Poland Transportation

According to cachedhealth, Poland is less equipped than the other Central European countries with communication routes, which are then very unevenly distributed in its territory. The ordinary roads in 1932 were 47,300 km. of development, of which only 3600 km. in the eastern voivodships (Vilna, Nowogródek, Polessia and Volinia: 124,400 sq km) and 12,600 in the western voivodships (Silesia, Posnania and Pomerania: 47,200 sq km). The railways, although insufficient on the whole, are still the principal means of transport; their network in 1933 was 21,370 km., of which 19,910 belonged to the state; you have 1 km. of railway every 1570 residents and every 18 sq. km. These averages are of little value, because there is a huge difference in the density of the network between the western and eastern voivodships. The rolling stock available to the railways is made up of around 6,000 locomotives, 13,150 passenger carriages and 165,800 freight wagons. To the railways must be added 274 km. of tramways. The railway lines with the greatest traffic are those in western Poland, which connect the mining and industrial region of Silesia with the industrial region of Łódź and with the ports of Gdynia and Gdansk. The inadequacy of the railways has encouraged the development of transport by means of motor vehicles, which in 1934 numbered 35,300, of which 20,600 cars, 5500 trucks and 8300 motorcycles. The car lines are more than a thousand, with a development of 21,000 km., and carry about ⅓ of the number of passengers on the railways.

Due to the importance, in the export trade, of some heavy goods, such as coal and timber, water transport could develop a lot: but the major rivers, including the Vistula, would need to be conveniently arranged to meet modern needs. of traffic. The navigable waterways are 4949 km long. of development, half of which (2763 km.) offered by the Vistula and its main tributaries. Of the other rivers, the Warta is navigable for 442 km., The Dnestr for 361, the Prypeć for 674, the Niemen for 626, the Dźwina for 83 (always including the tributaries). It should be remembered that another 9200 km. some Polish gods are used for the floating of the timber. In 1932 479,000 tons were transported on rivers. of goods and 80,000 head of cattle.

From 1929-1933 the value of exports is reduced to ¹ / ₃, and that of imports to ¹ / ₄. It should be noted that since 1930 the trade balance has always been favorable, with a considerable surplus in the value of exports. These are mainly given by coal and timber, which together comprise about a third of the total value.

In imports are at the top of the textile materials, cotton and wool, which together usually represent ¹ / ₅ of the total value. There was also a strong import of machines and foodstuffs.

The countries that have the greatest trade relations with Poland are listed in the table on p. 744 (value of exports and imports in millions of z ³ zloty).

Italy buys in Poland especially coal and eggs, and sells there yarn, citrus fruit, motor vehicles, tobacco, silk fabrics, tires.

The provenance of the main goods imported from Poland is as follows: cotton, ⁸ / ₁₀ from the United States, ¹ / ₁₀ from Egypt; Wool ¹ / ₄ from Australia, followed by Britain, France, Belgium, Argentina and Austria; machines, about half from Germany, followed by Great Britain and France; yarns and fabrics, from Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Of the most important exported goods, coal is bought for ¹ / ₅from Sweden, followed by Austria, France, Italy and Norway; half of the timber goes to Great Britain; meat, almost entirely in Great Britain; The track, for ³ / ₄ USSR; rye, almost half in Germany.