Area

304,400 sq. km

Population

38,577,000

Density

127 per sq. km

Urban Population

63%

Head of State

President elected for a maximum of two five year terms. Appoints the Prime Minister

Government

National Assembly is a bicameral legislature comprising a 460 member Sejm and a Senate of 100 members. Both houses serve for a four year term

National Flag

Equal horizontal stripes of white above red

Joined EU

1 May 2004

Capital

Warsaw - population 1,609,780

Language

Polish with some German, Ukraine and Belarus minorities

Education

Compulsory and free. Elementary 7 - 15. Secondary education is free but optional. Illiteracy rate is 0.3%

Religion

95% Roman Catholic

Currency

Zloty of 100 Groszy

Landscape

Terrain mostly flat plain with mountains along the southern border. Climate is continental and average temperatures range from -5 degrees in January to 24 Degrees in July

Agriculture

There is a large agricultural sector but it is inefficient. A programme is in place to modernise the system.

Resources and Industry

Vast mineral resources including large reserves or brown coal in central, and south western Poland and hard coal in upper Silesia. Sulphur, copper, zinc, lead, silver, natural gas and salt are also produced.