ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in Poland. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in Poland. Poland enjoyed a window of independence from 1918 to 1939 but was forced into the Communist sphere at the end of World War II. Elections in Poland are free and fair. The 1997 parliamentary election resulted in a change of government when the opposition Solidarity Election Action defeated the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). SLD leader Leszek Miller became Poland's new prime minister. Poland has an independent judiciary, but courts are notorious for delays in processing cases. A January 2000 law sought to relieve burden by simplifying procedures and increasing the number of court chambers for civil and criminal cases.
