Belarus

"BLR" redirects here. For the IATA code, see HAL Bangalore International Airport.

For other uses, see Belarus (disambiguation).

Рэспубліка Беларусь Республика Беларусь Republic of Belarus
Anthem: Мы, беларусы  (Belarusian) My, Belarusy  (transliteration) We Belarusians
Location of  Belarus  (orange) on the European continent  (white)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city)		Minsk 53°55′N, 27°33′E
Official languages		Belarusian, Russian
Demonym		Belarusian, Belarussian
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Alexander Lukashenko
-	Prime Minister	Sergey Sidorsky
Independence		from the Soviet Union
-	Declared	July 27 1990
-	Established	August 25 1991
-	Completed	December 25 1991
Area
-	Total	207,600 km² (85th) 80,155 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible (183 km²)1
Population
-	2007 estimate	9,724,723 (86th)
-	1999 census	10,045,237
-	Density	49/km² (142nd) 127/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$79.13 billion (64th)
-	Per capita	$7,700 (78th)
GDP (nominal)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$36.94 billion (69th)
-	Per capita	$3,808 (82nd)
Gini (2002)		29.7 (low)
HDI (2005)		▲ 0.804 (high) (64th)
Currency		rouble (BYR)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.by
Calling code		+375
1	Tourism. Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Retrieved on 2006-03-26.

Belarus (IPA: /ˈbɛləruːs/) (Belarusian and Russian: Беларусь, transliteration: Byelarus’, Polish: Białoruś listen (help·info) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe,UN Statistics Division (2007-08-28). Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49). United Nations Organization. Retrieved on 2007-12-07. that borders Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk and Bobruisk. A third of the country is forested, and agriculture and manufacturing are its strongest economic sectors.

Until the 20th century, the Belarusians lacked the opportunity to evolve a distinctive national identity, since the lands of modern-day Belarus belonged to several countries, including the Duchy of Polatsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. After the short-lived Belarusian People\'s Republic (1918–19), Belarus became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Byelorussian SSR.

The final unification of Belarusian lands within its modern borders took place in 1939, when the ethnically Belarusian lands that were part of interwar Poland were annexed by the USSR and attached to the Soviet Belarus. The territory and its nation were devastated in World War II, during which Belarus lost about a quarter of its population and more than half of its economic resources;Axell, Albert (2002). Russia\'s Heroes, 1941–45. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 247. ISBN 078671011X.  the republic recovered in the post-war years and became one of the founding members of the United Nations. The parliament of the republic declared the sovereignty of Belarus on July 27, 1990, and following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus declared independence on August 25, 1991. Alexander Lukashenko has been the country\'s president since 1994. During his presidency, Lukashenko has implemented Soviet-era policies, such as state ownership of the economy, despite objections from Western governments. Since 1996, Belarus is negotiating with Russia to unify into a single state called the Union of Russia and Belarus.

Most of Belarus\'s population of 9.85 million reside in the urban areas surrounding Minsk and other oblast (regional) capitals. About Belarus - Population. United Nations Office in Belarus (2003). Retrieved on 2007-10-07. More than 80% of the population are native Belarusians, with sizable minorities of Russians, Ukrainians and Poles. Since a referendum in 1995, the country has had two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. The Constitution of Belarus does not declare an official religion, although the primary religion in the country is Russian Orthodox.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Politics 4 Foreign relations and military 5 Provinces and districts 6 Geography 7 Economy 8 Demographics 9 Culture 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links

