Geographical location
Poland is situated in Central Europe on the Baltic Sea, between 49'
00' and 541 50' northern latitude and between 141 07' and 241 08'
eastern longitude. It extends 649 km from north to south and 689 km
from east to west. The country covers an area of 312,685 sq. km, the
ninth-largest state in Europe. It's capital is Warsaw. The total state
border is 3,582 km long. In the west Poland has a 467 km-long border
with Germany running along the Odra (Oder) and the Nysa Luzycka
(Lusatian Neisse) rivers. In the north Poland has a 528 km-long sea
border along the Baltic Sea and a 210 km-long land border with the Russian Federation. In the south the
mountain ranges of the Sudety and the Karpaty separate Poland from the Czech Republic, with which it
shares a 790 km-long border and Slovakia, with which the border is 539 km. In the east, Poland has borders
of 103 km with Lithuania, 416 km with Belarus and 529 km with Ukraine. Poland occupies the eastern part of
the Central European lowland and its surface is of predominantly lowland character. Lowland areas, ranging
up to 300 meters above sea level, occupy 91.3% of the total surface of the country, while upland areas (300 to
500 meters above sea level) make up 5.6% and mountain areas (over 500 meters above sea level) 3.1 %.
The highest point in the country is Rysy Peak in the Tatra Mountains, 2,499 meters above sea level, while the
lowest is in Zulawy Wislane, a depression near Raczki Elblaskie that is 1.8 meters below sea level. In spite of
the prevalence of lowlands - the average altitude above sea level is 173 meters - the landscape of Poland is
highly diversified. This results from the belt-like arrangement of geographical regions and the rich surface
configuration. The coastal line is generally even with two major gulfs: the Gulf of Pomerania and the Gulf of
Gdansk. A belt of coastal plain stretches along the Baltic Sea coast. The area between the South Baltic
Coast and the belt of Central Poland lowlands is occupied by regions of lakes. The landscape of the
Pomeranian and Mazurian Lake Districts was shaped in the course of the last glacial period, which carved
out a large number of lakes. The wide belt of lowlands is broadly divided into the Wielkopolska Lowland,
Silesian Lowland and Mazowiecka Lowland. In the south of Poland there is a range of old mountains and
uplands, diversified in terms of geology and surface terrain. To be found here are the Sudety (Sudeten)
Mountains (occupying 3% of the territory of the country) with the highest peak in the Karkonosze Range
(Sniezka, 1,602 meters above sea level) and younger mountains, the Karpaty (Carpathian), occupying 6% of
Polish territory.
Climate
Poland's location in the centre of Europe as well as the arrangement of geographical regions running evenly
with lines of latitude provides conditions for the temperate character of the country's climate. The
confrontation of different masses of air, mainly polar sea air from over the Atlantic and polar continental air
from over Eurasia, gives rise to frequent changes of weather and significant fluctuation in the length of
seasons in individual years. This is particularly true of winters, which are either relatively warm and humid, of
the oceanic type, or frosty, of the continental type. Average annual air temperatures vary (apart from mountain
regions) from 6 degrees C to 8,8 degrees C. The warmest regions include the Silesian Lowland and the
western part of the SandomierskaValley, while the coldest region is in the northeast. Average temperatures in
July range from 16.5 C in the north to 19 C on the Silesian Lowland and in the Tarnów region while in January,
from -1 C at the seaside to -4.5 C in the northeast (the Suwalki region). Rainfails are largely dependent on the
altitude above sea level. Maximum rainfall is recorded in the summer months. The average air temperature
and the average rainfall for Warsaw are as follows: in January: -4 C and 23 millimetres, in July: 1 9 C and 79
mm. However, in the winter months (January-February) temperatures can drop to below -1 0 C while in the
summer months (June-August) they can often exceed 25 C.
