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Poland:
Country Guide

Poland - general country guide

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^{Source: CIA World Factbook}

Summary Data

summary data
Total Area (km²⁾	312,685
Land (km²)	304,465
Water (km²)	8,220
Population	38,500,696
Population Density (/km²)	126.5
Capital	Warsaw
Religion (%)	Roman Catholic 89.8% Unspecified 8.3% Eastern Orthodox 1.3% Protestant 0.3% Other 0.3%
Time	GMT+1
Climate	Temperate, moderately severe winters and mild summers, frequent precipitation

^{Source: CIA World Factbook}

Geography

Poland is located to the left of Germany, reaching from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Carpathian Mountains in the South. Gdansk and Szczecin are the only natural harbours on the Baltic Coast. Poland’s total surface area is 312,683 square kilometers including inland water. The area called the Lake District, in the northeastern region of Poland, is more sparsely populated than the rest of the country and lacks in agricultural and industrial resources.

Government

Lech Kaczynski became the new President in 2005, replacing former Communist Aleksander Kwasniewski. Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz was appointed Prime Minister. In July 2006 the immensely popular Prime Minister resigned without warning leading many to believe his differences with the president were the cause for his leaving. President Kaczynski chose to appoint his twin brother, Jar slaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice Party, as the new Prime Minister for Poland. The current Prime Minister is Donald Tusk since November 2007.

Language

Polish is the official language in Poland spoken by most of the country's residents. The only other statistics for languages spoken in Poland are unspecified at 2.2% according to the 2002 census.

The Polish language (along with Slovak and Czech) belongs to the West Slavic group of the Slavic subfamily of Indo-European languages. It is believed that the Slavic languages have retained the features of the original Proto-Indo-European language to a much greater degree than have the Germanic and Romance languages. The spoken Slavic languages show more similarity among themselves than do the Germanic or the Romance languages.

Electricity

230 50Hz. Plugs are of the European two pin style

Passports/Visa

Passports

EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU member state. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card, either of which is acceptable. Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay. UK nationals with a passport endorsed British Citizen do not require a visa for stays of up to six months. Other passport holders require a visa and a passport.

Australian and New Zealand nationals require a passport valid for at least the period of intended stay to enter Poland and may stay for up to three months without a visa. South African passport holders require a Schengen visa for travel to Poland and passports must be valid for at least six months after arrival. A passport valid for at least six months after arrival is needed for those who require a visa.

Visas

Visas are not required for a stay of up to three months for the majority of foreign visitors to Poland; however UK nationals do not require a visa for up to six months. South African passport holders need a schengen visa, allowing entry to one country and free travel throughout the schengen zone.

All visitors entering Poland must possess sufficient funds (at least Zl300 per day) to cover medical expenses, a valid insurance policy or official invitation is acceptable, and Zl100 per day for accommodation and sustenance. Nationals unsure of visa requirements are advised to contact the embassy before travelling.

Passport/Visa Information

Polish Embassy in London

47 Portland Place

London,

W1B 1JH
tel.: +44 0870 774 2700
fax: +44 0207 291 3575

Website: http://poland.embassyhomepage.com/

Polish Visa Section

73 New Cavendish Street

London,

W1W 6LS

Tel: +44 020 7291 3900

Fax: +44 020 7323 2320

Airports and Airlines

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW)

Location: Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport is situated six miles, (10 kilometres) from Warsaw.
Time: GMT +1
Contacts: Ulica Zwirki i Wigury 1, 00 906 Warszawa, Poland
Tel: (022) 650 4220
Email: pr@polish-airports.com
Website: www.lotnisko-chopina.pl
Terminals: 3
Transfer between terminals: Terminals 1 and 2 are adjacent to each other
Car rental: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and other companies are available
Facilities: bank, bureaux de change, ATMs, post office, wireless internet access, restaurants, snack bars, duty-free, a left-luggage service in the Arrivals hall open 24-hours a day, lost luggage service (tel: (022) 650 4122/4385), first aid medical centre, mother and baby rooms, chapel and an observation deck.
Parking: Multi storey, short and long term parking are all available

Other Polish International airports include Krakow Balice International Airport (KRK), Lodz Wladyslaw Reymont Airport (LCJ) and Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport (RZE).

Standard of Living

Polish market prices are lower than in Western Europe therefore the standard of living is 49% of the EU average. Poland is much poorer than Germany or France when you compare the gross national income per capita between these countries, although Poland’s GDP is growing fast. Poland has one of the lowest minimum and average wages among all EU member states.

However Polish households are becoming wealthier with the majority of household expenditure now being spent on leisure activities, body care and healthcare compared to 1990 where money was mainly spent on food and clothing.

Principal commercial centres and towns

In 2006, Poland’s three best performing areas were Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw each enjoying 20% capital appreciation. As a result these destinations have become increasingly popular with investors. Lesser known areas are also attracting interest from foreign buyers with cheaper prices and the potential for high rental yields and price growth.