Geography of Poland
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Location: Central Europe, east of Germany
Geographic coordinates:
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<p>Map references:
Europe (eastern)
<p>Area:
total:
312,685 kmē
land:
304,465 kmē
water:
8,220 kmē
<p>Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Mexico
<p>Land boundaries:
total:
2,888 km
border countries:
Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km,
Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444
km, Ukraine 428 km
<p>Coastline:
491 km
<p>Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties
territorial sea:
12 nautical miles
<p>Climate:
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
<p>Terrain:
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
<p>Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Raczki Elblaskie -1,8 m
highest point:
Rysy 2,499 m
<p>Islands: Wolin, east of Usedom
Natural resources:
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, iron, zinc, lead, salt, arable land
<p>Land use:
arable land:
47%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
13%
forests and woodland:
29%
other:
10% (1993 est.)
<p>Irrigated land:
1,000 kmē (1993 est.)
<p>Natural hazards:
NA
<p>Important rivers: Vistula (Wisla), Oder (Odra),
Warta River, Narew, San)
See also: Rivers of Poland
National parks
<p>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
<p>Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 1994, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
<p>Geography - note:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
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See also
- Extreme points of Poland
- List of cities in Poland
- List of forests in Poland
- List of islands of Poland