From the moment I stepped off the airport shuttle on the eastern side of Helsinkiâs Railway Square, I felt small. In front of me, Helsinki Railway Station dominated the square, its arch-shaped faÃ§ade guarded on either side by enormous, lamp-wielding statues. Everywhere I looked was a succession of large and beautiful buildings, testaments to the creativity of 19th- and 20th-century architects.
With its 38,346,279 people, Poland is the 34th largest country in the world by population. It is the 70th largest country in the world by area with 312,685 square kilometers.
61.5% of the Polish population lives in urban areas, a number which is slowly diminishing. Poland is the 33rd most populous country in the world (9th in Europe, with 5.4% of the European population). Total population of Poland is almost stagnant (population growth was 0.08%). Average life expectancy was 70.5 for men and 78.9 for women. In 2009, it was expected to be 73.1 for men and 79.5 for women.