| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
53° 00' North Latitude
28° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
207,600 sq km |
| Climate |
Cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime |
| Natural Resources |
Forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Belarus |
| Capital City |
Minsk |
| Government Type |
Republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship |
| Administrative Divisions |
6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers |
| Independence Day |
25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
10,300,483 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Belarusian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4% |
| Religion |
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) |
| Languages |
Belarusian, Russian, other |
| Population Growth Rate |
-0.09% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR) |
| Industries |
Metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators |
| Labor Force |
4.305 million (31 December 2003) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 14%, industry 34.7%, services 51.3% (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals; textiles, foodstuffs |
| Export Partners |
Russia 38.7%, Poland 6.5%, Latvia 5.1%, Germany 5.1%, Ukraine 5.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals |
| Import Partners |
Russia 50%, Germany 13.3%, Ukraine 4.3%, Poland 4.2% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
5,512 km |
| Highways |
79,990 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 5,223 km; oil 2,443 km; refined products 1,686 km (2004) |
| Airports |
133 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Mazyr |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+375 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.by |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics.
Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation
has yet to take place. |
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