Belarus

Full name of country: Republic of Belarus

Region: Europe

Official language: Belarusian, Russian

Population: 9,501,451 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Belarusian(s) (noun), Belarusian (adjective)

Land area: 202,900 sq km (78,340 sq miles)

Water area: 4,700 sq km (1,815 sq miles)

Capital: Minsk

National anthem: "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians), by Mikhas Klimkovich and Uladzimir Karyzna/Nester Sakalouski

National holiday: Independence Day, July 3 (1944)

Population growth: -0.42% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +2

Flag: The flag of Belarus features two broad horizontal stripes of red and green. The upper red stripe is larger (two-thirds the entire height of the flag) than the lower green stripe (one-third of the entire flag height). The flag features a traditional Belarusian red-on-white border pattern on the hoist (left) side. The red of the flag symbolizes the country’s past and the green stands for the forests and hope. The red and white border pattern resembles a rushnik, or woven towel used in ceremonies.

Independence: August 25, 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Government type: presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family and labor) have been revised and came into force in 1999 or 2000

The Republic of Belarus is a small country located in eastern Europe. It is bordered to the east by Russia, to the south by Ukraine, to the west by Poland, and to the north by Lithuania and Latvia. Belarus, known for its architecture and its fine arts, was previously part of the Soviet Union but is now a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The people of Belarus are known as Belarusians.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: More than three-quarters of the population of Belarus is made up of ethnic Belarusians, who typically have fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. The largest minority groups in Belarus are Russians, Poles, and Ukrainians. Belarus was ranked 69 out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index, which measures quality-of-life indicators.

An estimated 80.7 percent of Belarusians live in urban areas, according to 2023 estimates. The most densely populated area is Minsk, the centrally located capital and largest city, with a population of 2.057 million (2023 estimate). Other major cities include Orsha, Mahileu, Hrodna, Babruisk, Brest, and Vitsyebsk.

Most Belarusians who live outside of urban centers are farmers. Rural dwellings are typically small wooden houses. Many Belarusian families work with other families on collective farms, a legacy of the collectivization of the Soviet era.

Throughout history, European empires such as the Kievan Rus’ and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) have controlled Belarus. Russia controlled Belarus from the late eighteenth century until the Russian Revolution in the early twentieth century, after which the territory was divided between Poland (West Belarus) and the newly established Soviet Union (East Belarus). It was during these periods that Belarus developed most of its modern cultural elements, including the Belarusian language. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Soviet Union annexed West Belarus, reuniting the embattled nation.

Although Belarusian and Russian are both considered official languages, most citizens speak Russian. The two languages are verbally similar and are both written in the Cyrillic alphabet. There are also small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities.

Indigenous People: There is evidence that people have lived in the area now known as Belarus since the Stone Age. Eastern Slavic tribes inhabited and settled the area during the ninth and tenth centuries. Belarus's modern population is descended from the Slavs. Belarus is one of the few European countries whose native population is also its majority modern population.

Education: Belarus has high levels of school attendance and one of the highest literacy rates in the world. About 99.9 percent of Belarusians are literate (2019 estimate), many in more than one language.

Belarusian children between ages six and fifteen attend free public schools, and education is compulsory for children between these ages. Secondary school attendance levels are also high, and many students continue their education at the university level. There are several major universities in Belarus, including Belarusian State University in Minsk, established in 1921.

Health Care: Belarusians are generally healthy, with an average life expectancy at birth of 74.7 years—80 years for females and 69.8 years for males (2024 estimates). Fallout from the 1986 reactor meltdown at the Chernobyl site in Ukraine has caused widespread health problems in Belarus, and large regions in the southeastern part of the country remain uninhabitable. The most common health problem related to exposure to nuclear radioactivity is thyroid cancer and birth defects among Belarusian children.

Under Soviet control, Belarus had an established, effective health care system. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the organizational structure of the Belarusian health care system did not change drastically. The government regulates and funds health care through general taxation. In the twenty years following the fall of the Soviet Union, infant mortality decreased more than three-fold. In 2024, there were  2.1 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.

Food: Most Belarusians eat a diet based on traditional Russian cuisine. Dishes made from potatoes and mushrooms are particularly common. However, there are many popular foods specific to Belarus. Soups and stews, such as turnip borscht, are widely eaten.

Other common Belarusian dishes are potato pancakes (draniki), and various types of dumplings (kletsky, kolduni) stuffed with meat, cheese, mushrooms, and potatoes. Popular beverages include vodka and an herbal alcoholic drink called belavezhskaja. One of the most popular drinks is kvas, which is made from fermented rye bread.

Arts & Entertainment: Popular art forms in Belarus include dance, fine arts, folk music, and puppetry. Folk music is often performed at public gatherings, such as rural feasts and religious ceremonies, and is usually accompanied by folk dancing. Pesnyary, a rock band influenced by folk music, was popular in Belarus from the 1960s until they disbanded in the early 2000s. Rural artists typically practice weaving, box making, and other folk arts.

The performing arts, particularly ballet, are popular in urban areas. Ballet, opera, and theater are performed at the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Minsk. Traditional Belarusian folk clothing, an important part of the performing arts, is usually made from wool or flux and decorated with multicolor silk threads. In many restaurants in Belarus, the wait staff wears this traditional clothing.

Literature is one of Belarus's most prominent fine arts. Francysk Skaryna, a doctor who translated the Bible into Belarusian, is one of the country's most historically significant writers. In the nineteenth century, Jánka Kupála, Maksim Bahdanovič, Maxim Haradsky, and Yakub Kolas emerged as important authors and poets. Notable modern writers include poets Pimen Pachanka and Arkady Kalyashov and novelists Yanka Bryl and Ivan Shamyakin.

Belarusian painting and sculpting developed out of Eastern Europe's long history of religious icon painting. In the twentieth century, painter Kazimir Malevich and sculptor Ossip Zadkine initiated the abstractionist movement. Modern artists born in Belarus include Marc Chagall and Pinchus Kremegne.

Soccer, track and field, and volleyball are the most popular sports in Belarus. Gymnast Olga Korbut was one of the country's most famous athletes, having won four gold and two silver medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games.

Holidays: Most of Belarus's national holidays are days that commemorate war-related events. November 2 is Dzyady, or Remembrance Day, which honors the memory of those who died in the world wars. Constitution Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of Belarus's post-Soviet constitution, is observed on March 15.

Other official holidays include Victory Day (May 9) and October Revolution Day (November 7). Many Eastern Orthodox holidays are observed throughout the year as well.

Although Belarus's birth as an independent republic came on August 25, 1991, Independence Day is celebrated on July 3. On this day in 1944, Minsk was liberated from German troops at the end of World War II (1939–45).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Belarus is a relatively flat country. Forests cover 42.7 percent of the country (2018 estimate), and most of the southern land is covered by the Pripyat Marshes. The Pripyats make up the largest marshland in Europe. Another significant marshland, the Polesye, is also located in the southern region of Belarus. The highest point in the country is atop Dzyarzhynskaya Hara, at 346 meters (1,135 feet).

There are more than eleven thousand glacial lakes in Belarus, most of which are so small that the total water area of the country is negligible. The three main rivers are the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnepr. Other rivers include the Byarezine, the Sozh, and the Bug.

Natural Resources: The forests of Belarus provide important resources in the forms of lumber, plywood, paper, and wood for furniture, all of which are valuable exports. Oil, coal, and natural gas exist in small amounts, but Belarus's more significant mineral resources are limestone, granite, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, rock salts, and potassium. One of the most valuable natural resources in Belarus is peat, which is abundant in the soil and can be used as a fuel source.

Plants & Animals: Much of Belarus's wildlife may be found in the country's marshes. The Pripyat Marshes have been affected by nuclear radiation from the Chernobyl accident more than any area of Eastern Europe. Fish such as carp and catfish have shown high levels of plutonium radiation poisoning. Many small mammals living in the marshes, including beavers, hares, minks, and squirrels, have been affected as well.

The forests in the northern areas of Belarus have not been severely endangered by plutonium radiation. Varieties of trees found in Belarus's forests include oak, elm, white beech, birch, fir, pine, and spruce.

There are many wildlife preserves and national parks in Belarus. Among them are the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, the Braslav Lakes National Park, and the Narochansky National Park. Animals such as elk, deer, raccoon dogs, brown bears, wolves, eastern hedgehogs, and foxes are typically found in these areas.

Common birds in Belarusian forests include woodpeckers, forest grouses, hazel grouses, common crossbills, red-backed shrikes, white-tailed eagles, hawfinches, black redstarts, and goshawks.

The Białowieża Forest, a nature preserve on the border between Belarus and Poland, is home to a number of Belarus's endangered or threatened animal species, including a rare breed of European bison.

Climate: Belarus has a damp continental climate, typical of Eastern European nations. Winters are cold, with temperatures averaging about –6 degrees Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit). Summer temperatures average near 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit). Average annual rainfall is approximately fifty-eight centimeters (twenty-three inches). Belarus does not typically experience natural disasters other than occasional harsh winter storms.

Economy

Since the Soviet Union disbanded, Belarus has experienced considerable economic hardship. Inflation has often been problematic, particularly in 2011 and 2012. Much of industry and the banking sector remain in state control, and the country has been dependent on subsidized energy from Russia. From 2012 to around 2016 the economy was essentially stagnant. By 2017, it had begun to show signs of recovery, but as in many other countries the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2020 proved disruptive. Belarus's 2023 gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$254.407 billion, or US$27,700 per capita.

Industry: Industry accounted for approximately 32.5 percent of Belarus's GDP in 2023 and remains an important part of the Belarusian economy. Machine tools, vehicles (including tractors, trucks, earthmovers, and motorcycles), synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, and household appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines are among the primary manufactured goods. The service industry has become increasingly important to the economy compared to the industrial sector, accounting for 47.8 percent of the 2023 GDP. Most service-sector jobs are in the fields of communications, transportation, and construction.

Belarus's biggest trading partner is Russia. Other significant partners for exports include Ukraine and the United Kingdom, while import partners include China, Poland, and Germany. Exports include fertilizers, refined petroleum, cheese, delivery trucks, lumber. Import commodities include crude petroleum, natural gas, cars and vehicle parts, and packaged medicines.

Agriculture: Although industry and services employ the vast majority of the workforce, agriculture is a substantial part of Belarus's economy as well, accounting for roughly 7.3 percent of the 2023 GDP. However, the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident are still being felt by Belarusian farmers, who are unable to use contaminated land to grow crops.

Potatoes, rye, barley, sugar beets, fruits, and vegetables are grown on Belarus's farms. Livestock and dairy farming are also important to the agricultural sector.

Tourism: The tourism industry in Belarus generates moderate revenue but is inhibited by the difficulty of traveling in Eastern Europe. Many would-be tourists are denied entrance to Belarus for various reasons, including the lack of proper forms of identification, and are often subjected to thorough questioning by state officials. The tourism sector, like much of the Belarusian economy, also faced multiple challenges in the early 2020s, including the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest following the 2020 elections, and war in neighboring Ukraine.

Belarus boasts many national sites associated with its culture and history. Minsk contains most of the nation's prominent tourist attractions, including Independence Square. Other popular tourist sites in Minsk include the State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, Mir Castle, and the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

Tourists often visit Minsk to view the modern city's architecture, which reflects its Soviet heritage. The city was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt under the orders of Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Perhaps the most famous tourist attraction in Belarus is the World War II memorial at Brest Fortress. Other World War II memorials are found at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the Jewish Memorial, and the National Museum of History and Culture, all of which are in Minsk.

Government

Belarus was a member of the Soviet Union until 1991, when it declared itself an independent republic. Belarus was functioning relatively well as a Soviet state, and its people were disappointed when the nation declared sovereignty. Many of the problems in the new republic have come from the country's reluctance to transition to a free-market economy and to adopt democratic reforms. The Belarusian government's close ties with Russia and the government of Vladimir Putin have also led to tensions with other countries. For example, in early 2022, Belarus backed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and allowed Russian forces to stage parts of the invasion from its territory, leading to sanctions from the United States, United Kingdom, and other nations.

Since becoming independent, Belarus has constructed a presidential republic with a constitution, president, prime minister, and a bicameral legislature. The legislature, called the National Assembly, consists of a 110-member House of Representatives and a 64-member Council of the Republic. However, despite the fact that Belarus's government appears to be a democratic republic, it is in practice a dictatorship. Aleksandr Lukashenko became president in 1994 and steadily consolidated power, giving him the ability to appoint the prime minister, deputy prime minister, justices, and some members of the legislature. Under Lukashenko the president had no term limits and may remain a member of the presidential cabinet after their presidency ends.

Western nations, including the United States, and international watchdog groups have accused Belarus's government of violating human rights. Alleged offenses include the suppression of media sources, limiting public access to information, suppressing the freedom of speech and of peaceful assembly, and arresting or harassing citizens who criticize the government. In 2010, protests in Minsk over election results were quelled by security services. Another wave of major protests followed the 2020 elections, and security forces made tens of thousands of arrests, part of a larger crackdown on dissent.

There are six provinces in Belarus, in which voters elect members to local councils. The provinces are Minsk, Brest, Homyel, Hrodna, Mahilyow, and Vitsyebsk. There is also one municipality, Horad Minsk (Minsk City).

Interesting Facts

• Belarus currency did not include coins until 2016. The Belarusian ruble was previously only available in paper denominations, although high inflation prompted a redenomination.
• Białowieża Forest, one of the last remnants of the European primeval forest, has long been home to wild European bison (Bison bonasus), the largest extant land animal in Europe. While the bison had been hunted nearly to extinction by the sixteenth century, those in the forest were protected by royal decree. They became completely extinct in the wild in the early twentieth century but were reintroduced beginning in 1951, and the forest boasted one of the largest herds in the world as of 2020.

Bibliography

"Belarus." The World Bank 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/belarus. Accessed 16 Jan 2025.

"Belarus." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belarus/. Accessed 16 Jan 2025.

Bilefsky, Dan, and Andrew Higgins. “Who Is Aleksandr G. Lukashenko? Here’s What You Need to Know.” The New York Times, 11 Nov. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/world/who-is-aleksandr-g-lukashenko.html. Accessed 31 May 2022.

"Human Development Insights 2022." UNDP Human Development Reports, 13 Mar 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 16 Jan 2025.