* βeta
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. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
Eastern Europe, east of Poland
53 00 N, 28 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
West | 23.18 |
North | 56.17 |
East | 32.77 |
South | 51.26 |
Europe
total | 207 600 | square km |
land | 202 900 | square km |
water | 4 700 | square km |
total | 3 306 | km |
Latvia (lv) | 171 | km |
Lithuania (lt) | 680 | km |
Poland (pl) | 605 | km |
Russia (ru) | 959 | km |
Ukraine (ua) | 891 | km |
0.00 km
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
generally flat and contains much marshland
lowest point | 90 | metres |
highest point | 346 | metres |
forests | peat deposits |
arable land | 26.77 | % |
permanent crops | 0.60 | % |
other | 72.63 | % |
1 310 square km
58 cubic km
soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
Air Pollution | Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides |
Air Pollution-Sulfur 85 | Biodiversity |
Climate Change | Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Desertification | Endangered Species |
Environmental Modification | Hazardous Wastes |
Law of the Sea | Marine Dumping |
Ozone Layer Protection | Ship Pollution |
Wetlands |
9 648 533
Growth rate | -0.38 | % |
Birth rate | 9.71 | births/1,000 population |
Total fertility rate | 1.24 | children born/woman |
Death rate | 13.86 | deaths/1,000 population |
Net migration rate | 0.38 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
0-14 years | 14.30 | % |
15-64 years | 71.30 | % |
65 years and over | 14.50 | % |
total | 38.60 | years |
male | 35.60 | years |
female | 41.60 | years |
at birth | 1.06 | male(s)/female |
under 15 years | 1.06 | male(s)/female |
15-64 years | 0.94 | male(s)/female |
65 years and over | 0.47 | male(s)/female |
total population | 0.87 | male(s)/female |
Infant mortality rate | 6.43 | deaths/1,000 live births |
Life expectancy at birth - total population | 70.63 | years |
Life expectancy at birth - male | 64.95 | years |
Life expectancy at birth - female | 76.67 | years |
HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.20 | % |
HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 13 000 | |
HIV-AIDS deaths | 1 100 |
Eastern Orthodox | 80.00 | % |
other | 20.00 | % |
Belarusian | |
Russian |
total population | 99.60 | % |
male | 99.80 | % |
female | 99.40 | % |
conventional long form | Republic of Belarus |
conventional short form | Belarus |
local long form | Respublika Byelarus' |
local short form | Byelarus' |
former | Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic |
ISO 3166 | BY |
ISO Numeric | 112 |
ISO3 | BLR |
FIPS | BO |
ccTLD | by |
English | Belarus |
6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk|
name | Minsk |
geographic coordinates | 53 54 N, 27 34 E |
time difference | 2.00 |
daylight saving time | 1 |
BSEC (observer) | CBSS (observer) |
CEI | CIS |
CSTO | EAEC |
EAPC | EBRD |
FAO | GCTU |
IAEA | IBRD |
ICAO | ICRM |
IDA | IFC |
IFRCS | ILO |
IMF | IMSO |
IOC | IOM |
IPU | ISO |
ITU | ITUC |
Interpol | MIGA |
NAM | NSG |
OPCW | OSCE |
PCA | PFP |
UN | UNCTAD |
UNESCO | UNIDO |
UNWTO | UPU |
WCO | WFTU |
WHO | WIPO |
WMO | WTO (observer) |
1991-08-25
Independence Day | 1944-07-03 |
Indepedence from Soviet Union | 1991-08-25 |
President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO | Prime Minister Sergey SIDORSKIY |
PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 111 900 000 000 | $ |
Official Exchange Rate | 49 040 000 000 | |
RGR - Real Growth rate | -3.30 | % |
PPP - per capita | 11 600 | $ |
agriculture | 9.30 | % |
industry | 39.70 | % |
services | 51.00 | % |
agriculture | 14.00 | % |
industry | 34.70 | % |
services | 51.30 | % |
Labor force | 4 869 000 | people |
Unemployment rate | 1.60 | % |
Population below poverty line | 27.10 | % |
Distribution of family income - Gini index | 27.90 | |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 12.50 | % |
Investment (gross fixed) | 36.60 | % of GDP |
Current account balance | - 3 656 000 000 | $ |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 1 979 000 000 | $ |
Debt external | 17 079 999 999 | $ |
Military expenditures | 1.40 | % of GDP |
lowest 10% | 3.60 | % |
highest 10% | 22.00 | % |
revenues | 16 149 999 999 | $ |
expenditures | 16 899 999 999 | $ |
beef | flax |
grain | milk |
potatoes | sugar beets |
vegetables |
earthmovers | fertilizer |
metal cutting machine tools | motorcycles |
radios | refrigerators |
synthetic fibers | televisions |
textiles | tractors |
trucks |
Electricity Production | 29 920 000 000 | kWh |
Electricity Consumption | 30 540 000 000 | kWh |
Electricity Exports | 5 062 000 000 | kWh |
Electricity Imports | 9 406 000 000 | kWh |
Oil Production | 32 950 | bbl/day |
Oil Consumption | 184 000 | bbl/day |
Oil Exports | 303 900 | bbl/day |
Oil Imports | 444 800 | bbl/day |
Oil Proved reserves | 198 000 000 | bbl |
Natural gas Production | 152 000 000 | cubic metres |
Natural gas Consumption | 21 750 000 000 | cubic metres |
Natural gas Imports | 21 600 000 000 | cubic metres |
Electricity Exports | 2 832 000 000 | cubic metres |
18 040 000 000 $
Russia (ru) | 32.30 | % |
Netherlands (nl) | 16.50 | % |
Ukraine (ua) | 8.50 | % |
Latvia (lv) | 6.50 | % |
Poland (pl) | 5.50 | % |
United Kingdom (gb) | 4.30 | % |
chemicals | foodstuffs |
machinery and equipment | metals |
mineral products | textiles |
22 400 000 000 $
Russia (ru) | 59.40 | % |
Germany (de) | 7.10 | % |
Ukraine (ua) | 5.30 | % |
chemicals | foodstuffs |
machinery and equipment | metals |
mineral products |
BYB/BYR
Belarusian ruble
Telephons Main lines in use | 3 718 000 | |
Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 8 693 000 | |
FM Radio broadcast stations | 37 | |
Television broadcast stations | 47 | |
Internet Country code (ccTLD) | by | |
Internet Hosts | 113 115 | |
Internet Users | 3 107 000 |
Airports with paved runways | 35 | |
Heliports | 1 | |
Pipelines - gas | 5 250 | km |
Pipelines - oil | 1 528 | km |
Pipelines - refined products | 1 730 | km |
Roadways - total | 94 797 | km |
Roadways - paved | 84 028 | km |
Roadways - unpaved | 10 769 | km |
Railways | 5 538 | km |
Waterways | 2 500 | km |