1986 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1986 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
self-sufficient for minimum requirements; main crops — grain, sugar beets, oilseed, potatoes, exporter of livestock products and sugar; importer of grains
Area
312,612 km2; smaller than New Mexico; 49% arable, 27% forest, 14% other agricultural, 10% other
Branches
unicameral legislature (Sejm), executive, judicial system dominated by parallel Communist party apparatus
Capital
Warsaw
Coastline
491 km People
Communists
2.2 million (1984)
Crude steel
16.5 million metric tons produced (1984), about 445 kg. per capita
Elections
parliamentary and local government every four years; last election held October 1985 Political party and leader: Polish United (Communist) Workers' Party (PZPR), Wojciech Jaruzelski, First Secretary (since October 1981)
Electric power
30,020,000 kW capacity (1985); 143.5 billion kWh produced (1985), 3,854 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
98.7% Polish, 0.6% Ukrainian, 0.5% Byelorussian, less than 0.05% Jewish, 0.2% other
Exports
$17.448 billion (f.o.b., 1984); 47.8% machinery and equipment; 29.2% fuels, minerals, and metals; 11.8% manufactured consumer goods, 8.5% agricultural and forestry products; 2.7% other (1984)
Fishing
catch 672,000 metric tons (1983)
GNP
$228.5 billion in 1984 (1984 dollars), $6,190 per capita; 1984 growth rate 3.4%
Government leaders
Zbigniew MESSNER, Chairman of Council of Ministers (Premier; since November 1985); Army Gen. Wojciech JARUZELSKI, Chairman of Council of State (President; since November 1985)
Imports
$16.197 billion (f.o.b., 1984); 27.2% machinery and equipment; 41.0% fuels, minerals, and metals; 14.0% agricultural and forestry products; 10.0% manufactured consumer goods, 7.8% other (1984)
Infant mortality rate
19.3/1,000(1984) Life expectancy. 71.6
Labor force
17.54 million; 44% industry and commerce, 30% agriculture, 11% services, 8% government (1985)
Land boundaries
3,090 km Water
Language
Polish, no significant dialects
Legal system
mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and Communist legal theory; constitution adopted 1952; court system parallels administrative divisions with Supreme Court, composed of 104 justices, at apex; no judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at seven law schools; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (6 nm contiguous zone claimed in addition to the territorial sea; 200 nm fishing zone, with lateral limits based on geographic coordinates)
Literacy
98%
Major industries
machinebuilding, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing
Member of
CEMA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAO, ICES, IHO, ILO, Indochina Truce Commission, IMO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, Korea Truce Commission, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, Warsaw Pact, WIPO, WMO, WTO Economy
National holiday
National Liberation Day, 22 July
Nationality
noun — Pole(s); adjective — Polish
Natural resources
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver
Official name
Polish People's Republic
Organized labor
new government trade unions formed following dissolution of Solidarity and all government unions in October Government
Other political or pressure groups
United Peasant Party (ZSL), Democratic Party (SD); powerful Roman Catholic Church, Patriotic Movement of National Rebirth (PRON)
Political subdivisions
49 provinces
Population
37,546,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 0.8%
Religion
95% Roman Catholic (about 75% practicing), 5% Uniate, Greek Orthodox, Protestant, and other
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age
Type
Communist state
Voting strength
(March 1985 election) 78.86% voted for Communist-approved candidates