Belarus

Location

• Eastern Europe, east of Poland
• landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Minsk	1,742,124	Capital
Homyel'	501,102
Hrodna	361,115
Vitebsk	358,395
Mahilyow	353,110
Brest	344,470
Bobruysk	207,351
Baranovichi	171,361
Barysaw	135,696
Pinsk	124,295

Size

• 80,154 square miles
• 207,600 square kilometers
• slightly less than twice the size of Kentucky; slightly smaller than Kansas

History

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. In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union, envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place and negotiations on further integration have been contentious. Since taking office in 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. Restrictions on political freedoms have tightened in the wake of the disputed presidential election in 2020. The election results sparked large-scale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election’s validity. LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in 2020. Since 2022, Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.

Climate

cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Terrain

generally flat with much marshland

Languages

Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.)major-language sample(s): Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)

Government

presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest drafted between late 1991 and early 1994, signed 15 March 1994amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic through petition to the National Assembly or by petition of least 150,000 eligible voters; approval required by at least two-thirds majority vote in both chambers or by simple majority of votes cast in a referendumnote: one of several amendments passed in the February 2022 referendum -- the presidential 5-year, two-term limit -- will be imposed after the 2025 election
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law systemnote: nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)head of government: Prime Minister Alyaksandr TURCHYN (since 10 March 2025)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assemblymost recent election date: first election held on 23 June and 10 July 1994; the 1994 constitution set the next election for 1999, but Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA extended his term to 2001 via a referendum; subsequent election held in 2001; a 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed LUKASHENKA to run and win a third term (19 March 2006), fourth term (19 December 2010), fifth term (11 October 2015), sixth term (9 August 2020), and seventh term (26 January 2025)election results: 2025: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 86.8%, Sergey Syrankov (Communist Party) 3.2%, 3.6% voting against all2020: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 80.1%, Svyatlana TSIKHANOWSKAYA (independent) 10.1%, other 9.8%; note - widespread street protests erupted following announcement of the election results amid allegations of voter fraud2015: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA elected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 84.1%, Tatsyana KARATKEVIC (BSDPH) 4.4%, Sergey GAYDUKEVICH (LDP) 3.3%, other 8.2%.expected date of next election: 2030
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman and deputy chairman and organized into several specialized panels, including economic and military; number of judges set by the president of the republic and the court chairman); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 judges, including a chairman and deputy chairman)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Council of the Republic; judges initially appointed for 5 years and evaluated for life appointment; Constitutional Court judges - 6 appointed by the president and 6 elected by the Council of the Republic; the presiding judge directly elected by the president and approved by the Council of the Republic; judges can serve for 11 years with an age limit of 70subordinate courts: oblast courts; Minsk City Court; town courts; Minsk city and oblast economic courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assembly (Natsionalnoye Sobranie)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth
• Budget: revenues: $22.876 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $21.912 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
• Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances
• Agricultural Products: milk, sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rapeseed, rye, chicken (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 39.9% (2022 est.)arable land: 27.6% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 11.8% (2022 est.)forest: 43.3% (2022 est.)other: 16.8% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: cars, broadcasting equipment, fabric, plastic products, video displays (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 33%, Poland 16%, Germany 11%, Lithuania 10%, Turkey 9% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: fertilizers, rapeseed oil, wood, poultry, beef (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: China 34%, Kazakhstan 10%, Uzbekistan 7%, Poland 6%, Brazil 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports