ental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Law of the Sea

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

@Poland:People

Population: 38,615,239 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 4,235,659; female 4,038,016)
15-64 years : 67% (male 12,842,909; female 13,020,736)
65 years and over: 12% (male 1,698,505; female 2,779,414) (July 1997
est.)

Population growth rate: 0% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 10.18 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.82 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.47 years
male : 68.27 years
female: 76.91 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.43 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish

Ethnic groups: Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian
0.5% (1990 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern
Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%

Languages: Polish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1978 est.)

@Poland:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form: Polska

Data code: PL

Government type: democratic state

National capital: Warsaw

Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular -
wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko Biala, Bydgoszcz,
Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow, Jelenia Gora,
Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno, Legnica,
Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroleka,
Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce,
Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow,
Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc, Ziel