Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)
Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)
Languages
Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English (official; spoken by less than 1% of the population), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Exports
machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)
clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish
External Debt
$320,000,000,000 $
$5,205,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
zlotych (PLN) per US dollar - 2.3 (2008 est.), 2.81 (2007), 3.1032 (2006), 3.2355 (2005), 3.6576 (2004) note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar - 27.973 (2008 est.), 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
0.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
10
1
Location
Central Europe, east of Germany
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Area
312,685 km sq
2,040 km sq
Coastline
440 km
177 km
Climate
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
