Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver,
lead, salt
Land use:
arable land: 48%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 13%
forest and woodland: 29%
other: 10% (1992)
Irrigated land: 1,000 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity,
Law of the Sea
Geographic note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat
terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
People ———
Population: 38,642,565 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 4,399,649; female 4,188,824)
15-64 years: 66% (male 12,754,272; female 12,930,275)
65 years and over: 12% (male 1,654,526; female 2,715,019) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.14% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 11.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)