Poland vs. Finland
Introduction
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Poland's history as a state began near the middle of the 10th century. By the mid-16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled a vast tract of land in Central and Eastern Europe. During the 18th century, internal disorders weakened the nation, and in a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force with over 10 million members. Free elections in 1989 and 1990 won Solidarity control of the parliament and the presidency, bringing the communist era to a close. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed and with large investments in defense, energy, and other infrastructure, Poland is an increasingly active member of Euro-Atlantic organizations. | Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the EU since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy. |
Geography
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Europe, east of Germany | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia |
| Geographic coordinates | 52 00 N, 20 00 E | 64 00 N, 26 00 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 312,685 sq km land: 304,255 sq km water: 8,430 sq km | total: 338,145 sq km land: 303,815 sq km water: 34,330 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than New Mexico | slightly more than two times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Montana |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,865 km border countries (7): Belarus 375 km, Czechia 699 km, Germany 467 km, Lithuania 100 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 209 km, Slovakia 517 km, Ukraine 498 km | total: 2,563 km border countries (3): Norway 709 km, Sweden 545 km, Russia 1309 km |
| Coastline | 440 km | 1,250 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties | territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden, Estonia, and Russia |
| Climate | temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers | cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes |
| Terrain | mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border | mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Rysy 2,499 m lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m mean elevation: 173 m | highest point: Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m mean elevation: 164 m |
| Natural resources | coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land | timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone |
| Land use | agricultural land: 48.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 36.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.) forest: 30.6% (2018 est.) other: 21.2% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 7.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.) forest: 72.9% (2018 est.) other: 19.6% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 970 sq km (2012) | 690 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | flooding | severe winters in the north |
| Environment - current issues | decreased emphasis on heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-communist governments has improved environment; air pollution remains serious because of emissions from burning low-quality coals in homes and from coal-fired power plants; the resulting acid rain causes forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes | limited air pollution in urban centers; some water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic- Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain |
| Total renewable water resources | 60.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 110 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population concentrated in the southern area around Krakow and the central area around Warsaw and Lodz, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk | the vast majority of people are found in the south; the northern interior areas remain sparsely poplulated |
Demographics
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,185,913 (July 2021 est.) | 5,587,442 (July 2021 est.) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 14.83% (male 2,918,518/female 2,756,968) 15-24 years: 9.8% (male 1,928,637/female 1,823,894) 25-54 years: 43.33% (male 8,384,017/female 8,203,646) 55-64 years: 13.32% (male 2,424,638/female 2,675,351) 65 years and over: 18.72% (male 2,867,315/female 4,299,341) (2020 est.) | 0-14 years: 16.41% (male 467,220/female 447,005) 15-24 years: 10.95% (male 312,179/female 297,717) 25-54 years: 37.37% (male 1,064,326/female 1,017,545) 55-64 years: 13.02% (male 357,687/female 367,610) 65 years and over: 22.26% (male 543,331/female 697,045) (2020 est.) |
| Median age | total: 41.9 years male: 40.3 years female: 43.6 years (2020 est.) | total: 42.8 years male: 41.3 years female: 44.4 years (2020 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.23% (2021 est.) | 0.26% (2021 est.) |
| Birth rate | 8.69 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 10.49 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Death rate | 10.68 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 10.33 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Net migration rate | -0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2020 est.) | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) | total: 2.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 2.33 deaths/1,000 live births female: 1.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.53 years male: 74.76 years female: 82.51 years (2021 est.) | total population: 81.55 years male: 78.63 years female: 84.6 years (2021 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.39 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 1.74 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | 0.1% (2018) |
| Nationality | noun: Pole(s) adjective: Polish | noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish |
| Ethnic groups | Polish 96.9%, Silesian 1.1%, German 0.2%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.) note: represents ethnicity declared first | Finn, Swede, Russian, Estonian, Romani, Sami |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | 4,000 (2018) |
| Religions | Catholic 85.9% (includes Roman Catholic 85.6% and Greek Catholic, Armenian Catholic, and Byzantine-Slavic Catholic .3%), Orthodox 1.3% (almost all are Polish Autocephalous Orthodox), Protestant 0.4% (mainly Augsburg Evangelical and Pentacostal), other 0.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, Hare Krishna, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon), unspecified 12.1% (2017 est.) | Lutheran 67.8%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.7%, unspecified 29.4% (2020 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | <100 (2018) |
| Languages | Polish (official) 98.2%, Silesian 1.4%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.3%; note - data represent the language spoken at home; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Poland ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2009 recognizing Kashub as a regional language, Czech, Hebrew, Yiddish, Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Armenian, Russian, Slovak, and Ukrainian as national minority languages, and Karaim, Lemko, Romani (Polska Roma and Bergitka Roma), and Tatar as ethnic minority languages (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): Ksiega Faktów Swiata, niezbedne zródlo podstawowych informacji. (Polish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. | Finnish (official) 86.9%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.5%, other 6.4% (2020 est.) major-language sample(s): World Factbook, korvaamaton perustietolähde. (Finnish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 17 years (2018) | total: 19 years male: 20 years female: 20 years (2018) |
| Education expenditures | 4.6% of GDP (2017) | 6.4% of GDP (2017) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 60.1% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: -0.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) | urban population: 85.6% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 99.7% of population rural: 100% of population total: 99.8% of population unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0.2% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) |
| Major cities - population | 1.790 million WARSAW (capital), 769,000 Krakow (2021) | 1.317 million HELSINKI (capital) (2021) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 2 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) | 3 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) |
| Health expenditures | 6.3% (2018) | 9% (2018) |
| Physicians density | 2.38 physicians/1,000 population (2017) | 3.81 physicians/1,000 population (2016) |
| Hospital bed density | 6.6 beds/1,000 population (2017) | 3.3 beds/1,000 population (2017) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 23.1% (2016) | 22.2% (2016) |
| Mother's mean age at first birth | 27.6 years (2019 est.) | 29.4 years (2019 est.) |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate | 62.3% (2014) | 85.5% (2015) note: percent of women aged 18-49 |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 51.4 youth dependency ratio: 23 elderly dependency ratio: 28.4 potential support ratio: 3.5 (2020 est.) | total dependency ratio: 62.4 youth dependency ratio: 25.8 elderly dependency ratio: 36.6 potential support ratio: 2.7 (2020 est.) |
Government
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Poland conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska local short form: Polska former: Polish People's Republic etymology: name derives from the Polanians, a west Slavic tribe that united several surrounding Slavic groups (9th-10th centuries A.D.) and who passed on their name to the country; the name of the tribe likely comes from the Slavic "pole" (field or plain), indicating the flat nature of their country | conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland local short form: Suomi/Finland etymology: name may derive from the ancient Fenni peoples who are first described as living in northeastern Europe in the first centuries A.D. |
| Government type | parliamentary republic | parliamentary republic |
| Capital | name: Warsaw geographic coordinates: 52 15 N, 21 00 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the origin of the name is unknown; the Polish designation "Warszawa" was the name of a fishing village and several legends/traditions link the city's founding to a man named Wars or Warsz | name: Helsinki geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 56 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name may derive from the Swedish "helsing," an archaic name for "neck" ("hals"), and which may refer to a narrowing of the Vantaa River that flows into the Gulf of Finland at Helsinki; "fors" refers to "rapids," so "helsing fors" meaning becomes "the narrows' rapids" |
| Administrative divisions | 16 voivodships [provinces] (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Kuyavia-Pomerania), Lodzkie (Lodz), Lubelskie (Lublin), Lubuskie (Lubusz), Malopolskie (Lesser Poland), Mazowieckie (Masovia), Opolskie (Opole), Podkarpackie (Subcarpathia), Podlaskie, Pomorskie (Pomerania), Slaskie (Silesia), Swietokrzyskie (Holy Cross), Warminsko-Mazurskie (Warmia-Masuria), Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland), Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania) | 19 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta (Finnish); landskapen, singular - landskapet (Swedish)); Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish); Etela-Karjala (Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish) [South Karelia]; Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Sodra Osterbotten (Swedish) [South Ostrobothnia]; Etela-Savo (Finnish), Sodra Savolax (Swedish) [South Savo]; Kanta-Hame (Finnish), Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish); Kainuu (Finnish), Kajanaland (Swedish); Keski-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Mellersta Osterbotten (Swedish) [Central Ostrobothnia]; Keski-Suomi (Finnish), Mellersta Finland (Swedish) [Central Finland]; Kymenlaakso (Finnish), Kymmenedalen (Swedish); Lappi (Finnish), Lappland (Swedish); Paijat-Hame (Finnish), Paijanne-Tavastland (Swedish); Pirkanmaa (Finnish), Birkaland (Swedish) [Tampere]; Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Osterbotten (Swedish) [Ostrobothnia]; Pohjois-Karjala (Finnish), Norra Karelen (Swedish) [North Karelia]; Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Norra Osterbotten (Swedish) [North Ostrobothnia]; Pohjois-Savo (Finnish), Norra Savolax (Swedish) [North Savo]; Satakunta (Finnish and Swedish); Uusimaa (Finnish), Nyland (Swedish) [Newland]; Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish), Egentliga Finland (Swedish) [Southwest Finland] |
| Independence | 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 14 April 966 (adoption of Christianity, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created) | 6 December 1917 (from Russia) |
| National holiday | Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) | Independence Day, 6 December (1917) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1997, approved by referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997 amendments: proposed by at least one fifth of Sejm deputies, by the Senate, or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Sejm and absolute majority vote in the Senate; amendments to articles relating to sovereignty, personal freedoms, and constitutional amendment procedures also require passage by majority vote in a referendum; amended 2006, 2009 | history: previous 1906, 1919; latest drafted 17 June 1997, approved by Parliament 11 June 1999, entered into force 1 March 2000 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage normally requires simple majority vote in two readings in the first parliamentary session and at least two-thirds majority vote in a single reading by the newly elected Parliament; proposals declared "urgent" by five-sixths of Parliament members can be passed by at least two-thirds majority vote in the first parliamentary session only; amended several times, last in 2018 |
| Legal system | civil law system; judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts; constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final | civil law system based on the Swedish model |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Andrzej DUDA (since 6 August 2015) head of government: Prime Minister Mateusz MORAWIECKI (since 11 December 2017); Deputy Prime Ministers Piotr GLINSKI and Jaroslaw GOWIN (since 16 November 2015), Jacek SASIN (since 4 June 2019) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by the Sejm elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 June 2020 with a second round on 12 July 2020 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister, deputy prime ministers, and Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results: Andrzej DUDA reelected president in runoff; percent of vote - Andrzej DUDA (independent) 51%, Rafal TRZASKOWSKI (KO) 49% | chief of state: President Sauli NIINISTO (since 1 March 2012) head of government: Prime Minister Sanna MARIN (since 10 December 2019) cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 January 2018 (next to be held in January 2024); prime minister appointed by Parliament election results: Sauli NIINISTO reelected president; percent of vote Sauli NIINISTO (independent) 62.7%, Pekka HAAVISTO (Vihr) 12.4%, Laura HUHTASAARI (PS) 6.9%, Paavo VAYRYNEN (independent) 6.2%, Matti VANHANEN (Kesk) 4.1%, other 7.7% |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral legislature consists of: Senate or Senat (100 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) Sejm (460 seats; members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote with 5% threshold of total votes needed for parties and 8% for coalitions to gain seats; minorities exempt from threshold; members serve 4-year terms) elections: Senate - last held on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023) Sejm - last held on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PiS 48, KO 43, PSL 3, SLD 2, independent 4; composition - men 87, women 13, percent of women 13% Sejm - percent of vote by party - PiS 43.6%, KO 27.4%, SLD 12.6%, PSL 8.5% Confederation 6.8%, other 1.1%; seats by party - PiS 235, KO 134, SLD 49, PSL 30, KWiN 11, MN 1; men 334, women 126, percent of women 27.4%; note - total legislature percent of women 24.8% note: the designation National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the 2 houses meet jointly | description: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; 199 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member in the province of Aland directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms) (e.g. 2019) elections: last held on 14 April 2019 (next to be held on April 2023) (e.g. 2019) election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - SDP 17.7%, Finn Party 17.5%, Kok 17.0%. Centre Party 13.8%, Green League 11.5%, Left Alliance 8.2%; seats by party/coalition -SDP 40, Finn Party 39, Kok 38, Centre Party 31, Green League 20, Left Alliance 16; composition men 107, women 93, percent of women 46.5% (e.g. 2019) |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court or Sad Najwyzszy (consists of the first president of the Supreme Court and 120 justices organized in criminal, civil, labor and social insurance, and extraordinary appeals and public affairs and disciplinary chambers); Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president) judge selection and term of office: president of the Supreme Court nominated