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Poland is to be found at the
center of the European continent, with
an area of 312,683 sq/km. It has a frontier of 3,582 km, including 528 km
of coastline. To the west, the Polish/German border runs along the Oder
and Neisse rivers. To the north, Poland is bordered by the
Baltic Sea and by Russia. Poland is
separated from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south by the Sudeten
and Carpathian Mountains, whilst its eastern neighbors are Lithuania,
Belarus and the Ukraine. In general, Poland is a flat country with an
average height above sea level of 173 in (568 ft). Over 75% of the country
lies below 200 m (650 ft). Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to
be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a
Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively
tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of
the independent trade union "Solidarity"
that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept
parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program
during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into
one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to
the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999.
Poland's climate is greatly influenced by
oceanic air currents from the west, cold polar air from Scandinavia and
Russia, as well as warmer, sub-tropical air from the south. In winter,
polar-continental fronts dominate, bringing crisp, frosty weather. The
late summer and autumn months enjoy plenty of warm days, thanks to the
influence of the dry, sub-tropical, continental air mass. The greatest
amount of sunshine in summer is to be found on the Baltic coast, whilst in
winter this is true of the Carpathian Mountains. In the mountains, at any
time of year, the climate is dependent on the altitude. In Warsaw,
temperatures range from between 200 to 250C (680 to 77'F) during the
summer months and O' to -50C (320 to 23"F) in winter.
At the end of 19-93, Poland had a population of 38.5 million. It is
estimated that this will rise to 39.5 million by the year 2000. In 1991,
the average life expectancy was 66.1 years for men and 75.3 years for
women. 61.8% of the population lived in cities in 1993. Polish is the
official language.
About 60 percent of the population lives in cities. There are a number of
large cities, including five with populations of more than 500,000. The
largest is Warsaw, the capital, with
about 1.7 million inhabitants. Lodz
has approximately 850,000 people. Other large cities are
Krakow (Cracow),
Wroclaw, Poznan,
Gdansk, and
Szczecin.
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