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Compare Poland (2001) - Estonia (2008)

Compare Poland (2001) z Estonia (2008)

 Poland (2001)Estonia (2008)
 PolandEstonia
Administrative divisions 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie 15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn), Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa (Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa (Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare), Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa (Voru)


note: counties have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Age structure 0-14 years:
18.39% (male 3,640,451; female 3,463,604)

15-64 years:
69.17% (male 13,288,471; female 13,434,753)

65 years and over:
12.44% (male 1,836,816; female 2,969,817) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 15% (male 101,430/female 95,658)


15-64 years: 67.5% (male 423,664/female 464,813)


65 years and over: 17.5% (male 76,344/female 154,003) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Airports 122 (2000 est.) 19 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total:
83

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
42

914 to 1,523 m:
6

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
total: 12


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
39

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
13

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
total: 7


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Area total:
312,685 sq km

land:
304,465 sq km

water:
8,220 sq km
total: 45,226 sq km


land: 43,211 sq km


water: 2,015 sq km


note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Mexico slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Background Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999. After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Birth rate 10.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues:
$49.6 billion

expenditures:
$52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
revenues: $7.671 billion


expenditures: $7.015 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Warsaw name: Tallinn


geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Coastline 491 km 3,794 km
Constitution 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 adopted 28 June 1992
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Poland

conventional short form:
Poland

local long form:
Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form:
Polska
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia


conventional short form: Estonia


local long form: Eesti Vabariik


local short form: Eesti


former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency zloty (PLN) -
Death rate 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 13.3 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $57 billion (2000) $20.24 billion (30 June 2007)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Christopher R. HILL

embassy:
Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw P1

mailing address:
American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)

telephone:
[48] (22) 628-30-41

FAX:
[48] (22) 628-82-98

consulate(s) general:
Krakow
chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Davis PHILLIPS


embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [372] 668-8100


FAX: [372] 668-8134
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI

chancery:
2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

FAX:
[1] (202) 328-6271

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART


chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101


FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international none Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Economic aid - recipient $NA $135.5 million (2004)
Economy - overview Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. GDP growth has been strong and steady since 1992 - the best performance in the region. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has allowed for the rapid development of a vibrant private sector. In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account deficit and reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow. Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public debt. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.
Electricity - consumption 120.007 billion kWh (1999) 6.888 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 8.43 billion kWh (1999) 1.953 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 3.491 billion kWh (1999) 345 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 134.351 billion kWh (1999) 9.599 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
96.43%

hydro:
3.16%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0.41% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

highest point:
Rysy 2,499 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Environment - current issues situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
Environment - international agreements party to:
Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.) Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)
Exchange rates zlotych per US dollar - 4.3126 (December 2000), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997), 2.6961 (1996) krooni per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003)


note: the krooni is pegged to the euro
Executive branch chief of state:
President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)

head of government:
Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK - Solidarity Electoral Union - (since 31 October 1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Janusz STEINHOFF (since 12 June 2000), Longin KOMOLOWSKI (since 19 October 1999)

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; election held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

election results:
Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament


elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament


election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid
Exports $28.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) 3,958 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999) machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)
Exports - partners Germany 36.1%, Italy 6.5%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.8%, UK 4.0%, Czech Republic 3.8% (1999) Finland 18.2%, Sweden 12.2%, Latvia 9.1%, Russia 7.9%, US 6.6%, Germany 5%, Lithuania 4.8%, Gibraltar 4.5% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
GDP purchasing power parity - $327.5 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
3.8%

industry:
36.6%

services:
59.6% (1999)
agriculture: 2.9%


industry: 28.9%


services: 68.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2000 est.) 7.3% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 00 N, 20 00 E 59 00 N, 26 00 E
Geography - note historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
Heliports 3 (2000 est.) 1 (2007)
Highways total:
381,046 km

paved:
249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways)

unpaved:
131,080 km (1998)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
3%

