Poland - Administrative divisions, Economy

Official name The Republic of Poland

Local name Polska Timezone GMT +1 Area 312 683 km²/120 695 sq mi population total (2002e) 38 644 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1918 Capital Warsaw Language Polish (official) Ethnic groups Polish (99%), Ukrainian, Belorussian, and Jewish minorities Religions Roman Catholic (94%), small Jewish and Muslim minorities Physical features Part of the great European plain, with the Carpathian and Sudetes Mts (S) rising in the High Tatra to 2499 m/8199 ft at Mt Rysy; Polish plateau in N, cut by the Bug, San, and Wis?a (Vistula) rivers; richest coal basin in Europe in the W (Silesia); flat Baltic coastal area; forests cover 20% of land. Climate Continental climate, with severe winters, hot summers; average annual temperatures -4°C (Jan), 19°C (Jul) in Warsaw; average annual rainfall 550 mm/22 in. Currency 1 Z?oty (PLN) = 100 groszy Economy Nearly 50% of the land under cultivation; major producer of coal; zinc, lead, sulphur; shipbuilding, machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment; textiles. GDP (2002e) $373·2 bn, per capita $9700 Human Development Index (2002) 0·833 History Emergence as a powerful Slavic group in 11th-c; united with Lithuania, 1569; divided between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, 1772, 1793, 1795; semi-independent state after Congress of Vienna, 1815; incorporated into the Russian Empire; after World War 1, declared an independent Polish state, 1918; partition between Germany and the USSR, 1939; invasion by Germany, 1939; major resistance movement, and a government in exile during World War 2; People's Democracy established under Soviet influence, 1944; rise of independent trade union, Solidarity, 1980; state of martial law imposed, 1981–3; loss of support for communist government and major success for Solidarity in 1989 elections; proclaimed Polish Republic, 1989, and constitution amended to provide for a bicameral National Assembly; joined European Union, 2004; Lech Kaczynski appointed president, 2005; twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski appointed prime minister, 2006.

Rzeczpospolita Polska Republic of Poland
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Bóg, honor, Ojczyzna
Anthem: Dąbrowski's Mazurka (Polish: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego)
Capital (largest city)	Warsaw 3) 52°13′N 21°02′E
Official language(s)	Polish2
Government	Parliamentary republic
- President	Lech Kaczyński
- Prime minister	Jarosław Kaczyński
Formation
Accession to EU	May 1, 2004
Area
- Total	312,6853 km² (68th) 120,728 sq mi
- Water (%)	2.65
Population
- 2006 estimate	38,128,000 (32nd)
- 2002 census	38,230,080
- Density	121.9/km² (83rd) 319.9/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$546.543 billion (23rd)
- Per capita	$14,400 (48th)
HDI  (2004)	0.862 (high) (37th)
Currency	Złoty (PLN)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD	.pl5
Calling code	+48
1 But see Unofficial mottos of Poland. 2 Although not official languages, Lithuanian and German are used in eight communal offices. 3 Administration area of Poland (area of administartion divisions) - land area (311 904 km²) and part of territorial sea;		Inhabitants (Estimated, 2005)
1	Upper Silesian Industry Area	Silesia	3,487,000
2	Warsaw (Warszawa)	Masovia	2,679,000
3	Kraków	Lesser Poland	1,400,000
4	Łódź	Łódź	1,300,000
5	Tricity	Pomerania	1,100,000
5	Poznań	Greater Poland	855,000

