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Administrative divisions 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie, Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie, Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania)
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Jan Store
Ambassadors from Israel > Current Israeli Ambassadors > Israeli Ambassador	David Peleg
ambassadors to the United States > Ambassador	Przemyslaw Grudzinski
Capital city	Warsaw
Capital city > Daylight saving time +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	52 15 N, 21 00 E
Capital city > Name	Warsaw
Capital city > Time difference UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 25 May 1997; effective 17 October 1997
Copyright > Reference	Art. 36,
Corruption	3.4		[71st of 160]
Council of EU, 2005 > Country leader	Marek Belka
Council of EU, 2005 > Country votes	27		[6th of 25]
Council of EU, 2005 > European party of leader PES
Council of EU, 2006 > Country leader	Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
Council of EU, 2006 > Country votes	27		[6th of 25]
Council of EU, 2006 > European party of leader AEN
Council of EU, 2007 > Country leader	Jarosław Kaczyński
Council of EU, 2007 > Country votes	27		[5th of 27]
Council of EU, 2007 > European party of leader AEN
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	50 pma (EU)
date of transition to republican system of government > Republic since	November 2, 1918
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Victor ASHE
Diplomatic representation from the US > Consulate(s) general	Krakow
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[48] (22) 504-2688
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[48] (22) 504-2000
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Robert KUPIECKI
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 328-6271
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802
Elections > Head of state	Direct election
embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Address	443 Daly Avenue
embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Neighbourhood	Sandy Hill
European Council > Current composition of the European Council > Title	Prime minister
European Parliament constituency > Comparison with member states without constituencies > per Seat	700k
European Parliament constituency > Comparison with member states without constituencies > Seats	54		[6th of 25]
Executive branch > Cabinet Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers
Executive branch > Chief of state President Lech KACZYNSKI (since 23 December 2005)
Executive branch > Election results Lech KACZYNSKI elected president; percent of popular vote - Lech KACZYNSKI 54%, Donald Tusk 46%
Executive branch > Elections president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 and 23 October 2005 (next to be held in the fall 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
Flag modification	9		[138th of 197]
foreign consulates in Edinburgh, Scotland > Consulate Address	2 Kinnear Rd
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	April 11, 1992
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	November 25, 1959
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	4.8 %		[39th of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	37,334,060,000 constant 2000 US$		[17th of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	978.216 constant 2000 US$ per c		[27th of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	173819500000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	190411700000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	58,863,510,000 $		[18th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.194 $ per $1 of GDP		[39th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	1,542.325 $ per capita		[32nd of 184]
Government type	republic
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom Charles Crawford (diplomat) Charles Crawford
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type	Embassy
Independence 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
Independence Day > Date	November 11
International organization participation Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms)
Key ministers > Agriculture	Jerzy Pilarczyk
Key ministers > Culture	Waldemar Dabrowski
Key ministers > Defence	Jerzy Szmajdzinski (SLD)
Key ministers > Education	Miroslaw Sawicki
Key ministers > Environment	Jerzy Swaton (SLD)
Key ministers > Finance	Miroslaw Gronicki
Key ministers > Foreign affairs	Adam Rotfeld
Key ministers > Justice	Andrzej Kalwas
Laws against Holocaust denial > Penalties for violation > Maximum	3 years
Laws against Holocaust denial > Penalties for violation > Minimum	Fine or 3 months
Legal origin German
Legal system based on a mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consists of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly
Legislative branch > A note two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
Legislative branch > Election results Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PO 60, PiS 39, independents 1; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PO 41.5%, PiS 32.1%, LiD 13.2%, PSL 8.9%, other 4.3%; seats by party - PO 209, PiS 166, LiD 53, PSL 31, German minorities 1; note - seats by party as of February 2008 - PO 209, PiS 159, LiD 53, PSL 31, German minorities 1, nonaffiliated 7
Legislative branch > Elections Senate - last held 21 October 2007 (next to be held by October 2011); Sejm elections last held 21 October 2007 (next to be held by October 2011)
Legislative branch > Note one seat is assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only
Management time dealing with officials > % of management time	3.83 %		[18th of 38]
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Parliamentary seats > Female	13%		[39th of 143]
Parties in the Council of the European Union > leaders > European > party AEN
Parties in the Council of the European Union > leaders > Leader	Jarosław Kaczyński
Parties in the Council of the European Union > leaders > Votes	27		[5th of 27]
Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint	39.9 %		[5th of 38]
political parties > Multi party	•
Political parties and leaders Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Grzegorz NAPIERALSKI]; Democratic Party or PD [Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Sylwester CHRUSZCZ]; Left and Democrats or LiD [Wojciech OLEJNICZAK] (a coalition formed by the SLD, PD, SDPL, and UP); Polish People's Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Bartosz DOMINIK, acting]; Union of Labor or UP [Andrzej SPYCHALSKI]
Political pressure groups and leaders All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, Archbishop Jozef MICHALIK]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]
Prime minister	Jarosław Kaczyński
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	25		[18th of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	0.655 per 1 million people		[135th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	41		[49th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	1.074 per 1 million people		[134th of 171]
Procedures to register property > number	6		[86th of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita)	157.21 per 1 billion people		[136th of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	20.4 %		[53rd of 174]
Stabilisation and Association process > Albania	15.3.2007
Stabilisation and Association process > Croatia	entered the EU later
Stabilisation and Association process > Stabilisation and Association process > Republic of > Macedonia	entered the EU later
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	10		[81st of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	0.262 per 1 million people		[139th of 171]
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	322 days		[19th of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	980 days		[16th of 171]
Time required to register property > days	197 days		[19th of 167]
Time required to start a business > days	31 days		[99th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	175 hours		[114th of 169]
Time to resolve insolvency > years	3 years		[75th of 151]
Total businesses registered > number	3,581,593		[5th of 71]
Total businesses registered > number (per capita)	93.769 per 1 million people		[9th of 83]
Trademarks, nonresidents	1,153		[24th of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita)	0.03 per 1 million people		[48th of 146]
Trademarks, residents	13,776		[12th of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita)	0.361 per 1 million people		[34th of 142]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International 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
UN membership date	24 Oct. 1945
United Nations mission http://www.un.int/poland/
Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood	Adams Morgan

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