POLISH FACTS AND HISTORY

Poland is an ancient country, conceived in the middle of the 10th century. The 16th century shows itself to be Poland’s golden age. However, by the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation to such an extent that in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland was later to regain its independence in 1918, only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in the Second World War. After 1945, Poland emerged as a Soviet satellite state, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive in comparison to its big brother.

Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity", led by Lech Walesa. Born in 1943, in Popowo, Poland, Lech Walesa was the son of a carpenter who against the odds managed to turn Solidarity into a political force. By 1990 this small union had swept all parliamentary elections, giving Walesa the Polish Presidency. A programme of rapid reform during the early 1990s enabled the country to change its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. However, Poland still suffers low GDP growth and high unemployment.

Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament. The new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Poland has edged more towards the west; joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.

GENERAL FACTS ABOUT POLAND

Population: 38,635,144 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 3,319,176/female 3,150,859)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 13,506,153/female 13,638,265)
65 years and over: 13% (male 1,912,431/female 3,108,260) (2005 est.)

Land boundaries: total: 2,788 km
Border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km, Coastline: 491 km

Legal system:
Mixtures of Continental civil law and Communist legal theory but changes are being gradually introduced as part of broader democratic process. There is a limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final. All court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg

Economy - overview:
Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout recent times, and today stands out as a success story among the eastern block economies. However, much remains to be done, especially in areas of high unemployment. The privatization of small and medium-sized companies and a liberal law on establishing new businesses has encouraged the development of private sector industry. Legal and bureaucratic obstacles and persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labour, inefficient small farms and a general lack of investment.

Restructuring and privatization of coal, steel, railroads, and energy have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the pension system and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code to incorporate the whole economy, especially farmers, most of whom pay no tax at all. The government has introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about £10 billion by 2007. Additional reductions are under discussion but have been sidelined by election-year politics in 2005.

Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its competitiveness could be threatened by currency fluctuations. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Poland currently stands to benefit from nearly £8 billion in EU funds, available through to 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of membership via higher food prices and EU agricultural subsidies.