PLN to HKD Live Rate

Central Europe, east of Germany

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

52 00 N, 20 00 E

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Europe

Southeast Asia

total: 312,685 sq km

land: 304,255 sq km

water: 8,430 sq km

country comparison to the world: 71

total: 1,108 sq km

land: 1,073 sq km

water: 35 sq km

country comparison to the world: 184

total: 3,071 km

border countries (7): Belarus 418 km, Czech Republic 796 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 104 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Slovakia 541 km, Ukraine 535 km

total: 33 km

regional border(s) (1): China 33 km

440 km

733 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

territorial sea: 12 nm

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

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

mean elevation: 173 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

mean elevation: NA

elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

agricultural land: 48.2%

arable land 36.2%; permanent crops 1.3%; permanent pasture 10.7%

forest: 30.6%

other: 21.2% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 5%

arable land 3.2%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 0.9%

forest: 0%

other: 95% (2011 est.)

970 sq km (2012)

10 sq km (2012)

population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk

population fairly evenly distributed

flooding

occasional typhoons

decreased emphasis on heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-communist governments has improved environment; air pollution remains serious because of emissions from coal-fired power plants and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands

six times the size of Washington, DC

38,476,269 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

7,191,503 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 100

noun: Pole(s)

adjective: Polish

noun: Chinese/Hong Konger

adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7%

note: represents ethnicity declared first (2011 est.)

Chinese 92%, Filipino 2.5%, Indonesian 2.1%, other 3.4% (2016 est.)

Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3%

note: data represents the language spoken at home; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing Kashub as a regional language, Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages, and Karaim, Lemko, Romani (Polska Roma and Bergitka Roma), and Tatar as ethnic minority languages (2011 est.)

Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 est.)

Catholic 87.2% (includes Roman Catholic 86.9% and Greek Catholic, Armenian Catholic, and Byzantine-Slavic Catholic .3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentacostal), other 0.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, Hare Krishna, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon), unspecified 10.8% (2012 est.)

Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3%

note: many people practice Confucianism, regardless of their religion or not having a religious affiliation (2016 est.)

total dependency ratio: 43.9

youth dependency ratio: 21.4

elderly dependency ratio: 22.5

potential support ratio: 4.5 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 35.9

youth dependency ratio: 15.2

elderly dependency ratio: 20.7

potential support ratio: 4.8 (2015 est.)

total: 40.7 years

male: 39 years

female: 42.4 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 47

total: 44.4 years

male: 43.5 years

female: 45 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

-0.13% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 206

0.32% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

9.5 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 202

8.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 208

10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 117

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 118

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 51

population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk

population fairly evenly distributed

urban population: 60.5% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.02% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 100% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.64% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

WARSAW (capital) 1.722 million; Krakow 760,000 (2015)

Hong Kong 7.26 million (2014)

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.74 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

27.4 years (2014 est.)

29.8 years (2008 est.)

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 182

total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 182

total: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 216

total population: 77.8 years

male: 73.9 years

female: 81.8 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 67

total population: 83 years

male: 80.4 years

female: 85.9 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

1.35 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 215

1.19 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 221

6.4% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 97

2.29 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

1.91 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2013)

5.33 beds/1,000 population (2016)

improved:

urban: 99.3% of population

rural: 96.9% of population

total: 98.3% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.7% of population

rural: 3.1% of population

total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 96.7% of population

total: 97.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 3.3% of population

total: 2.8% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

degree of risk: intermediate

vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2016)

23.1% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 69

4.9% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 65

3.3% of GDP (2017)

country comparison to the world: 124

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.8%

male: 99.9%

female: 99.7% (2015 est.)

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2013)

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2014)

total: 20.8%

male: 20.7%

female: 20.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

total: 9.9%

male: 10.9%

female: 8.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 129

74.8% (2012)

conventional long form: Republic of Poland

conventional short form: Poland

local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form: Polska

etymology: name derives from the Polanians, a west Slavic tribe that united several surrounding Slavic groups (9th-10th centuries A.D.) and who passed on their name to the country; the name of the tribe likely comes from the Slavic "pole" (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of their country

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

conventional short form: Hong Kong

local long form: Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Hanyu Pinyin)

local short form: Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang (Hanyu Pinyin)

abbreviation: HK

etymology: probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"

parliamentary republic

presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

name: Warsaw

geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie (Lodz), Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie (Opole), Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross), Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)

none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)

11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

none (special administrative region of China)

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July (1997) is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

history: several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997

amendments: proposed by at least one-fifth of Sejm deputies, by the Senate, or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Sejm and absolute majority vote in the Senate; amendments to articles relating to sovereignty, personal freedoms, and constitutional amendment procedures also require passage by majority vote in a referendum; amended 2006, 2009, 2015 (2016)

history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law

amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC

civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Poland

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

see China

18 years of age; universal

18 years of age in direct elections for half of the Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials

chief of state: President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015)

head of government: Prime Minister Mateusz MORAWIECKI (since 11 December 2017); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr GLINSKI (since 16 November 2015), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Higher Education Jaroslaw GOWIN (since 16 November 2015), Beata SZYDLO, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Policy (since 11 December 2017)

cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 10 May 2015 with a second round on 24 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

election results: Andrzej DUDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51.5%, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI (independent) 48.5%

chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

head of government: Chief Executive Carrie LAM (since 1 July 2017)

cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

election results: Carrie LAM elected chief executive; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM 777, John TSANG 365, WOO Kwok-hing 21, invalid 23

note: the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the Election Committee to 1,200 members

description: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) and the Sejm (460 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote with a 5% threshold of total votes cast for a party to gain a seat; members serve 4-year terms); note - the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the 2 houses meet jointly

note: all minorities are exempt from the 5% threshold requirement for seats to the Sejm

elections: Senate - last held on 25 October 2015 (next to be held in October or November 2019); Sejm - last held on 25 October 2015 (next to be held in October or November 2019)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PiS 61, PO 34, PSL 1, independent 4; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PiS 37.6%, PO 24.1%, K15 8.8%, N 7.6%, PSL 5.1% other 16.8%; seats by party - PiS 235, PO 138, K15 42, N 28, PSL 16, German minority 1

description: unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; 35 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; 30 members indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods; five at large “super-seat” members directly elected by all of Hong Kong’s eligible voters who do not participate in a functional constituency; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 4 September 2016; (next to be held in September 2020); note - by-election to be held on 11 March 2018 to fill 4 seats left vacant after 4 legislators were removed from office

election results: percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 36.0%; pro-Beijing 40.2%, localist 19.0%, other 4.8%; seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 40 (DAB 12, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 9); pro-democracy 23 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 6, PP-LSD 2, Professional Commons 2, Labor 1, NWSC 1, PTU 1, other democrats 3), localists 6 (ALLin HK 2, CP-PPI-HKRO 1, Demosisto 1, Democracy Groundwork 1, other localist 1), non-aligned independent 1; note - 2 localists were barred from taking office in November 2016 and 4 pro-democracy legislators were removed in July 2017

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the president of the Supreme Court and 116 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and military chambers)

judge selection and term of office: president of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland; other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judiciary Council, and appointed by the president of Poland; judges appointed until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended

subordinate courts: Constitutional Tribunal; State Tribunal; administrative courts; regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts

highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice and 3 permanent judges and 1 non-permanent judge

judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges appointed until normal retirement at age 65, but can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit

subordinate courts: High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

Civic Platform or PO [Grzegorz SCHETYNA]

Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wlodzimierz CZARZASTY]

German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Ryszard GALLA]

Kukiz 15 or K15 [Pawel KUKIZ]

Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]

Liberty (formerly the Coalition for the Renewal of the Republic-Liberty and Hope or KORWiN) [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE]

Nowoczesna ("Modern") or N [Katarzyna LUBNAUER]

Polish People's Party or PSL [Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ]

Razem (Together) [collective leadership]

parties:

ALLinHK (alliance of 6 localist groups)

Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [LO Wai-kwok]

Civic Party [Alvin YEUNG]

Civic Passion or CP [CHENG Chung-tai] (part of Civic Passion-Proletariat Political Institute-Hong Kong Resurgence Order alliance or CP-PPI-HKRO that dissolved after the 2016 election)

Democracy Groundwork [LAU Siu-lai]

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king]

Democratic Party [WU Chi-wai]

Demosisto [Nathan LAW]

Federation of Trade Unions or FTU [Stanley NG Chau-pei]

Labor Party [Steven Kwok Wing-kin]

League of Social Democrats or LSD [Avery NG Man-yuen]

Liberal Party [Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan]

Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung]

New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP Lau Su-yee]

People Power or PP [Raymond CHAN]

Youngspiration [Sixtus "Baggio" LEUNG Chung-hang]

others:

Professional Commons (think tank) [Charles Peter MOK]

Professional Teachers Union or PTU

note: political blocks include: pro-democracy - Civic Party, Democratic Party, Labor Party, LSD, NWSC, PP, Professional Commons, PTU; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, NPP, BPA; localist - ALLinHK, CP, Democracy Groundwork, Demosisto; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ [Jan GUZ] (trade union)

Independent Self-Governing Trade Union or Solidarity [Piotr DUDA]

Roman Catholic Church [Archbishop Wojciech POLAK, Archbishop Stanislaw GADECKI]

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China)

Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong

Civic Act-up (pro-democracy)

Federation of Hong Kong Industries

Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Albert HO] (pro-China)

Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council or HKTUC (pro-democracy)

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce or HKGCC

Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union or HKPTU [FUNG Wai-wah]

Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission: Ambassador Piotr Antoni WILCZEK (since 18 January 2017)

chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 499-1700

FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US Government and other US entities

commissioner: Clement C.M. LEUNG

office: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] 202 331-8947

FAX: [1] 202 331-8958

HKETO offices: New York, San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Paul Wayne JONES (since 7 October 2015)

embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw

mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)

telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000

FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688

consulate(s) general: Krakow

chief of mission: Consul General Kurt W. TONG (since 27 August 2016); note - also accredited to Macau

consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong

mailing address: Unit 8000, Box 1, DPO AP 96521-0006

telephone: [852] 2523-9011

FAX: [852] 2845-1598

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field

note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China

white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red

orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white

name: "Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka)

lyrics/music: Jozef WYBICKI/traditional

note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied

note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

Poland has the sixth-largest economy in the EU and has long had a reputation as a business-friendly country with largely sound macroeconomic policies. Since 1990, Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization. During the 2008-09 economic slowdown Poland was the only EU country to avoid a recession, in part because of the government’s loose fiscal policy combined with a commitment to rein in spending in the medium-term Poland is the largest recipient of EU development funds and their cyclical allocation can significantly impact the rate of economic growth.

The Polish economy performed well during the 2014-17 period, with the real GDP growth rate generally exceeding 3%, in part because of increases in government social spending that have helped to accelerate consumer-driven growth. However, since 2015, Poland has implemented new business restrictions and taxes on foreign-dominated economic sectors, including banking and insurance, energy, and healthcare, that have dampened investor sentiment and has increased the government’s ownership of some firms. The government reduced the retirement age in 2016 and has had mixed success in introducing new taxes and boosting tax compliance to offset the increased costs of social spending programs and relieve upward pressure on the budget deficit. Some credit ratings agencies estimate that Poland during the next few years is at risk of exceeding the EU’s 3%-of-GDP limit on budget deficits, possibly impacting its access to future EU funds. Poland’s economy is projected to perform well in the next few years in part because of an anticipated cyclical increase in the use of its EU development funds and continued, robust household spending.

Poland faces several systemic challenges, which include addressing some of the remaining deficiencies in its road and rail infrastructure, business environment, rigid labor code, commercial court system, government red tape, and burdensome tax system, especially for entrepreneurs. Additional long-term challenges include diversifying Poland’s energy mix, strengthening investments in innovation, research, and development, as well as stemming the outflow of educated young Poles to other EU member states, especially in light of a coming demographic contraction due to emigration, persistently low fertility rates, and the aging of the Solidarity-era baby boom generation.

Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.

Excess liquidity, low interest rates and a tight housing supply have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly. The lower and middle-income segments of the population increasingly find housing unaffordable.

Hong Kong's open economy has left it exposed to the global economic situation. Its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment makes it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy.

The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 47.3 million in 2014, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. After peaking in 2014, overall tourist arrivals dropped 2.5% in 2015 and 4.5% in 2016. The tourism sector rebounded in 2017, with visitor arrivals rising 3.2% to 58.47 million. Travelers from Mainland China totaled 44.45 million, accounting for 76% of the total.

The Hong Kong Government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the preferred business hub for renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts, RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong, RMB trade settlement is allowed, and investment schemes such as the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) Program was first launched in Hong Kong. Offshore RMB activities experienced a setback, however, after the People’s Bank of China changed the way it set the central parity rate in August 2015. RMB deposits in Hong Kong fell from 1.0 trillion RMB at the end of 2014 to 559 billion RMB at the end of 2017, while RMB trade settlement handled by banks in Hong Kong also shrank from 6.8 trillion RMB in 2015 to 3.9 trillion RMB in 2017.

Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2015, mainland Chinese companies constituted about 50% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 66% of the exchange's market capitalization.

During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. In 2014, Hong Kong and China signed a new agreement on achieving basic liberalization of trade in services in Guangdong Province under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, which took effect in March 2015, cover a negative list and a most-favored treatment provision. On the basis of the Guangdong Agreement, the Agreement on Trade in Services signed in November 2015 further enhanced liberalization, including extending the implementation of the majority of Guangdong pilot liberalization measures to the whole Mainland, reducing the restrictive measures in the negative list, and adding measures in the positive lists for cross-border services as well as cultural and telecommunications services. In June 2017, the Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (Ecotech Agreement) were signed under the framework of CEPA.

Hong Kong’s economic integration with the mainland continues to be most evident in the banking and finance sector. Initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Stock Connect the Mutual Recognition of Funds, and the Bond Connect scheme are all important steps towards opening up the Mainland’s capital markets and have reinforced Hong Kong’s role as China’s leading offshore RMB market. Additional connect schemes such as ETF Connect (for exchange-traded fund products) are also under exploration by Hong Kong authorities. In 2017, Chief Executive Carrie LAM announced plans to increase government spending on research and development, education, and technological innovation with the aim of spurring continued economic growth through greater sector diversification.

$1.111 trillion (2017 est.)

$1.07 trillion (2016 est.)

$1.042 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 25

$453 billion (2017 est.)

$437.5 billion (2016 est.)

$428.8 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 44

$510 billion (2017 est.)

$334.1 billion (2017 est.)

3.8% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

3.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

3.5% (2017 est.)

2% (2016 est.)

2.4% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

$29,300 (2017 est.)

$28,200 (2016 est.)

$27,400 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 66

$61,000 (2017 est.)

$59,400 (2016 est.)

$58,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 18

19% of GDP (2017 est.)

19.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

19.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 96

24.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

26.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

24.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

household consumption: 58.8%

government consumption: 18.1%

investment in fixed capital: 17.8%

investment in inventories: 0.8%

exports of goods and services: 56.2%

imports of goods and services: -51.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 66.6%

government consumption: 10%

investment in fixed capital: 22.3%

investment in inventories: 0.7%

exports of goods and services: 191.9%

imports of goods and services: -191.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 2.4%

industry: 40.2%

services: 64.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.1%

industry: 7.2%

services: 92.7% (2017 est.)

potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

fresh vegetables and fruit; poultry, pork; fish

machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches

4.2% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 64

3% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

17.6 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

3.965 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 95

agriculture: 11.5%

industry: 30.4%

services: 57.6% (2015 est.)

manufacturing: 3.8%

construction: 2.8%

wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels: 53.3%

financing, insurance, and real estate: 12.5%

transport and communications: 10.1%

community and social services: 17.1%

note: above data exclude public sector (2013 est.)

4.8% (2017 est.)

6.2% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 65

2.6% (2017 est.)

2.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

17.6% (2015 est.)

19.6% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%: 3%

highest 10%: 23.9% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

30.8 (2015 est.)

33.7 (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world: 126

53.7 (2011 est.)

53.3 (2007 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

revenues: $90.8 billion

expenditures: $102.2 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $66.19 billion

expenditures: $62.86 billion (2017 est.)

17.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 171

19.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

-2.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 93

1% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

46.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

48.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, the data include subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

country comparison to the world: 115

43.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

44.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

calendar year

1 April - 31 March

1.9% (2017 est.)

-0.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 87

2% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 93

1.5% (31 December 2017 est.)

2% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 123

0.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

0.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 133

4.8% (31 December 2017 est.)

4.74% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

5.1% (31 December 2017 est.)

5% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

$255.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$195.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$310.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$285.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

$374.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$300.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

$1.736 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.613 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

$413.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$336.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 31

$719.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$676.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$261.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$277.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$351.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

$3.185 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.233 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.101 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$-4.958 billion (2017 est.)

$-959 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

$10.06 billion (2017 est.)

$14.88 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$221.4 billion (2017 est.)

$195.7 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

$540 billion (2017 est.)

$502.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2012 est.)

electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, watches and clocks, toys, "jewelry, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, and other articles of precious or semi-precious materials"; Hong Kong plays an important role as entrep?t to the Chinese mainland; in 2017, 58% of Hong Kong’s re-exports originated in mainland China, and 54% were destined for the Chinese mainland

Germany 27.3%, UK 6.6%, Czech Republic 6.6%, France 5.4%, Italy 4.8%, Netherlands 4.5% (2016)

China 54.3%, US 8.5%, India 4.1% (2016)

$221.8 billion (2017 est.)

