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, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

slightly smaller than Kansas

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

generally flat and contains much marshland

timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

9,577,552 (July 2011 est.)

9.76 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

13.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

MINSK (capital) 1.837 million (2009)

1.26 children born/woman (2011 est.)

fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population (2008)

urban: 91% of population

rural: 97% of population

total: 93% of population

urban: 9% of population

rural: 3% of population

total: 7% of population (2008)

Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)

Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Belarusian (official) 36.7%, Russian (official) 62.8%, other 0.5% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities) (1999 census)

republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk)

25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

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

15 March 1994; revised by national referendum 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers; became effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits

civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family and labor) have been revised and came into force in 1999 or 2000

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Council of the Republic or Sovet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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)

Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs (unregistered) [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Association of Journalists [Zhana LITVINA]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK]; Belarusian Independence Bloc (unregistered) and For Freedom movement [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth [Andrus KRECHKA]; Charter 97 (unregistered) [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Perspektiva small business association [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Nasha Vyasna (unregistered) ("Our Spring") human rights center; "Tell the Truth" Movement [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus (Malady Belarus) [Zmitser KASPYAROVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Zmitser DASHKEVICH]

BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country

Belarus has seen limited 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. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subjected to pressure by central and local governments, including arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. Continued state control over economic operations hampers market entry for businesses, both domestic and foreign. Government statistics indicate GDP growth was strong, surpassing 10% in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high rate of inflation and a low rate of unemployment. However, the global crisis pushed the country into recession in 2009, and GDP grew only 0.2% for the year. Slumping foreign demand hit the industrial sector hard. Minsk has depended on a standby-agreement with the IMF to assist with balance of payments shortfalls. In line with IMF conditions, in 2009, Belarus devalued the ruble more than 40% and tightened some fiscal and monetary policies. On 1 January 2010, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a customs union, with unified trade regulations and customs codes still under negotiation. In late January, Russia and Belarus amended their 2007 oil supply agreement. The new terms raised prices for above quota purchases, increasing Belarus' current account deficit. GDP grew 4.8% in 2010, in part, on the strength of renewed export growth. In December 2010, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to form a Common Economic Space and Russia removed all Belarusian oil duties.

$131.2 billion (2010 est.)

$121.9 billion (2009 est.)

$121.7 billion (2008 est.)

$54.71 billion (2010 est.)

36% of GDP (2010 est.)

13.5% (31 December 2009)

12% (31 December 2008)

11.68% (31 December 2009 est.)

8.55% (31 December 2008 est.)

$4.747 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$4.381 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$13.62 billion (31 December 2009)

$14.07 billion (31 December 2008)

$19.99 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$17.15 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

29.92 billion kWh (2007 est.)

30.54 billion kWh (2007 est.)

5.062 billion kWh (2007 est.)

9.406 billion kWh (2007 est.)

31,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

173,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

303,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)

444,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)

198 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

152 million cu m (2008 est.)

17 billion cu m (2009 est.)

17.6 billion cu m (2009 est.)

2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

$-5.062 billion (2010 est.)

$-6.402 billion (2009 est.)

$24.49 billion (2010 est.)

$21.34 billion (2009 est.)

machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Russia 33.6%, Netherlands 13.78%, Ukraine 8.68%, Latvia 6.32%, Poland 4.19%, Germany 4.17% (2009)

$29.79 billion (2010 est.)

$28.31 billion (2009 est.)

mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals

Russia 56.42%, Germany 8.31%, Ukraine 4.79%, China 4.04% (2009)

$5.755 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$4.831 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$24.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$19.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar -

3.969 million (2009)

9.686 million (2009)

4 state-controlled national TV channels; Polish and Russian TV broadcasts are available in some areas; state-run Belarusian Radio operates 3 national networks and an external service; Russian and Polish radio broadcasts are available (2007)

2.643 million (2009)

gas 5,250 km; oil 1,528 km; refined products 1,730 km (2010)

2,500 km (use limited by its location on the perimeter of the country and by its shallowness) (2003)

Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force (2011)

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications (2010)

1.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania; Poland seeks enhanced demarcation and security along this Schengen hard border with financial assistance from the EU

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; anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards and was weakened further when know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008)