Belarus Facts
Where Is Belarus? It Depends!
Belarus info - Belarus Facts
Surprisingly, one of the most popular searches related to Belarus is the question "Where is Belarus?" Thinking about that, I decided I won't be able to give a single definite answer. Never. It just depends on what we are talking about, which sphere - geography, economy, culture, history, language, etc - we have in mind. So here comes a short, but structured answer!

Where is Belarus geographically?

That's the easiest explanation. Looking at the map below, we can easily see that Belarus lies in Eastern Europe, between Poland and Russia. It borders also with the Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia. The geographical position of Belarus has always been influencing the destiny of the country and is believed to impact the national character of Belarusians.
where_is_belarus_map

Where is Belarus economically?

Oh, that is a tricky one :) In short, Belarus is a post-soviet republic, and this greatly influences its current development. Since the country is not rich in natural resources, it relies on the more powerful nighbour - Russia. Most recently, Belarus has undergone severe inflation and currency devaluation. The average salary has dropped back to the value of around $200, so nobody really cares about GDP, the value that has been keeping on growing for several years.

Where is Belarus demographically?

Belarus is really famous for its beautiful girls, and it's a great place to find a wife, as there are about 0.88 males per female in Belarus

On the whole, according to 2009 census, the population is 9,503,807. Ethnic Belarusians constitute 83.7% of Belarus' total population. The next largest ethnic groups are: Russians (8.3%), Poles (3.1%), and Ukrainians (1.7%).

Belarus' two official languages are Russian and Belarusian; Russian is the main language, used by 72% of the population, while Belarusian, the second official language, is only used by 11.9%. Minorities also speak Polish, Ukrainian and Eastern Yiddish.

Where is Belarus politically?

Theoretically, Belarus is a democratic presidential republic governed by a president and National Assembly. However, according to some politicians worldwide, Belarus is the last dictatorship of Europe. The reason for such "brand-naming" is the authoritarian style of president Lukashenko, who has been ruling the country for 18 years and has reacted quite aggressively towards all existing opponents.

Where is Belarus culturally?

The position at the crossroads has impacted greatly the cultural development of the country. At some periods, Belarus used to be catholic, orthodox, and uniat. Numerous wars have taught Belarusians to be tolerant to other people and their opinions, that is why so many cultural movements have developing simultaneously. Some of the interesting cultural phenomena of Belarus include:

  • Bilingual population
  • Multicultural communities, groups, galleries, etc.
  • A really vibrant cultural life of theatres, music halls, etc.

Now, I hope you have a much better impression of where Belarus is!

 
The History of Crazy Belarusians in 5 Minutes
Belarus info - Belarus Facts

budzma

Let us know our nation, the crazy Belarusian nation!

Do you know what being patriotic means? I guess, the best definition is loving your native land, culture, and people. The newly produced animated film by the Belarusian organization Budzma! has proved again that these guys are truly patriotic and enormously creative!

The film retells the history of Belarus (at least, the most prominent historic events) in just five minutes--that is what makes it really unique. What is more, the design, the narration, and (!) the ideas produced make the listener feel if not proud, than enchanted by this fine piece of art.

"The aim of the project is to evoke the interest to our history and roots, because the past gives us the way into the future. We are sure that when the economic interests are of the highest prioirity in the civil society, that society can be swallowed by other ones, since it gets split into the social groups with their own interests. The people can form the civil unity when it is connected not only by the territory, but the values that are surely represented by the land, history, and culture," - commented Sevyaryn Kvyatkouski, the editor of budzma.org.

The film is actually the focal (but not final) point of the joint cultural project of Budzma and the TUT.BY portal.

Watch the history of Belarus in five minutes:

 
The Christmas Symbols of Belarus
Belarus info - Belarus Facts
Bear_BelThe Christmas is coming soon to all families in the world! This is a holiday that unites everybody, brings love and joy, and helps feel how close we are to each other. However universal it may be, Christmas has its peculiarities in every country. Let's see what Christmas symbols our ancestors Belarusians used to have.

The Belarus Bear

This mighty animal symbolizes the bond with the "lower world". It was considered the chief animal among all and was related to the god Veles. Nowadays, the bear is one of the main symbols of Kolyady--the merry time of singing, dancing, and performing for getting something in return (sweets, souveniers, etc.), just before Christmas.

Read more...
 
Belarus - Key Facts
Belarus info - Belarus Facts

Belarus official name

Republic of Belarus

Рэспубліка Беларусь

Республика Беларусь

Capital

Minsk

Official Languages

Belarusian, Russian

Area

Total 207,600 sq km

Population

9,689,800 (2008)

President

Alexander Lukashenko

Prime Minister

Sergey Sidorsky

Independence from the Soviet Union

Declared 27th July 1990

Established 25th August 1991

Completed 25th December 1991

Government

Presidential Republic

Currency

Belarusian Ruble (BYR)

Internet TLD

.by

Calling Code

375