Poland as Your Destination

About Poland

Government: Republic of Poland

Location: Central Europe east of Germany

Area: 312,677 sq km

Capital city: Warsaw

Map: map of Poland

Language: Polish

Time: GMT plus one hour

Currency: Zloty (PLN)

Electricity: 220/240 volts 50 cycles

Weights & measures: Metric

Population: 38,635,144 (July 2005 est.)

Religion: 95% Roman Catholic

Driving: On the right

Internet country code: .pl

Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Elevation extremes: lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m,
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

President: Lech Kaczynski (2005-2009)

Prime minister: Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz

LOCATION

Poland is situated Central Europe and covers the area of 312,683 km2. The total length of the boarders measures of 3,582 km, including 528 km of coastline. The neighboring countries are: Germany - to the west, Russia to the north, Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south and to the east: Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine. Poland is rather a flat country with an average height above sea level of nearly 200m and the highest peak in Tatra Mountains, Rysy 2499 m.

CLIMATE

Poland has a moderate climate with both maritime and continental elements. In north and west the climate is predominantly maritime with gentle, humid winters and cool, rainy summers, while the south and east past is distinctly continental with cold winters and hotter summers. Generally summers are warm (average temp. 25°C, autumns are mild and sunny, while winters can be very cold (average temp. -6°).

LANGUAGE

Official language: Polish. The Polish language belongs to the group of West Slavic languages (with the Czech and Slovak languages). Polish uses a Latin alphabet, a result of increasing influence from Western European culture after Poland's christianization in the 10th century. The oldest documents written in Polish survive from the 14th century.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

The electric current in Poland is 220 V, 50 Hz. Plugs are two-pin continental size.

ADMINISTRATION

Poland is administered locally through a system of 16 regions ("wojewodztwa"), established in 1999 to replace the previous system of 49 regions. The provinces are divided into counties ("powiat"), which are subdivided into towns and communes. Local governors and provincial assemblies administer the local districts. Members of the provincial assemblies are chosen by popularly elected councils that represent the towns and communes.

16 provinces (regions): Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie.

MONEY

The Polish currency is Polish Zloty (PLN), divided into 100 groszy. There are following bank notes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 zloty and coins of 1, 2, 5 zl and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 groszy. Foreign currency can be exchanged in exchange offices ("kantor"), banks and in hotels. Traveler's checks can be exchanged in banks that are open from 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and from 9:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays. In the cities one can easily find numerous automatic cash dispensers. Credit cards like Visa, MasterCard/EuroCard, Maestro, American Express, Diners Club are widely accepted in shops, restaurants and hotels.

shopping

Shops are open from 10:00-18:00 on weekdays and from 10:00-14:00 on Saturdays. Large shopping centers usually located outside city centers are open from

9:00-21:00 on weekdays and from 9:00-20:00 on weekends.

POLITICAL SYSTEM

Poland was the first country from the Soviet Bloc in Central and Eastern Europe to break out of Communist rule. This was the prelude to the development of a new system of government with parliamentary opposition. The parliamentary democracy was established in Poland in 1991.
In keeping with the Constitution, there is a legislative parliament (Sejm and Senate). Executive authority is exercised by the President and the Council of Ministers and the judiciary authority is exercised by autonomous courts. The Constitution Tribunal sees 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.