Names: conventional long form: Republic of Poland conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska local short form: Polska

Capital City: Warsaw

Population: 38,536,869 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $14,100 (2006 est.)

Currency: zloty (PLN)

Languages: Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)

Total Area: total: 312,685 sq km land: 304,465 sq km water: 8,220 sq km slightly smaller than New Mexico

Region: Europe

Industries: machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Agriculture: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork, dairy

Resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

Labor Force: 17.26 million (2006 est.)
agriculture: 16.1% industry: 29% services: 54.9% (2002)

Exports: $110.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)

Imports: $113.2 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)

Overview: Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization since 1990 and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done, especially in bringing down the unemployment rate - still the highest in the EU despite recent improvement. The privatization of small- and medium-sized state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers, most of whom pay no tax. The previous Socialist-led government introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about $17 billion through 2007, but full implementation of the plan was trumped by election-year politics in 2005. The right-wing Law and Justice party won parliamentary elections in September, and Lech KACZYNSKI won the presidential election in October 2005, running on a state-interventionist fiscal and monetary platform. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's appreciation. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Poland benefited from nearly $23.2 billion in EU funds, which were available through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of membership via booming exports, higher food prices, and EU agricultural subsidies.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $11,748,351 in goods to Poland. This ranks Poland 47^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Poland increased from the previous year by $224,283 a change of 1.95%. State exports to Poland have increased over the last 5 years by $8,764,490 a change of 293.73%. Missouri exports account for .09%. of all 2007 US exports to Poland.