highest 10%:
26.3% (1996)
lowest 10%: 2.5%


highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy
Imports $42.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) 54,000 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)
Imports - partners Germany 25.2%, Italy 9.4%, France 6.8%, Russia 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Netherlands 3.7% (1999) Finland 18.4%, Russia 12.9%, Germany 12.3%, Sweden 9.2%, Lithuania 6.4%, Latvia 5.8% (2006)
Independence 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate 4.3% (1999) 6.1% (2007 est.)
Industries machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile; information technology, telecommunications
Infant mortality rate 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 7.59 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10.2% (2000 est.) 6.3% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 19 (2000) -
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (1993 est.) 40 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Labor force 17.2 million (1999 est.) 688,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999) agriculture: 11%


industry: 20%


services: 69% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total:
2,888 km

border countries:
Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 428 km
total: 633 km


border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km
Land use arable land:
47%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
13%

forests and woodland:
29%

other:
10% (1993 est.)
arable land: 12.05%


permanent crops: 0.35%


other: 87.6% (2005)
Languages Polish Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7% (2000 census)
Legal system mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001); Senate - last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001)

election results:
Sejm - percent of vote by party - AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%, UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, MNSO 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats by party - AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, MNSO 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AWS 51, SLD 28, UW 8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note - seats by party in the Sejm as of February 2001: AWS 175, SLD 161, UW 49, PSL 26, PP 6, KdP 7, ROP-PC 4, independents 31, one seat vacant

note:
two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Reform Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democrats 10, Estonian Greens 6, People's Union 6
Life expectancy at birth total population:
73.42 years

male:
69.26 years

female:
77.82 years (2001 est.)
total population: 72.3 years


male: 66.87 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
99%

male:
99%

female:
98% (1978 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.8% (2000 census)
Location Central Europe, east of Germany Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring states
Merchant marine total:
46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 943,540 GRT/1,532,694 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 41, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.)
total: 33 ships (1000 GRT or over) 393,655 GRT/93,245 DWT


by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 23, petroleum tanker 2


foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2)


registered in other countries: 67 (Antigua and Barbuda 15, Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 5, Dominica 8, Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malta 7, Norway 1, Panama 3, Slovakia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 20, Vanuatu 1) (2007)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2008)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3.17 billion (FY00) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.95% (FY00) 2% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
10,447,931 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
8,139,245 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
344,781 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 was the date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20 August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union
Nationality noun:
Pole(s)

adjective:
Polish
noun: Estonian(s)


adjective: Estonian
Natural hazards NA sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Natural resources coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
Net migration rate -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -3.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996) gas 859 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Coalition for Poland or KdP [first name unknown GRABOWSKI]; Confederation for an Independent Poland-Patriotic Camp or KPN-OP (KPN-Fatherland or KPN-O is a small group within the KPN-OP) [Michal JANISZEWSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Bronislaw GEREMEK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP-PC [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Polish Socialist Party or PPS [Piotr IKONOWICZ]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS (includes RS-AWS and Solidarity) [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK] Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; Estonian Greens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]
Political pressure groups and leaders All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union) Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)
Population 38,633,912 (July 2001 est.) 1,315,912 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 18.4% (2000 est.) 5% (2003)
Population growth rate -0.03% (2001 est.) -0.635% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw -
Radio broadcast stations AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios 20.2 million (1997) -
Railways total:
23,420 km

broad gauge:
646 km 1.524-m gauge

standard gauge:
21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track)

narrow gauge:
1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998)
total: 968 km


broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Sex ratio at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.62 male(s)/female

total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.911 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.496 male(s)/female


total population: 0.842 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Telephone system general assessment:
underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on the waiting list for telephone service

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

international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections


domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country


international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use 8.07 million (1998) 541,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.78 million (1998) 1.659 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) 3 (2001)
Terrain mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Total fertility rate 1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.41 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 12% (1999) 5.2% (2007 est.)
Waterways 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996) 320 km (2006)
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