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Compare Poland (2004) - Brazil (2007)

Compare Poland (2004) z Brazil (2007)

 Poland (2004)Brazil (2007)
 PolandBrazil
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 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
Age structure 0-14 years: 17.1% (male 3,388,247; female 3,216,085)


15-64 years: 70% (male 13,454,820; female 13,591,814)


65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,896,940; female 3,078,443) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 25.3% (male 24,554,254/female 23,613,027)


15-64 years: 68.4% (male 64,437,140/female 65,523,447)


65 years and over: 6.3% (male 4,880,562/female 7,002,217) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
Airports 122 (2003 est.) 4,263 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 84


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 40


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 718


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 167


914 to 1,523 m: 467


under 914 m: 52 (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 (2004 est.)
total: 3,545


1,524 to 2,437 m: 83


914 to 1,523 m: 1,555


under 914 m: 1,907 (2007)
Area total: 312,685 sq km


land: 304,465 sq km


water: 8,220 sq km
total: 8,511,965 sq km


land: 8,456,510 sq km


water: 55,455 sq km


note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Mexico slightly smaller than 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. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst 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, 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 the European Union in 2004. Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.
Birth rate 10.64 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 16.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $39.13 billion


expenditures: $48.64 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
revenues: $244 billion


expenditures: $219.9 billion (FY07)
Capital Warsaw name: Brasilia


geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W


time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February


note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands
Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers mostly tropical, but temperate in south
Coastline 491 km 7,491 km
Constitution adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997 5 October 1988
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Poland


conventional short form: Poland


local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska


local short form: Polska
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil


conventional short form: Brazil


local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil


local short form: Brasil
Currency zloty (PLN) -
Death rate 9.97 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $86.82 billion (2003) $191.2 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE


embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw


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) 504-2688


consulate(s) general: Krakow
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL


embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia


mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030


telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000


FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136


consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo


consulate(s): Recife
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 Antonio de Aguiar PATRIOTA


chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700


FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Disputes - international none unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina
Economic aid - recipient EU structural adjustment funds (2000) $191.9 million (2005)
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. 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 a nationwide referendum in November 2003, 77% of the voters voted in favor of Poland's EU accession, 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, while currencies of the other euro-zone aspirants have been appreciating. GDP per capita equals that of the three Baltic states. Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA DA SILVA. Since 2004, Brazil has enjoyed continued growth that yielded increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, initially reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment; from 2003 to 2006, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a percentage of GDP beginning in 2003. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA DA SILVA restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration, LULA DA SILVA announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase public investment. A major challenge will be to maintain sufficient growth to generate employment and reduce the government debt burden.
Electricity - consumption 118.8 billion kWh (2001) 368.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 11.04 billion kWh (2001) 160 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 4.306 billion kWh (2001) 39.2 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2005)
Electricity - production 135 billion kWh (2001) 396.4 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m


highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 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 deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills
Environment - 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, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
party to: 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other 2.7% (2002) white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census)
Exchange rates zlotych per US dollar - 3.8891 (2003), 4.08 (2002), 4.0939 (2001), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999)


note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
reals per US dollar - 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Marek BELKA (since 24 June 2004); Deputy Prime Minister 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: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)


election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%
Exports 53,000 bbl/day (2001) 278,400 bbl/day (2005)
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) transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners Germany 32.3%, France 6.1%, Italy 5.8%, UK 5%, Netherlands 4.5%, Czech Republic 4.1% (2003) US 17.8%, Argentina 8.5%, China 6.1%, Netherlands 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (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 green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
GDP purchasing power parity - $427.1 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.1%


industry: 31%


services: 65.9% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 5.1%


industry: 30.9%


services: 64% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,100 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3.7% (2003 est.) 3.7% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 00 N, 20 00 E 10 00 S, 55 00 W
Geography - note historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
Heliports 3 (2003 est.) 16 (2007)
Highways total: 364,656 km