$193.6 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$561.4 billion (2017 est.)

$520.1 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 15%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9% (2011 est.)

raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)

Germany 28.3%, China 7.9%, Netherlands 6%, Russia 5.8%, Italy 5.3%, France 4.2%, Czech Republic 4.1% (2016)

China 45.5%, Taiwan 9.8%, South Korea 6.7%, Japan 6.3%, US 4.4% (2016)

$115 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$114.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$398.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$386.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$362 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$347.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

$494.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$505.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$235.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$224.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

$1.901 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.786 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$68.22 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$64.52 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

$1.806 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.723 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

zlotych (PLN) per US dollar -

3.75 (2017 est.)

3.95 (2016 est.)

3.95 (2015 est.)

3.77 (2014 est.)

3.15 (2013 est.)

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -

7.8 (2017 est.)

7.76 (2016 est.)

7.76 (2015 est.)

7.75 (2014 est.)

7.75 (2013 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

152.1 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

35.75 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

141.3 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

41.74 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

12.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

1.205 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

11.62 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

37.32 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 29

12.63 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

77.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 92

100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 164

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

1.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 180

18.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 187

20,100 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 68

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

4,520 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 64

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

490,300 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 139

137.8 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 147

557,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 156

578,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

388,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

135,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

9,625 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

173,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

332,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

6.132 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

26.78 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

4.49 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

56 million cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 50

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 120

12.12 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

3.243 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

81.66 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 151

296 million Mt (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

90 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

total subscriptions: 8,143,145

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

total subscriptions: 4,318,346

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

total: 53,001,776

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 138 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

total: 17,584,969

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 245 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market-based competition; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in mobile-cellular services

domestic: several nation-wide networks provide mobile-cellular service; coverage is generally good; fixed-line service lags in rural areas

international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2015)

general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services

domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network

international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2015)

state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels; many privately owned channels broadcasting locally; roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks; state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2007)

4 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters of terrestrial radio, one of which is government funded, operate about 12 radio stations; note - 4 digital radio broadcasters operated in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2017, but all digital radio services were terminated in September 2017 due to weak market demand (2018)

.pl

.hk

total: 28,237,820

percent of population: 73.3% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

total: 6.066 million

percent of population: 85% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

number of registered air carriers: 6

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 92

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,841,128

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 120,016,466 mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 7 (registered in China)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 253 (registered in China)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 41,867,157

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 11.294 billion mt-km (2015)

SP (2016)

B-H (2016)

126 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 47

2 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 201

total: 87

over 3,047 m: 5

2,438 to 3,047 m: 30

1,524 to 2,437 m: 36

914 to 1,523 m: 10

under 914 m: 6 (2017)

total: 2

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

total: 39

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 17

under 914 m: 21 (2013)

6 (2013)

9 (2013)

gas 14,198 km; oil 1,374 km; refined products 2,483 km (2016)

total: 19,231 km

broad gauge: 395 km 1.524-m gauge

standard gauge: 18,836 km 1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016)

country comparison to the world: 15

total: 420,000 km

paved: 291,000 km (includes 1,492 km of expressways, 1,559 of motorways)

unpaved: 129,000 km (2016)

country comparison to the world: 17

total: 2,100 km

paved: 2,100 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 174

3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2009)

country comparison to the world: 27

total: 152

by type: container ship 1, general cargo 13, oil tanker 7, other 131 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 73

total: 2,576

by type: bulk carrier 1,142, container ship 471, general cargo 226, oil tanker 346, other 391 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 9

major seaport(s): Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie

river port(s): Szczecin (River Oder)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Swinoujscie

major seaport(s): Hong Kong

1.99% of GDP (2017)

1.99% of GDP (2016)

2.14% of GDP (2015)

1.9% of GDP (2014)

1.77% of GDP (2013)

country comparison to the world: 49

Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces, Territorial Defense Force (2017)

note: Territorial Defense Force only began recruitment in winter 2016

no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Command (2016)

18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; professional soldiers serve on a permanent basis (for an unspecified period of time) or on a contract basis (for a specified period of time); initial contract period is 18 months; women serve in the military on the same terms as men (2018)

defense is the responsibility of China

as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine

Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods

refugees (country of origin): 71,302 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015); 9,864 (Russia) (2016)

stateless persons: 10,825 (2016)

despite diligent counternarcotics measures and international information sharing on cross-border crimes, a major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe

despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people