Poland’s economy

Overview of Industrial Development

Before World War II, Poland was a backward agricultural country. In 1938, the per capita industrial production level was equivalent to about 20% of the average level of European countries.

During World War II, more than half of Poland's factories were damaged and 50% of its industrial production capacity was lost.

After the establishment of people's power in 1944, the government immediately began to rebuild industry. In January 1946, Poland issued an industrial nationalization decree, deciding to nationalize large and medium-sized enterprises and other major sectors of the national economy (transportation, post and telecommunications, banks, etc.). The industrial nationalization decree specifically stipulates that all factories and enterprises that can accommodate 50 or more workers at the same time will be nationalized; all industrial and mining enterprises owned by German capitalists and Polish treasonous surrenderers will be confiscated without compensation; Other business owners have a buy-out policy.

The nationalization of industry laid the foundation for the recovery and development of the Polish economy after the war, especially for the industrialization of the Polish country. By 1949, the Polish economy had returned to 1938 levels. In 1950, the proportion of Polish industry in national income reached 24.3%.

The 1950s was the first stage of Poland’s socialist industrialization, which laid the foundation for the development of heavy industry. Polish industrial production levels have exceeded pre-war levels and have transformed Poland into an industrial-agricultural country.

The 1960s was the second stage of Poland’s socialist industrialization, and the state focused its investment on industry. Industrial development is very rapid, with sectors such as electrical engineering, machine manufacturing and transportation accounting for more than 30% of the country's total industrial output value. Other important industrial sectors include chemicals, textiles, fuels, metals and food. Although the industry was not as developed as that of Czechoslovakia and the Democratic Republic of Germany at the time, its production efficiency was relatively high. It was the main producer of many products in Eastern European countries at that time, such as steel, inorganic fertilizers, sulfuric acid, cement, tractors, train carriages, and automobiles.

In 1970, the proportion of industry in national income had increased to 54.6%. From 1951 to 1979, the average annual growth rate of Poland's industrial output reached 10.2%, while the average annual growth rate of world industry during the same period was 6.3%.

In the 1980s, Poland's industrial development slowed down: the average growth in industrial output in the first half of the period dropped to 0.1%, and the average annual growth in output from 1986 to 1989 was 3.1%. In 1987, the proportion of industry in national income dropped to 48.3%.

In the first two years after the drastic changes in 1989, Poland's entire industrial production declined sharply. Industrial output fell by 24% in 1990. In 1991, the industrial production situation improved, but the industrial output value was still 11.9% lower than the previous year.

In 1992, Polish industry began to grow. From 1993 to 2000, Polish industry continued to maintain a growth trend, but the growth rate varied (see the table below). Changes in industrial output value from 1992 to 2000 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Industrial output value growth rate (%) 2.8 6.4 12.2 9.7 8.3 11.5 3.5 4.4 7.1 Output of major industrial products from 1998 to 2000 (unit : 10,000 tons) Name 1998 In 1999 and 2000, hard coal 12146 11389 10300 lignite 6289.3 6084.6 5950 raw steel 991.5 884.8 1050.4 rolled steel 789.7 691.7 753.1 electrolytic copper 44.8 47 - sulfur (pure amount) 140.4 124.7 148 Power generation (100 million kWh) 1430 1410 1420 Cars (10,000 units) 59.2 65 53.3 Fertilizer (scalar) 229.8 211.5 244.5 Cement 1522 1540 1480 (Data source: 2001 Polish Minor Statistical Yearbook)

The growth of Poland’s industrial output value is accompanied by a complete change in Poland’s industrial structure, in which These include: changes in ownership structure and the increase in the proportion of the private sector; modernization of production and improvements in product quality; development of emerging industries (such as environmental protection industries) and reduction in the proportion of backward sectors; and the increase in foreign capital and the private economic sector in industry.

In 2001, Poland’s industrial sales output declined. This year, only 11 of the 29 industries in the Polish economy maintained sales growth. Among them: the public service industry (water, electricity, communications, transportation, etc.) had the highest growth rate, reaching 15.6%; the metallurgical industry had the largest decline. , reaching 23%. According to the national status report released by the Polish government, Poland's entire industrial production dropped fourfold in 2001, and corporate efficiency was greatly reduced.

From January to April 2002, Poland's industrial sales output value still showed negative growth. According to statistics from the Polish Central Bureau of Statistics, Poland's industrial sales increased by 0.2% year-on-year in April 2002, but the cumulative industrial sales from January to April were still 1.3% lower than the same period in 2001.

Among them, the coal industry decreased by 4.8%, the manufacturing industry decreased by 1.6%, and the electricity, natural gas and water supply industries increased by 2.3%. However, by the second half of the year, Poland's overall industrial output increased.

In 2003, the Polish industrial situation continues to be promising. According to figures from the Statistical Bulletin of the Polish Central Bureau of Statistics, industrial output increased by 8.3% year-on-year in April, which was the highest growth rate in the first few months of 2003. Among them, the output value of the processing industry increased by 10.2% year-on-year; the output value of the mining industry decreased by 5.5% year-on-year. According to data from the Polish Central Bureau of Statistics, Poland's industrial output in July increased by 10.3% compared with the same period in 2002, and increased by 4.9% compared with June 2003. Among them, the manufacturing industry increased by 11.1% and the mining industry increased by 2.1%. In the same month, 24 out of 29 industrial sectors registered growth. From January to July, Poland's industrial output increased by 7.5% year-on-year. The construction industry also grew in July, with a growth rate of 1.6%, the first time the industry has grown in more than a dozen months. According to estimates from the Polish Strategic Research Center, Poland's industrial output growth rate in 2003 was 5%.

The proportion of Polish industry in GDP has shown a slow and steady downward trend, but its economic benefits and product quality have significantly improved. This is the result of the rapid development of service industries and trade and the shift of industrial structure from heavy industry to consumer goods industry. In addition, the Polish industry is undergoing large-scale structural and technological adjustments. Particularly important sectors of the national economy, such as fuel and energy, steel, national defense, heavy chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and clothing, and some high-tech industries have achieved institutional reforms and gradually To obtain international quality certification.

Main industries

Polish industries include fuel-power industry, metallurgical industry, electromechanical industry, chemical industry, wood and paper industry, light industry, aviation industry, etc. The fuel-power industry is an important basic industry in Poland, among which the coal industry is the most developed. The metallurgical industry is mainly the steel industry and other non-ferrous metal industries. Poland is poor in iron ore, and its iron ore self-sufficiency rate is only 35%. The rest depends on imports (mainly from Russia, Ukraine, France, Sweden and other countries). The electromechanical industry is Poland's largest and most important industry, including metal processing, machine manufacturing, automobiles, shipbuilding, precision instruments, transportation, electrical and electronic industries, etc. Among them, the automobile industry is one of the largest new industries that is developing rapidly. New Year: January 1 every year

Three Kings Day: January 6 every year

Easter: the third Sunday and Monday in April every year

< p>Labor Day: May 1st every year

Polish Flag Day: May 2nd every year (generally not a holiday)

National Day: May 3rd every year (Constitution Day, Poland promulgated its first constitution on May 3, 1791)

Corpuscular Day: June 15 every year

National Restoration Day: July 22 every year

< p>Assumption Day of the Virgin Mary: August 15th every year

Tomb Sweeping Day: November 1st every year

Independence Day: November 11th every year (November 11, 1918 Poland regained its independence on the same day)

Christmas: December 25th every year

Memorial Day for the victims of the Katyn Incident: April 13th every year (1943). The Poles especially cherish their long history. and glorious religious and cultural traditions. Generally speaking, Poland is a country in Europe that still maintains a high degree of piety towards religion. There are many large and small churches in the country and the religious atmosphere is strong. Going to church to attend mass every week is still an important part of life for most residents.

95% of Poland’s population believes in Catholicism, and 75% of them still faithfully and devoutly observe Catholic traditional customs. Although Prussia (Protestant Lutheran Church) and Russia (Orthodox Church), who had conquered Poland in history, both attempted to suppress Catholicism, they instead strengthened the Poles' belief in Catholicism. The previous Pope John Paul II (reigned 1978-2005) was also Polish. The remaining 5% of the population are mostly Orthodox or Protestant. Polish eating habits are broadly similar to those of other Eastern European countries. Specifically, Polish people mainly eat pasta. They like to eat grilled, boiled and stewed dishes, which have a lighter taste. In terms of drinks, they also like to drink coffee and black tea. When drinking black tea, most Polish people like to add a slice of lemon, and they don't like the tea to be too strong. In terms of dietary taboos, Poles mainly avoid pickled cucumbers and steamed dishes. Polish people like to treat guests to dinner when interacting with others. When entertaining guests, Polish people are very particular.

First, it is taboo to have an odd number of diners. They thought this was a bad omen.

Secondly, when eating a whole chicken, duck, or goose, the Poles usually have to have the youngest hostess here cut it into pieces, and then distribute it to each guest one by one. on the food plate.

Third, no matter whether the food is to their own taste, the guests should strive to eat more and express their gratitude to the host for their hospitality.

Fourthly, talking with food in your mouth is very rude in the eyes of Poles.

Gourmet cooking

Polish traditional cooking is highly praised by the fastidious French people. Polish cooking has obvious regional characteristics. In the north, there are many dishes based on fish. In the center, there are famous soups. In the south, there are sour cabbage soup and blackened cheese made from goat's milk.

Most Polish dishes do not add chemical additives and are made in purely natural ways. Some masters can make magical dishes that are unique in the world, such as cakes made with lobster butter and coriander and cabbage; elk meat is served with hawthorn leaves as a garnish. Polish people drink soup first when they eat. The types of soup include beet soup, cold egg drop soup, barley soup and some barley soup with eggs and sausages. There are many types of main meals. Common ones include: fried pork cutlet pancakes and soft cheese, as well as various types of dumplings, including meat, potato, cheese or blueberry.

Polish wine culture

Polish vodka (wodka) enjoys a high reputation around the world, including "fine vodka" (wyborowa), "ox grass vodka" (zubrowka), "high-end vodka" ( Luksusowa) and Belvedere vodka (belvedere) brands are resounding almost everywhere. According to historical records, the production of ancient Polish specialty alcoholic beverages was beer, mead (okowita), Polish shochu "palikotowka" (formerly known as water of life), and then vodka.

Polish schnapps "Palikotovka" is an eaux-de-vie spirit brewed according to an ancient Polish recipe preserved in jablonna in the Lublin region. The longer the grain-based eaux-de-vie settles in oak barrels, the more mellow the wine becomes. Selected auxiliary materials, walnut and raisin extract, make this vodka fragrant, delicate in taste and smooth in taste. Polish schnapps "Palikotovka" schnapps are a must-try for connoisseurs.

Polish specialty is pure vodka, and its crown jewel is none other than fine vodka, which has ambitiously entered foreign markets. It is sold in 70 countries, and the countries that love it most include Italy, Mexico, France, Canada and Germany, including China. The boutique vodka has won 20 awards in international competitions, three quarters of which were gold medals.

Among the vodkas with added flavor and vanilla extract, the most popular is cowgrass vodka, commonly known as cowgrass wine, which is made from selected distilled alcohol. Experts value its extraordinary aroma and taste because bison grass leaves are added to each bottle of wine. The bison grass makes the color of the wine pale yellow and makes the wine more fragrant and rich in taste. This grass grows only in the Bialowieski Forest in Poland.

The appetizing bitter vodka (Gorzka Zoladkowa) (although its name is bitter, its taste is quite sweet) also has many fans. It's made from small oranges with vanilla and natural caramel.

The famous Gdansk gold leaf wine (Goldwasser) is very popular among people. Tourists who have visited Gdansk will bring back several bottles of this wine as gifts to their relatives and friends. This is a vodka made from roots and vanilla according to a 16th-century recipe. Some aromatic essential oils are added to this wine, and a little gold powder is sprinkled on it. The gold powder sparkles in the transparent wine liquid. Many wine lovers often store this wine in their own wine cabinets.