vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
Exports: $8.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn),
rice, other agricultural products
Exports - partners: US 24.8%, UK 6.5%, UAE 6.2%, Hong Kong 5.9%,
Germany 5.6%, (2000)
Imports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery, petroleum, petroleum products,
chemicals, transportation equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour
Imports - partners: Kuwait 11.7%, UAE 10.7%, Saudi Arabia 10.5%, US 6%,
Japan 5.6% (2000)
Debt - external: $31.5 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $2 billion (FY99/00)
Currency: Pakistani rupee (PKR)
Currency code: PKR
Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 60.719 (January 2002),
61.927 (2001), 53.648 (2000), 49.118 (1999), 44.943 (1998), 40.918 (1997)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Pakistan
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.861 million (March 1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 158,000 (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre,
but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in
part because major businesses have established their own private systems;
since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national
telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing
network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems,
telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority
of the rural population domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable,
fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks international:
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian
Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and
2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998)
Radios: 13.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 3.1 million (1997)
Internet country code: .pk
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 30 (2000)
Internet users: 1.2 million (2000)
Transportation Pakistan
Railways: total: 8,163 km broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km
electrified) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2001)
Highways: total: 247,811 km paved: 141,252 km (including 339 km of
expressways) unpaved: 106,559 km (1998)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas
4,044 km (1987)
Ports and harbors: Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine: total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 241,832
GRT/367,093 DWT ships by type: cargo 13, container 3, petroleum tanker 1
(2002 est.)
Airports: 120 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 85 over 3,047 m: 12 2,438 to
3,047 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 3 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 31
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to
1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 18 (2001)
Heliports: 9 (2001)
Military Pakistan
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National
Guard
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 36,941,592 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 22,606,576
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 1,657,724
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2,545,500,000 (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.6% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Pakistan
Disputes - international: armed stand-off with India over the status and
sovereignty of Kashmir continues; dispute with India over the terminus of
Rann of Kutch prevents extension of a maritime boundary; water-sharing
problems with India persist over the Indus River (Wular Barrage); close
ties with Pashtuns in Afghanistan make long border difficult to control
Illicit drugs: Poppy cultivation practically eliminated with only 213
hectares grown; potential heroin production 5 tons; key transit area
for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets; narcotics still
move from Afghanistan, transiting Balochistan Province or Karachi for
onward shipment
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Poland
Introduction
Poland
Background: Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around
the middle of the 10th century. It's golden age occurred in the 16th
century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry
and internal disorders weakened the nation, until an agreement in 1772
between Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland. Poland regained
its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet
Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following
the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor
turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union
"Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had
swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy"
program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its
economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes
for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999.
Geography Poland
Location: Central Europe, east of Germany
Geographic coordinates: 52 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 312,685 sq km water: 8,220 sq km land: 304,465 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries: total: 2,788 km border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech
Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad
Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: defined by international
treaties territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters
with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and
thundershowers
Terrain: mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Raczki Elblaskie -2 m highest point:
Rysy 2,499 m
Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead,
salt, arable land
Land use: arable land: 46% permanent crops: 1% other: 53% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding
Environment - current issues: situation has improved since 1989 due
to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by
postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious
because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and
the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from
industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of
hazardous wastes
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat
terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
People Poland
Population: 38,625,478 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.9% (male 3,535,701; female 3,361,515) 15-64
years: 69.5% (male 13,358,128; female 13,500,443) 65 years and over: 12.6%
(male 1,860,274; female 3,009,417) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.02% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 10.29 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 9.97 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 78.05 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.37 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Pole(s) adjective: Polish
Ethnic groups: Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5%
(1990 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox,
Protestant, and other 5%
Languages: Polish
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 99% male: 99% female: 98% (1978 est.)
Government Poland
Country name: Republic of Poland conventional short form: Government
type: republic
Capital: Warsaw
Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular -
wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie,
Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie,
Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie,
Zachodniopomorskie
Independence: 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Constitution: 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April
1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997
Legal system: mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover
Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of
broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative
acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal
ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be
appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI
(since 23 December 1995) elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held
NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed
by the president and confirmed by the Sejm head of government: Prime
Minister Leszek MILLER (SLD) (since 19 October 2001), Deputy Prime
Ministers Marek POL (since 19 October 2001), Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI (since
19 October 2001), Grzegorz KOLODKO (since 8 July 2002) cabinet: Council
of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime
minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the
Council of Ministers election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected
president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%,
Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie
Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a
complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority
vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms) elections: Sejm
elections last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005);
Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005)
election results: Sejm - percent of vote by party - SLD-UP 41%, PO 12.7%,
Samoobrona 10.2%, PiS 9.5%, PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW 3.1%, other
1%; seats by party - SLD-UP 216, PO 65, Samoobrona 53, PiS 44, PSL 42,
LPR 38, German minorities 2; note - SLD-UP has split: SLD has 200 deputies
and UP has 16; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
SLD-UP 75, AWSP (an electoral alliance of some 36 parties) 15, PSL 4,
Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2 note: two seats are assigned to
ethnic minority parties
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president
on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an
indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the
Sejm for nine-year terms)
Political parties and leaders: Citizens Platform or PO [Maciej
PLAZYNSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of
Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK];
German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and
Justice or PiS [Lech KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR
[Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish
Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER];
Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right or AWSP [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI];
Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK];
Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL]
Political pressure groups and leaders: All Poland Trade Union Alliance
or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union)
International organization participation: ACCT (observer), Australia
Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer),
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles,
and New York telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Christopher R. HILL embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540, Warsaw
P1 mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41 FAX:
[48] (22) 628-82-98 consulate(s) general: Krakow
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red;
similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
Economy Poland
Economy - overview: Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of
liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most
successful and open transition economies. GDP growth had been strong
and steady in 1993-2000 but fell back in 2001 with slowdowns in domestic
investment and consumption and the weakening in the global economy. The
privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal
law on establishing new firms have allowed for the rapid development of a
vibrant private sector. In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector
remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient
small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization
of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy)
has begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension
system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected
fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly
on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's
determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects
of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account
deficit and reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region
in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $339.6 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 32% services: 64%
(2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 18.4% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 24.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.7 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 17.6 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services
50.4% (1999)
Unemployment rate: 16.7% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $49.6 billion expenditures: $52.3 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals,
shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (1999)
Electricity - production: 135.161 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.1% hydro: 1.54%
other: 0.36% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 119.327 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 9.663 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 3.29 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry,
eggs, pork
Exports: $30.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 30.2%,
intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods
20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999)
Exports - partners: Germany 34.9%, Italy 6.3%, France 5.2%, Netherlands
5.1%, UK 4.5%, Czech Republic 3.8% (2000)
Imports: $41.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 38.2%,
intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous
manufactured goods 9.5% (1999)
Imports - partners: Germany 23.9%, Russia 9.4%, Italy 8.3%, France 6.4%,
UK 4.5%, US 4.4% (2000)
Debt - external: $57 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: zloty (PLN)
Currency code: PLN
Exchange rates: zlotych per US dollar - 4.0144 (December 2001), 4.0939
(2001), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997) note:
zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Poland
Telephones - main lines in use: 8.07 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.78 million (1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system;
government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the
process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly
has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on the waiting
list for telephone service domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio
relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic
and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 20.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995)
Televisions: 13.05 million (1997)
Internet country code: .pl
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 19 (2000)
Internet users: 3.5 million (2001)
Transportation Poland
Railways: 646 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: narrow gauge: 1,135
km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (2001)
Highways: total: 381,046 km paved: 249,966 km (including 268 km of
expressways) unpaved: 131,080 km (1998)
Waterways: 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996)
Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000
km (1996)
Ports and harbors: Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin,
Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw
Merchant marine: total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 382,518
GRT/641,657 DWT ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1,
roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 122 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 83 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047
m: 29 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524
to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 13
Heliports: 3 (2001)
Military Poland
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 10,415,598 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 8,120,098
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 344,781
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.5 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.71% (2002)
Transnational Issues Poland
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: major illicit producer of amphetamine for the
international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin
American illicit drugs to Western Europe
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Panama
Introduction
Panama
Background: With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and
promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of
a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the
structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US
Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. On 7 September 1977, an
agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to
Panama by the end of 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing
responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening
years. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The
entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US
military bases were turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999.
Geography Panama
Location: Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 80 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 78,200 sq km water: 2,210 sq km land: 75,990 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total: 555 km border countries: Colombia 225 km,
Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime claims: 200 NM territorial sea: Climate: tropical maritime;
hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry
season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 2% other: 91% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional severe storms and forest fires in the
Darien area
Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural runoff
threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest;
land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal;
air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine
Life Conservation
Geography - note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming
land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
People Panama
Population: 2,882,329 (July 2002 est.)