	Inhabitants May 20, 2002	Inhabitants December 31, 2005
1	Warsaw (Warszawa)	Masovia	1,671,670	1,697,596
2	Łódź	Łódź	789,318	767,628
3	Kraków	Lesser Poland	758,544	756,629
4	Wrocław	Lower Silesia	640,367	635,932
5	Poznań	Greater Poland	578,886	567,882
6	Gdańsk	Pomerania	461,334	458,053
7	Szczecin	Western Pomerania	415,399	411,119
8	Bydgoszcz	Kuyavia-Pomerania	373,804	366,074
9	Lublin	Lublin	357,110	354,967
10	Katowice	Silesia	327,222	317,220
11	Białystok	Podlasie	291,383	294,864
12	Gdynia	Pomerania	253,458	252,791
13	Częstochowa	Silesia	258,436	246,890
14	Radom	Masovia	229,699	227,018
15	Sosnowiec	Silesia	232,622	226,034
16	Kielce	Świętokrzyskie	212,429	208,193
17	Toruń	Kuyavia-Pomerania	211,243	208,007
18	Gliwice	Silesia	203,814	199,451
19	Zabrze	Silesia	195,293	191,247
20	Bytom	Silesia	193,546	187,943
21	Bielsko-Biała	Silesia	178,028	176,864
22	Olsztyn	Warmia-Masuria	173,102	174,473
23	Rzeszów	Subcarpathia	160,376	163,069
24	Ruda Śląska	Silesia	150,595	146,582
25	Rybnik	Silesia	142,731	141,580
26	Tychy	Silesia	132,816	131,153
27	Dąbrowa Górnicza	Silesia	132,236	130,128
28	Opole	Opole	129,946	128,268
29	Płock	Masovia	128,361	127,461
30	Elbląg	Warmia-Masuria	128,134	127,275
31	Wałbrzych	Lower Silesia	130,268	126,465
32	Gorzów Wielkopolski	Lubusz	125,914	125,416
33	Włocławek	Kuyavia-Pomerania	121,229	119,939
34	Tarnów	Lesser Poland	119,913	117,560
35	Zielona Góra	Lubusz	118,293	118,221
36	Chorzów	Silesia	117,430	114,686
37	Kalisz	Greater Poland	109,498	108,841
38	Koszalin	Western Pomerania	108,709	107,886
39	Legnica	Lower Silesia	107,100	105,750
40	Grudziądz	Kuyavia-Pomerania	99,943	99,578
41	Słupsk	Pomerania	100,376	98,695

See also: List of cities in Poland over 20,000 population (2002 census)

See also: a complete Gazetteer of Polish towns and settlements.

Administrative divisions

Poland is subdivided into sixteen administrative regions known as voivodeships (województwa, singular - województwo):

Voivodeship	Capital city (cities)
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (Kujawsko-Pomorskie)	Bydgoszcz and Toruń
Greater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolskie)	Poznań
Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Małopolskie)	Kraków
Łódź Voivodeship (Łódzkie)	Łódź
Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Dolnośląskie)	Wrocław
Lublin Voivodeship (Lubelskie)	Lublin
Lubusz Voivodeship (Lubuskie)	Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra
Masovian Voivodeship (Mazowieckie)	Warsaw
Opole Voivodeship (Opolskie)	Opole
Podlasie Voivodeship (Podlaskie)	Białystok
Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie)	Gdańsk
Silesian Voivodeship (Śląskie)	Katowice
Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Podkarpackie)	Rzeszów
Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship (Świętokrzyskie)	Kielce
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (Warmińsko-Mazurskie)	Olsztyn
West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie)	Szczecin

Lower levels of administrative division are:

powiats (counties) gminas (commune)

Economy

Since its return to democracy, Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalising the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open examples of the transition from a partially state-capitalist market economy to a primarily privately owned market economy.

v • d • e European Union members and candidates

Austria • Belgium • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands • Poland • Portugal • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom

Countries acceding on January 1, 2007: Bulgaria • Romania
Candidate countries: Croatia • Turkey • Republic of Macedonia (referred to as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" by the European Union)

v • d • e Slavic-speaking nations

West Slavic:  Czech Republic •  Poland •  Slovakia

South Slavic:  Bosnia and Herzegovina •  Bulgaria •  Croatia •  Republic of Macedonia •  Montenegro •  Serbia •  Slovenia

East Slavic:  Belarus •  Russia •  Ukraine

v • d • e Baltic Region

Baltic States:  Estonia •  Latvia •  Lithuania

Baltic countries:  Denmark •  Finland •  Germany •  Poland •  Russia •  Sweden

Countries that are in the drainage basin but do not border on the sea:  Belarus •  Czech Republic •  Norway •  Slovakia •  Ukraine

v • d • e Visegrád Group

Czech Republic • Hungary • Poland • Slovakia

v • d • e Weimar Triangle

France • Germany • Poland

v • d • e Francophonie Members: Belgium • Benin • Bulgaria • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cambodia • Cameroon • Canada • New Brunswick • Quebec • Ontario • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Cyprus • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Dominica • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • France • French Guiana • Gabon • Ghana • Guadeloupe • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Haiti • Laos • Lebanon • Madagascar • Mali • Martinique • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Niger • Republic of the Congo • Romania • Rwanda • Saint Lucia • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Switzerland • Togo • Tunisia • Ukraine • Vanuatu • Vietnam

Observers: Armenia • Austria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Georgia • Hungary • Lithuania • Mozambique • Poland • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Ukraine