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Länder
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Eastern Europe, east of
Poland
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Geographic coordinates:
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53 00 N, 28 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 207,600 sq
km
land: 207,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Kansas
|
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,900 km
border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km,
Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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cold winters, cool and
moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime |
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Terrain:
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generally flat and
contains much marshland |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Nyoman River 90 m
highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m |
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Natural resources:
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forests, peat deposits,
small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone,
marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay |
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Land use:
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arable land:
26.77%
permanent crops: 0.6%
other: 72.63% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,150 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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soil pollution from
pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout
from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; glacial
scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its
11,000 lakes
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Population:
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10,293,011 (July 2006
est.)
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total: 37.2 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 39.9 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.06% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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11.16 births/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.02 deaths/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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2.3 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 13
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
69.08 years
male: 63.47 years
female: 74.98 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.43 children born/woman
(2006 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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15,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Belarusian(s)
adjective: Belarusian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Belarusian 81.2%, Russian
11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census) |
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Religions:
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Eastern Orthodox 80%,
other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20%
(1997 est.)
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Languages:
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Belarusian, Russian,
other |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15
and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.5% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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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
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Government type:
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republic in name,
although in fact a dictatorship |
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Capital:
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Minsk |
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Administrative divisions:
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6 provinces (voblastsi,
singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad
Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers |
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Independence:
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25 August 1991 (from
Soviet Union)
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National holiday:
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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 |
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Constitution:
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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 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (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 |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National
Assembly 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 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 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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pro-government
parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian
Communist Party or KPB; 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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Assembly of
Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of
Democratic Trade Unions [Alyaksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki
Committee [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] |
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International organization participation:
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CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604
FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805
consulate(s) general: New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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
FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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Belarus's economy in 2005
posted 8% growth. The 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$79.13 billion (2005
est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$26.69 billion (2005
est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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8% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$7,700 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 8.9%
industry: 26.8%
services: 64.3% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4.3 million (31 December
2005)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 14%, industry
34.7%, services 51.3% (2003 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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1.6% officially
registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers (2005)
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Population below poverty line:
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27.1% (2003 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 5.1%
highest 10%: 20% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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30.4 (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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8% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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20.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $5.903
billion
expenditures: $6.343 billion; including capital expenditures of
$180 million (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grain, potatoes,
vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk |
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Industries:
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metal-cutting machine
tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical
fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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15.6% (2005 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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30 billion kWh (2004)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 99.5%
hydro: 0.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.4% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption:
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34.3 billion kWh (2004)
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Electricity - exports:
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800 million kWh (2004)
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Electricity - imports:
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7 billion kWh (2003)
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Oil - production:
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36,000 bbl/day (2004
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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252,000 bbl/day (2003
est.)
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Oil - exports:
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14,500 bbl/day (2003
est.) |
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Oil - imports:
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360,000 bbl/day (2004
est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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250 million cu m (2004
est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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20.5 billion cu m (2005
est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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20.5 billion cu m (2005
est.)
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Current account balance:
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$312.4 million (2005
est.) |
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Exports:
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$16.14 billion f.o.b.
(2005 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment,
mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
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Exports - partners:
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Russia 47%, UK 8.3%,
Netherlands 6.7%, Poland 5.3% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$16.94 billion f.o.b.
(2005 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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mineral products,
machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals |
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Imports - partners:
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Russia 68.2%, Germany
6.6%, Ukraine 3.3% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$835.4 million (2005
est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$4.662 billion (30 June
2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$194.3 million (1995)
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Currency (code):
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Belarusian ruble
(BYB/BYR) |
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Currency code:
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BYB/BYR |
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Exchange rates:
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Belarusian rubles per US
dollar - 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92
(2002), 1,390 (2001)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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3,175,900 (2004) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,239,300 (2004) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
Belarus lags behind its neighbors 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; two 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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 28, FM 37, shortwave
11 (1998)
|
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Radios:
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3.02 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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47 (plus 27 repeaters)
(1995)
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Televisions:
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2.52 million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.by |
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Internet hosts:
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20,973 (2005) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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23 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1.6 million (2005)
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Airports:
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101 (2005) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 44
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 15 (2005) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 57
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 42 (2005) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2005) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 5,223 km; oil 2,443
km; refined products 1,686 km (2004) |
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Railways:
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total: 5,512 km
broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2004) |
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Roadways:
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total: 93,055 km
paved: 93,055 km (2003) |
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Waterways:
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2,500 km (use limited by
location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Mazyr |
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Military branches:
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Ground Force, Air and Air
Defense Force (2006) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18-27 years of age for
compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months
(2005) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49:
2,520,644
females age 18-49: 2,564,696 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49:
1,657,984
females age 18-49: 2,102,793 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males: 85,202
females age 18-49: 82,037 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$420.5 million (2006)
|
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.4% (FY02) |
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Transnational Issues |
Belarus |
|
Disputes - international:
|
1997 boundary treaty with
Ukraine remains unratified 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 |
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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 |
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Information |
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Här hittar du information om alla världens länder. Listan fylls på efter hand
som jag har tid. Tyvärr så är informationen på engelska. |
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