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Compare Poland (2003) - Saudi Arabia (2001)

Compare Poland (2003) z Saudi Arabia (2001)

 Poland (2003)Saudi Arabia (2001)
 PolandSaudi Arabia
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 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Age structure 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 3,458,844; female 3,284,995)


15-64 years: 69.8% (male 13,407,012; female 13,547,728)


65 years and over: 12.7% (male 1,879,445; female 3,044,636) (2003 est.)
0-14 years:
42.52% (male 4,932,465; female 4,743,908)

15-64 years:
54.8% (male 7,290,840; female 5,179,393)

65 years and over:
2.68% (male 334,981; female 275,505) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Airports 150 (2002) 206 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 88


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 39


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 9 (2002)
total:
70

over 3,047 m:
31

2,438 to 3,047 m:
11

1,524 to 2,437 m:
23

914 to 1,523 m:
3

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 62


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 43 (2002)
total:
136

2,438 to 3,047 m:
5

1,524 to 2,437 m:
77

914 to 1,523 m:
39

under 914 m:
15 (2000 est.)
Area total: 312,685 sq km


land: 304,465 sq km


water: 8,220 sq km
total:
1,960,582 sq km

land:
1,960,582 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Mexico slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Background Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation, until an agreement in 1772 between Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland. 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, but its government 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, but Poland currently suffers low GDP growth and high unemployment. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and is scheduled to accede to the European Union along with nine other states on 1 May 2004. In 1902 Abdul al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.
Birth rate 10.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 37.34 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $49.6 billion


expenditures: $52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
revenues:
$66 billion

expenditures:
$66 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Warsaw Riyadh
Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Coastline 491 km 2,640 km
Constitution 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Poland


conventional short form: Poland


local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska


local short form: Polska
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

conventional short form:
Saudi Arabia

local long form:
Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah

local short form:
Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Currency zloty (PLN) Saudi riyal (SAR)
Death rate 9.96 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $64 billion (2002) $26.3 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL


embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw P1


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


telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000


FAX: [48] (22) 504-2951


consulate(s) general: Krakow
chief of mission:
Ambassador Wyche FOWLER, Jr.

embassy:
Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh

mailing address:
American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693

telephone:
[966] (1) 488-3800

FAX:
[966] (1) 488-7360

consulate(s) general:
Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
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) 328-6270


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
chief of mission:
Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud

chancery:
601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone:
[1] (202) 342-3800

consulate(s) general:
Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
Disputes - international small boundary changes made with Slovakia in 2003 a final border resolution was agreed to with Qatar in March of 2001; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, de facto boundary reflects a 1974 agreement; a June 2000 treaty delimited the boundary with Yemen, but final demarcation requires adjustments based on tribal considerations
Economic aid - donor - pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians
Economic aid - recipient EU structural adjustment funds -
Economy - overview Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's 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), while recently initiated, have stalled due to a lack of political will on the part of the government. 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 reduction of state employment, and an overhaul of the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers most of whom pay no tax. The government's determination to enter the EU has shaped most aspects of its economic policy and new legislation; in June 2003, 77% of the voters approved membership, now scheduled for May 2004. Improving Poland's export competitiveness and containing the internal budget deficit are top priorities. Due to political uncertainty, the zloty has recently depreciated in relation to the euro and the dollar while currencies of the other euro-zone aspirants have been appreciating. GDP per capita equals that of the 3 Baltic states. This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999-2000 to its highest level since the Gulf war by reducing production. Riyadh expects to have a moderate budget deficit in 2001, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.
Electricity - consumption 118.8 billion kWh (2001) 111.6 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 11.04 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 4.306 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 135 billion kWh (2001) 120 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 98.1%


hydro: 1.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0.4% (2001)
fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m


highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point:
Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Environment - current issues situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist 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; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to European Union code, but at substantial cost to business and the government desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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:
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990 est.) Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Exchange rates zlotych per US dollar - 3.99 (2002), 4.09 (2001), 4.35 (2000), 3.97 (1999), 3.48 (1998)


note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)
Executive branch chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Leszek MILLER (SLD) (since 19 October 2001), Deputy Prime Ministers Marek POL (since 19 October 2001), Jerzy HAUSNER (since 11 June 2003)


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 last 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%, Andrzej OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
chief of state:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary
Exports 53,000 bbl/day (2001) $81.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
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) petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners Germany 33%, Italy 5.7%, France 5%, UK 4.8%, Czech Republic 4.3% (2002) Japan 18%, US 18%, France 4%, South Korea, Singapore, India (1999)
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 green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam
GDP purchasing power parity - $373.2 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $232 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.8%


industry: 35%


services: 61.2% (2000 est.)
agriculture:
6%

industry:
47%

services:
47% (1998 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $9,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.4% (2002 est.) 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 00 N, 20 00 E 25 00 N, 45 00 E
Geography - note historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Heliports 3 (2002) 5 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 364,656 km


paved: 249,060 km (including 358 km of expressways)


unpaved: 115,596 km (2000)
total:
146,524 km

paved:
44,104 km

unpaved:
102,420 km (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 24.7% (1998)
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine
Imports 413,700 bbl/day (2001) $30.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
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, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners Germany 29.9%, Italy 8.1%, Russia 7.4%, France 7.2%, Netherlands 5.3% (2002) US 25%, Japan 10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%, France, UK (1999)
Independence 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom)
Industrial production growth rate 0.3% (2001) 1% (1997 est.)
Industries machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics
Infant mortality rate total: 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
51.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.9% (2002 est.) 0.5% (2000)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, 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, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 19 (2000) 42 (2001)
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (1998 est.) 4,350 sq km (1993 est.)
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) Supreme Council of Justice
Labor force 17.6 million (2000 est.) 7 million

note:
35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999) agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,788 km


border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km
total:
4,415 km

border countries:
Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Land use arable land: 45.81%


permanent crops: 1.23%


other: 52.96% (1998 est.)
arable land:
2%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
56%

forests and woodland:
1%

other:
41% (1993 est.)
Languages Polish Arabic
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, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005); Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005)


election results: Sejm - percent of vote by party - SLD-UP 41%, PO 12.7%, Samoobrona 10.2%, PiS 9.5%, PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW 3.1%, other 1%; seats by party (as of 25 April 2003) - SLD 193, PO 57, Samoobrona 39, PiS 43, PSL 39, LPR 28, UP 16, SKL 8, PLD 6, PBL 5, RKN 5, PP 3, ROP 3, German minorities 2, independents 13; note - SLD and UP ran together on electoral lists in the 2001 elections, but constitute separate parliamentary clubs in the Sejm; several other deputies have left their parties and set up other parliamentary factions; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLD-UP 75, AWSP (an electoral alliance of some 36 parties) 15, PSL 4, Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2


note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.91 years


male: 69.77 years


female: 78.28 years (2003 est.)
total population:
68.09 years

male:
66.4 years

female:
69.85 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
62.8%

male:
71.5%

female:
50.2% (1995 est.)
Location Central Europe, east of Germany Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties


territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone:
18 NM

continental shelf:
not specified

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 199,186 GRT/275,476 DWT


ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
total:
71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,154,619 GRT/1,533,732 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 11, chemical tanker 8, container 5, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 13, short-sea passenger 8 (2000 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3.5 billion (2002) $18.3 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.71% (2002) 13% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 10,354,978 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
5,894,691 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 8,077,706 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
3,291,185 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2003 est.) 17 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 343,500 (2003 est.) males:
233,402 (2001 est.)
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Nationality noun: Pole(s)


adjective: Polish
noun:
Saudi(s)

adjective:
Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Natural hazards flooding frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Net migration rate -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 1.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines gas 12,901 km; oil 737 km (2003) crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)
Political parties and leaders Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Citizens Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL-RNP [Artur BALAZS]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Peasant-Democratic Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Bloc or PBL [Wojciech MOJZESOWICZ]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL] none allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Maciej MANICKI]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK] none
Population 38,622,660 (July 2003 est.) 22,757,092

note:
includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 18.4% (2000 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0% (2003 est.) 3.27% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Radio broadcast stations AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios - 6.25 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)


narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (2002)
total:
1,390 km

standard gauge:
1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track) (1992)
Religions Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% Muslim 100%
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 (2003 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.23 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal none
Telephone system general assessment: underdeveloped 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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
general assessment:
modern system

domestic:
extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems

international:
microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 8.07 million (1998) 3.1 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13 million (2002) 1 million

note:
in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)
Television broadcast stations 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) 117 (1997)
Terrain mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Total fertility rate 1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.) 6.25 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 18.1% (2002) NA%
Waterways 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996) none
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