APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070027-9
Area Brief
LAND (U/OU)
- Size: 120,000 sq. mi.
- Use: 48% arable, 14% other agricultural, 27% forested, 10% other
- Land boundaries: 1,922 mi.
WATER (U/OU)
- Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 n. mi. (fishing, 12 n. mi.)
- Coastline: 305 mi.
PEOPLE (U/OU)
- Population: 33,146,000 (January 1973 estimate); density about 275 persons per square mile
- Ethnic divisions: 98.7% Polish, 0.6% Ukrainians, 0.5% Belorussians, less than 0.05% Jews, 0.2% other
- Religion: 95% Roman Catholic (about 75% practicing), 5% Uniate, Greek Orthodox, Protestant, and other
- Language: Polish, no significant dialects
- Literacy: about 98%
GOVERNMENT (U/OU)
- Legal name: Polish People's Republic (PRL)
- Type: Communist state
- Capital: Warsaw
- Political subdivisions: 17 provinces, 5 city provinces, 391 districts
- Legal system: Mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and Communist legal theory; constitution adopted 1952; court system parallels administrative divisions with Supreme Court, composed of 105 justices, at apex; no judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at 7 law schools; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- Branches: Legislative, executive, judicial system dominated by parallel Communist party apparatus
- Government leader: Piotr Jaroszewicz, Premier; Henryk Jabłoński, chairman of Council of State (President)
- Suffrage: Universal and compulsory over age 18
- Elections: Parliamentary and local government every 4 years
- Dominant political party and leader: Polish United Workers Party (PZPR) (Communist), Edward Gierek, First Secretary
- Voting strength (1972 election): 97% voted for Communist-approved single slate
- Communists: 2.27 million party members (December 1971)
- Other political or pressure groups: National Unity Front (FJN), including United Peasant Party (ZSL), Democratic Party (SD), pro-government pseudo-Catholic Pax Association and Christian Social Association, Catholic independent Znak group; powerful Roman Catholic Church, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, Primate; Socialist Union of Polish Students (SZSP)
- Member of: CEMA, GATT, ICAO, IHB, Indochina Truce Commission, Korea Truce Commission, Seabeds Committee, U.N. and all specialized agencies except IMF and IBRD, Warsaw Pact
ECONOMY (C)
- GNP: $54.6 billion in 1972 at 1971 prices, $1,650 per capita; 1972 growth rate 7%
- Agriculture: Self-sufficient for minimum requirements; main crops - grain, sugar beets, potatoes, oilseeds, exporter of livestock products and sugar; importer of grains; 3,200 calories per day per capita (1970)
- Fishing: Catch 520,400 metric tons (1972)
- Major industries: Chemistry, food processing, transportation equipment, machine building, iron and steel, textiles, and shipbuilding
- Crude steel: 13.5 million metric tons produced (1972), about 410 kg. per capita
- Electric power: 16,100,100 kw. capacity (1972); 76.5 billion kw.-hr. produced (1972), 2,305 kw.-hr. per capita.
- Exports: $4,533 million (f.o.b., 1972); 42% machinery and equipment; 34% fuels, raw materials, and semi manufactures; 15% agricultural and food products; 9% light industrial products
- Imports: $4,903 million (f.o.b., 1972); 43% machinery and equipment; 38% fuels, raw materials, and semi manufactures; 12% agricultural and food products; 7% light industrial products
- Major trade partners: $9,436 million (1972); 62% with Communist countries, 38% with West
- Monetary conversion rate: 3.32 zlotys = US$1 (commercial); 19.92 zlotys = US$1 (noncommercial); old commercial rates 4.00 zlotys = US$1 prior to 1972, 3.8 zlotys = US$1 in 1972
- Fiscal year: Same as calendar year; economic data are reported for calendar years except for caloric intake which is reported for the consumption year, 1 July-30 June
- Note: Foreign trade figures were converted as the 1972 rate
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070027-9
