Poland is to be found at the center of the European continent, with an area of 312,683 sq/km. It has a frontier of 3,582 km, including 528 km of coastline. To the west, the Polish/German border runs along the Oder and Neisse rivers. To the north, Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea and by Russia. Poland is separated from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south by the Sudeten and Carpathian Mountains, whilst its eastern neighbors are Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine. In general, Poland is a flat country with an average height above sea level of 173 in (568 ft). Over 75% of the country lies below 200 m (650 ft).
The Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska), at the center of Europe, covers an area comparable to that of New Mexico. Although it is characterized primarily by lowland plains, its landscape includes mountain ranges, freshwater lake districts, primeval forests and more than 325 miles of seacoast. The dry continental climate makes for pleasant and rather temperate weather. The population stands at about 40 million. Poland, a parliamentary republic, is integrating its economic system with a flourishing market economy, and has achieved one of Europe's highest gross domestic product growth rates.
Warsaw, the capital, abounds in memorable attractions: the Old Town, the Barbican defense walls, the Royal Castle, the baroque glories of Wilanów and the Ghetto Memorial. The city's splendor was lovingly restored after World War II. Today, Warsaw is the exciting center of the country's economic revitalization.
Kraków was long Poland's capital. Its history, said to have begun at the end of the 10th century, reached a zenith under Casimir the Great in the 14th century. In 1977, the city's spiritual leader, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, was elected Pope John Paul II. A tour is an unforgettable step into the past, from Wawel Hill with its palace and coronation chapel, to the grand Market Square ringed by St. Mary's Church, the Cloth Hall and Jagiellonian University, whose illustrious students include the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
Gdansk is where a series of shipyard strikes in 1980 gave birth to the Solidarity movement. The city has been restored to its medieval grandeur. Among the attractions are the Neptune Fountain, Town Hall, the picturesque waterfront and the Solidarity Monument at the former Lenin Shipyard. Zakopane, a year-round resort center, is surrounded by the snow-capped Tatras, the high peaks of the Carpathian range. Long a mecca for sportsmen, it attracts hikers, campers and skiers.
The Mazurian Lake District is a favorite vacation area. This complex of 1,000 lakes of Ice Age origin is interconnected by canals. The area also abounds in nature preserves.
Poland's climate is greatly influenced by oceanic air currents from the west, cold polar air from Scandinavia and Russia, as well as warmer, sub-tropical air from the south. In winter, polar-continental fronts dominate, bringing crisp, frosty weather. The late summer and autumn months enjoy plenty of warm days, thanks to the influence of the dry, sub-tropical, continental air mass. The greatest amount of sunshine in summer is to be found on the Baltic coast, whilst in winter this is true of the Carpathian Mountains. In the mountains, at any time of year, the climate is dependent on the altitude. In Warsaw, temperatures range from between 200 to 250C (680 to 77'F) during the summer months and O' to -50C (320 to 23"F) in winter.
POPULATION AND LANGUAGE
At the end of 19-93, Poland had a population of 38.5 million. It is estimated that this will rise to 39.5 million by the year 2000. In 1991, the average life expectancy was 66.1 years for men and 75.3 years for women. 61.8% of the population lived in cities in 1993. Polish is the official language.
Poland is undergoing a difficult transition from a Soviet-style economy - with state ownership and control of productive assets - to a market economy. On January 1, 1990, the new Solidarity-led government implemented shock therapy by slashing subsidies, decontrolling prices, tightening the money supply, stabilizing the foreign exchange rate, lowering import barriers, and restraining state sector wages. As a result, consumer goods shortages and lines disappeared, and inflation fell from 640% in 1989 to 60% in 1991.
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