Belarus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Рэспубліка Беларусь Республика Беларусь Republic of Belarus
Flag Emblem
Motto: none
Anthem: Belarusian: Мы, беларусы (Transliteration: My, Belarusy) (Translation: "We Belarusians")
Capital (and largest city)	Minsk 53°55′N 27°33′E
Official languages	Belarusian, Russian
Government	Republic
- President	Alexander Lukashenko
- Prime Minister	Sergey Sidorsky
Independence	From the Soviet Union
- Declared	July 27, 1990
- Established	August 25, 1991
- Completed	December 25, 1991
and  outlying territories by area">Area
- Total	207,600 km² ( and  outlying territories by area">93rd) 80,155 sq mi
- Water (%)	negligible (183 km²)[1]
Population
- 2005 estimate	9,755,000 (81st)
- 1999 census	10,045,237
- Density	49/km² (142nd) 127/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$79.13 billion (64th)
- Per capita	$7,700 (78th)
HDI  (2003)	0.786 (medium) (67th)
Currency	rouble (BYR)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.by
Calling code	+375

For other uses, see Belarus (disambiguation).

Belarus (Belarusian: Беларусь, Łacinka: Biełaruś; Russian: Белору́ссия) is  a landlocked nation-state in Eastern Europe, which borders Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and  Latvia. Its capital city is  Minsk, and  other important cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and  Vitebsk. The country, with one-third covered in forests, is  populated by 9,755,000 people (2005 est.). Officially, the country is  known as the Republic of Belarus (Belarusian: Рэспубліка Беларусь, Łacinka: Respublika Biełaruś; Russian: Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus).

Throughout much of history, the area which is  now known as Belarus was part of various countries including the Duchy of Polatsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and  the Russian Empire. Eventually, in 1922, Belarus became a republic in the Soviet Union as the Byelorussian SSR. The republic officially declared its sovereignty on 27 August 1990, and  following the collapse of the Soviet Union, declared independence as the Republic of Belarus on 25 August 1991. Since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko has been the state's president. Belarus is  currently in negotiations with neighboring Russia to integrate both of their economies, among other things, in a plan called the  and  Belarus">Union of Russia and  Belarus.

The country continues to suffer from the effects of nuclear fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which took place in neighboring Ukraine.

[edit] History of the name

Historically, the country was referred to in English as "White Russia". Although this is  not exactly correct – the correct translation is  "White Ruthenia," which either describes the area of Eastern Europe populated by Slavics or  the various states that occupied the area.[1] Despite this, the practice of using the term White Russia continues as of 2006 with the following languages: "Weißrussland" in German, "Beyaz Rusya" in Turkish or  "Λευκορωσία" (Leukorosía) in Greek (see wiktionary:Belarus for the full list). The first known use of "White Russia" to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th century by Englishman Sir Jerome Horsey. He used the term to describe the areas of Ivan the Terrible's empire. During the 17th century the Russian tsars used "White Ruthenia", asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After the Commonwealth broke up, the lands that now make up Belarus were officially referred to as "Belarus" and  "Belarusi", instead of the then-banned terms of "Litwa" and  "Licwiny."^[2]

The spellings Belorussia and  Byelorussia are  transliterations of the name of the country in Russian. Belarus was named "Belorussia" in the days of Imperial Russia, and  the Russian tsar was usually styled "Emperor of All the Russias — Great, Little, and  White". This practice continued throughout the Soviet era, with the country taking the official name of the "Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic". Some Belarusians object to the name "Byelorussia", as it  is an  unwelcome reminder of the days under Russian and  Soviet rule. ^[3]

In 2002, an  informal survey was conducted by the website pravapis.org to see which version of the name was used on a majority of websites. By using Google, the website looked up various terms and  it found that "Belarus", the official short form of the name, was used on 93% of websites checked. Spellings "Belorussia", "Bielorussia" and  "Byelorussia" were used in 1%–2% of cases.^[4]

[edit] History

Main article: History of Belarus

 and  the Kingdom of Poland, which eventually became the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth."> and  the Kingdom of Poland, which eventually became the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth." width="180" height="217" longdesc="../../../p/o/l/Image%7EPolish-Lithuanian_Commonwealth_map2.jpg_1a4f.html" />

Map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and  the Kingdom of Poland, which eventually became the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

 and  Poland after the result of the Polish-Soviet War in 1920."> and  Poland after the result of the Polish-Soviet War in 1920." width="180" height="138" longdesc="../../../r/z/e/Image%7ERzeczpospolita_1920.png_4233.html" />

Belarus and  Poland after the result of the Polish-Soviet War in 1920.

Minsk after the recapture of the city by the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War.

Between the 6th and  8th centuries, what is  now known as Belarus was settled by the Slavs, who still dominate the country. The Early East Slavs gradually came into contact with the Varangians and  were organized under the state of Rus', mainly in the area around modern-day Polatsk in the northern part of the country. In the 13th century, the state was badly affected by a Mongol invasion, and  eventually parts of Rus' were swallowed up by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. [2] The core lands of the duchy were territories around Kernavė, Trakai, Vilnius cities and  Samogitia. During this time, the Belarusian territories were largely at peace, but duchy itself was often at war and  had famous victories against Mongols in the east, Turks in the south and  Teutonic Knights in the west. By the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched across much of Eastern Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

On February 2, 1386, Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila was crowned King of Poland, and  allied the Grand Duchy with Poland in a personal union under one monarch. This personal union eventually resulted in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a new state created in 1569. However, by 1795, the state was divided and  annexed by Imperial Russia, Prussia and  Austria in the course of the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Belarus territories remained part of the Russian Empire until being occupied by Germany during World War I. Belarus first declared independence on 25 March 1918, forming the Belarusian People's Republic. The Republic, however, was short-lived, and  the regime was overthrown soon after the German withdrawal. In 1919 Belarus became the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR), and  after Russian occupation of eastern Lithuania merged into the Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. After the Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, Byelorussian lands were split between Poland and  the recreated Byelorussian SSR, which became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922. [3] In September 1939, the Soviet Union annexed the Polish-held Byelorussian land as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. [4]

In 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union. Belarus was captured soon afterwards, and  remained in Nazi hands until 1944. Much the country's infrastructure was destroyed and  a large portion of its population was killed in the German invasion. The Jewish population of Belarus was also devastated during The Holocaust. it  took until 1971 for the population of Belarus to reach the pre-war level. The Jewish population, however, never recovered.^[5] After the war ended, Byelorussia was among the 51 signatories to the founding of the United Nations, in 1945. The reconstruction that took place in Belarus after the war brought comparative prosperity to the Soviet Republic. During this time, Belarus became a major center of manufacturing in the western region of the USSR. The increase in jobs brought in a huge immigrant population from the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.^[6] During Joseph Stalin's era, a policy of russification was started to "protect" Byelorussian SSR from influences by the West. This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and  placing them in key positions in the Belorussian SSR government. The official use of the Belarusian language and  other cultural aspects were also limited by Moscow. After Stalin died in 1953, his successor Nikita Khrushchev continued the Russification program, stating in the Byelorussian SSR capital of Minsk that "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism."^[5]

In 1986, a section of Belarus was affected by the fallout from the Chernobyl power plant accident in neighboring Ukraine. When Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev began pushing through his Perestroika plan, the Belarusian people delivered a petition to him in December of 1986 explaining the loss of their culture. This event has been coined by historians as the "cultural Chernobyl".^[7] In June of 1988, mass graves were discovered at the city of Kurapaty. The graves allegedly contained about 250,000 of Stalin's victims. Some contend that this discovery was proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people and  caused some to seek independence.^[8][7] Belarus declared itself sovereign on 27 July 1990, and  the BSSR formally became the Republic of Belarus on 25 August 1991, attaining full independence. Around that time, Stanislav Shushkevich became Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, the top leadership position in Belarus. Shushkevich, along with Boris Yeltsin of Russia and  Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine met on December 8, 1991 in Belavezhskaya Pushcha to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and  the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Since 1994, the country has been led by Alexander Lukashenko, who has been criticized by Western governments, Human Rights Watch, and  other Western NGO for his Soviet-style domestic policies.

As of 2005, there appears to be a movement in Belarus towards reuniting with Russia. In November 2005, a draft constitution was sent to both Vladimir Putin and  Lukashenko for approval.^[9] This move, along with others, is  part of the 1996 plan created by Lukashenko and  former Russian President Boris Yeltsin to create a  and  Belarus">union between the two nations.

[edit] Politics

Main articles on politics and  government of Belarus can be found at the Politics and  government of Belarus series.

Victory Square, Minsk.

 an  August 2005 CIS meeting."> an  August 2005 CIS meeting." width="240" height="160" longdesc="../../../l/u/k/Image%7ELukashenko_Putin_August_2005.jpg_c767.html" />

Belarusian President Lukashenko (right) meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at an  August 2005 CIS meeting.

Vladimir Lenin's statue stands in front of the Belarusian Parliament Building, in Freedom Square, Minsk.

Belarus is  a republic, governed by a President and  a bicameral parliament—the National Assembly—comprising a lower house, the 110 member House of Representatives, and  an upper house, the 64 member Council of the Republic. The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the Prime Minister of Belarus, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister and  make suggestions on the foreign and  domestic policy of Belarus. The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, conduct an  impeachment trial of the president and  the ability to accept or  reject the bills passed from the House of Representatives. Each chamber has the ability to veto any law passed by local officials if it  is contrary to the Constitution of Belarus. The President—since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko—is the head of state. The government is  a Council of Ministers, headed by a prime minister; the members of the Council of Ministers need not be members of the legislature, and  are appointed by the President. The judiciary comprises the Supreme Court and  various specialized courts, such as the Constitutional Court, which deal with specific issued related to the constitution or  business law. The judges of the Constitutional Court are  appointed by the president and  confirmed by the Council of the Republic.

In Belarus, while there are  political parties that either support or  oppose President Lukashenko, the majority of the seats in the National Assembly are  filled by those not affiliated with any political parties ("non-partisans"). However, there are  three political parties who hold seats in the House of Representatives: the Communist Party of Belarus (8 seats), the Agrarian Party of Belarus (3 seats), and  the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus (1 seat). The other two parties that pledged their support to Lukashenko, the Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party and  the  and  Justice">Republican Party of Labour and  Justice, did not secure any seats in October 2004 election. Opposition parties, such as the Belarusian People's Front and  the United Civil Party of Belarus did not gain any seats. The UCPB and  the BPF are  some of the parties that comprise the People's Coalition 5 Plus, a group of political parties who oppose Lukashenko. Several organizations, including as the Organization for Security and  Co-operation in Europe(OSCE), declared the election un-free due to opposition parties negative results and  the bias of the Belarusian media in favor of the government.^[10] However, in constitutional as well as political terms, the House is  of marginal importance. At the 2000 election, it  took four rounds of voting before all the seats were filled; in the end, 86% of the elected deputies were independents, and  the remainder were the representatives of parties traditionally loyal to the president (OSCE, 2000). The next round of elections took place on March 19th, 2006, and  this election also included selecting the President. Lukashenko was opposed in the election by Alexander Milinkevich, a candidate representing a coalition of oppositional parties. Another opposition candidate, Alaksandar Kazulin of the Social Democrats was detained and  beaten by police during protests surrounding the Lukashenko sponsored event, the All Belarusian People's Assembly. This event, among others, have  caused for concern that the 2006 elections had irregularities.^[11] The President won a landslide victory, over 80% of the vote. it  was however deemed unfair by the OSCE. (See Belarusian presidential election, 2006).

Lukashenko was quoted as saying that he has an  "authoritarian ruling style" that he uses to run the country.^[12] The Council of Europe has barred Belarus from membership since 1997 for undemocratic voting irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and  parliament by-elections. According to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, Belarus's constitution is  "illegal and  does not respect minimum democratic standards and  thus violates the principles of separation of powers and  the rule of law".^[13] The Belarusian government is  also criticized for human rights violations and  its actions against NGOs, independent journalists, national minorities and  opposition politicians.^[14] During the rule of the current administration in Belarus, there have  been several cases of persecution, including the disappearance or  death of prominent opposition leaders and  independent journalists. Belarus is  the only nation in Europe that retains the death penalty for certain crimes during times of peace and  war. In testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labeled Belarus, among six nations, as part of the US's list of outposts of tyranny.^[15] The Belarusian Foreign Ministry announced that the statement from Secretary Rice "are a poor basis" to form a good Belarusian-American alliance.^[16]

Belarus has been described as "a small-scale Soviet Union at its finest period".^[17]

See also: Foreign relations of Belarus

[edit] Administrative Divisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Belarus

Administrative division.

Belarus is  divided into six provinces ("voblasts"), named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers. The city of Minsk, located in the Minsk province, has the special status of being a national subordinate as it  isn't included in any voblast. Subdivision into voblasts is  inherited from the Soviet era. Voblasts are  further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as "districts" or  "regions"). Local legislative authorities (raisovet, "raion council") are  elected by the raion's residents; local executive authorities (raion administration) are  appointed by higher executive authorities. In the same way, each voblast has its own legislative authority (oblsovet), elected by residents, and  an executive authority (voblast administration), whose leader is  appointed by the President.

(Administrative centers are  given in parentheses.)

1. Minsk (capital)
2. Brest Province (Brest)
3. Homyel Province (Homyel')
4. Hrodna Province (Hrodna)
5. Mahilyow Province (Mahilyow)
6. Minsk Province (Minsk)
7. Vitsebsk Province (Vitsebsk)

[edit] Geography

Detailed map of Belarus

Main article: Geography of Belarus

Belarus is  landlocked, relatively flat, and  contains large tracts of marshy land. Lakes and  rivers punctuate the country. The largest marsh territory is  Polesia, which is  also amongst the largest marshes in Europe. There are  11,000 lakes in Belarus, but the majority of the lakes are  smaller than 0.5 square kilometres (124 acres). Three major rivers run through the country, the Neman River, the Pripyat River, and  the Dnepr River. Belarus' highest point is  Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill), 345 metres (1,132 ft), and  its lowest point is  on the Neman River, 90 metres (295 ft). The climate ranges from harsh winters (average January temperatures are  in the range −8 °C(18 °F) to −2 °C (28 °F)) to cool and  moist summers (average temperature 15 °C (59°F) to 20 °C(68°F)).

 and  a lake in Belarus."> and  a lake in Belarus." width="180" height="135" longdesc="../../../s/w/a/Image%7ESwamp_lake_Balarus.jpg_b6a2.html" />

Swamps, forests and  a lake in Belarus.

Forest covers about 34 % of the total landscape, making forestry products one of the most abundant natural resources in Belarus. Other natural resources to be found in Belarus include peat deposits, small quantities of oil and  natural gas, granite, dolomite limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and  clay. About one fifth of the territory, mostly in the South-Eastern provinces of Homyel and  Mahilyow, continues to be affected by fallout from the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. While the amount of radiation has decreased (by one percent) since the disaster, most of the area is  considered uninhabitable.^[18]

Belarus is  bordered by the following nations: Latvia (north), Lithuania (northwest), Poland (west), Russia (north and  east) and  the Ukraine (south).

[edit] Economy

Obverse of the 500 Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR), the national currency.

Main article: Economy of Belarus

The Belarusian economy remains about 80% state-controlled, as it  has been since Soviet times. The country is  relatively stable, economically, but depends to a large extent on raw material supplies from its close ally Russia. Industry and  agriculture remain largely in state hands. Belarus is  therefore one of the very few state-capitalistic national economies remaining. Agriculture is  dominated by collective farming, with the major sub-sectors the cultivation of potatoes and  cattle breeding. Historically important branches of industry include textiles and  wood processing. After 1965, creation of heavy industry and  mechanical engineering (tractors, refrigerators) significantly strengthened the country's development. Within the Soviet Union, Belarus was one of the industrially most developed republics. Economically, Belarus engages itself in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Economic Community and   and  Belarus">Union with Russia. After 1990, with the introduction of free market structures into the former Soviet Union, industrial production plunged. However, economic growth returned in 1996 and  in 2001 Belarus was first of CIS countries to reach 1990 levels of industrial production and  agricultural production. Gross domestic product (GDP) for 2005 was $79.13 billion (estimate), which equates to an  annual income of approximately $7,700 dollar per head. In 2005 GDP increased by about 8-9%, with the inflation rate averaging about 8%. According to the UN, average monthly income grew from 20 United States dollars to 225 USD during the last 10 years.

The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 2% in 2005. However, foreign experts have  suggested that the real rate is  probably higher. more  controversial is  the decision to abandon the Belarusian ruble (BYR) in favor of the Russian ruble (RUB), starting on January 1, 2008, according to Russian news agency ITAR-TASS.^[19]

The Belarusian economy is  impacted by the political situations inside the republic. The impact is  mostly felt in the form of sanctions against the country or  the leadership of Belarus. For example, the European Union adopted Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 on 18 May 2006. The Regulation provided for a freeze on the funds of President Lukashenko and  between 30 to 35 high-level officials of Belarus. The sanctions also provided for travel bans for the aforementioned leaders. The sanction was imposed by the EU after the nation-block declared that the 19 March 2006 elections were fraudulent and  for the crackdown on opposition groups. [5]

[edit] Demographics

Change in the population of Belarus (1992-2003).

Main article: Demographics of Belarus

The majority of the population of Belarus are  native Belarusians, who comprise 81.2% of the total population of 10,293,011 people. Russians are  the second largest group making up 11.4% of the population. The Poles and  Ukrainians account for 3.9% and  2.4% of the population, respectively.

Languages commonly spoken in Belarus are  Russian and  Belarusian, which are  both official languages of Belarus.

The population density is  about 50 persons per square kilometer (127/sq. mi) and  71.7% of the total population lives in urban areas. Of the urban population, 24% live in Minsk, the national capital and  largest city.^[20]

Most of the population, 69.7%, are  between the ages of 14 and  64. Sixteen percent of the population is  under 14 years, while 14.6% are  age 65 or  older. The median age of the population is  37. The average life expectancy for Belarusian citizens is  68.72 years; for males it  is 63.03 years and  for females it  is 74.96 years.

The literacy rate in Belarus, which is  the number of people aged 15 and  older who can read and  write, is  at 99%, with men at 99.8%, and  women at 99.3%. The male-to-female ratio in 2005 was estimated to be .88 males to every female.

Most demographic indicators for Belarus resemble other European countries, notably with both the population growth rate and  the natural growth rate in the negative. The population growth is  currently at −0.06% in 2005, with a fertility rate of 1.43. The population is  also growing older, and  by the year 2050, the majority of the population will be over the age of 50.^[21] The migration rate is  +2.3 for every 1 000 people in Belarus.

According to the Save the Children international organization report (comparing 167 countries) Belarus has the highest rating among all ex-USSR countries. it  has 16 place for Mothers' index rank, 14 for Women's index rank and  20 for Children's index rank. Closest ex-USSR counties are  Estonia (18 for Womens rank), Ukraine (21/31/26) and  Russia (27/34/64) ^[22]

Largest cities in Belarus (population in thousands, 2006)

Minsk - 1741.4
Homyel - 481.2
Mogilev - 365.1
Vitebsk - 342.4
Hrodna - 314.8
Brest - 298.3
Babruysk - 220.8
Baranovichi - 168.6
Barysau - 150.4
Orsha - 130.5
Pinsk - 125.3
Mazyr - 111.8
Salihorsk - 101.4
Novapolatsk - 101.3

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Belarus

Russian Orthodox church in Brest, Belarus.

1961 USSR postage stamp depicting Belarusian traditional costumes.

Traditional Belarusian dress originates from the time of Kievan Rus and  over time was under the influence of cultures of neighbors: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and  other European nations. Aside from its predominantly Ruthenian roots, Belarusian cuisine is  very close to Lithuanian. it  is sometimes considered as somewhat less  rich and  impressive than those of its imposing neighbors. In fact, however, this may result from the general lack of national identity which still continues to hold back the development of a nation and  also led to the loss of many culinary traditions in the last 100 years.

