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Environmental Resources | Health Resources | Regional Resources | Okno Home
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Poland |
Population: 38.643 million (July 1996)
Area: 312,683 sq. km.
Capital: Warsaw
Other cities: Krakow, Katowice, Gdansk
Language: Polish
Religions: Roman Catholic (95%), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, other (5%)
GDP per capita: $5,800 (1995)
Currency: zloty (2.86 = $1, December 1996)
Average wage:
Major industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Agriculture: potatoes, milk, fruit, vegetables, wheat, poultry and eggs, pork, beef
Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt
Head of State: President Aleksander Kwasniewski (Democratic Left Alliance, SLD), elected November 1995 (next election November 2000)
Prime Minister: Wlodimierz Cimoszewicz (since 7 February 1996)
Parliament: bicameral National Assembly parliament: Sejm (460 seats) and Senate (100 seats)
Government coalition: The prime minister leads a coalition of the SLD and Peasant Party.
Elections: Last held September 1993, next elections due September 1997
European Union: Association agreement, applicant
OECD: yes
Central European Free Trade Agreement: yes
World Trade Organization: yes
GATT: yes
EFTA:
Most-Favored-Nation status with United States: yes
General System of Preferences with United States: yes
International environmental agreements: Party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modofication, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling. Signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Poles Agree on Health Reform: Regional health insurance funds to be financed with payroll taxes; by Steven J. Norton (Environment & Health supplement, September 1998)
"Polish Doctors on Strike: Union Strikes for More Funding and Insurance Reform" by Kate Schecter, Environment & Health supplement, #2, November/December 1996.
"Privatization Watch: Polish government reorganizes privatization bodies," September/October 1996.
"Fault Lines over Privatization: Shifting Alliances in Poland's Privatization Debate" by Steven Norton, March/April 1996.
"Polish Politics in Turmoil: Walesa Tries to Disrupt Governing Coalition" by Steven Norton, January/February 1995.
"Poland Launches New Privatization Program" [brief], July 1995.
"Hungary, Poland Apply to European Union," March/April 1994.
"Poland's New Government: The Pendulum Swings" by Steven Norton, November/December 1993.
Economy Meets Democracy: Life After the 'Big Bang' in Poland; by Steven Norton, Summer 1992.
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