Official Name: Republic of Belarus
Capital: Minsk
Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest.
Area: Approximately 207,595 square kilometers (approximately 80,153 square miles).
Population: Approximately 9.4 million people (as of 2023 estimate).
Language: The official languages are Belarusian and Russian.
Belarus has a moderate continental climate, with cool humid winters and warm summers.
The economy of Belarus is a mixed one, with public sector employees accounting for about half of the workforce. Major industries include metal-cutting machines, tractors, trucks, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, and radios.
Belarus is a presidential republic, governed by a president and the National Assembly. The term for each presidency is five years.
Education is compulsory in Belarus and is provided free to all citizens until they reach the age of 15. The education system is composed of pre-school, general secondary, vocational, specialized secondary, and higher education.
Belarusian culture involves a broad mix of influences: the country’s Slavic roots and history of union with surrounding nations; the heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland; the influence of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and Orthodox Christianity.
Belarus was devastated during World War II, during which it lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources. The country was one of the hardest-hit by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Belarus has also been termed “Europe’s last dictatorship” due to its authoritarian government.
This is a general overview of Belarus. There’s much more to learn about this country, from its complex history to its rich cultural traditions.