Certain aspects of the Belarusian culture have  been lost over time because of the Russification period. President Lukashenko has introduced laws that force radio and  television stations to showcase a percentage of Belarusian talent daily, but it  does not specify whether the performance has to be in the Belarusian or  Russian language. [6] The said radio and  television stations are  state-owned, mostly controlled by the National State Teleradiocompany (TVR).

Musically, Belarus has a mixture of artists and  styles, based on what language they sing. On the radio, Belarusian artists can be heard alongside Russian artists. Belarusian TV shows concerts, usually state run, showing the same performers along with military bands from Belarus. Famous rock bands from the country include NRM, Neurodubel, Ulis, Nowaje Nieba and  Krama. Several Belarusian acts perform in Poland and  Lithuania, where the population of Belarusian speakers are  very high. Lithuania is  also the host of the Belarusian alternative music festival Basowiszcza. [7] Belarus, since 2004, has been sending artists to the Eurovision Song Contest. [8]

The Belarusian government sponsors many annual cultural festivals: "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk"; "Minsk Spring"; "Slavonic Theatrical Meetings"; International Jazz Festival; National Harvesting Festival; "Arts for Children and  Youth"; the Competition of Youth Variety Show Arts; "Muses of Niesvizh"; "Mir Castle"; and  the National Festival of the Belarusian Song and  Poetry. These events showcase talented Belarusian performers, whether it  is in music, art, poetry, dance or  theater. At these festivals, various prizes named after Soviet and  Belarusian heroes are  awarded for excellence in music or  art. Several state holidays, like Independence Day or  Victory Day draw big crowds and  include various displays such as fireworks and  military parades. Most of the festivals take place in Vitebsk or  Minsk.^[23]

Belarus has four World Heritage Sites, two of them shared between Belarus and  its neighbors. The four are: the Mir Castle Complex; the Niasvizh Castle; the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland); and  the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Moldova, Russia, Sweden and  Ukraine).^[24]

[edit] International rankings

Every year, several non-governmental groups and  international organizations release ratings that compare various nations to each other on issues of government corruption, freedom in the press, economic activity and  women's rights. This is  a sampling of the various groups with their report, along with the results of how Belarus is  ranked.

• Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers 2006, 16th for mothers, 14th for women and  20th for children out of 167 countries
• A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine: Globalization Index 2005, not ranked out of 62 countries
• Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal: 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 143rd out of 155 countries (with a score of 3.99, Repressed)
• IMD International: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005, not ranked out of 60 economies (countries and  regions)
• The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 100th out of 111 countries
• Reporters without borders: Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004), ranked 144th out of 167 countries
• Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2004, ranked 74th out of 146 countries
• United Nations Development Programme: Human Development Index 2004, ranked 62nd out of 177 countries
• World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, not ranked out of 104 countries

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Belarus Portal

[edit] Miscellaneous

• Centre for Eastern Studies, Warsaw: Belarus – The EU’s unknown neighbour The political, social and  economic situation of BelarusPDF
• The EU's relations with Belarus - European Commission website

[edit] Media

• European Radio for Belarus

[edit] Governmental websites

• President's official site
• Government of Belarus
• Embassy of Belarus in the United States
• E-Government in Belarus

[edit] Informational/Cultural

• A Belarus Miscellany
• The Virtual Guide of Belarus
• Belarus Inside - Belarus by Belarusians
• Web directory of Belarusian topics
• Belarus News and  Analysis
• Dudutki Park: an  outdoor museum
• Belarus Travel Guide
• Belarus National Tourism Agency
• Videos of Minsk
• Eating the Belarusian way
• Belarusian festivals
• History and  Heritage of Belarus in photos
• Castles and  Palaces of Belarus
• Media in Belarus
• Yellow pages of Belarus
• CIA World Factbook entry on Belarus

v • d • e

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Armenia • Azerbaijan • Belarus • Georgia • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Moldova • Russia • Tajikistan • Ukraine • Uzbekistan

Associate Member: Turkmenistan