Polish Cinema today - Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej

Poland FILM PRODUCTION GUIDE POLAND 2010
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Government and administration
Poland is a parliamentary representative democratic
republic with a multi-party system and a bicameral
parliament elected for a four-year term by proportional
representation. Internal and foreign affairs are run
by the government, known as the Council of Ministers
and led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and his
cabinet are appointed by the President. The president is
elected for a five-year term by general election.
As of 1999, Poland is subdivided into sixteen
administrative regions called voivodships (Polish:
województwo). The lower levels of administrative division
are 379 counties (powiat) and 2,478 communes (gmina).
The government administration on a regional level is
represented by the voivode (wojewoda).
Poland is an active member of a number
of international organizations, including the United Nations,
the International Monetary Fund, UNESCO, the World Trade
Organization, OECD, the Council of Baltic Sea States,
the Council of Europe, the Central European Initiative (CEI)
and NATO. Since 2007 Poland is also a member
of the Schengen Agreement.
The official language is Polish.
ZACHODNIO-
POMORSKIE
LUBUSKIE
DOLNOŚLĄSKIE
POMORSKIE
WIELKOPOLSKIE
OPOLSKIE
voivodshiPs oF Poland
KUJAWSKO
-POMORSKIE
ŁÓDZKIE
ŚLĄSKIE
WARMIŃSKO
-MAZURSKIE
MAZOWIECKIE
ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKIE
MAŁOPOLSKIE
PODLASKIE
LUBELSKIE
PODKARPACKIE
Population and Cities
Poland has a population of approximately 38.5 million.
In terms of ethnicity, 95.6% of the population is Polish; ethnic
minorities include Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Lithuanian,
German, Armenian, Russian, Slovakian, Jewish, Karaite,
Lemko, Roma and Tartar. 95% of Poland’s inhabitants are
Roman Catholic, 1.5% Orthodox, 1% Protestant (mostly
Lutheran). 61% of the population lives in urban areas.
There are 897 cities and towns in Poland, including 17
with a population of over 200,000. Poland’s largest cities are
Warsaw, Lodz, Krakow, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, Szczecin,
Bydgoszcz, Lublin, and Katowice. The capital city and main
political, cultural, educational, financial and industrial centre
of Poland is Warsaw (population: over 1.7 million) – a city
with several centuries of history. The oldest cities in Poland
are Kalisz (9 th century A.D.), Sandomierz and Poznań, but
stunning historical sites are also to be found elsewhere.
transportation
By road
Poland has over 381,000 km of public roads,
including 5,512 km of international roads and over 4,880 km
of Trans-European Networks. Highways are connected with
Polish expressways and denoted with a white S followed
by a number against a red background. Expressways are
identified numerically and preceded by the letter A and set
against a red background. Traveling on some expressways
requires a toll to be paid. Fuel is priced at approx. 1 EUR per
litre for petrol and diesel, and about 0.5 EUR per litre for
liquified petroleum gas.
Poland observes right-hand traffic. All EU Member
States national driving licenses are recognized and valid until
their stated expiry date. Anyone driving in Poland must carry
the required vehicle registration and insurance
documentation. The vehicle must be labeled with a graphic
sign stating the country in which it is registered. Seatbelts
are required at all times for all passengers. The use of dipped