POLANDMore about Poland Information about travelling to PolandPoland is located in Central Europe, east of Germany |
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Facts about Poland
General info about Poland
Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near 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 still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. 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. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.
Disease threats degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne
Languages spoken Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census) What about 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 Ethnic division Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census) HIV/AIDS prevalence rate 0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.) Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers Resources coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land Economy Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. In 2008, GDP grew an estimated 5.3%, based on rising private consumption, a jump in corporate investment, and EU funds inflows. GDP per capita is still much below the EU average, but is similar to that of the three Baltic states. Since 2004, EU membership and access to EU structural funds have provided a major boost to the economy. Unemployment is falling rapidly, though at roughly 9.7% in 2008, it remains well above the EU average. In 2008 inflation reached 4.3%, more than the upper limit of the National Bank of Poland's target range, but has been falling due to global economic slowdown. Poland's economic performance could improve further if the country addresses some of the remaining deficiencies in its business environment. An inefficient commercial court system, a rigid labor code, bureaucratic red tape, and persistent low-level corruption keep the private sector from performing up to its full potential. Rising demands to fund health care, education, and the state pension system present a challenge to the Polish Government's effort to hold the consolidated public sector budget deficit under 3.0% of GDP, a target which was achieved in 2007-08. The PO/PSL coalition government which came to power in November 2007 plans to further reduce the budget deficit with the aim of eventually adopting the euro by 2012. The new government has also announced its intention to enact business-friendly reforms, reduce public sector spending growth, lower taxes, and accelerate privatization. The government, however, has moved slowly on major reforms. Pension and health-care bills passed through the legislature, but the legislature failed to overturn a presidential veto. Environment 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 EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government Cities in Polandaleksandrow kujawski andrychow augustow barlinek bartoszyce bedzin bielawa bielsk podlaski bierun biskupiec bochnia bogatynia boguszow-gorce braniewo brodnica brwinow brzeg brzeg dolny brzesko brzeszcze brzeziny bukowno busko-zdroj bydgoszcz bytom bytow chodziez chojnice chojnow chorzow choszczno chrzanow ciechanow ciechocinek cieszyn cracow czarnkow czechowice-dziedzice czeladz czersk czestochowa dabrowa gornicza dabrowa tarnowska debica deblin debno dobre miasto drawsko pomorskie drezdenko dzierzoniow elblag garwolin gdansk gdynia gizycko gliwice gniezno goleniow golub-dobrzyn gora gora kalwaria gorlice gorzow wielkopolski gostyn grajewo grodkow grodzisk mazowiecki grodzisk wielkopolski grojec grudziadz gryfice gryfino gubin hajnowka hrubieszow janikowo janow lubelski jarocin jawor jaworzno jedrzejow jelenia gora jozefow kalety kalisz kamien pomorski kamienna gora karczew kartuzy katowice kedzierzyn-kozle kepno ketrzyn kety kholm kielce kluczbork knurow kolno koluszki konin konskie konstancin-jeziorna koronowo koscian koscierzyna kostrzyn koszalin kowary kozienice kozuchow krapkowice krasnik krasnystaw krosno krosno odrzanskie krotoszyn kruszwica krzeszowice kudowa-zdroj kutno kwidzyn lebork ledziny legionowo legnica leszno lezajsk libiaz lidzbark warminski limanowa lipno lubaczow luban lubartow lubawa lubin lublin lubliniec lubon lubsko lwowek slaski makow mazowiecki malbork marki miastko miechow miedzychod miedzyrzec podlaski miedzyrzecz mielec milanowek milicz minsk mazowiecki mogilno monki morag mosina mragowo murowana goslina myslenice mysliborz myszkow nidzica nisko nowa deba nowa ruda nowa sol nowe miasto lubawskie nowogard nowy dwor gdanski nowy dwor mazowiecki nowy sacz nowy targ nowy tomysl nysa oborniki olecko olesnica olesno olkusz olsztyn opalenica opoczno opole opole lubelskie orneta orzesze ostroda ostrow mazowiecka ostrow wielkopolski ostrowiec swietokrzyski ostrzeszow oswiecim otwock ozimek ozorkow pabianice parczew piaseczno piastow piekary slaskie pieszyce pinczow pionki piotrkow trybunalski pisz pleszew polaniec police polkowice poniatowa poreba poznan prudnik pruszkow przasnysz przeworsk pszczyna pszow puck pyrzyce pyskowice raciborz radlin radom radomsko radzionkow radzyn podlaski rawa mazowiecka rawicz reda rogozno ruda slaska rumia rybnik ryki rypin rzeszow sandomierz sanok sepolno krajenskie siedlce siemianowice slaskie siemiatycze sieradz sierpc skarzysko-kamienna skawina skierniewice skoczow skwierzyna sochaczew solec kujawski sopot sosnowiec srem sroda wielkopolska stalowa wola starachowice stargard szczecinski starogard gdanski stary sacz staszow strzegom strzelce krajenskie strzelce opolskie strzelin sucha beskidzka suchedniow sulechow sulecin sulejowek swarzedz swidnica swidnik swidwin swiebodzice swiecie swinoujscie sycow szczecin szczecinek szczytno szprotawa szubin tarnobrzeg tarnow tarnowskie gory tczew tomaszow lubelski tomaszow mazowiecki torun trzcianka trzebiatow trzebinia trzebnica tuchola turek tychy ustka ustron ustrzyki dolne wabrzezno wadowice wagrowiec warka warsaw wegorzewo wegrow wejherowo wieliczka wielun wojkowice wolbrom wolsztyn wronki wrzesnia wschowa wysokie mazowieckie wyszkow zabki zabkowice slaskie zabrze zagan zakopane zambrow zamosc zary zawadzkie zawiercie zdunska wola zdzieszowice zgierz zgorzelec ziebice zielona gora zielonka znin zory zychlin zyrardow |
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The Cheers Travel World / Poland travel