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 24
Exports: 12.02 billion kWh (2016)
Exports rank: 17
Imports: 14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 17
Installed generating capacity: 38.11 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 28
Generation sources fossil fuels: 79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 86
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 166
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 141
Generation sources other renewable sources: 19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 44

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 21,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 65
Crude oil exports: 4,451 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 66
Crude oil imports: 493,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 19
Crude oil proven reserves: 126 million bbl (1 January 2018)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 66

Refined petroleum
Products production: 554,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 30
Products consumption: 649,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 30
Products exports: 104,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 43
Products imports: 222,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 32

Natural gas
Production: 5.748 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 49
Consumption: 20.1 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 38
Exports: 1.246 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 39
Imports: 15.72 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 20
Proven reserves: 79.79 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 56

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 359 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 18

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 6,907,937
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18.01 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 22
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 52,916,105
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 137.96 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 30

Broadcast media: state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels; many privately owned channels broadcasting locally; roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks; state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2019)

Internet
Country code: .pl
Users total: 29,791,401
Users percent of population: 77.54% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 28

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 6,114,926
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2018 est.)
Rank: 27

Military expenditures:
Rank: 52

Military and security forces: Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej); Ministry of the Interior: Border Guard (includes coast guard duties) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; professional soldiers serve on a permanent basis (for an unspecified period of time) or on a contract basis (for a specified period of time); initial contract period is 24 months; women serve in the military on the same terms as men (2019)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 169
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 9,277,538 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 271.49 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: SP (2016)

Airports: 126 (2013)
Rank: 46
With paved runways total: 87 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 30 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 36 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 39 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 21 (2013)

Heliports: 6 (2013)

Pipelines: 14,198 km gas, 1374 km oil, 2,483 km refined products (2016)

Railways
Total: 19,231 km (2016)
Standard gauge: 18,836 km
Note: 1.524-m gauge (2016)
Broad gauge: 395 km
Rank: 16

Roadways
Total: 420,000 km (2016)
Paved: 291,000 km
Note: (includes 1492 km of expressways 1559 of motorways) (2016)
Unpaved: 129,000 km (2016)
Rank: 17

Waterways: 3,997 km
Note: (navigable rivers and canals) (2009)
Rank: 27

Merchant marine
Total: 144
By type: general cargo 12, oil tanker 7, other 125 (2019)
Rank: 73

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie
Container port: Gdansk (1,593,761) (2017)
LNG terminal: Swinoujscie
River port: Szczecin (River Oder)

Disputes international: as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 9,870 (Russia) (2019)
Stateless persons: 1,328 (2019)

Illicit drugs: despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe