Poland Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name- Polish People’s Republic

Typc: Communist state

Capital: Warsaw

Political subdivisions: 49 provinces

Legal system mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and Communist legal theory; constitution adopted 1952; court system parallels administrative divisions with Supreme Court, composed of 104 justices, at apex; no judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at seven law schools; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Liberation Day. 22 July

Branches: unicameral legislature (Sejm), executive, judicial system dominated by parallel Communist party apparatus

Government leaders: Zbigniew MESSNER, Chairman of Council of Ministers (Premier; since November 1985); Army Gen. Wojciech JARUZELSKI, Chairman of Council of State (President; since November 1985)

Suffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18

Elections: parliamentary and local government every four years; last election held October 1985

Political party and leader: Polish United (Communist) Workers’ Party (PZPR), Wojciech Jaruzelski, First Secretary (since October 1981)

Voting strength: (March 1985 election) 78.86% voted for Communist-approved candidates

Communists: 2.2 million (1984)

Other political or pressure groups: United Peasant Party (ZSL), Democratic Party (SD); powerful Roman Catholic Church, Patriotic Movement of National Rebirth (PRON)

Member of: CEM A, FAO, GATT, 1AEA, ICAO, ICES, IHO, ILO, Indochina Truce Commission, IMO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, Korea Truce Commission, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, Warsaw Pact, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Economy  .

GNP: $228.5 billion in 1984 (1984 dollars), $6 190 per capita; 1984 growth rate 3.4%

Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver

Agriculture: self-sufficient for minimum requirements; main crops—grain, sugar beets, oilseed, potatoes, exporter of livestock products and sugar; importer of grains

Fishing: catch 672,000 metric tons (1983)

Major industries: machinebuilding, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemic als, shipbuilding, food processing

Crude steel: 16.5 million metric tons produced (1984), about 445 kg. per capita

Electric power: 30,020,000 kW capacity (1985); 143.5 billion kWh produced (1985), 3,854 kWh per capita

Exports $17 448 billion (f.o.b., 1984); 47.8% machinery and equipment; 29.2% fuels, minerals, and metals; 11.8% manufactured consumer goods, 8.5% agricultural and forestry products, 2.7% other (1984)

Imports: $16,197 billion (f.o.b., 1984); 27.2% machinery and equipment; 41.0% fuels, minerals, and metals; 14.0% agricultural and forestry products; 10.0% manufactured consumer goods, 7.8% other (1984)

Poland

Major trade partners: $32 736 billion (1964); 66% with Communist countries, 24% with West, 10% with less developed coun tries

Monetary conversion rate: 148 zlotys=US$l (December 1985)

Fiscal near: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Poland on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Poland 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Poland 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.