COUNTRY INFORMATION
Official name
Republic of Poland
Capital
Warsaw
Coordinates
52°00’ N, 20°00’ E
Location
Poland is located in Central Europe and shares borders with Germany on the west, Czech Republic on the southwest, Slovakia on the south, Ukraine on the southeast, Belarus on the east, Lithuania and Russia on the northeast.
Area
Total area: 312 679 sq km
Land area: 304 459 sq km
Water area: 8 220 sq km
Land boundaries
3 047 km
Coastline
440 km
Administrative division
Poland is divided into 16 provinces.
Political system
Poland is a republic. President is the chief of state and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. Prime Minister, the head of government, is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Parliament. Parliament is bicameral and consists of the Upper House, the Senate (Senat), with 100 seats and the Lower House (Sejm) with 460 seats.
Population
38 482 919
Ethnic groups
Polish 97%, other (mainly German, Belarusian, Ukrainian) 3%
Religions
Roman Catholic 90%, Eastern Orthodox 1%, other 9%