Etymology

The name Belarus derives from the term White Russia, which first appeared in German and Latin medieval literature. The Latin term for the area was Russia Alba. Historically, the country was referred to in English as White Russia. It is also claimed by some people that the correct translation is White Ruthenia (White Rus phonetically), which either describes the area of Eastern Europe populated by Slavic people or the states that occupied the area.Bielawa, Matthew (2002). An Understanding of the Terms \'Ruthenia\' and \'Ruthenians. Genealogy of Halychyna/Eastern Galicia. Retrieved on 2007-03-18. The first known use of White Russia to refer to Belarus was in the late-16th century by Englishman Sir Jerome Horsey.Alies, Bely (2000). The chronicle of the White Russia: an essay on the history of one geographical name. Minsk, Belarus: Encyclopedix. ISBN 985-6599-12-1.  During the 17th century, Russian tsars used White Rus\', asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Belarus was named Belorussia (Russian: Белоруссия) in the days of Imperial Russia, and the Russian tsar was usually styled Czar of All the Russias—Great, Little, and White. Belorussia was the only Russian language name of the country (its names in other languages such as English being based on the Russian form) until 1991, when the Supreme Soviet of the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic decreed by law that the new independent republic should be called Belarus (Беларусь) in Russian and in all other language transcriptions of its name. The change was made to reflect adequately the Belarusian language form of the name. Law of the Republic of Belarus - About the name of the Republic of Belarus (Russian). Pravo - Law of the Republic of Belarus (1991-09-19). Retrieved on 2007-10-06. Accordingly, the name Belorussia was replaced by Belarus in English, and, to some extent, in Russian (although the traditional name still persists in that language as well); likewise, the adjective Belorussian or Byelorussian was replaced by Belarusian in English (though Russian has not developed a new adjective). Some Belarusians object to the name Belorussia as an unwelcome reminder of the days under Russian and Soviet rule. Katkouski, Uladzimir (2003-02-03). Belarus: Belarusian and Belarusan the correct adjective forms. Pravapis.org. Retrieved on 2006-03-08. However, most residents of the country do not mind it being called Byelorussiya in Russian (which is, actually, the most widely spoken language there) – it is evidenced by the fact that several popular newspapers published locally still retain the traditional name of the country in Russian in their names (e.g. Komsomolskaya Pravda v Byelorussii, which is the localised publication of a popular Russian tabloid, and Sovetskaya Byelorussiya). Officially, the full name of the country is Republic of Belarus (Рэспубліка Беларусь, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Byelarus\'). Belarus - Government. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007-12-13). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. listen (help·info)

History

Main article: History of Belarus

The Mir Castle near Minsk, built in the 15th century

Map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1619

The area of modern-day Belarus was first settled by Slavic tribes in the 6th century. They gradually came into contact with the Varangians, a band of warriors consisting of Scandinavians and Slavs from the Baltics.Rambaud, Alfred; Edgar Saltus (1902). Russia. P. F. Collier & Son, 46–48.  Though defeated and briefly exiled by the local population, the Varangians were later asked to return and helped to form a polity—commonly referred to as the Kievan Rus\'—in exchange for tribute. The Kievan Rus\' state began in about 862 at the present-day city of Novgorod.Treuttel; Various (1841). The Foreign Quarterly Review. New York, New York: Jemia Mason, 38. 

Upon the death of Kievan Rus\' ruler, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the state split into independent principalities.Plokhy, Serhii (2006). The Origins of the Slavic Nations. Cambridge University Press, 94–95. ISBN 0521864038.  These Ruthenian principalities were badly affected by a Mongol invasion in the 13th century, and many were later incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.Robinson, Charles Henry (1917). The Conversion of Europe. Longmans, Green, 491–492.  Of all the principalities held by the Duchy, nine were settled by ancestors of the Belarusian people.Zaprudnik, Jan (1993). Belarus: At a Crossroads in History. Westview Press, 27. ISBN 0813317940.  During this time, the Duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of Poland against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The joint victory allowed the Duchy to control the northwestern border lands of Eastern Europe.Lerski, George Jan; Aleksander Gieysztor (1996). Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966–1945. Greenwood Press, 181–182. ISBN 0313260079. 

On February 2, 1386, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were joined in a personal union through a marriage of their rulers.Edited by Michael Jones; Albert Rigaudière, Jeremy Catto, S. C. Rowell and others (2005). The New Cambridge Medieval History (Vol.6). Cambridge University Press, p.710. ISBN 0521362903.  This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, created in 1569. The Russians, led by Tsar Ivan the III, began military conquests in 1486 in an attempt to gain the Kievan Rus\' lands, specifically Belarus and Ukraine. Nowak, Andrzej (1997-01-01). The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation. Sarmatian Review XVII. Rice University. Retrieved on 2007-12-22. The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, and the commonwealth was partitioned by Imperial Russia, Prussia, and Austria, dividing Belarus.Scheuch, E. K.; David Sciulli (2000). Societies, Corporations and the Nation State. BRILL, 187. ISBN 9004116648.  Belarusian territories were acquired by the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine IIBirgerson, Susanne Michele (2002). After the Breakup of a Multi-Ethnic Empire. Praeger/Greenwood, 101. ISBN 0275969657.  and held until their occupation by Germany during World War I.Olson, James Stuart; Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas C. J. Pappas (1994). Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires. Greenwood Press, 95. ISBN 0313274975. 

Map of the Russian Empire, 1762–1801

During the negotiations of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Belarus first declared independence on 25 March 1918, forming the Belarusian People\'s Republic. The Germans supported the BPR, which lasted for about 10 months.(Birgerson 2002:105–106) Soon after the Germans were defeated, the BPR fell under the influence of the Bolsheviks and the Red Army and became the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919. After Russian occupation of eastern and northern Lithuania, it was merged into the Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Byelorussian lands were then split between Poland and the Soviets after the Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, and the recreated Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922.

In September 1939, as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union invaded Poland and annexed its eastern lands, including most of Polish-held Byelorussian land.(Olson 1994:95) Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. Byelorussia was the hardest hit Soviet Republic in the war and remained in Nazi hands until 1944. During that time, Germany destroyed 209 out of 290 cities in the republic, 85% of the republic\'s industry, and more than one million buildings, while causing human losses estimated between two and three million (about a quarter to one-third of the total population). The Jewish population of Byelorussia was devastated during The Holocaust and never recovered.Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Stalin and Russification. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971. After the war ended, Byelorussia was among the 51 founding signatories of the United Nations Charter in 1945 and began rebuilding the Soviet Republic. During this time, the Byelorussian SSR became a major center of manufacturing in the western region of the USSR, increasing jobs and bringing an influx of ethnic Russians into the republic.Belarus History and Culture. iExplore.com. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. The borders of Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn to a point known as the Curzon Line.

Map of the Byelorussian SSR, 1940

Joseph Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from Western influences. This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government. The official use of the Belarusian language and other cultural aspects were limited by Moscow. After Stalin died in 1953, successor Nikita Khrushchev continued this program, stating, "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism". When Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began pushing through his reform plan, the Belarusian people delivered a petition to him in December 1986 explaining the loss of their culture. Earlier that year, Byelorussian SSR was exposed to nuclear fallout from the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in neighboring Ukrainian SSR. Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus- Perestroika. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. In June 1988 at the city of Kurapaty, archaeologist Zianon Pazniak, the leader of Christian Conservative Party of the BPF, discovered mass graves which contained about 250,000 bodies of victims executed in 1941. Some nationalists contend that this discovery is proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people, causing Belarusian nationalists to seek independence.{Birgerson 2002:99)

A banner displayed by Belarusian students near Warsaw University showing support for Belarusian independence

Two years later, in March 1990, elections for seats in the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR took place. Though the pro-independence Belarusian Popular Front took only 10% of the seats, the populace was content with the selection of the delegates. Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Prelude to Independence. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Belarus declared itself sovereign on July 27, 1990, by issuing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. With the support of the Communist Party, the country\'s name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on August 25, 1991. Stanislav Shushkevich, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, met with Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine on December 8, 1991, in Belavezhskaya Pushcha to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. A national constitution was adopted in March 1994, in which the office of prime minister was replaced by that of president.

Two-round elections for the presidency (24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994) World Factbook: Belarus (TXT). Central Intelligence Agency (1994-10-20). Retrieved on 2007-12-21. resulted in the politically unknown Alexander Lukashenko winning more than 45 % of the vote in the first round and 80 % in the second round, beating Vyacheslav Kebich who got 14 %. Lukashenko remains in office, having been reelected in 2001 and in 2006.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Belarus

Victory Square, Minsk

Belarus is a presidential republic, governed by a president and the National Assembly. The National Assembly is a bicameral parliament comprising the 110-member House of Representatives (the lower house) and the 64-member Council of the Republic (the upper house). The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the prime minister, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, conduct an impeachment trial of the president, and accept or reject the bills passed by the House of Representatives. Each chamber has the ability to veto any law passed by local officials if it is contrary to the Constitution of Belarus. Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus. The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. The judiciary comprises the Supreme Court and specialized courts such as the Constitutional Court, which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. The judges of national courts are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Council of the Republic. For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. The Belarusian Constitution forbids the use of special extra-judicial courts.

House of Government in Minsk, with a statue to Vladimir Lenin in the foreground

As of 2007, 98 of the 110 members the House of Representatives are not affiliated with any political party and the remaining twelve members, eight belong to the Communist Party of Belarus, three to the Agrarian Party of Belarus, and one to the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, most of the non-partisans represents a wide scope of social organizations namely worker´s collectives, public associations and civil society organizations. In the other hand, neither the pro-Lukashenko parties, such as the Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party and the Republican Party of Labor and Justice, nor the People\'s Coalition 5 Plus opposition parties, such as the Belarusian People\'s Front and the United Civil Party of Belarus, won any seats in the 2004 elections. Organizations such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) declared the election "un-free" because of the opposition parties\' poor results and media bias in favor of the government.OSCE Report on the October 2004 parliamentary elections (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (December 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-21. In the country\'s 2006 presidential election, Lukashenko was opposed by Alexander Milinkevich, a candidate representing a coalition of opposition parties, and by Alaksandar Kazulin of the Social Democrats. Kazulin was detained and beaten by police during protests surrounding the All Belarusian People\'s Assembly. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote, but the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair.Belarus rally marred by arrests. BBC News (2 March 2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-26.

Lukashenko has described himself as having an "authoritarian ruling style".Profile: Alexander Lukashenko. BBC News (20 March 2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Western countries have described Belarus under Lukashenko as a dictatorship; the government has accused the same Western powers of trying to oust Lukashenko.Mulvey, Stephen. "Profile: Europe\'s last dictator?", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2001-09-10. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.  The Council of Europe has barred Belarus from membership since 1997 for undemocratic voting and election irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections.Belarus suspended from the Council of Europe. Press Service of the Council of Europe (January 17 1997). Retrieved on 2006-03-26. The Belarusian government is also criticized for human rights violations and its actions against non-governmental organizations, independent journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians. Essential Background - Belarus. Human Rights Watch (2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-26. Human rights by country - Belarus. Amnesty International Report 2007. Amnesty International (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Belarus is the only nation in Europe that retains the death penalty for certain crimes during times of peace and war. Capital Punishment in Belarus and Changes of Belarus Criminal Legislation related thereto. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. In testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labeled Belarus, among six nations, as part of the "outposts of tyranny".Opening Statement by Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (PDF) (January 18, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-26. In response, the Belarusian government called the assessment "quite far from reality".At-a-glance: \'Outposts of tyranny\'. BBC News (19 January 2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-26.

Foreign relations and military

Main articles: Foreign relations of Belarus and Armed Forces of Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko in Cuba, 2006

Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market.United States Government (2007). Background Note: Belarus. United States State Department. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. The Union of Russia and Belarus, a supranational confederation, was established in a 1996–99 series of treaties that called for monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common foreign and defense policy. Although the future of the Union was in doubt because of Belarus\' repeated delays of monetary union, the lack of a referendum date for the draft constitution, and a 2006–07 dispute about petroleum trade. On December 11, 2007, reports emerged that a framework for the new state was discussed between both countries."Russia-Belarus Union Presidency Dismissed", The Moscow Times, 2007-12-10. Retrieved on 2007-12-13. 

Belarus was a founder member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); however, recently other CIS members have questioned the effectiveness of the organization.Radio Free Europe (2006). CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. Belarus has trade agreements with several European Union member states (despite other member states\' travel ban on Lukashenko and top officials),EU imposes Belarus travel ban. BBC News. BBC (2002-11-19). Retrieved on 2007-12-03.) as well as with its neighbors Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Foreign Policy. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-22.

Bilateral relations with the United States are strained because of the United States State Department\'s support for various pro-democracy NGOs and because the Belarusian government made it harder for US-based organizations to operate within the country. U.S. Government Assistance FY 97 Annual Report. United States Embassy in Minsk, Belarus (1998). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. The 2004 US Belarus Democracy Act continued this trend, authorizing funding for pro-democracy Belarusian NGOs and forbidding loans to the Belarusian government except for humanitarian purposes."Belarus Democracy Act Will Help Cause of Freedom, Bush Says", USINO, United States State Department, 2007-10-22. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.  Despite this, the two nations cooperate on intellectual property protection, prevention of human trafficking and technology crime, and disaster relief. Relations between Belarus and the United States of America. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-22.

Belarus has increased cooperation with China, strengthened by the visit of President Lukashenko to China in October 2005.Pan, Letian. "China, Belarus agree to upgrade economic ties", Xinhua News Agency, 2005-12-06. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.  Belarus has strong ties with Syria,"Syria and Belarus agree to promote trade", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 1998-03-13. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.  which President Lukashenko considers a key partner in the Middle East."Belarus-Syria report subsantial progress in trade and economic relations", Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus, 2007-08-31. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.  In addition to the CIS, Belarus has membership in the Eurasian Economic Community and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Belarus has been a member of the international Non-Aligned Movement since 1998Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RB (2007). Membership of the Republic of Belarus in International Organizations. Retrieved on 2007-11-04. and a member of the United Nations since its founding in 1945. Growth in United Nations membership, 1945-present. Department of Public Information. United Nations Organization (2006-07-03). Retrieved on 2007-12-22.

The Armed Forces of Belarus has three branches: the Army, the Air Force, and the Ministry of Defense joint staff. Colonel-General Leonid Maltsev heads the Ministry of Defense, High-ranking Military Officials of the Republic of Belarus. Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. and Alexander Lukashenko (as president) serves as Commander-in-Chief. Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. The Armed Forces was formed in 1992 using parts of the former Soviet Armed Forces on the new republic\'s territory. The transformation of the ex-Soviet forces into the Armed Forces of Belarus, which was completed in 1997, reduced the number of its soldiers by 30,000 and restructured its leadership and military formations. History (Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Most of Belarus\'s service members are conscripts, who serve for 12 months if they have higher education or 18 months if they do not.Routledge, IISS Military Balance 2007, p.158–159 However, demographic decreases in the Belarusians of conscription age have increased the importance of contract soldiers, who numbered 12,000 as of 2001.Bykovsky, Pavel; Alexander Vasilevich (2001–05). Military Development and the Armed Forces of Belarus. Moscow Defense Brief. Retrieved on 2007-10-09. In 2005, about 1.4% of Belarus\'s gross domestic product was devoted to military expenditures. Belarus - Military. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2005). Retrieved on 2007-10-09. Belarus has not expressed a desire to join NATO but has participated in the Individual Partnership Program since 1997. Belarus and NATO. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2002). Retrieved on 2007-10-09.

Provinces and districts

Main article: Administrative divisions of Belarus

Provinces of Belarus

Belarus is divided into six voblasts, or provinces, which are named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers. Section I: Principles of the Constitutional System. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Each voblast has a provincial legislative authority, called an oblsovet, which is elected by the voblast\'s residents, and a provincial executive authority called a voblast administration, whose leader is appointed by the president. Section V: Local government and self-government. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Voblasts are further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as districts or regions). As with voblasts, each raion has its own legislative authority (raisovet, or raion council) elected by its residents, and an executive authority (raion administration) appointed by higher executive powers. As of 2002, there are six voblasts, 118 raions, 102 towns and 108 urbanized settlements.Carvalho, Fernando Duarte; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (2004). Defence Related SME\'s: Analysis and Description of Current Conditions. IOS Press, 32. ISBN 1586034081.  Minsk is given a special status, due to the city serving as the national capital. Minsk City is ran by an executive committee and granted a charter of self-rule by the national government. About Minsk. Minsk City Executive Committee. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.

Voblasts (with administrative centers):

1. Brest Voblast (Brest)
2. Homel Voblast (Homel)
3. Hrodna Voblast (Hrodna)
4. Mahilyow Voblast (Mahilyow)
5. Minsk Voblast (Minsk)
6. Vitsebsk Voblast (Vitsebsk)

Special administrative district:

1. Minsk

Geography

Main article: Geography of Belarus

Vaskowskae reservoir

Belarus is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land.Belarus - Geography. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-07. According to a 1994 estimate by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, 34% of Belarus is covered by forests.Bell, Imogen (2002). Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2003. Taylor & Francis, 132. ISBN 1857431375.  Many streams and 11,000 lakes are found in Belarus. Three major rivers run through the country: the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnepr. The Neman and the Pripyat flow eastward to the Dnepr; the Dnepr flows southward towards the Black Sea. Belarus\'s highest point is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill) at 345 metres (1,130 ft), and its lowest point is on the Neman River at 90 metres (300 ft). The average elevation of Belarus is 525 feet (160 m) above sea level.(Zaprudnik, xix) The climate ranges from harsh winters, with average January temperatures at −6 °C (21.2 °F), to cool and moist summers with the average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F). Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Climate. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Belarus experiences an average rainfall of 550 to 700 millimeters (21.7 to 27.5 inches). The country experiences a yearly transition from a continental climate to a maritime climate.

Horses grazing in Minsk Province

Belarus\'s natural resources include peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomite (limestone), marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay. About 70% of the radiation from neighboring Ukraine\'s 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster entered Belarusian territory, and as of 2005 about a fifth of Belarusian land (principally farmland and forests in the southeastern provinces) continues to be affected by radiation fallout.Rainsford, Sarah (April 26 2005). Belarus cursed by Chernobyl. BBC News. Retrieved on 2006-03-26. The United Nations and other agencies have aimed to reduce the level of radiation in affected areas, especially through the use of cesium binders and rapeseed cultivation, which are meant to decrease soil levels of cesium-137.The United Nations and Chernobyl - The Republic of Belarus. United Nations (2004). Retrieved on 2007-10-04.Smith, Marilyn. "Ecological reservation in Belarus fosters new approaches to soil remediation", International Atomic Energy Agency. Retrieved on 2007-12-19. 

Belarus is bordered by Latvia on the north, Lithuania on the northwest, Poland on the west, Russia on the north and east and Ukraine on the south. Treaties in 1995 and 1996 demarcated Belarus\'s borders with Latvia and Lithuania, but Belarus failed to ratify a 1997 treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border. State Border - Delimitation History. State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. Belarus and Lithuania ratified final border demarcation documents in February 2007. Lithuania\'s Cooperation with Belarus. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Belarus

A Belarusian-made tractor being used to farm

Most of the Belarusian economy remains state-controlled, as in Soviet times. Thus, 51.2% of Belarusians are employed by state-controlled companies, 47.4% are employed by private Belarusian companies (of which 5.7% are partially foreign-owned), and 1.4% are employed by foreign companies.Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Labour. Retrieved on 2007-11-06. The country relies on imports such as oil from RussiaDr. Kaare Dahl Martinsen (2002). The Russian-Belarusian Union and the Near Abroad (PDF). Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. NATO. Retrieved on 2007-11-07."Russia may cut oil supplies to ally Belarus - Putin", Reuters, 2006-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.  Important agricultural products include potatoes and cattle byproducts, such as meat. As of 1994, the biggest exports of Belarus were heavy machinery, agricultural products, and energy products.Library of Congress (1994). Belarus - Exports. Country Studies. Retrieved on 2007-11-04.

Belarusian GDP growth since 1995 and estimate for 2007

Historically important branches of industry include textiles and wood processing. Economic and Investment Review (pdf). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-22. As of the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus was one of the world\'s most industrially developed states by percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) as well as the richest CIS state.World Bank. "Belarus: Prices, Markets, and Enterprise Reform," pp. 1. World Bank, 1997. ISBN 0821339761 Economically, Belarus involved itself in the CIS, Eurasian Economic Community, and Union with Russia. During the 1990s, however, industrial production plunged because of decreases in imported inputs, in investment, and in demand for exports from traditional trading partners. Belarus - Industry. Country Studies. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved on 2007-10-08. It took until 1996 for the gross domestic product to rise;World Bank (2006). Belarus - Country Brief 2003. Retrieved on 2007-11-09. this coincided with the government putting more emphasis on using the GDP for social welfare and state subsidies. The GDP for 2006 was US$83.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita. The World Factbook - Belarus - Economy. Central Intelligence Agency (2006). Retrieved on 2007-10-08. In 2005, the gross domestic product increased by about 9.9%, with the inflation rate averaging about 9.5%.

Belarus\'s largest trading partner is Russia, accounting for nearly half of total trade in 2006.Council of Ministers Foreign trade in goods and services in Belarus up by 11.5% in January-October. Published 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007. As of 2006, the European Union was Belarus\'s next largest trading partner, with which nearly a third of trade was conducted. Because of its failure to protect labor rights, however, Belarus lost its E.U. Generalized System of Preferences status on June 21, 2007, which raised tariff rates to their prior most-favored nation levels.European Union The EU\'s Relationship With Belarus - Trade (PDF). Published November 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007. Belarus has applied to become a member of the World Trade Organization since 1993.World Trade Organization Accessions - Belarus. Retrieved October 6, 2007.

The labor force consists of more than four million people, among whom women hold slightly more jobs than men.Ministry of Statistics and Analysis Labor Statistics in Belarus. Published 2005. Retrieved March 18, 2007. In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed in industrial factories. Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 1.5% in 2005. The number of unemployed persons totaled 679,000 of whom about two-thirds are women. The rate of unemployment has been decreasing since 2003, and the overall rate has been lower since statistics were first compiled in 1995.

Obverse of the 500 Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR), the national currency

The currency of Belarus is the Belarusian ruble (BYR). The currency was introduced in May 1992, replacing the Soviet ruble. The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since.National Bank of the Republic of Belarus History of the Belarusian Ruble. Retrieved March 18, 2007. As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. This has led to the proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the Russian ruble (RUB), starting as early as 1 January 2008. As of August 2007, the National Bank of Belarus is no longer pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian ruble.Pravda.ru Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble. Published August 23, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007. The banking system of Belarus is composed of 30 state-owned banks and one privatized bank.Heritage Foundation\'s Index of Economic Freedom - Belarus. Retrieved on March 18, 2007.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Belarus

Ethnic Belarusians constitute 81.2% of Belarus\'s total population.