Situated in the heartland of Europe, Poland has been both a bridge and a front line between eastern and western Europe. Today, free from outside interference, Poland is the place to go if you're interested in seeing how a nation picks itself up off the floor and tries to reinvent itself. It's a multifaceted country where the capital and medieval old towns are coddled by contemporary city slickers and where horse-drawn carts negotiate country lanes in areas where the 20th century appears to have got lost somewhere down the road.

Full name : Republic of Poland
Capital : Warsaw (pop 1.75 million)
Area : 323,250 sq km
Population : 38.6 million
People : 98% Polish, plus Ukrainian and Belorussian minorities
Language : Polish
Religion : 95% Roman Catholic
Government : Parliamentary republic
Prime Minister : Jaroslaw Kaczynski
President : Lech Kaczynski

GDP : US$310 billion
GDP per head : US$29,600
Growth rate : 3.4%
Inflation rate : 3.5%
Major industries : Machinery, iron & steel, chemicals & agriculture
Trading partners : EU (esp. France, German, Italy, UK), Russia
EU member : Yes