by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court and selected by the president of Poland; other judges nominated by the 25-member National Judicial Council and appointed by the president of Poland; judges serve until retirement, usually at age 65, but tenure can be extended; Constitutional Tribunal judges chosen by the Sejm for 9-year terms subordinate courts: administrative courts; military courts; local, regional and appellate courts subdivided into military, civil, criminal, labor, and family courts | highest courts: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (consists of the court president and 18 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 21 judges, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - Finland has a dual judicial system - courts with civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction for litigation between individuals and administrative organs of the state and communities judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court judges appointed by the president of the republic; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 68 subordinate courts: 6 Courts of Appeal; 8 regional administrative courts; 27 district courts; special courts for issues relating to markets, labor, insurance, impeachment, land, tenancy, and water rights |
| Political parties and leaders | Civic Coalition or KO [Grzegorz SCHETYNA] Confederation Liberty and Independence or KWiN [Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE, Robert WINNICKI, Grzegorz BRAUN] Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Wlodzimierz CZARZASTY] German Minority or MN [Ryszard GALLA] Kukiz 15 or K15 [Pawel KUKIZ] Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI] TERAZ! (NOW!) [Ryszard PETRU] Nowoczesna (Modern) or N [Katarzyna LUBNAUER] Polish People's Party or PSL [Wladyslaw KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ] Razem (Together) [collective leadership] Wiosna (Spring) [Robert BIEDRON] | Aland Coalition (a coalition of several political parties on the Aland Islands) Center Party or Kesk [Annika SAARIKKO] Christian Democrats or KD [Sari ESSAYAH] Finns Party or PS [Jussi HALLA-AHO] Green League or Vihr [Maria OHISALO] Left Alliance or Vas [Li ANDERSSON] National Coalition Party or Kok [Petteri ORPO] Social Democratic Party or SDP [Sanna MARIN] Swedish People's Party or SFP [Anna-Maja HENRIKSSON] |
| International organization participation | Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Piotr Antoni WILCZEK (since 18 January 2017) chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 499-1700 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2152 email address and website: washington.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/embassy-washington consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York | chief of mission: Ambassador Mikko Tapani HAUTALA (since 17 September 2020) chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 email address and website: sanomat.was@formin.fi https://finlandabroad.fi/web/usa/mission consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires B. Bix ALIU (since January 2021) embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, 00-540 Warsaw mailing address: 5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010 telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000 FAX: [48] (22) 504-2088 email address and website: acswarsaw@state.gov https://pl.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Krakow | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ian CAMPBELL (since 14 January 2021) embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14 B, 00140 Helsinki mailing address: 5310 Helsinki Place, Washington DC 20521-5310 telephone: [358] (9) 616-250 FAX: [358] (9) 174-681 email address and website: HelsinkiACS@state.gov https://fi.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; colors derive from the Polish emblem - a white eagle on a red field note: similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white | white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter |
| National anthem | name: "Mazurek Dabrowskiego" (Dabrowski's Mazurka) lyrics/music: Jozef WYBICKI/traditional note: adopted 1927; the anthem, commonly known as "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" (Poland Has Not Yet Perished), was written in 1797; the lyrics resonate strongly with Poles because they reflect the numerous occasions in which the nation's lands have been occupied | name: "Maamme" (Our Land) lyrics/music: Johan Ludvig RUNEBERG/Fredrik PACIUS note: in use since 1848; although never officially adopted by law, the anthem has been popular since it was first sung by a student group in 1848; Estonia's anthem uses the same melody as that of Finland |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | white crowned eagle; national colors: white, red | lion; national colors: blue, white |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Poland dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Finland dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 6 years |
Economy
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | Poland has the sixth-largest economy in the EU and has long had a reputation as a business-friendly country with largely sound macroeconomic policies. Since 1990, Poland has pursued a policy of economic liberalization. During the 2008-09 economic slowdown Poland was the only EU country to avoid a recession, in part because of the government's loose fiscal policy combined with a commitment to rein in spending in the medium-term Poland is the largest recipient of EU development funds and their cyclical allocation can significantly impact the rate of economic growth. The Polish economy performed well during the 2014-17 period, with the real GDP growth rate generally exceeding 3%, in part because of increases in government social spending that have helped to accelerate consumer-driven growth. However, since 2015, Poland has implemented new business restrictions and taxes on foreign-dominated economic sectors, including banking and insurance, energy, and healthcare, that have dampened investor sentiment and has increased the government's ownership of some firms. The government reduced the retirement age in 2016 and has had mixed success in introducing new taxes and boosting tax compliance to offset the increased costs of social spending programs and relieve upward pressure on the budget deficit. Some credit ratings agencies estimate that Poland during the next few years is at risk of exceeding the EU's 3%-of-GDP limit on budget deficits, possibly impacting its access to future EU funds. Poland's economy is projected to perform well in the next few years in part because of an anticipated cyclical increase in the use of its EU development funds and continued, robust household spending. Poland faces several systemic challenges, which include addressing some of the remaining deficiencies in its road and rail infrastructure, business environment, rigid labor code, commercial court system, government red tape, and burdensome tax system, especially for entrepreneurs. Additional long-term challenges include diversifying Poland's energy mix, strengthening investments in innovation, research, and development, as well as stemming the outflow of educated young Poles to other EU member states, especially in light of a coming demographic contraction due to emigration, persistently low fertility rates, and the aging of the Solidarity-era baby boom generation. | Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy with per capita GDP almost as high as that of Austria and the Netherlands and slightly above that of Germany and Belgium. Trade is important, with exports accounting for over one-third of GDP in recent years. The government is open to, and actively takes steps to attract, foreign direct investment. Finland is historically competitive in manufacturing, particularly in the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Finland excels in export of technology as well as promotion of startups in the information and communications technology, gaming, cleantech, and biotechnology sectors. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the cold climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export industry, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Finland had been one of the best performing economies within the EU before 2009 and its banks and financial markets avoided the worst of global financial crisis. However, the world slowdown hit exports and domestic demand hard in that year, causing Finland's economy to contract from 2012 to 2014. The recession affected general government finances and the debt ratio. The economy returned to growth in 2016, posting a 1.9% GDP increase before growing an estimated 3.3% in 2017, supported by a strong increase in investment, private consumption, and net exports. Finnish economists expect GDP to grow a rate of 2-3% in the next few years. Finland's main challenges will be reducing high labor costs and boosting demand for its exports. In June 2016, the government enacted a Competitiveness Pact aimed at reducing labor costs, increasing hours worked, and introducing more flexibility into the wage bargaining system. As a result, wage growth was nearly flat in 2017. The Government was also seeking to reform the health care system and social services. In the long term, Finland must address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity in traditional industries that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $1,261,433,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,206,640,000,000 (2018 est.) $1,145,323,000,000 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $268.662 billion (2019 est.) $265.619 billion (2018 est.) $261.649 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.55% (2019 est.) 5.36% (2018 est.) 4.83% (2017 est.) | 1.15% (2019 est.) 1.52% (2018 est.) 3.27% (2017 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $33,221 (2019 est.) $31,775 (2018 est.) $30,160 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $48,668 (2019 est.) $48,159 (2018 est.) $47,502 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2.4% (2017 est.) industry: 40.2% (2017 est.) services: 57.4% (2017 est.) | agriculture: 2.7% (2017 est.) industry: 28.2% (2017 est.) services: 69.1% (2017 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 15.4% (2018 est.) | 12.2% (2019 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 23.9% (2015 est.) | lowest 10%: 6.7% highest 10%: 45.2% (2013) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (2019 est.) 1.7% (2018 est.) 2% (2017 est.) | 1% (2019 est.) 1% (2018 est.) 0.7% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force | 9.561 million (2020 est.) | 2.52 million (2020 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 11.5% industry: 30.4% services: 57.6% (2015) | agriculture: 4% industry: 20.7% services: 75.3% (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 5.43% (2019 est.) 6.08% (2018 est.) | 6.63% (2019 est.) 7.38% (2018 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 29.7 (2017 est.) 33.7 (2008) | 27.4 (2017 est.) 22.2 (1995) |
| Budget | revenues: 207.5 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 216.2 billion (2017 est.) | revenues: 134.2 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 135.6 billion (2017 est.) note: Central Government Budget data; these numbers represent a significant reduction from previous official reporting |
| Industries | machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles | metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.5% (2017 est.) | 6.2% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | milk, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, triticale, maize, barley, apples, mixed grains, rye | milk, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes, sugar beet, rye, pork, poultry, beef |
| Exports | $394.848 billion (2019 est.) $375.525 billion (2018 est.) $351.125 billion (2017 est.) | $119.887 billion (2019 est.) $111.339 billion (2018 est.) $109.513 billion (2017 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | cars and vehicle parts, seats, furniture, computers, video displays (2019) | refined petroleum, paper and wood pulp products, cars, stainless steel, lumber (2019) |
| Exports - partners | Germany 27%, Czechia 6%, United Kingdom 6%, France 6%, Italy 5% (2019) | Germany 14%, Sweden 10%, United States 8%, Netherlands 6%, China 6%, Russia 5% (2019) |
| Imports | $364.993 billion (2019 est.) $353.423 billion (2018 est.) $328.919 billion (2017 est.) | $120.437 billion (2019 est.) $116.628 billion (2018 est.) $110.701 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | cars and vehicle parts, crude petroleum, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, office machinery/parts (2019) | crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines (2019) |
| Imports - partners | Germany 25%, China 10%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019) | Germany 16%, Sweden 14%, Russia 13%, China 6%, Netherlands 6% (2019) |
| Debt - external | $351.77 billion (2019 est.) $373.721 billion (2018 est.) | $631.549 billion (2019 est.) $536.301 billion (2018 est.) |
| Exchange rates | zlotych (PLN) per US dollar - 3.6684 (2020 est.) 3.8697 (2019 est.) 3.76615 (2018 est.) 3.7721 (2014 est.) 3.1538 (2013 est.) | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.82771 (2020 est.) 0.90338 (2019 est.) 0.87789 (2018 est.) 0.885 (2014 est.) 0.7634 (2013 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Public debt | 50.6% of GDP (2017 est.) 54.2% of GDP (2016 est.) note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, the data include subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions | 61.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 62.9% of GDP (2016 est.) note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $113.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $114.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $10.51 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $11.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | $2.92 billion (2019 est.) -$7.52 billion (2018 est.) | -$603 million (2019 est.) -$4.908 billion (2018 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $595.72 billion (2019 est.) | $269.259 billion (2019 est.) |
| Credit ratings | Fitch rating: A- (2007) Moody's rating: A2 (2002) Standard & Poors rating: A- (2018) | Fitch rating: AA+ (2016) Moody's rating: Aa1 (2016) Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2014) |
| Ease of Doing Business Index scores | Overall score: 76.4 (2020) Starting a Business score: 82.9 (2020) Trading score: 100 (2020) Enforcement score: 64.4 (2020) | Overall score: 80.2 (2020) Starting a Business score: 93.5 (2020) Trading score: 92.4 (2020) Enforcement score: 66.4 (2020) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 39.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 53.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | -0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 9.9% male: 9.6% female: 10.3% (2019 est.) | total: 17.2% male: 18.7% female: 15.6% (2019 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 58.6% (2017 est.) government consumption: 17.7% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 17.7% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 2% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 54% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -49.9% (2017 est.) | household consumption: 54.4% (2017 est.) government consumption: 22.9% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 38.5% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -38.2% (2017 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 20.1% of GDP (2019 est.) 19.4% of GDP (2018 est.) 19.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | 24.1% of GDP (2019 est.) 23.5% of GDP (2018 est.) 23% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Energy
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 156.9 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 66.54 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 149.4 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 82.79 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 12.02 billion kWh (2016) | 3.159 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 14.02 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 22.11 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Oil - production | 21,000 bbl/day (2018 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 493,100 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 236,700 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 4,451 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 126 million bbl (1 January 2018) | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 79.79 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) | NA cu m (1 January 2016 est.) |
| Natural gas - production | 5.748 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 20.1 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 2.35 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 1.246 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 4 million cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 15.72 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 38.11 million kW (2016 est.) | 16.27 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 41% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 20% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 554,200 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 310,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 649,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 217,100 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 104,800 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 166,200 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 222,300 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 122,200 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) |
