- current issues:
situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry
and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments;
air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide
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; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial
establishments bring their facilities up to European Union code, but
at substantial cost to business and the government

Environment - international agreements:
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, Kyoto Protocol, 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

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

People Poland

Population:
38,626,349 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 3,388,247; female 3,216,085)
15-64 years: 70% (male 13,454,820; female 13,591,814)
65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,896,940; female 3,078,443) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 36.2 years
male: 34.3 years
female: 38.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.02% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
10.64 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.97 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.16 years
male: 70.04 years
female: 78.52 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)