Introduction
Background
By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in Central and Eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorder weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland became a Soviet satellite state after World War II. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 brought the communist era to a close.
Geography
Area
total : 312,685 sq km
land: 304,255 sq km
water: 8,430 sq km
Climate
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Natural resources
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
People and Society
Population
total: 38,746,310
Ethnic groups
Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.)
Languages
Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.)
Religions
Catholic 84.6% (Roman Catholic 84.6% and other Catholic 0.3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentecostal), other 0.3%, unspecified 13% (2022 est.)
Population growth rate
-1% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Warsaw
Executive branch
chief of state: President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)
head of government: Prime Minister Donald TUSK (since 11 December 2023)
Legislative branch
summary: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (100 seats) and the Sejm (460 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Adam KRZYWOSĄDZKI (since 31 July 2024)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mark BRZEZINSKI (since 19 January 2022)
Economy
Economic overview
high-income, diversified, EU-member economy; significant growth in GDP, trade, and investment since joining EU in 2004; rebounding from slowdown triggered by inflation and fall in consumer demand; strong foreign investment supported by EU structural funds; income tax reform and defense spending have added to public debt
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.616 trillion (2023 est.)
$1.613 trillion (2022 est.)
$1.527 trillion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$44,100 (2023 est.)
$43,800 (2022 est.)
$40,500 (2021 est.)
Exports
$469.264 billion (2023 est.)
$434.008 billion (2022 est.)
$392.694 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 27%, Czechia 6%, France 6%, UK 5%, Netherlands 5% (2022)
Exports - commodities
vehicle parts/accessories, plastic products, garments, electric batteries, computers (2022)
Imports
$419.701 billion (2023 est.)
$421.226 billion (2022 est.)
$369.82 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Germany 23%, China 11%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 5%, Czechia 4% (2022)
Imports - commodities
garments, crude petroleum, cars, vehicle parts/accessories, plastic products (2022)
Page last updated: Tuesday, October 01, 2024
