Geographia Polonica (2001) vol. 74, iss. 1
Changes in the role and permeability of Polish borders
Geographia Polonica (2001) vol. 74, iss. 1, pp. 77-100 | 
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Abstract
The degree of openness, and thus the permeability and the functions, of Po-land's borders has changed fundamentally in the last seven years, as has the intensity of the traffic crossing them. The aim of this study was to define the degree of advancement of the process of functional change on Poland's borders as a whole, and in reference to the sections of border with particular neighbours. As element in this was the description of trends to the changes in the intensity and structure of border traffic in the years 1990-1999. In summing up the analysis carried out in this study a ranking of the permeability of borders wai prepared. It has been found that - in both of the studied time intervals (1990 and 1996) - the highest places were mostly taken by the German border, while the border with the Kalingrad District was consistently the worst on average. Between 1990 and 1996, the border improving its position as regards permeability to the greatest degree was that with Lithuania.
Keywords: borders, permeability, barriers, border functions
[t.komorn@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland