Country of Blue Lakes in the Heart of Europe

Belarus is a country of thousand lakes and rivers, green forests and oak-groves, spacious meadows and fields, legendary castles and churches, noble palaces and parks, and hidden ancient treasures. It is a brave country in the centre of Europe, which played a significant role during the World War II; it was among the first countries to face the blow of the fascist army in 1941 and got all the anger and despair of the defeated in 1945. Travelling throughout Belarus, you will notice how time slows down, how calm and quiet the country is. Belarus has managed to preserve its unique identity. The Belarusians are known as calm, peace-loving and hospitable people. There, nature is real, people stay humane, values remain eternal.

Territory

Belarus occupies an area of 207,600 square kilometers; being the 13th among the European countries and the 6th among the CIS countries, in terms of the territory size.

Regions

Belarus is divided into six regions, named after the cities that serve as their administrative centres — Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev. Regions are further subdivided into districts, cities and other administrative parts. There are over 100 towns in Belarus; in 13 towns, the population exceeds 100 thousand people.

Capital city

Minsk. The city covers an area of about 300 square kilometers, being a home place for 1,837 thousand people.

Population

According to 2009 census, 9,503 thousand people live in Belarus, with a quarter of all the population residing in the urban area. Belarus is a multinational state; the Belarusians count 83% of all the population. All in all, people of over 140 nationalities, alongside the Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, Jews, Armenians, and others, live here.

Religion

Belarus is a multi-confessional state, with a dominated Orthodoxy. Traditional are Catholic and Evangelical Luteran churches, Judaism and Islam. Totally, there are 25 religious confessions in Belarus; with over 3 thousand registered religious communities.

Economy

Industry forms the third part of the country’s gross domestic product. Most developed branches of industry are tractor and agricultural machine building; machine-tool manufacture; production of synthetic fiber and mineral fertilizers; pharmaceutics; production of building materials; light and food industry.

Languages

The Belarusian and Russian languages are announced the state ones, according to the Belarusian Constitution. Most used business languages are English and German.

Location

Belarus is a landlocked country, situated in the Eastern part of Europe. It borders on 5 countries, Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest, Ukraine to the south, Russia to the east, and Poland to the west. Due to its location, the country is an important trade and transit corridor between Europe and CIS countries.

 

Climate

Temperate continental, featuring mild and humid winters and warm and rainy summers. The average temperature in January is −6 °C, and the average temperature for July is about +18 °C. Average annual precipitation ranges from 600 to 700 millimeters.