Telecommunications
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 6,824,896 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17.8 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 269,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.84 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 48,392,944 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126.2 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 7.15 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 128.69 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .pl | .fi
note - Aland Islands assigned .ax |
| Internet users | total: 29,791,401 percent of population: 77.54% (July 2018 est.) | total: 4,922,163 percent of population: 88.89% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: liberalized telecom market supported by market competition in broadband and mobile sectors ensuring access to cable and fiber infrastructure; rapid extension of LTE networks and development of mobile data service; mobile penetration is above European average; fixed broadband benefits from DSL infrastructure and investment in fiber through EU support; major importer of broadcasting equipment and accessories from Germany (2021) (2020)domestic: several nation-wide networks provide mobile-cellular service; coverage is generally good; fixed-line 18 per 100 service lags in rural areas, mobile-cellular 138 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 48; landing points for the Baltica and the Denmark-Poland2 submarine cables connecting Poland, Denmark and Sweden; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: Finland's telecom market is among most progressive in Europe through favorable regulatory action and competitive technological innovation; orientation towards high technology, research, and development with high investment in information and communication sectors; large proportion of population on 5G and most on LTE; high broadband and mobile penetration; fixed-voice density falling; government provided universal 5Mb/s broadband (2021) (2020)domestic: fixed-line 5 per 100 subscription and 129 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019) international: country code - 358; landing points for Botnia, BCS North-1 & 2, SFL, SFS-4, C-Lion1, Eastern Lights, Baltic Sea Submarine Cable, FEC, and EESF-2 & 3 submarine cables that provide links to many Finland points, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, and Russia; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 7,783,887 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20.3 (2019 est.) | total: 1.797 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32.34 (2019 est.) |
| Broadcast media | state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels; many privately owned channels broadcasting locally; roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks; state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2019) | a mix of 3 publicly operated TV stations and numerous privately owned TV stations; several free and special-interest pay-TV channels; cable and satellite multi-channel subscription services are available; all TV signals are broadcast digitally; Internet television, such as Netflix and others, is available; public broadcasting maintains a network of 13 national and 25 regional radio stations; a large number of private radio broadcasters and access to Internet radio |
Transportation
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 19,231 km (2016) standard gauge: 18,836 km 1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016) broad gauge: 395 km 1.524-m gauge (2016) | total: 5,926 km (2016) broad gauge: 5,926 km 1.524-m gauge (3,270 km electrified) (2016) |
| Roadways | total: 420,000 km (2016) paved: 291,000 km (includes 1,492 km of expressways, 1,559 of motorways) (2016) unpaved: 129,000 km (2016) | total: 454,000 km (2012) highways: 78,000 km (50,000 paved, including 700 km of expressways; 28,000 unpaved) (2012) private and forest roads: 350,000 km (2012) urban: 26,000 km (2012) |
| Waterways | 3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2009) | 8,000 km (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport used frequently in the summer and widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km); Finland also maintains 8,200 km of coastal fairways (2013) |
| Pipelines | 14198 km gas, 1374 km oil, 2483 km refined products (2016) | 1288 km gas transmission pipes, 1976 km distribution pipes (2016) |
| Ports and terminals | major seaport(s): Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie container port(s) (TEUs): Gdansk (2,073,215) (2019) LNG terminal(s) (import): Swinoujscie river port(s): Szczecin (River Oder) | major seaport(s): Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma |
| Merchant marine | total: 142 by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 7, other 129 (2020) | total: 274 by type: bulk carrier 9, container ship 1, general cargo 77, oil tanker 4, other 183 (2020) |
| Airports | total: 126 (2013) | total: 148 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 87 (2017) over 3,047 m: 5 (2017) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 36 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2017) under 914 m: 6 (2017) | total: 74 (2017) over 3,047 m: 3 (2017) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 21 (2017) under 914 m: 14 (2017) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 39 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 17 (2013) under 914 m: 21 (2013) | total: 74 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2013) under 914 m: 71 (2013) |