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


unpaved: 115,596 km (2000)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 24.7% (1998)
lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 44.8% (2004)
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area
Imports 413,700 bbl/day (2001) 674,500 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, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
Imports - partners Germany 24.4%, Italy 8.5%, Russia 7.7%, France 7.1%, China 4.3% (2003) US 16.2%, Argentina 8.8%, China 8.7%, Germany 7.1%, Nigeria 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2006)
Independence 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate 8.6% (2003) 3.2% (2006 est.)
Industries machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Infant mortality rate total: 8.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 27.62 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 31.27 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 23.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.7% (2003 est.) 4.2% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC AfDB, BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (1998 est.) 29,200 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) Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70
Labor force 16.92 million (2003 est.) 97.77 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 27.5%, industry 22.1%, services 50.4% (1999) agriculture: 20%


industry: 14%


services: 66% (2003 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: 16,885 km


border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Land use arable land: 45.91%


permanent crops: 1.12%


other: 52.97% (2001)
arable land: 6.93%


permanent crops: 0.89%


other: 92.18% (2005)
Languages Polish Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
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 Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly


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 10 December 2004) - SLD 154, PO 56, PiS 44, PSL 40, SDPL 33, SO 30, LPR 25, UP 15, PLD 11, SKL 6, RKN 5, Dom Ojczysty 4, PP 3, ROP 3, German minorities 2, independents 26; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party (as of 10 December 2004)- SLD-UP 74, Block Senate 2001 10, PSL and unaffiliated 5, UW 4, SO 2, LPR 2, independents 2, PiS 1


note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only
bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)


election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following election - PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 11, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL 3, PCdoB 2, PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.16 years


male: 70.04 years


female: 78.52 years (2004 est.)
total population: 72.24 years


male: 68.3 years


female: 76.38 years (2007 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: 88.6%


male: 88.4%


female: 88.8% (2004 est.)
Location Central Europe, east of Germany Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
Map references Europe South America
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 154,710 GRT/228,132 DWT


by type: bulk 7, cargo 3, chemical tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1


registered in other countries: 100 (2004 est.)
total: 135 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,020,182 GRT/3,039,015 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 20, cargo 21, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, container 9, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll on/roll off 7


foreign-owned: 16 (Chile 1, Denmark 2, Germany 7, Mexico 1, Norway 1, Spain 4)


registered in other countries: 5 (Bahamas 1, Ghana 1, Liberia 3) (2007)
Military branches Land Forces, Navy, Air Force Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3.5 billion (2002) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.71% (2002) 2.6% (2006 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 10,291,628 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 8,034,577 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 329,743 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
Nationality noun: Pole(s)


adjective: Polish
noun: Brazilian(s)


adjective: Brazilian
Natural hazards flooding recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
Natural resources coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
Net migration rate -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 13,552 km; oil 1,772 km (2004) condensate/gas 244 km; gas 11,669 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Citizens Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Coalition Electoral Action Solidarity of the Right or AWSP; Conservative Peasants Party or SKL-RNP [Artur BALAZS]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Krzysztof JANIK]; 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 [Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI]; Polish Raison d'Etat or PRS [Piotr MUSIAL]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Marek BOROWSKI]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Izabela JARUAGA-NOWACKA] Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Governor Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Freedom and Socialism Party or PSOL [Heloisa HELENA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS; Liberal Front Party or PFL (now known as the Democrats Party or DEM); Liberal Party or PL; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Party of the Republic or PR [Sergio TAMER]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI]
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] Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church
Population 38,626,349 (July 2004 est.) 190,010,647


note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 18.4% (2000 est.) 31% (2005)
Population growth rate 0.02% (2004 est.) 1.008% (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 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999)
Railways total: 23,852 km


broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge


standard gauge: 23,223 km 1.435-m gauge (11,962 km electrified) (2003)
total: 29,295 km


broad gauge: 4,932 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified)


standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge


narrow gauge: 23,773 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)


dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (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 (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.697 male(s)/female


total population: 0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote
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: country code - 48; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
general assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density has risen to nearly 55 per 100 persons


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has more than tripled in the past 5 years


international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide direct links to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 12.3 million (2003) 38.8 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 17.4 million (2003) 99.919 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) 138 (1997)
Terrain mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
Total fertility rate 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.88 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 20% (2003) 9.6% (2006 est.)
Waterways 3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2003) 50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2007)
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