Country name: conventional long form : Republic of Poland conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska local short form: Polska
Data code: PL
Government type: democratic state
National capital: Warsaw
Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular -
wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko Biala, Bydgoszcz,
Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow, Jelenia Gora,
Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno, Legnica,
Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroleka,
Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce,
Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow,
Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora
Independence: 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Constitution: interim "small constitution" came into effect in
December 1992 supplementing the heavily amended constitution of 22
July 1952; referendum for a new constitution to be held 25 May 1997
Legal system: mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal