from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Belarus
Introduction
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,
Alexander LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his
power through authoritarian means. Government
restrictions on freedom of speech and the press,
peaceful assembly, and religion continue.
Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Geographic 53 00 N, 28 00 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 207,600 sq km
land: 207,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Kansas
comparative:
Land total: 2,900 km
boundaries: border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km,
Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
Climate: cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional
between continental and maritime
Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland
Elevation lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m
extremes: highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
Natural forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and
resources: 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 1,310 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the
current country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear
issues: reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
international Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
agreements: Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness
note: of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes
People
Population: 10,293,011 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.7% (male 825,823/female 791,741)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 3,490,442/female 3,682,950)
65 years and over: 14.6% (male 498,976/female
1,003,079) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 37.2 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 39.9 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.06% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 11.16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 14.02 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 13 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 69.08 years
expectancy at male: 63.47 years
birth: female: 74.98 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.3% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 15,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 1,000 (2001 est.)
deaths:
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, Russian, other
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.5% (2003 est.)
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 republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
type:
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; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative 6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1
divisions: municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*,
Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk
note: administrative divisions have the same names as
their administrative centers
Independence: 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was
holiday: 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 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
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since
branch: 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKIY
(since 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister
Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; 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,
Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a
November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9
September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended
presidential term limits allowing president to run in a
third election held on 19 March 2006; prime minister
and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected
president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO
82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%, Aleksandr KOZULIN
2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud
Legislative bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie
branch: 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 four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives
or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by
universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004;
international observers widely denounced the 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 - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata
Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - NA
Judicial Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
branch: Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by
the president and half appointed by the Chamber of
Representatives)
Political pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail
parties and SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB;
leaders: Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic
Party) or BPR [Nikolai ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Liberal
Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Party
of Labor and Justice [Viktor SOKOLOV]; Social-Sports
Party [Vladimir ALEXANDROVICH]
opposition parties: 10 Plus Coalition [Alyaksandr
MILINKEVICH], includes: Belarusian Party of Communists
or PKB [Syarhey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor
(unregistered) [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV, Leonid
LEMESHONAK]; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Vintsyuk
VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada
[Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO];
Party of Freedom and Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir
NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LYABEDKA];
Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH,
chairperson]
other opposition includes: Belarusian Social-Democratic
Party Nardonaya Hromada or BSDP NH [Alyaksandr KOZULIN,
chairman]; Christian Conservative BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK];
Ecological Party of Greens [Mikhail KARTASH]; Party of
Popular Accord [Sergei YERMAKK]; Republican Party
[Vladimir BELAZOR]
Political Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH];
pressure Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions
groups and [Alyaksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee
leaders: [Tatiana PROTKO]; Belarusian Organization of Working
Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV];
Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the
Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike
Committee of Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery
LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA];
Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol SHUMCHENKO];
Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic
Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front)
[Dzmitryy DASHKEVICH, Syarhey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group
[Vladimir KOBETS]
International BSEC (observer), CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
participation: IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
representation chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604
FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Karen B. STEWART
representation embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002
from the US: mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723
telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348
FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853
Flag red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band
description: one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical
stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national
ornamentation in red
Economy
Economy - Belarus's economy in 2005 posted 8% growth. The
overview: government has succeeded in lowering inflation over the
past several years. Trade with Russia - by far its
largest single trade partner - decreased in 2005,
largely as a result of a change in the way the Value
Added Tax (VAT) on trade was collected. Trade with
European countries increased. 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.
During 2005, the government re-nationalized a number of
private companies. In addition, businesses have been
subject to pressure by 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; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest
in the world. Because of these restrictive economic
policies, Belarus has had trouble attracting foreign
investment, which remains low. Growth has been strong
in recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough,
centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing,
rate of inflation. Belarus continues to receive heavily
discounted oil and natural gas from Russia. Much of
Belarus' growth can be attributed to the re-export of
Russian oil at market prices.
GDP $73.09 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $26.69 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 9.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $7,100 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 9.3%
composition by industry: 31.6%
sector: services: 59.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 4.3 million (31 December 2005)
Labor force - agriculture: 14%
by occupation: industry: 34.7%
services: 51.3% (2003 est.)
Unemployment 1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of
rate: underemployed workers (2005)
Population 27.1% (2003 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 5.1%
income or highest 10%: 20% (1998)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 30.4 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 10.3% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 24.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $5.903 billion
expenditures: $6.343 billion; including capital
expenditures of $180 million (2005 est.)
Agriculture - grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef,
products: milk
Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks,
earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers,
fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators
Industrial 15.6% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 30 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 99.5%
production by hydro: 0.1%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0.4% (2001)
Electricity - 34.3 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 800 million kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 7 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 36,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
production:
Oil - 252,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 14,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - imports: 360,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Natural gas - 250 million cu m (2004 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 20.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2004 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 20.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
imports:
Current $852 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $16.14 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals,
commodities: metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - Russia 38.5%, Ukraine 7.8%, Poland 7.1%, Latvia 4.2%,
partners: UK 4.1%, China 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $16.94 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals,
commodities: foodstuffs, metals
Imports - Russia 57.9%, Germany 9.7%, Ukraine 6.4%, Poland 5.2%
partners: (2005)
Reserves of $1.215 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $4.662 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $194.3 million (1995)
recipient:
Currency Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)
(code):
Currency code: BYB/BYR
Exchange Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,150 (2005),
rates: 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002),
1,390 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 3,284,300 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 4.098 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors
system: in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure;
state-owned Beltelcom, is the sole provider of fixed
line local and long distance service; modernization of
the network to digital switching progressing slowly
domestic: fixed line penetration is improving although
rural areas continue to be underserved; four GSM
wireless networks are experiencing rapid growth; strict
government controls on telecommunications technologies
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); 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
Radio AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 3.02 million (1997)
Television 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 2.52 million (1997)
Internet .by
country code:
Internet 33,641 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 23 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 3,394,400 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 86 (2006)
Airports - total: 41
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 12 (2006)
Airports - total: 45
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 35 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 5,223 km; oil 2,321 km; refined products 1,686 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 5,512 km
broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2005)
Roadways: total: 93,055 km
paved: 93,055 km (2003)
Waterways: 2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of
country and by shallowness) (2003)
Ports and Mazyr
terminals:
Military
Military Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense
branches: Force (2006)
Military 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;
service age conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,520,644
available for females age 18-49: 2,564,696 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 1,657,984
for military females age 18-49: 2,102,793 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 85,202
reaching females age 18-49: 82,037 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $420.5 million (2006)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.4% (FY02)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified
international: over unresolved financial claims, preventing
demarcation and diminishing border security; the whole
boundary with Latvia and more than half the boundary
with Lithuania remains undemarcated; discussions toward
economic and political union with Russia proceed slowly
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