Poland – Flag - Basic Information - Facts - Statistics


Polish flag:
white and red stripes
Polish coat of arms:
white eagle on red background


  • Total Area: 312,685 sq km (117,400 sq ml); Geographic coordinates: 52 00 N, 20 00 E. Poland is situated in Central Europe, East from Germany, West from Russia, South from Carpathian Mountains and North from Baltic sea;
    Compare - Germany: 357,021 sq km, Czech Republic: 78,866 sq km

  • Border countries:: (clockwise from Baltic see): Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Lithuania 91 km, Belarus 407 km, Ukraine 526 km, Slovakia 444 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, coastline (Baltic sea) 491 km

  • Total Population:: 38,626,349 (July 2004 est.)
    Compare - Germany: 82,424,609, Czech Republic: 10,246,178

  • Life expectancy at birth: : total population: 74.16 years - male: 70.04 years - female: 78.52 years (2004 est.)
    Compare - USA: 76.4, Russia: 67.2

  • Population growth rate: 0.02% (2004 est.); Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.).)
    Compare total fertility rates - Germany: 1.38, Russia: 1.26, USA: 2.07

  • Capital: Warszawa (Warsaw): 1.7 mln

  • Other big Cities: Lodz, Krakow (Cracow), Wroclaw (Breslau), Gdansk (Danzig)
    - click to see a map with main Polish cities

  • Ethnic groups: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other 2.7% (2002)

  • Religions: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%

  • Languages: Polish

  • Currency: zloty (PLN), 1 US dollar = 3.5 Polish zloty (2004)

  • Gross Domestic Product per capita: $11,100
    Compare - USA: $37,800, Germany: $27,600, Czech Republic: $15,700, Slovakia: $13,300, Russia: $8,900

  • Administrative divisions: 16 provinces
    click to see a map with the administrative division

  • The biggest Rivers: Wisla (Vistula), Odra (Oder)

  • The highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

  • Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

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

  • Terrain: Mostly flat plain (European Plain) because of the lack of natural barriers an area of conflicts and invasions mainly from West and East; mountains along southern border;

    Some information was based on CIA Factbook

    © by Jagoda Urban-Klaehn (article #224)



    Check more information about Poland in the series of links and articles: ABC about Poland, Welcome to Poland, quiz about Poland and much more from our Site Map.

    I recommend: The Rough Guide to Poland, by Mark Salter, Jonathan Bousfield



    A guide below includes over 1,000 full-color photographs, street-by-street maps with detailed aerial views of Warsaw, Cracow and many other cities.

    Eyewitness Travel Guide to Poland (Eyewitness Travel Guides) by Teresa Czerniewics-Umer, Malgorzata Omilanowska, Jerzy S. Majewski, DK Travel Writers


    If you would like to learn about Poland in a more relaxed way - I recommend also a book by F. C. Anstruther, J. Sekalski, F. C. Anstrother (Editor), entitled: Old Polish Legends


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