2010 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. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.

Area

land

202,900 sq km

total

207,600 sq km

water

4,700 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

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

286 cu m/yr (2000)

total

2.79 cu km/yr (23%/47%/30%)

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

Irrigated land

1,310 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Latvia 171 km, Lithuania 680 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

total

3,306 km

Land use

arable land

26.77%

other

72.63% (2005)

permanent crops

0.6%

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

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

Terrain

generally flat and contains much marshland

Total renewable water resources

58 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.3% (male 707,550/female 667,560) 15-64 years: 71.3% (male 3,337,253/female 3,540,916) 65 years and over: 14.5% (male 446,746/female 948,508) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

9.76 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

13.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2007)

Ethnic groups

Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,100 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

13,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

7.34 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Belarusian (official) 36.7%, Russian (official) 62.8%, other 0.5% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities) (1999 census)

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.93 years (2010 est.)

male

65.26 years

total population

70.92 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.4% (1999 census)

male

99.8%

total population

99.6%

Median age

female

41.8 years (2010 est.)

male

35.8 years

total

38.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Belarusian

noun

Belarusian(s)

Net migration rate

0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

9,612,632 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.368% (2010 est.)

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2007)

male

14 years

total

15 years

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 (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

73% of total population (2008)

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

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

53 54 N, 27 34 E

name

Minsk

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

15 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

Byelarus'

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael SCANLAN

embassy

46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002

FAX

[375] (17) 334-7853

mailing address

PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723

telephone

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Oleg KRAVCHENKO

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 986-1805

telephone

[1] (202) 986-1604

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)

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

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

head of government

Prime Minister Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH (since 28 December 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003)

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 ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country

Government type

republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Independence

25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

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)

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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)

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 - NA

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

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI note: music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as "Dziarzauny himn Respubliki Bielarus" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)

name

"My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)

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

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]

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]

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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

13.5% (31 December 2009) 12% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.68% (31 December 2009 est.) 8.55% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$5.062 billion (2010 est.) -$6.402 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$24.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $19.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

27.9 (2005) 21.7 (1998)

Economy - overview

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.

Electricity - consumption

30.54 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

5.062 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

9.406 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

29.92 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 3,019.9 (2010), 2,789.5 (2009), 2,130 (2008), 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006)

Exports

$24.49 billion (2010 est.) $21.34 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Russia 33.6%, Netherlands 13.78%, Ukraine 8.68%, Latvia 6.32%, Poland 4.19%, Germany 4.17% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

9%

industry

42.9%

services

48.1% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,400 (2010 est.) $12,700 (2009 est.) $12,600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.8% (2010 est.) 0.2% (2009 est.) 10.2% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$52.89 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$128.4 billion (2010 est.) $122.5 billion (2009 est.) $122.3 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 22% (2005)

Imports

$29.79 billion (2010 est.) $28.31 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 56.42%, Germany 8.31%, Ukraine 4.79%, China 4.04% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

10.5% (2010 est.)

Industries

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (2010 est.) 12.9% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

36% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

5 million (2009)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

14%

industry

34.7%

services

51.3% (2003 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

17 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009)

Natural gas - imports

17.6 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - production

152 million cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

173,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

303,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

444,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

31,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

198 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

27.1% (2003 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.755 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $4.831 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$13.62 billion (31 December 2009) $14.07 billion (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$19.99 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $17.15 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.747 billion (31 December 2010 est) $4.381 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

1% (2009 est.) 1.6% (2005) note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers

Broadcast media

4 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 3 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2007)

Internet country code

.by

Internet hosts

147,311 (2010)

Internet users

2.643 million (2009)

Telephone system

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

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

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

3.969 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.686 million (2009)

Airports

67 (2010)

Airports - with 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 - with 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 (2009)

Ports and terminals

Mazyr

Railways

broad gauge

5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)

standard gauge

25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

total

5,537 km

Roadways

paved

84,028 km

total

94,797 km

unpaved

10,769 km (2005)

Waterways

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

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,435,318 females age 16-49: 2,466,762 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,708,634 females age 16-49: 2,043,083 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

52,572 (2010 est.)

male

55,758

Military branches

Belarus Armed Forces

Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force (2010)

Military expenditures

1.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

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)

Disputes - international

Boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania in 2006; 1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security

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; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008) page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================