There have been periods of independence as well as periods of domination by other countries. Several million people, half of them Jews, died in World War II

OVERVIEW

1989 Poland became the first of the eastern European countries to overthrow Communist rule. It joined Nato in 1999 and the EU in May 2004.

Poland's profile on the international stage was raised following its support for the US-led military campaign in Iraq. Warsaw was invited by the USA to take command of one of three peacekeeping sectors there.

A Polish-led international force of about 9,000 troops, including 2,500 from Poland, took over responsibility for bringing stability to south-central Iraq in September 2003. The government has said that it intends to withdraw its forces by the end of 2005.

Poland has achieved some success in creating a market economy and attracting foreign investment but unemployment is high while incomes and growth are low. The huge farming sector is unwieldy and very inefficient.

 Future EU subsidy levels have been a major area of controversy. Corruption has been singled out by the European Commission as a particularly major problem which must be urgently addressed.

The Roman Catholic church, a very strong force in Polish life, has expressed concern that modern lifestyles are corrupting moral values. The church has been involved in heated debates over issues such as worship in schools and abortion.

FACTS

• Population: 38.5 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Warsaw
• Area: 312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles)
• Major language: Polish
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 70 years (men), 78 years (women)(UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 zloty = 100 groszy
• Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals
• GNI per capita: US $5,270 (World Bank, 2003)
• Internet domain: .pl
• International dialling code: +48

LEADERS

• President: Aleksander Kwasniewski
• Prime minister: Marek Belka

Marek Belka of the Democratic Left Alliance (DLA) became prime minister following the resignation of Leszek Miller in early May 2004, the day after EU accession.

Mr Miller had faced increasing pressure to go as discontent mounted over high unemployment, poor living standards and allegations of corruption in the DLA. Mr Belka, who was 52 when he took office, pledged to press ahead with fiscal cuts, but promised to increase social spending and improve health care at the same time.

He faced an uphill struggle. The economy has continued to fare badly and the DLA has been hit by scandal. His minority government is losing ground in opinion polls.

 General elections are due in October 2005 at the very latest. Mr Belka was finance minister in Leszek Miller's government in 2003 but resigned after his plans to slash the budget deficit were rejected. He enjoys widespread respect as an economist.

• Foreign minister: Adam Rotfeld
• Finance minister: Miroslaw Gronicki

MEDIA

broadcasting market is the largest in Eastern and Central Europe, and has attracted the attention of foreign media groups. There is freedom and diversity of information in the media, although laws against deriding the nation and its political system are still in force.

State-owned TV (TVP) still has the largest share of the audience for its two national channels. It also operates regional programmes and the international satellite channel TV Polonia.

Polsat and TVN operate the leading commercial TV channels. Polsat also operates a digital pay-TV platform and is present in the Baltic states. The digital pay-TV platform Cyfra+ was launched by France's Canal+. Up to a quarter of Poles also watch foreign TV channels.

Radio has become less important as a source of information and entertainment. Even so, state-owned Polish Radio still 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. However, fewer than 30% of Poles read any kind of newspaper. Newspaper publishing is almost completely privatised and foreign ownership is high.

The biggest-selling daily, the Fakt tabloid, is a relative newcomer to the press scene.

The press

• Gazeta Wyborcza - mass-circulation daily
• Rzeczpospolita - influential daily
• Super Express - mass-circulation tabloid
• Gazeta Polska - weekly
• Polityka - weekly
• Wprost - weekly
• Newsweek Polska - weekly
• The Warsaw Voice - English-language weekly
• Warsaw Business Journal - English-language weekly

Television

• Telewizja Polska (TVP) - public, operates two national networks and regional services
• TV Polonia - public, international satellite service
• TVN - commercial, also operates news channel TVN 24
• Polsat - commercial channel and pay-TV operator
• Cyfra+ - pay-TV operator

Radio

• Polish Radio - public, operates five national networks and many regional stations
• Radio Polonia - public, external service
• RMF FM - commercial
• Radio Zet - commercial
• Radio Maryja - controversial Catholic station, run by Redemptorist Order

News agency

Polish News Agency (PAP)