2004 Edition

Background

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.

Area

land

207,600 sq km

total

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

highest point

Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

lowest point

Nyoman River 90 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

Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air

signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

53 00 N, 28 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay

Irrigated land

1,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

border countries

Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km,

total

2,900 km

Land use

arable land

29.55%

other

69.85% (2001)

permanent crops

0.6%

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Terrain

generally flat and contains much marshland

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.3% (male 859,219; female 823,839) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,469,926; female 3,662,203) 65 years and over: 14.5% (male 496,204; female 999,129) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

10.52 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

14.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

15,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

male

14.71 deaths/1,000 live births

total

13.62 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Belarusian, Russian, other

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.65 years (2004 est.)

male

62.79 years

total population

68.57 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.5% (2003 est.)

male

99.8%

total population

99.6%

Median age

female

39.5 years (2004 est.)

male

34.2 years

total

36.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Belarusian

noun

Belarusian(s)

Net migration rate

2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

10,310,520 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.11% (2004 est.)

Religions

Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Sex ratio

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.88 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.36 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk

administrative centers

note

administrative divisions have the same names as their

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; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Belarus

conventional short form

Belarus

former

Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Respublika Byelarus'

local short form

none

Diplomatic representation from the US

FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853

chief of mission

Ambassador George A. KROL

embassy

46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002

mailing address

PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723

telephone

[375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348

Diplomatic representation in the US

FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805

chancery

1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV

consulate(s) general

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 986-1604

Executive branch

December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei KOBYAKOV (since December 2003), Vladimir DRAZHIN (since 24 September 2001), Ivan BAMBIZA (since 25 May 2004), Anatoly TYUTYUNOV (since July 2002)

of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%

first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; new election held 9 September 2001; October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits allowing president to run for a third term in September 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

cabinet

Council of Ministers

chief of state

President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)

election results

Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;

head of government

Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (since 19

Flag description

red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamention in red

Government type

republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Independence

25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

International organization participation

CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

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)

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; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteliy (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms)

NA%; seats by party - NA; Palata Pretsaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

2004 (bi-election will be held March 2005 to fill one unfilled seat in the Palata Predstaviteliy); international observers widely denounced the October 2004 elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on massive government falsification; pro-Lukashenko candidates won every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for technical reasons

election results

Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party -

elections

last held 18 March and 1 April 2001 and 17 and 31 October

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

Political parties and leaders

Pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Social-Sports Party; Opposition parties: Belarusian Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat Party Narodnaya Gromada or BSDP NG [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LEBEDKO]; Party of Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson]

BUKHVOSTOV] was liquidated in August 2004, but remains active

note

the opposition Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

Budget

million (2003 est.)

expenditures

$3.211 billion, including capital expenditures of $180

revenues

$2.976 billion

Currency

Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)

Currency code

BYB/BYR

Current account balance

$-945 million (2003)

Debt - external

$851 million (2001 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

21.7 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$194.3 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Belarus' economy in 2003 posted 6.1 percent growth and is likely to continue expanding through 2004, albeit at a slower growth rate. The Belarusian economy in 2004 is likely to be hampered by high inflation, persistent trade deficits, and ongoing rocky relations with Russia, Belarus' largest trading partner and energy supplier. 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 reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies.

Electricity - consumption

26.69 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

300 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

4.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

24.4 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 1,790.92 (2003), 1,920 (2002), 1,390 (2001), 876.75 (2000), 248.795 (1999)

Exports

$9.413 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals; textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners

Russia 49.1%, UK 9.4%, Poland 4.4%, Germany 4.2%, Netherlands 4.2% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $62.56 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11.1%

industry

36.4%

services

52.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.8% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

20% (1998)

lowest 10%

5.1%

Imports

$11.09 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals

Imports - partners

Russia 65.8%, Germany 7.1%, Ukraine 3.1% (2003) Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: $637 million (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2003 est.)

Industries

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

28.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

21.7% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

4.8 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Natural gas - consumption

18 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

17.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

200 million cu m (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

230,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

37,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers (2003 est.)

Internet country code

.by

Internet hosts

5,308 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

23 (2002)

Internet users

1,391,900 (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios

3.02 million (1997)

Telephone system

telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly

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' fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational

Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, 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 through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

domestic

local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a

general assessment

the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all

international

country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the

Telephones - main lines in use

3,071,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.118 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

2.52 million (1997)

Airports

135 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m: 21

1,524 to 2,437 m: 6

over 3,047 m

2

total

50

under 914 m

21 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

over 3,047 m

3

total

85

under 914 m

64 (2003 est.)

Heliports

1 (2003 est.)

Highways

paved

66,203 km

total

74,385 km

unpaved

8,182 km (2000)

Pipelines

gas 5,223 km; oil 2,443 km; refined products 1,686 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Mazyr

Railways

broad gauge

5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2003)

total

5,523 km

Waterways

2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003)

Military branches

Army, Air and Air Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$176.1 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY02)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

2,764,856 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

2,164,923 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (May 2004)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

86,716 (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain undemarcated despite European Union financial support

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; a small and lightly regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005 @Belgium