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| Geography |
| Landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes |
| Location: | Eastern Europe, east of Poland |
| Geographic coordinates: | 53 00 N, 28 00 E |
| Area: | total: 207,600 sq km land: 202,900 sq km water: 4,700 sq km
Size comparison: slightly smaller than Kansas |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 3,306 km border countries: Latvia 171 km, Lithuania 680 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
| Climate: | cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime |
| Terrain: | generally flat and contains much marshland |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m |
| Natural resources: | timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay |
| Land use: | arable land: 26.77% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 72.63% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,310 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | NA |
| Current Environment Issues: | soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People |
| Population: | 9,577,552 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 14.2% (male 699,048/female 660,130) 15-64 years: 71.7% (male 3,328,548/female 3,542,359) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 427,086/female 920,381) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 39 years male: 36.1 years female: 42.1 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.363% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 9.76 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 13.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.062 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 (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 6.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.2 years male: 65.57 years female: 77.18 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.26 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.3% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 17,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian |
| Ethnic groups: | Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census) |
| Religions: | Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) |
| Languages: | Belarusian (official) 36.7%, Russian (official) 62.8%, other 0.5% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities) (1999 census) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.8% female: 99.4% (1999 census) |
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| Government |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: Byelarus' former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Government type: | republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship |
| Capital: | name: Minsk geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March and will continue throughout 2011 |
| Administrative divisions: | 6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk) note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; Russian spelling provided for reference when different from Belarusian |
| Independence: | 25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
| Constitution: | 15 March 1994; revised by national referendum 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers; became effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits |
| 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 |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH (since 28 December 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place on 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held on 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the president to run in a third (19 March 2006) and fourth election (19 December 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 79.7%, Andrey SANNIKAU 2.6%, other candidates 17.7%; note - election marred by electoral fraud |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Council of the Republic or Sovet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Palata Predstaviteley - last held on 28 September 2008 (next to be held in the spring of 2012); international observers determined that despite minor improvements the election ultimately fell short of democratic standards; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won every seat election results: Sovet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KPB 6, AP 1, no affiliation 103 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives) |
| Political parties and leaders: | pro-government parties: Belarusian Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolay ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Communist Party of Belarus or KPB [Tatsyana HOLUBEVA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Sergey GAYDUKEVICH]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Vasiliy ZADNEPRYANYY] opposition parties: Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Pavel SEVERINETS] (unregistered); Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Sergey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV] (unregistered); Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Aleksey YANUKEVICH]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Hramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada ("Assembly") or BSDPH [Anatoliy LEVKOVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party People's Assembly ("Narodnaya Hramada") [Nikolay STATKEVICH] (unregistered); Belarusian Women's Party Nadzeya ("Hope") [Yelena YESKOVA, chairperson]; Christian Conservative Party or BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; European Belarus Campaign [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Party of Freedom and Progress [Vladimir NOVOSYAD] (unregistered); "Tell the Truth" Campaign [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatoliy LEBEDKO] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs (unregistered) [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Association of Journalists [Zhana LITVINA]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK]; Belarusian Independence Bloc (unregistered) and For Freedom movement [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth [Andrus KRECHKA]; Charter 97 (unregistered) [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Perspektiva small business association [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Nasha Vyasna (unregistered) ("Our Spring") human rights center; "Tell the Truth" Movement [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus (Malady Belarus) [Zmitser KASPYAROVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Zmitser DASHKEVICH] |
| International organization participation: | BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Oleg KRAVCHENKO chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604 FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael SCANLAN embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002 mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723 telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347 through 7348 FAX: [375] (17) 334-7853 |
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| Economy |
| Belarus has seen limited structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subjected to pressure by central and local governments, including arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. Continued state control over economic operations hampers market entry for businesses, both domestic and foreign. Government statistics indicate GDP growth was strong, surpassing 10% in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high rate of inflation and a low rate of unemployment. However, the global crisis pushed the country into recession in 2009, and GDP grew only 0.2% for the year. Slumping foreign demand hit the industrial sector hard. Minsk has depended on a standby-agreement with the IMF to assist with balance of payments shortfalls. In line with IMF conditions, in 2009, Belarus devalued the ruble more than 40% and tightened some fiscal and monetary policies. On 1 January 2010, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a customs union, with unified trade regulations and customs codes still under negotiation. In late January, Russia and Belarus amended their 2007 oil supply agreement. The new terms raised prices for above quota purchases, increasing Belarus' current account deficit. GDP grew 4.8% in 2010, in part, on the strength of renewed export growth. In December 2010, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to form a Common Economic Space and Russia removed all Belarusian oil duties. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $131.2 billion (2010 est.) $121.9 billion (2009 est.) $121.7 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $54.71 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 7.6% (2010 est.) 0.2% (2009 est.) 10.2% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $13,600 (2010 est.) $12,600 (2009 est.) $12,600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 9.4% industry: 44.6% services: 46% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 5 million (2009) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 14% industry: 34.7% services: 51.3% (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 1% (2009 est.) 1.6% (2005) note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers |
| Population below poverty line: | 27.1% (2003 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 3.8% highest 10%: 21.9% (2008) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 27.2 (2008) 21.7 (1998) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (2010 est.) 12.9% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 36.6% of GDP (2010 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $23.59 billion expenditures: $24.7 billion (2010 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk |
| Industries: | metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 10.5% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 32.95 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 31.07 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 5.245 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 1.84 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 31,010 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 163,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 310,500 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 471,400 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 198 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 150 million cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 17.75 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 17.6 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$8.5 billion (2010 est.) -$6.389 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $25.35 billion (2010 est.) $21.36 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners: | Russia 38.9%, Netherlands 11%, Ukraine 10.2% (2010) |
| Imports: | $34.47 billion (2010 est.) $28.32 billion (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals |
| Imports - partners: | Russia 51.8%, Germany 6.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.8% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $3.431 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $4.831 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $25.04 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $19.73 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 3,019.9 (2010) 2,789.49 (2009) 2,130 (2008) 2,145 (2007) 2,144.6 (2006) |
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| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 3.969 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 41 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 9.686 million (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now digital domestic: state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; multiple GSM mobile-cellular networks are experiencing rapid growth; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 100 telephones per 100 persons in 2009 international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2008) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .by |
| Internet hosts: | 147,311 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 2.643 million (2009) |
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| Transportation |
| Airports: | 67 (2010) country comparison to the world: 74 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 35 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 27 (2010) |
| Heliports: | 1 (2010) |
| Pipelines: | gas 5,250 km; oil 1,528 km; refined products 1,730 km (2010) |
| Railways: | total: 5,537 km broad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified) standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 94,797 km paved: 84,028 km unpaved: 10,769 km (2005) |
| Waterways: | 2,500 km (use limited by its location on the perimeter of the country and by its shallowness) (2003) |
| Ports and terminals: | Mazyr |
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| Military |
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| Military branches: | Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,401,785 females age 16-49: 2,429,653 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,693,626 females age 16-49: 2,012,401 (2010 est.) |
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