PLN to NOK Live Rate

Central Europe, east of Germany

52 00 N, 20 00 E

Europe

total: 312,685 sq km

land: 304,255 sq km

water: 8,430 sq km

country comparison to the world: 71

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

440 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

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

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

mean elevation: 173 m

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

highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

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

agricultural land: 48.2%

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

forest: 30.6%

other: 21.2% (2011 est.)

970 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

flooding

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

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

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

38,476,269 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

noun: Pole(s)

adjective: Polish

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

note: represents ethnicity declared first (2011 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.)

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.)

total dependency ratio: 43.9

youth dependency ratio: 21.4

elderly dependency ratio: 22.5

potential support ratio: 4.5 (2015 est.)

total: 40.7 years

male: 39 years

female: 42.4 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 47

-0.13% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 206

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

country comparison to the world: 202

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

country comparison to the world: 33

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

country comparison to the world: 118

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

urban population: 60.5% of total population (2017)

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

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

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.)

27.4 years (2014 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 population: 77.8 years

male: 73.9 years

female: 81.8 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 67

1.35 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 215

6.4% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 97

2.29 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2013)

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

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

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: 20.8%

male: 20.7%

female: 20.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

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

parliamentary republic

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)

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

Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

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)

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

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

18 years of age; universal

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%

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

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

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]

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]

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

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

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

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

white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red

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

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.

$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

$510 billion (2017 est.)

3.8% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

3.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

$29,300 (2017 est.)

$28,200 (2016 est.)

$27,400 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 66

19% of GDP (2017 est.)

19.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

19.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 96

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.)

agriculture: 2.4%

industry: 40.2%

services: 64.3% (2017 est.)

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

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

4.2% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 64

17.6 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

agriculture: 11.5%

industry: 30.4%

services: 57.6% (2015 est.)

4.8% (2017 est.)

6.2% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 65

17.6% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%: 3%

highest 10%: 23.9% (2015 est.)

30.8 (2015 est.)

33.7 (2008 est.)

country comparison to the world: 126

revenues: $90.8 billion

expenditures: $102.2 billion (2017 est.)

17.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 171

-2.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 93

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

calendar year

1.9% (2017 est.)

-0.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 87

1.5% (31 December 2017 est.)

2% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 123

4.8% (31 December 2017 est.)

4.74% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

$255.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$195.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$374.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$300.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

$413.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$336.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 31

$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

$-4.958 billion (2017 est.)

$-959 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

$221.4 billion (2017 est.)

$195.7 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

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

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

$221.8 billion (2017 est.)

$193.6 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

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

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

$115 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$114.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$362 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$347.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

$235.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$224.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

$68.22 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$64.52 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

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.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

152.1 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 27

141.3 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

12.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

37.32 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 29

77.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 92

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 164

1.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

18.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

20,100 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 68

4,520 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 64

490,300 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

137.8 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

557,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

578,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

135,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

173,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

6.132 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

26.78 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

56 million cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 50

12.12 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

81.66 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

296 million Mt (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

total subscriptions: 8,143,145

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

country comparison to the world: 23

total: 53,001,776

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

country comparison to the world: 28

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)

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)

.pl

total: 28,237,820

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

country comparison to the world: 28

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)

SP (2016)

126 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 47

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: 39

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 17

under 914 m: 21 (2013)

6 (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

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

major seaport(s): Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie

river port(s): Szczecin (River Oder)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Swinoujscie

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

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)

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

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