National name: Rzeczpospolita Polska

Current government officials

Languages : Polish 98% (2002)

Ethnicity/race : Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belorussian 0.1% Ukrainian 0.1%, other 2.7% (2002)

Religions : Roman Catholic 90% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1%, Protestant and other (2002)

Literacy rate : 100% (2003 est.)

Economic summary : GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $620.9 billion; per capita $16,300. Real growth rate : 6.5%. Inflation : 2.5%. Unemployment : 12.8%.Arable land: 40%. Agriculture : potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy. Labor force : 17.1 million; agriculture 16.1%, industry 29%, services 54.9% (2007). Industries : machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles. Natural resource : coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land. Exports : $137.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003). Imports : $150.7 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003). Major trading partners : Germany, Italy, France, UK, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Russia, China (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 11.475 million (2007); mobile cellular: 36.746 million (2007) Radios : 20.2 million (1997). Radio broadcast stations : AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998).Television broadcast stations: 40 (2006). Television : 13.05 million (1997).Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5.681 million (2007). Internet users: 11 million (2006).

Transportation: Railways: total: 23,072 km (2006).Highways: total: 423,997 km; paved: 295,356 km (including 484 km of expressways); unpaved: 128,641 km (2004).Waterways : 3,997 km navigable rivers and canals (2006). Ports and harbors: Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw. Airports: 123 (2007).

International disputes: small boundary changes made with Slovakia in 2003.