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Population: 38,642,565 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 4,399,649; female 4,188,824)
15-64 years: 66% (male 12,754,272; female 12,930,275)
65 years and over: 12% (male 1,654,526; female 2,715,019) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.14% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 11.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 10.08 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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
all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.1 years
male: 68.02 years
female: 76.41 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish

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

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland
local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form: Polska

Data code: PL

Type of government: democratic state

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,
Zielona Gora

Independence: 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)

Constitution: interim "small constitution" came into effect in
December 1992 replacing the communist-imposed constitution of 22
July 1952; new democratic constitution being drafted

Legal system: