LOCATION. Geography Data.
Belarus is a landlocked country in the centre of Europe. It covers an area of 207.600 sq km. Measured by its territory Belarus ranks 13th in Europe and is roughly the size of Great Britain and Romania.
Population (2007est.) 9.724.723.
Capital and the largest city:
MINSK (1.770.000)
The distance between Minsk and the capitals of neighboring states is as follows: Vilnius – 215 km, Riga -470 km, Warsaw – 550 km, Moscow – 700 km, Kyiv – 580 km.
Regional centres of Belarus (2009):
Brest - 310,000 inhabitants
Vitebsk – 348,000 inhabitants
Gomel – 483,000 inhabitants
Grodno –328,000 inhabitants
Mogilev – 358,000 inhabitants
General Info
Form of Government: Republic
Languages: Russian, Belarusian
Religions: Orthodox Christians (70 %) Catholic (15 %) Jewish (9%) Other (6%)
National Currency: Belarusian Ruble (BYR)
Time: GMT + 2
History in the pocket
862 AD –the town of Polotsk was first mentioned in chronicles as a center of local tribes
10th century, 2nd half – The Polotsk Principality was created
10th century, end – the Turov Principality was founded
1230 – Belarus was incorporated into the Great Duchy of Lithuania
1569 – Belarus was incorporated into Rzecz Pospolita
1772–1795 – Rzecz Pospolita together with Belarus were annexed to the Russian Empire
1918 – the Belarusian People’s Republic was proclaimed
1919 – The Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was created as part of the USSR
1941–1945 – Belarus together with the USSR participated in the World War II
1945 – Belarus became one of the founding members of the United Nations
1990 – Belarus became a sovereign state
1994 – Belarus adopted Constitution and elected its first President
Natural Resources
Much of Belarus is hilly lowland with forests, swamps and numerous rivers and lakes. There are wide rivers emptying into the Baltic and Black Seas. Its forests cover over one-third of the land and its peat marshes are a valuable natural resource. The largest lake is Naroch, 31 sq mi (79.6 sq km).
Belarus wildlife
Belarus is home to a huge array of wild animals and birds, many of them rare species.
Around 76 species of vertebrate animals have been recorded in Belarus, including:
Elks, deer, wild boar,
Beavers, wolves
There are also around 300 species of bird in Belarus.
The Belarus Red Book was created to protect rare and vanishing species of plants and animals. Currently protected and recorded within the Red Book are:
17 mammal species
72 bird species
4 amphibian species
10 types of fish
72 types of insects
A large number of wildlife reserves and sanctuaries have been set up across Belarus to protect its rich diversity of wildlife.
8 Wonders of Belarus
The Sacred Cross of St. Euphrosinia of Polotsk
The Bible of Francisk Skoryna (16th century)
The Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) (16th century)
The Church of Syncovichy (15th century, Grodno Region)
The Castle of Nesvizh (16th century, UNESCO List of World Heritage)
The Castle of Mir (16th century, UNESCO List of World Heritage)
The Belts of Slutsk (18th century)
Belovezhskaya Pushcha, National Park
