GENERAL
Official name of the state
Republic of Poland.
Capital
Warsaw (Warszawa).
Geography
As a country located in Europe according to itypetravel, Poland borders in the north on the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad, in the east on Lithuania, Belarus, Russ. Federation and Ukraine, in the south to the Czech and Slovak Republic and in the west to Germany.
Poland offers a very varied landscape. If you look at the whole country from a bird’s eye view, you can see the mountain range of the Carpathians and Sudetes in the south. The Tatra Mountains form part of the Carpathian Mountains and are the only mountain range in Poland with an alpine character. In the south you can see the Beskydy and Bieszczady Mountains. To the north, the two rivers Vistula (1047 km long) and Oder (742 km long) dominate the landscape with their numerous tributaries.
The Masurian Lake District with its two largest lakes, the Sniadrwy Lake (106 sq km) and the Mamry Lake (104.9 sq km) is particularly attractive in terms of landscape, as is the Baltic Sea in the north of Poland with its extensive sandy beaches and the dunes in the middle Coast and the high cliffs.
Poland is a country of fascinating nature. The Sudetes and their foreland are a paradise for geologists and ornithologists. The Bialowieska Primeval Forest attracts with its unspoilt nature and the world-famous reserve for bison. The salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia are among the oldest operating salt mines in the world.
Government
Republic since 1918. New constitution in force since 1997. Two-chamber parliament: Lower House (Sejm) with 460 members and Senate with 100 members. Head of State: President is elected for 5 years, re-election possible once. Head of Government: Appointed by the President. Poland is a member of the EU and a member of the United Nations.
Head of state
Andrzej Duda, since May 2015.
Head of government
Beata Maria Szydło, since November 2015.
Electricity
230 V, 50 Hz.
Time zone
Central European Time: CET +2 (CET +3 from March 26 to October 29, 2017)
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is Polish. German, Ukrainian and Belarusian are also spoken.
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Relatively formal, business travel should be arranged well in advance. Employees in government organizations and authorities do not take a lunch break and instead have their main meal after 3 p.m.
Opening hours
Business hours: Usually Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Authorities: Mon-Fri 8.30 a.m.-4.30 p.m. Private shops are open on Saturday mornings.
Economy
Economic and Trade Department of the Polish Embassy
Glinkastraße 5-7, D-10117 Berlin
Tel: (030) 220 25 51.
Internet: www.wirtschaft-polen.de
Department for Trade and Investments of the Polish Embassy
Titlgasse 15, A-1130 Vienna
Tel: (01) 877 73 12.
Internet: www.handelsratpolen.at
Economic and Trade Department of the Polish Embassy
Elfenstrasse 9, Postfach 198, CH-3006 Bern
Tel: (031) 350 82 82.
Internet: http: //www.berno.polemb.net /
Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Central Europe (SEC)
c / o SOFI, Stauffacherstr. 45, CH-8026 Zurich
Tel.: (044) 249 48 80.
Internet: www.sec-chamber.ch
German-Polish Economic Development Corporation
Ul. Kobylogórska 68, PL-66-400 Gorzów Wlkp (Landsberg an der Warthe)
Tel: (95) 720 83 40.
Internet: www.twg.pl
Polsko-Niemiecka Izba Przemyslowo-Handlowa (Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
ul. Miodowa 14, PL-00-246 Warszawa Postal
address: PO Box 62, PL-00-952 Warszawa
Tel: (22) 531 05 00.
Internet: www.ihk.pl
Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza (Chamber of Commerce)
Trebacka 4, PO Box 361, PL-00-074 Warszawa
Tel: (22) 630 96 00.
Internet: www.kig.pl
Business contacts
Economic and Trade Department of the Polish Embassy
Glinkastraße 5-7, D-10117 Berlin
Tel: (030) 220 25 51.
Internet: www.wirtschaft-polen.de
Department for Trade and Investments of the Polish Embassy
Titlgasse 15, A-1130 Vienna
Tel: (01) 877 73 12.
Internet: www.handelsratpolen.at
Economic and Trade Department of the Polish Embassy
Elfenstrasse 9, Postfach 198, CH-3006 Bern
Tel: (031) 350 82 82.
Internet: http: //www.berno.polemb.net /
Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Central Europe (SEC)
c / o SOFI, Stauffacherstr. 45, CH-8026 Zurich
Tel.: (044) 249 48 80.
Internet: www.sec-chamber.ch
German-Polish Economic Development Corporation
Ul. Kobylogórska 68, PL-66-400 Gorzów Wlkp (Landsberg an der Warthe)
Tel: (95) 720 83 40.
Internet: www.twg.pl
Polsko-Niemiecka Izba Przemyslowo-Handlowa (Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
ul. Miodowa 14, PL-00-246 Warszawa Postal
address: PO Box 62, PL-00-952 Warszawa
Tel: (22) 531 05 00.
Internet: www.ihk.pl
Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza (Chamber of Commerce)
Trebacka 4, PO Box 361, PL-00-074 Warszawa
Tel: (22) 630 96 00.
Internet: www.kig.pl
CULTURE
Religion
89.8% Roman Catholic; also Polish Orthodox, Protestants, Old Catholics and Jews.
Social rules of conduct
Manners: There are major differences between urban and rural life: The rural population is very religious and their lifestyle is more traditional than in the city. You shake hands to greet you, women are greeted with kisses on the hand. The usual forms of courtesy are expected and hosts look forward to a bouquet of flowers.
Clothes should be restrained but casual. More elegant clothing is expected in good restaurants or on special occasions.
Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in public buildings (e.g. in train stations, bus stops, bars, cafés, discos, in smaller restaurants without a separate smoking area) and on public transport. Restaurants that are larger than 100 square meters are allowed to set up spatially separated smoking areas.
Photographing: Military installations, industrial buildings and traffic junctions that are marked with a crossed-out camera may not be photographed.
Tip: The service fee is not included in the bill, around 10-15% tip is expected.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Temperate warm summers and cold winters. In autumn it is mostly sunny and already relatively fresh. Good winter sports conditions exist in the Sudetes and Carpathians from December to March. The best travel time for summer vacationers begins in mid-June and runs until the end of August.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +48 Area (sqkm) 312685 Population 38562189 Population density (per sqkm) 123 Population in 2015 Member of the EU Yes main emergency number 112