| National air transport system | number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 169 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 9,277,538 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 271.49 million mt-km (2018) | number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 77 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 13,364,839 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 957.64 million mt-km (2018) |
| Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | SP | OH |
Military
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Polish Armed Forces: Land Forces (Wojska Ladowe), Navy (Marynarka Wojenna), Air Force (Sily Powietrzne), Special Forces (Wojska Specjalne), Territorial Defense Force (Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej); Ministry of the Interior: Border Guard (includes coast guard duties) (2021) note: the Polish Armed Forces are organized into a General Staff, an Armed Forces General Command, an Armed Forces Operational Command, Territorial Defense Forces, Military Police, and the Warsaw Garrison Command | Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army (Maavoimat), Navy (Merivoimat), Air Force (Ilmavoimat); Ministry of the Interior: Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) (2021) note: the Border Guard becomes part of the FDF in wartime |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription phased out in 2009-12; professional soldiers serve on a permanent basis (for an unspecified period of time) or on a contract basis (for a specified period of time); initial contract period is 24 months; women serve in the military on the same terms as men (2019) | at age 18, all Finnish men are obligated to serve 6-12 months of service within a branch of the military or the Border Guard, and women may volunteer for service; after completing their initial conscript obligation, individuals enter the reserves and remain eligible for mobilization until the age of 60 (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.31% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.98% of GDP (2019) 2.02% of GDP (2018) 1.89% of GDP (2017) | 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2019) 1.4% of GDP (2018) 1.4% of GDP (2017) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | approximately 120,000 total active duty personnel (60,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force; 3,500 Special Forces; 25,000 Territorial Defense Forces; 7,500 joint service) (2020) note - in June 2019, the Polish Government approved a plan to increase the size of the military by 50,000 troops over the coming decade | information varies; approximately 23,000 total active duty personnel (16,000 Army; 4,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2020) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the inventory of the Polish Armed Forces consists of a mix of Soviet-era and more modern Western weapons systems; since 2010, the leading suppliers of armaments to Poland are Finland, Germany, Italy, and the US (2020) | the inventory of the Finnish Defense Forces consists of a wide mix of mostly modern Western and domestically-produced weapons systems, as well as a limited quantity of Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, the US and several European countries, including France and Italy, are the leading foreign suppliers of armaments to Finland; the Finnish defense industry produces a variety of military equipment, including wheeled armored vehicles and naval vessels (2020) |
| Military deployments | 240 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); up to 175 Latvia (NATO); 250 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (June 2021) note: Poland contributes about 2,500 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014; the brigade is headquartered in Warsaw and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units | 200 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2021) |
Transnational Issues
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland has implemented the strict Schengen border rules to restrict illegal immigration and trade along its eastern borders with Belarus and Ukraine | various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the former Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 9,870 (Russia) (2019) stateless persons: 1,390 (2020) | refugees (country of origin): 8,862 (Iraq) (2019) stateless persons: 3,428 (2020) |
Environment
| Poland | Finland | |
|---|---|---|
| Air pollutants | particulate matter emissions: 20.54 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 299.04 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 46.62 megatons (2020 est.) | particulate matter emissions: 5.88 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 45.87 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 4.46 megatons (2020 est.) |
| Total water withdrawal | municipal: 2.028 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 7.035 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 1.018 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | municipal: 400 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 1.417 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 50 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Revenue from forest resources | forest revenues: 0.17% of GDP (2018 est.) | forest revenues: 0.36% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Revenue from coal | coal revenues: 0.27% of GDP (2018 est.) | coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Waste and recycling | municipal solid waste generated annually: 10.863 million tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,866,746 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 26.4% (2015 est.) | municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.738 million tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 769,926 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.1% (2015 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook
