1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Introduction
Background
For centuries Byelorussia has been fought over, devastated, and partitioned among Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and, in World Wars I and II, Germany. After seven decades as a Soviet republic, the newly named Belarus declared its independence in August 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. On 25 December 1998, Russian President Boris YEL'TSIN and Belarusian President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO signed several agreements intended to provide greater political, economic, and social integration while preserving both states' sovereignty.
Geography
Area
total: 207,600 sq km land: 207,600 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than Kansas
Climate
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
Environment--current issues
soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
Environment--international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
53 00 N, 28 00 E
Geography--note
landlocked
Irrigated land
1,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 3,098 km border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Land use
arable land: 29% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 34% other: 21% (1993 est.)
Location
Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Map references
Commonwealth of Independent States
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas
Terrain
generally flat and contains much marshland
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 19% (male 1,027,974; female 985,342) 15-64 years: 67% (male 3,390,552; female 3,591,245) 65 years and over: 14% (male 463,369; female 943,302) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
9.7 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
13.71 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Byelorussian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Polish 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.9%, other 1.9%
Infant mortality rate
14.39 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Byelorussian, Russian, other
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.13 years male: 62.04 years female: 74.52 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1989 est.)
Nationality
noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian
Net migration rate
3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
10,401,784 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.09% (1999 est.)
Religions
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.32 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 voblastsi (singular--voblasts') and one municipality* (harady, singular--horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk) note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Capital
Minsk
Constitution
30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: none former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code
BO
Executive branch
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Sergey LING (acting since 18 November 1996, confirmed 19 February 1997); First Deputy Prime Ministers Petr PROKOPOVICH (since 23 December 1996) and Vasiliy DOLGOLEV (since 2 December 1998); Deputy Prime Ministers Valeriy KOKOREV (since 23 August 1994), Vladimir ZAMETALIN (since 15 July 1997), Ural LATYPOV (since 30 December 1997), Gennadiy NOVITSKIY (since 11 February 1997), Leonid KOZIK (since 4 February 1997), Aleksandr POPKOV (since 10 November 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should be in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via the November 1996 referendum); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO elected president; percent of vote--Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 85%, Vyacheslav KEBICH 15% note: first presidential elections took place in June-July 1994
Flag description
red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe of white on the hoist side bears the Belarusian national ornament in red
Government type
republic
Independence
25 August 1991 (Belarusian Supreme Soviet declaration of independence from the Soviet Union)
International organization participation
CCC, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires CHEREPANSKY chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel V. SPECKHARD (recalled to Washington in June 1998; Charge d'Affaires Randall LE COCQ) embassy: Starovilenskaya #46-220002, Minsk mailing address: use embassy street address
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: Party of Communists Belarusian or chairman]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic
Legal system
based on civil law system
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; eight appointed by the president and 56 indirectly elected by deputies of local councils for four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats; note--present members came from the former Supreme Soviet which LUKASHENKO disbanded in November 1996) elections: last held May and November-December 1995 (two rounds, each with a run-off; disbanded after the November 1996 referendum; next to be held NA) election results: after the November 1996 referendum, seats for the Chamber of Representatives were filled by former Supreme Soviet members as follows: PKB 24, Agrarian 14, Party of Peoples Concord 5, LDPB 1, UPNAZ 1, Green World Party 1, Belarusian Social Sports Party 1, Ecological Party 1, Republican Party of Labor and Justice 1, independents 61; 58 of the 64 seats in the Council of the Republic have been appointed/elected
National holiday
Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note--date set by referendum of 24 November 1996; represents Minsk liberation from German occupation
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Budget
revenues: $4 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1997 est.)
Currency
Belarusian rubel (BR)
Debt--external
$1.03 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$194.3 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism". In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO re-imposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprise. This produced a climate hostile to private business, inhibiting domestic and foreign investment. The Government of Belarus has artificially revived economic output since mid-1996 by pursuing a policy of rapid credit expansion. In a vain attempt to keep the rapidly rising inflation in check, the government placed strict price controls on food and consumer products, which resulted in food shortages. Long lines for dairy products, chicken, and pork became common in the closing months of 1998. With the goal of slowing down the devaluation of the Belarusian ruble, LUKASHENKO in 1997 introduced a new, complex system of legal buying/selling hard currencies. The new "command" system proved to be totally unworkable and resulted in galloping devaluation. In addition to the burdens imposed on businesses by high inflation and an artificial currency regime, businesses have also been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, and retroactive application of new business regulations prohibiting practices that had been legal. A further economic problem is the sizable trade deficit.
Electricity--consumption
33.7 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--exports
2.7 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--imports
10.3 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--production
26.1 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 99.92% hydro: 0.08% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1997)
Exchange rates
Belarusian rubels per US$1--139,000 (25 January 1999 official Belarusian exchange rate), 46,080 (2nd qtr 1998), 25,964 (1997), 15,500 (yearend 1996), 11,500 (yearend 1995), 10,600 (yearend 1994)
Exports
$7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Exports--partners
Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$53.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 20% industry: 43% services: 37% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$5,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
7% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 4.9% highest 10%: 19.4% (1993)
Imports
$8.5 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports--commodities
fuel, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textiles, sugar, foodstuffs
Imports--partners
Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany
Industrial production growth rate
11% (1998 est.)
Industries
tractors, metal-cutting machine tools, off-highway dump trucks up to 110-metric-ton load capacity, wheel-type earth movers for construction and mining, eight-wheel-drive, high-flotation trucks with cargo capacity of 25 metric tons for use in tundra and roadless areas, equipment for animal husbandry and livestock feeding, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, linen fabric, wool fabric, radios, refrigerators, other consumer goods
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
182% (1998)
Labor force
4.3 million (1998)
Labor force--by occupation
industry and construction 40%, agriculture and forestry 19%, services 41% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line
77% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate
2.3% officially registered unemployed (December 1998); large number of underemployed workers
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11
Radios
3.17 million (1991 est.)
Telephone system
the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly domestic: local--Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long; local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity--Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational international: Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line (TAE) and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus due to this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat and Intersputnik earth stations
Telephones
2.55 million (October 1998)
Television broadcast stations
17 (1997); note--Belarus has a state-run television broadcasting network; independent local television stations exist
Televisions
9,686,854 (1996)
Transportation
Airports
118 (1996 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 under 914 m: 11 (1996 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 82 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 62 (1996 est.)
Highways
total: 53,407 km paved: 52,446 km unpaved: 961 km (1997 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 1,470 km; refined products 1,100 km; natural gas 1,980 km (1992) Ports and harbors: Mazyr
Railways
total: 5,563 km broad gauge: 5,563 km 1.520-m gauge (894 km electrified)
Waterways
NA km; note--Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river systems
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$100 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
2% (1998)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 2,700,034 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 2,115,121 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 79,905 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe