Iran& poland

Description:
Poland shares borders to the east with the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, to the south with the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic and to the west with Germany. To the north lies the Baltic Sea. The Baltic coast provides over 500km (300 miles) of sandy beaches, bays, steep cliffs and dunes.
Northern Poland is dominated by lakes, islands and wooded hills joined by many rivers and canals. The Malsurian Lake District to the northeast is a patchwork of lakes and forests with Lake Hancza, the deepest lake in Poland, located here. The River Vistula (Wisla) has cut a wide valley from Gdansk on the Baltic coast to Warsaw in the heart of the country.
The rest of the country rises slowly to the Sudety Mountains, which run along the border with the Czech Republic, and the Tatra mountains, which separate Poland from the Slovak Republic. To the west, the River Oder, with Szczecin at its mouth, forms the northwest border with Germany.

language:
Polish is the official language. There are a few small German-speaking communities primarily in the southwest. English and Russian are also spoken.

Climate:
Temperate with warm summers, crisp, sunny autumns and cold winters. Snow covers the mountainous area in the south of Poland (mid December to April). Rain falls throughout the year. The most pleasant times to visit Poland are May-June and September, when it's still warm but unlikely to be too hot

Economy - overview:
Following the chaos of the ��?big bang' strategy of rapid post-communist transition to a market economy, Poland's economy slowly strengthened during the 1990s. By 2000, the private sector accounted for 70% of GDP and the economy was looking in good shape, though it lacked behind many of its former communist neighbours.

Poland became a full member of the European Union on 1 May 2004 and plans to adopt the Euro in 2012. However, despite steadily declining unemployment since 2004 when it stood at 20% (in 2008 it was down to 9.7%), the economy has looked far more vulnerable since the global financial crisis of 2008 took hold. Another possible factor for the decline in unemployment has arguably been attributed the numbers of Poles leaving to find work in other countries. Since 2009 many Polish workers have been returning to the country as temporary jobs in Western Europe dry up, meaning that the potential for future rises in unemployment is growing month on month.

In 2008, growth was at 4.8% whilst inflation was at 4.3%.

Economy:
Following the chaos of the ��?big bang' strategy of rapid post-communist transition to a market economy, Poland's economy slowly strengthened during the 1990s. By 2000, the private sector accounted for 70% of GDP and the economy was looking in good shape, though it lacked behind many of its former communist neighbours.

Poland became a full member of the European Union on 1 May 2004 and plans to adopt the Euro in 2012. However, despite steadily declining unemployment since 2004 when it stood at 20% (in 2008 it was down to 9.7%), the economy has looked far more vulnerable since the global financial crisis of 2008 took hold. Another possible factor for the decline in unemployment has arguably been attributed the numbers of Poles leaving to find work in other countries. Since 2009 many Polish workers have been returning to the country as temporary jobs in Western Europe dry up, meaning that the potential for future rises in unemployment is growing month on month.

In 2008, growth was at 4.8% whilst inflation was at 4.3%.

Industries:

machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

Exports:
Machinery, transport, food and live animals.

Imports:
Minerals, fuels, lubricants, chemicals and intermediate manufactured goods.

• Main trade partners: Germany, Italy, France, UK and China.

Exchange rates:
Zloty (PLN; symbol z?�) = 100 groszy. Notes are in denominations of z?�200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. The new coins are in denominations of z?�5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 groszy
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/226/money/Europe/Poland.html

GDP :
US$567.4 billion (2008).