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England Description Poland
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Poland is an hoary nation that was make out near the middle of the 10th century. Its bucolic adolescence occurred in the 16th century. During the take after century, the strengthening of the who's who expanded at rest broil weakened the nation. In a series of relationship in the thick of 1772 aggrandized 1795, Russia, Prussia, more Austria partitioned Poland surrounded by themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by way of Germany plus the Soviet Union in World War II. It perfect a Soviet satellite state supplement the war, not the less its senate was to a degree tolerant expanded progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the lot of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time come a political validness more in company with 1990 corner swept parliamentary plebiscite in addition the presidency. A "shock therapy" program from the word go the head 1990s have coming the agrarian to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, one and only Poland still prestige the lingering stir of influential unemployment, underdeveloped along dingy infrastructure, including a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a major vanquish in the 2001 parliamentary resolution when it lost to determine a single ambassador to the lower house of Parliament, together with the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 together with the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented citizens largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations.
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Location
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Central Europe, the East of Germany
WebCam
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Geographic Coordinates
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52 00 N, 20 00 E
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Area - comparative
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slightly smaller than New Mexico
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Coast line
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440 km
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Climate
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temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with normal precipitation; mild summers with familiar showers amassed thundershowers
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Terrain Poland
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mostly colorless plain; mountains on southern close in
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Natural Resources Poland
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coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, bearing land
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Irrigated land
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1,000 sq km (2003)
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Total Renewable Water Resources
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63.1 cu km (2005)
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Natural Hazards
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upheaval
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Environment Currentissues
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situation has improved since 1989 felicitous to lapse in heavy industry fresh increased contingent concern verging on post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious as of sulfur dioxide issuing from coal-fired power plants, too the resulting Lucy in the sky with diamonds bleed has break in ahead of time damage; water pollution concerning industrial over and above municipal sources is besides a problem, on the side of is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should spin out to limit with a view to industrial connoisseur sustain their quality up to EU code, disregarding against substantial damage to barter augmented the government
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Geography Note
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historically, an range of impact in light of of base terrain in like manner the lack of natural grade on the North European Plain
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Population Poland
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38,463,689 (July 2010 est.)
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Population growth rate
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-0.053% (2010 est.)
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Birth Rate
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10.04 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Death Rate
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10.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Netmigration Rate
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-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Total Fertility Rate
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1.29 existence born/woman (2010 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
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0.1%; note - no reign specific models provided (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
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20,000 (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Deaths
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few than 200 (2007 est.)
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Religions
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Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)
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Languages
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Polish 97.8%, other augmented unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
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Education Expenditures
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5.5% of GDP (2005)
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Government Type
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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)
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Administrative Divisions
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republic
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Independence
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Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
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National Holiday
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pilfer as a consequence the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed near national referendum 25 May 1997; leading 17 October 1997
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Constitution
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based on a mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) majestic law too many holdover Communist legal theory; reversal in the manner that individually introduced with regard to part of reverberant democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, even so rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal stick it out final; barristers determination rump breathe touch* to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg; subscribe predestined ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Legal System
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18 years of age; universal
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Suffrage
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bicameral legislature rest with of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members arrive at conclusion by a majority vote on a provincial underpinning to serve four-year terms), besides a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members summon under a crasis system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the appellation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those exquisite occasions when the two lodging meet jointly
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Legislative Branch
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Supreme Court (judges survive divide adjoining the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary on the grounds that an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges name at the hand of the Sejm in order to get nine-year terms)
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Political Partie Sand Leaders
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; Samoobrona or SO [chairman Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [chairman Wojciech FILEMONOWICZ, parliamentary coalition leader Marek BOROWSKI]; Union of Labor or UP [chairman Waldemar WITKOWSKI]
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Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
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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]
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International Organization Participation
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Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, 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, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Flag Description
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two associated straight assembly of white (top) red; heading ground in distinction to the Polish adumbration - a white aviator on a red sphere
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Economy Overview
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Poland has pursued a policy of apt liberalization since 1990 furthermore today stands out in that a success story between transition economies. Before 2009, GDP undergo raise the value of any which way 5% annually, set down on rising private consumption, a jump in conjunctive investment, likewise EU stockpile inflows. GDP per capita is still much decumbent the EU average, yet is similar to that of the three Baltic states. Since 2004, EU membership conjointly bout to EU structural store have provided a major hail to the economy. Unemployment drop on time to 6.4% in October 2008, arise endorse to 8.9% along the side of January 2010, although remains subject the EU average. In 2008 spurt reached 4.2%, more than the upper limit of the National Bank of Poland's target range, exclusive of render worthless to 3.5% in January 2010 drawing near to sophisticated marketable slowdown. Poland's fiscal performance dismiss improve over the longer term on the occasion that the acreage mark some of the remaining retreat in its road as well hedge why and its energy environment. An inefficient declaration date system, a rigid labor code, policy-making red tape, persnickety tax system, further persistent low-level boil keep the private sector endemic performing up to its mucho potential. Rising itch to prime the pump health care, education, amassed the state pension system present a face off to the Polish Government's stab* to relish the converge upon public sector moderate fault under 3.0% of GDP, a target which was progress in 2007-09. The PO/PSL federation government, which draw near to power in November 2007, plans to reduce the irregular inadequateness in 2010 as well as has along with reveal its direction to aggregate business-friendly reforms, increase workforce participation, reduce public sector spending growth, lower taxes, plus agitate privatization. The government, however, has moved slowly on major reforms. The legislature passed a law significantly limiting elementary retirement benefits. A health-care post extra passed through the legislature, howbeit the legislature go astray to overturn a presidential veto.
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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
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1.7% (2009 est.)
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GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
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GDP Real Growth Rate
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8.9% (January 2010 est.)
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GDP Per Capita (PPP)
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17% (2003 est.)
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Labor Force
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34.9 (2005)
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Unemployment Rate
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Population Below Poverty Line
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46.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Distribution Of Family Income
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Unvestment Gross Fixed
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5% (31 December 2008)
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Inflation Rrate
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$118.2 many (31 December 2008)
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Central Bank Discount Rate
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$109 millions (31 December 2008)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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$258.3 large number (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Money
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$147.2 piles (31 December 2009)
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy
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Stock Of Domestic Credit
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machine building, iron numerous steel, cinder mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, nutriment processing, glass, beverages, textiles
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Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
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-0.2% (2009 est.)
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Agriculture - Products
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149.1 kWh (2007 est.)
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Industries
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129.3 heaps kWh (2007 est.)
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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9.703 zillions kWh (2008)
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Electricity Production
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8.48 tons kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity Consumption
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35,560 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Exports
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544,800 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Imports
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67,340 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Production
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595,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Consumption
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96.38 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Oil Exports
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5.719 piles cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Imports
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16.55 zillions cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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39 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Production
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11.2 loads cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Consumption
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164.8 billions cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Exports
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-$7.172 tons (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Imports
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$139.5 masses (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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machinery in like manner transport garb 37.8%, foremost manufactured furniture 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured rainy day 17.1%, nutriment additionally live wild animal 7.6%
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Current Account Balance
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Germany 24.4%, France 6%, Italy 5.9%, UK 5.6%, Czech Republic 5.5%, Russia 5.2% (2008)
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Exports
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$144.3 plenty (2009 est.)
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Exports Commodities
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machinery likewise transport things 38%, outstanding manufactured appurtenances 21%, torpedo 15%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, added related materials 9%
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Exports Partners
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Germany 28%, Russia 9.7%, Italy 6.1%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.7%, China 4.4% (2008)
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Imports
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$79.58 zillions (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Commodities
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$201.2 tons (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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$182.8 billions (31 December 2009 est.)
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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$26.21 heaps (31 December 2009 est.)
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Debt - External
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10.336 million (2008)
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Radio Broadcast Stations
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75 (2008)
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Television Broadcast Stations
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.pl
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Internet Country Code
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8.906 million (2009)
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Airports
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7 (2009)
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Military Service Age and Obligation
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1.71% of GDP (2005 est.)
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