Geography of Poland
Location:
Central Europe, east of Germany
Geographic coordinates:
52 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
Coastline:
491 km
Maritime claims:
Climate:
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Terrain:
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Elevation extremes:
Islands: Wolin Natural resources:
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, zinc, lead, salt, arable land
Land use:
Irrigated land:
1,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Important rivers: Vistula (Wisla), Odra,
Warta River, Narew[?], San)
Environment - current issues:
situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and
increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution
nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from
coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes
Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
total:
312,685 sq km
land:
304,465 sq km
water:
8,220 sq km
total:
2,888 km
border countries:
Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km,
Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444
km, Ukraine 428 km
exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties
territorial sea:
12 nm
lowest point:
Raczki Elblaskie -1,8 m
highest point:
Rysy[?] 2,499 m
arable land:
47%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
13%
forests and woodland:
29%
other:
10% (1993 est.)
party to:
Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol