Poland

Location	Central Europe, east of Germany
Geographic coordinates	52 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references	Europe
Area	total: 312,685 sq km land: 304,255 sq km water: 8,430 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries	total: 3,047 km border countries: Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 615 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Slovakia 420 km, Ukraine 428 km
Coastline	440 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
Climate	temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Terrain	mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Elevation extremes	lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
Natural resources	coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
Land use	arable land: 40.25% permanent crops: 1% other: 58.75% (2005)
Irrigated land	1,160 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	63.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 11.73 cu km/yr (13%/79%/8%) per capita: 304 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards	flooding
Environment - current issues	situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist 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; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
Geography - note	historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain