Poland Country & Tourist Information

Location
Central Europe.

Area
312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles).

Population
38.1 million (official estimate 2006).

Population Density
122.3 per sq km.

Capital
Warsaw.
Population: 1.7 million (official estimate 2006).

Government
Republic since 1918.

Language
Polish is the official language. There are a few small German-speaking communities primarily in the southwest. English and Russian are also spoken.

Religion
More than 95% Roman Catholic; other religions include Polish Autocephalous Orthodox, Russian and Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz; continental sockets.

Head of Government
Donald Tusk since 2007.

Head of State
President Lech Kaczynski since 2005.

Recent History
President Lech Kaczynski, from the traditionalist Law and Justice party, won a run-off vote in October 2005. Mr Kaczynski, who was Warsaw’s mayor at the time of his election, co-founded Law and Justice with his identical twin brother, Jaroslaw, who was the Polish prime minister until October 2007. Under the Polish constitution, the president has fewer powers than the prime minister, but he has a significant say in foreign policy. The Law and Justice party formed a coalition with two other parties: the League of Polish Families is a conservative and right-wing group and the Self-Defence party holds the interest of mostly farmers and rural inhabitants.

Following a corruption probe into Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s coalition, an election was called in October 2007, two years early. After the highest recorded turnout since the fall of communism in 1989, Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform Party won a landslide victory.

Telephone
Country code: 48. Telephone cards can be purchased from post offices, newsagents and hotel receptions for local calls.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies; most of the country is covered.

Internet
There are many Internet cafes in cities as well as Wi-Fi areas in hotels and certain public spaces. 

Media
State-owned TV (TVP) still has the largest share of the audience for its two national channels. It also operates regional programs and the international satellite channels. TVN operates the leading commercial TV channels. Polsat also operates a digital pay-TV platform and is present in the Baltic states. Up to a quarter of Poles also watch foreign television channels through cable or satellite. State-owned Polish Radio reaches just over half of the population and there are more than 200 stations on the air. There are more than 300 newspapers, most of them local or regional. Although fewer people in Poland may be connected to broadband connections than those in other EU countries (due to a delay in infrastructure in rural areas), freedom of the press and communications availability is held as an important priority. 

Post
Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800; some offices are open on Saturday until 1400. The main post offices in major cities are open daily, 24 hours.

Press
• The principal dailies are Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Super Express.
• The biggest selling daily, Fakt, is a relative newcomer tabloid.
• Weeklies include Gazeta Polska, Polityka and Wprost.
• English-language publications include The Warsaw Voice (weekly) and The New Warsaw Express (weekly).

Radio
• Public broadcaster Polish Radio operates five national networks and many regional stations.
• Radio Polonia is a public, external service.
• RMF FM and Radio Zet are commercial stations.

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
3 May National Day.
21 May Ascension.
11 Jun Corpus Christi.
15 Aug Assumption.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
11 Nov Independence Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
3 May National Day. 
13 May  Ascension.
3 Jun Corpus Christi.
15 Aug Assumption.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
11 Nov Independence Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the UK
47 Portland Place, London W1B 1JH, UK
Tel: 0870 774 2700.
Website: www.polishembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1630.

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in the UK
73 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6LS, UK
Tel: (020) 7291 3900 or 0870 774 2800.
Website: www.polishconsulate.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon, Tues and Fri 0930-1230, Wed 0900-1100, Thurs 1300-1600.

Polish National Tourist Office in the UK
Level 3, Westgate House, West Gate, London, W5 1YY, UK
Tel: 0870 067 5010 (brochure line).
Website: www.visitpoland.org 

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the USA
2640 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 234 3800.
Website: www.polandembassy.org

Consular Division of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the USA
2224 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 234 3800.

Polish National Tourist Office in the USA
5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 208, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Tel: (201) 420 9910.
Website: www.polandtour.org


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