Population and language
In 1997 the population of Poland was 38,660,000. In terms of the number of inhabitants Poland occupies the
29th position in the world (0.7% of world population) and eighth place in Europe (5.3% of the population of the
continent). Population density is 124 people per sq. km. Some 23,924,700 people (61.9% of the population)
live in 875 towns while 14,735,300 people (38.1 %) live in the country. Warsaw, the capital, is the largest city
having in 1997 a population of 1,626,000 inhabitants (4.2% of the total population). Other major towns include
(data for 1997): £ód¼ (812,300), Kraków (740,500), Wroc³aw (639,400), Poznań (580,000), Gdańsk
(461,400), Szczecin (419,000), Bydgoszcz (386,300), Lublin (356,000), and Katowice (349,000). Men
account for 48.6% of the Polish population while women make up 51.4%. The average lifespan is 68,5 years
for men and 77.0 years for women. Poland is a fairly homogenous country. National minorities account for
2.6-3.9% of the population. The most numerous minorities include Germans (500,000 to 550,000),
Ukrainians (300,000 to 400,000) and Belarussians (250,000-300,000). There are also Lithuanians, Slovaks,
Jews and others. Roman Catholics constitute the prevailing religious group in Poland.
Political system
In accordance with the Constitution of 2 April 1997 the state bodies are:
the Sejm and the Senate of the Republic of Poland, with
respect to legislative power;
the President of the Republic of Poland and the
Council of Ministers, with respect to executive power;
the Independent Courts, with respect to judicial power.
The Sejm is elected to a four-year term in general elections. it consists of 460 deputies. Reporting to the
Sejm is the Supreme Control Council, the highest control organ in the state. The bodies of the Sejm include:
the Presidium of the Sejm,
the Council of Seniors,
and parliamentary committees.
Deputy clubs are the main forms of the political organisation of deputies within the Sejm. The Senate is also
elected to a four-year term in general elections. It is composed of 100 senators. The Constitution specifies
major issues on which the Sejm and the Senate debate jointly at sessions presided over by the Speaker of
the Sejm acting as the National Assembly. The President is elected to a five-year term in general elections,
and can be re-elected once. He is the supreme representative of the state, monitoring the observance of the
Constitution and the security of the state. The President appoints the Prime Minister and upon the motion of
the latter, ministers. The executive body for the president is the Chancellery. Since 23 December 1 995,
Aleksander Kwasniewski has been President of Poland. The Council of Ministers includes the Chairman of
the Council of Ministers (the Prime Minister) as its head, Vice-Premiers of the Council of Ministers, and
ministers. The Government is responsible for the domestic and foreign policy of the state. A vote of
confidence for the government is extended by the Sejm.
Territorial division
Since 1 January 1999 a three-tier territorial
division of the state has been in force. Poland is
divided into:
16 voivodships (provinces);
308 land powiats (districts) and 65 urban powiats
(towns having the rights of districts);
2,489 gminas (communes).
The gmina is the principal unit of the territorial
division. The authorities of the gmina include: the
gmina council, elected in general self-government
elections, and a board chosen by the gmina council
and having executive power. In rural gminas the
board is headed by the wójt, the head of the
commune, in smaller towns by a burmistrz, or town
mayor, and in big cities by the president.
The constitution guarantees the priority of the
gmina in the management of local affairs.
The gmina is responsible for:
primary schools;
kindergartens;
libraries;
houses of culture;
water pipelines;
local transportation;
environmental protection in their territory;
local gmina roads;
water supply;
disposal of solid and liquid wastes;
open-air markets;
health protection (health centres, outpatients' clinics and in urban gminas also hospitals).
The powiat (district) is the second-tier unit of territorial division, comprising a number of gminas.
The authorities of the powiat include the powiat council, elected in self-government elections, and the board
of the powiat. The latter is headed by the starosta. Powiats are responsible for:
protection of public order and security;
flood and fire protection;
prevention of natural disasters and managing their consequences;
maintenance of general hospitals;
social security;
counteracting unemployment;
construction and maintenance of supra-community roads;
protection of consumer rights;
issuance of passports;
matters connected with a change of citizenship.
The voivodship is the largest territorial division unit. The voivodship authorities include the sejmik, the
voivodship parliament chosen in self-government elections, and the board of the voivodship. The sejmik
and the board are headed by the marshal of the voivodship. A representative of state power in the
voivodship is the voivod who is the guardian of the national interest. The voivodship is responsible for
matters related to regional development. It prepares and implements strategies, creates conditions for the
economic development of the region. Acting within the framework of regional co-operation it can maintain
contacts with communities from other countries. The voivodship takes part in the activities of European
institutions. Foreign co-operation of the voivodship must, however, be conducted within the framework of the
foreign policy of the state. The three basic tasks of the voivodship include:
assurance of sustained economic development of the voivodship;
public services on the highest level: universities, special health service, cultural institutions;
succesful competition with foreign regions in attracting foreign investments.
