The Republic of Poland is located in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north-west along a 524-km coastline, by Germany to the west (along a 460-km border); the Czech and Slovak republics to the south (1310 km); and Russia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east and north-east (1244 km).

Poland's national emblem is a white eagle with a golden crown on a red background. The national flag is white and read.

The people of Poland use the Polish language. The population, over 38.5 million strong, occupy an area of 312,700 square kilometers.

Its capital and the largest city is Warsaw, which has a population of over 1,700,000. New administrative division of Poland was introduced in January 1999. The capital cities of the new sixteen voivodships are Bialystok, Gdansk, Katowice, Kielce, Krakow, Lublin, Lodz, Olsztyn, Opole, Poznan, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Torun, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Zielona Góra.

Religion

There are 46 religious denominations in Poland, the largest of which is the Roman Catholic Church; about 95 % of the population are Roman Catholic.

Political System

In keeping with the Constitution, there is a legislative parliament (Sejm and Senate). The President exercises executive authority and the Council of Ministers and judiciary authority oversees to the conformity of the legislation with the Constitution.

The Sejm (Lower House) is composed of 460 deputies and the Senate (Upper House) of 100 senators, elected simultaneously for four-year terms by direct, universal and secret vote.

Name

Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska)

Capital

Warsaw (Warszawa)

Language

Polish (Polski)

Borders

Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic to the south, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east and the Russian Federation (The Kalingrad District) and the Baltic Sea to the north.

Area

312.685 km2 (120,728 sq miles)

Population

+/- 38 million

Currency

Zloty (PLN)

Timezone

GMT + 1 (April - October : GMT + 2)

Electricity

220 Volt / 50 Hz ; continental sockets

Telephone

Countrycode : 48 (To call Poland)
Outgoing international code : 00 (To call abroad from Poland)

Pasport and Visa

A valid passport is allways required. Nationals from most European Countries do not need a visa. Please consult your local Polish consulate.