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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, 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, Law of the Sea
Geography - note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
@Poland:People
Population: 38,615,239 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 4,235,659; female 4,038,016) 15-64 years : 67% (male 12,842,909; female 13,020,736) 65 years and over: 12% (male 1,698,505; female 2,779,414) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 10.18 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 9.82 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)