Difference between revisions of "Belarus" - New World Encyclopedia

Рэспубліка Беларусь
Республика Беларусь
Republic of Belarus
Рэспубліка Беларусь; Республика Беларусь; Republic of Belarus
	Anthem: Мы, беларусы (Belarusian); My, Belarusy (transliteration); We Belarusians;
	Location of Belarus (orange); on the European continent (white) — [Legend]
Capital; (and largest city)	Minsk; 53°55′N 27°33′E
Official languages	Belarusian, Russian
Demonym	Belarusian, Belarussian
Government	Presidential republic
Independence	from the Soviet Union
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2008 estimate
Gini (2002)	29.7 (low)
Currency	rouble (BYR)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
Internet TLD	.by
Calling code	+375
1	FAO's Information System on Water and Agriculture. FAO. Retrieved 2008-04-04.

Revision as of 02:48, 29 June 2008

Belarus (IPA: /ˈbɛləruːs/) (Belarusian and Russian: Беларусь, transliteration: Byelarus’, Polish: Białoruś listen ▶) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe,^[2] that borders Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk. A third of the country is forested, and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing.

Until the 20th century, the Belarusians lacked the opportunity to create a distinctive national identity, since the lands of modern-day Belarus belonged to several countries, including the Duchy of Polatsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. After the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic (1918–19), Belarus became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Byelorussian SSR.

The final unification of Belarusian lands within its modern borders took place in 1939, when the ethnically Belarusian lands that were part of interwar Poland were annexed by the USSR and attached to the Soviet Belarus. The territory and its nation were devastated in World War II, during which Belarus lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources;^[3] the republic recovered in the post-war years and became one of the founding members of the United Nations. The parliament of the republic declared the sovereignty of Belarus on July 27, 1990, and following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus declared independence on August 25, 1991. Alexander Lukashenko has been the country's president since 1994. During his presidency, Lukashenko has implemented Soviet-era policies, such as state ownership of the economy, despite objections from Western governments. Since 1996, Belarus has been negotiating with Russia to unify into a single state called the Union of Russia and Belarus.

Most of Belarus's population of 9.85 million reside in the urban areas surrounding Minsk and other oblast (regional) capitals.^[4] More than 80% of the population are native Belarusians, with sizable minorities of Russians, Ukrainians and Poles. Since a referendum in 1995, the country has had two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. The Constitution of Belarus does not declare an official religion, although the primary religion in the country is Russian Orthodox.

Etymology

The name Belarus derives from the term White Russia, which first appeared in German and Latin medieval literature. The Latin term for the area was Russia Alba. Historically, the country was referred to in English as White Russia. It is also claimed by some people that the correct translation is White Ruthenia (White Rus phonetically), which either describes the area of Eastern Europe populated by Slavic people or the states that occupied the area.^[5] The first known use of White Russia to refer to Belarus was in the late-16th century by Englishman Sir Jerome Horsey.^[6] During the 17th century, Russian tsars used White Rus', asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.^[6]

Belarus was named Belorussia (Russian: Белоруссия) in the days of Imperial Russia, and the Russian tsar was usually styled Tsar of All the Russias—Great, Little, and White. Belorussia was the only Russian language name of the country (its names in other languages such as English being based on the Russian form) until 1991, when the Supreme Soviet of the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic decreed by law that the new independent republic should be called Belarus (Беларусь) in Russian and in all other language transcriptions of its name. The change was made to reflect adequately the Belarusian language form of the name.^[7] Accordingly, the name Belorussia was replaced by Belarus in English, and, to some extent, in Russian (although the traditional name still persists in that language as well); likewise, the adjective Belorussian or Byelorussian was replaced by Belarusian in English (though Russian has not developed a new adjective). Some Belarusians object to the name Belorussia as an unwelcome reminder of the days under Russian and Soviet rule.^[8] However, most residents of the country do not mind the use of Byelorussiya in Russian (which is, actually, the most widely spoken language there) – as evidenced by the fact that several popular newspapers published locally still retain the traditional name of the country in Russian in their names, for example Komsomolskaya Pravda v Byelorussii, which is the localised publication of a popular Russian tabloid, and Sovetskaya Byelorussiya. Officially, the full name of the country is Republic of Belarus (Рэспубліка Беларусь, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Byelarus').^[9] listen ▶

History

File:Mir Castle Radziwills.jpg

The Mir Castle near Minsk, built in the 15th century

Map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1619

The region that is now modern-day Belarus was first settled by Slavic tribes in the 6th century. They gradually came into contact with the Varangians, a band of warriors consisting of Scandinavians and Slavs from the Baltics.^[10] Though defeated and briefly exiled by the local population, the Varangians were later asked to return^[10] and helped to form a polity—commonly referred to as the Kievan Rus'—in exchange for tribute. The Kievan Rus' state began in about 862 at the present-day city of Novgorod.^[11]

Upon the death of Kievan Rus' ruler, Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the state split into independent principalities.^[12] These Ruthenian principalities were badly affected by a Mongol invasion in the 13th century, and many were later incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.^[13] Of the principalities held by the Duchy, nine were settled by ancestors of the Belarusian people.^[14] During this time, the Duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of Poland against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410; the joint victory allowed the Duchy to control the northwestern border lands of Eastern Europe.^[15]

On February 2, 1386, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were joined in a personal union through a marriage of their rulers.^[16] This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, created in 1569. The Russians, led by Tsar Ivan the III, began military conquests in 1486 in an attempt to gain the Kievan Rus' lands, specifically Belarus and Ukraine.^[17] The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, and the commonwealth was partitioned by Imperial Russia, Prussia, and Austria, dividing Belarus.^[18] Belarusian territories were acquired by the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine II^[19] and held until their occupation by Germany during World War I.^[20]

Map of the Russian Empire, 1762–1801

During the negotiations of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Belarus first declared independence on 25 March 1918, forming the Belarusian People's Republic. The Germans supported the BPR, which lasted for about 10 months.^[21] Soon after the Germans were defeated, the BPR fell under the influence of the Bolsheviks and the Red Army and became the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919.^[21] After Russian occupation of eastern and northern Lithuania, it was merged into the Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Byelorussian lands were then split between Poland and the Soviets after the Polish-Soviet War ended in 1921, and the recreated Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922.^[21]

In September 1939, as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union invaded Poland and annexed its eastern lands, including most Polish-held Byelorussian land.^[22] Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. Byelorussia was the hardest hit Soviet Republic in the war and remained in Nazi hands until 1944. During that time, Germany destroyed 209 out of 290 cities in the republic, 85% of the republic's industry, and more than one million buildings, while causing human losses estimated between two and three million (about a quarter to one-third of the total population).^[3] The Jewish population of Byelorussia was devastated during The Holocaust and never recovered.^[23] The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971.^[23] After the war ended, Byelorussia was among the 51 founding countries of the United Nations Charter in 1945 and began rebuilding the Soviet Republic. During this time, the Byelorussian SSR became a major center of manufacturing in the western region of the USSR, increasing jobs and bringing an influx of ethnic Russians into the republic.^[24] The borders of Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn to a point known as the Curzon Line.^[22]

Map of the Byelorussian SSR, 1940

Joseph Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from Western influences.^[23] This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government. The official use of the Belarusian language and other cultural aspects were limited by Moscow. After Stalin died in 1953, successor Nikita Khrushchev continued this program, stating, "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism".^[23] When Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began pushing through his reform plan, the Belarusian people delivered a petition to him in December 1986 explaining the loss of their culture. Earlier that year, Byelorussian SSR was exposed to nuclear fallout from the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in neighboring Ukrainian SSR.^[25] In June 1988 at the rural site of Kurapaty near Minsk, archaeologist Zianon Pazniak, the leader of Christian Conservative Party of the BPF, discovered mass graves which contained about 250,000 bodies of victims executed in 1937-1941.^[25] Some nationalists contend that this discovery is proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people, causing Belarusian nationalists to seek independence.^[26]

A banner displayed by Belarusian students near Warsaw University showing support for Belarusian independence

Two years later, in March 1990, elections for seats in the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR took place. Though the pro-independence Belarusian Popular Front took only 10% of the seats, the populace was content with the selection of the delegates.^[27] Belarus declared itself sovereign on July 27, 1990, by issuing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. With the support of the Communist Party, the country's name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on August 25, 1991.^[27] Stanislav Shushkevich, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, met with Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Leonid Kravchuk of Ukraine on December 8 1991 in Belavezhskaya Pushcha to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.^[27] A national constitution was adopted in March 1994, in which the functions of prime minister were given to the president.

Two-round elections for the presidency (24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994)^[28] resulted in the politically unknown Alexander Lukashenko winning more than 45 % of the vote in the first round and 80 %^[27] in the second round, beating Vyacheslav Kebich who got 14 %. Lukashenko was reelected in 2001 and in 2006.

Politics

Victory Square, Minsk

Belarus is a presidential republic, governed by a president and the National Assembly. In accordance with the constitution, the president is elected once in five years. The National Assembly is a bicameral parliament comprising the 110-member House of Representatives (the lower house) and the 64-member Council of the Republic (the upper house). The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the prime minister, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, conduct an impeachment trial of the president, and accept or reject the bills passed by the House of Representatives. Each chamber has the ability to veto any law passed by local officials if it is contrary to the Constitution of Belarus.^[29] Since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus. The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. The judiciary comprises the Supreme Court and specialized courts such as the Constitutional Court, which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. The judges of national courts are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Council of the Republic. For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. The Belarusian Constitution forbids the use of special extra-judicial courts.^[29]

File:Belarus-Minsk-House of Government and Vladimir Lenin Monument (perspective corrected).jpg

House of Government in Minsk, with a statue to Vladimir Lenin in the foreground

As of 2007, 98 of the 110 members of the House of Representatives are not affiliated with any political party and of the remaining twelve members, eight belong to the Communist Party of Belarus, three to the Agrarian Party of Belarus, and one to the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus. Most of the non-partisans represent a wide scope of social organizations such as workers' collectives, public associations and civil society organizations. Neither the pro-Lukashenko parties, such as the Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party and the Republican Party of Labor and Justice, nor the People's Coalition 5 Plus opposition parties, such as the Belarusian People's Front and the United Civil Party of Belarus, won any seats in the 2004 elections. Groups such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) declared the election "un-free" because of the opposition parties' poor results and media bias in favor of the government.^[30] In the country's 2006 presidential election, Lukashenko was opposed by Alaksandar Milinkievič, a candidate representing a coalition of opposition parties, and by Alaksandar Kazulin of the Social Democrats. Kazulin was detained and beaten by police during protests surrounding the All Belarusian People's Assembly. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote, but the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair.^[31]

Lukashenko has described himself as having an "authoritarian ruling style".^[32] Western countries have described Belarus under Lukashenko as a dictatorship; the government has accused the same Western powers of trying to oust Lukashenko.^[33] The Council of Europe has barred Belarus from EU membership since 1997 for undemocratic voting and election irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections.^[34] The Belarusian government is also criticized for human rights violations and its actions against non-governmental organizations, independent journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians.^[35]^[36] Belarus is the only nation in Europe that retains the death penalty for certain crimes during times of peace and war.^[37] In testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labeled Belarus among the six nations of the "outposts of tyranny".^[38] In response, the Belarusian government called the assessment "quite far from reality".^[39]

Foreign relations and military

File:Lukashenko NAM meeting.jpg

President Alexander Lukashenko in Cuba, 2006

Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market.^[40] The Union of Russia and Belarus, a supranational confederation, was established in a 1996–99 series of treaties that called for monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common foreign and defense policy.^[40] Although the future of the Union was in doubt because of Belarus' repeated delays of monetary union, the lack of a referendum date for the draft constitution, and a 2006–07 dispute about petroleum trade.^[40] On December 11, 2007, reports emerged that a framework for the new state was discussed between both countries.^[41] On May 27, 2008, Belarusian President Lukashenko said that he had named Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin the "prime minister" of the Russia-Belarus alliance. The meaning of the move was not immediately clear; however, there is speculation that Putin may become president of a unified state of Russia and Belarus after having stepped down as Russian president in May 2008.^[42]

Belarus was a founder member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); however, recently other CIS members have questioned the effectiveness of the organization.^[43] Belarus has trade agreements with several European Union member states (despite other member states' travel ban on Lukashenko and top officials),^[44] as well as with its neighbors Lithuania, Poland and Latvia.^[45]

Bilateral relations with the United States are strained because of the United States Department of State's support for various pro-democracy NGOs and because the Belarusian government has made it harder for US-based organizations to operate within the country.^[46] The 2004 US Belarus Democracy Act continued this trend, authorizing funding for pro-democracy Belarusian NGOs and forbidding loans to the Belarusian government except for humanitarian purposes.^[47] Despite this, the two nations cooperate on intellectual property protection, prevention of human trafficking and technology crime, and disaster relief.^[48]

Belarus has increased cooperation with China, strengthened by the visit of President Lukashenko to China in October 2005.^[49] Belarus has strong ties with Syria,^[50] which President Lukashenko considers a key partner in the Middle East.^[51] In addition to the CIS, Belarus has membership in the Eurasian Economic Community and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.^[45] Belarus has been a member of the international Non-Aligned Movement since 1998^[52] and a member of the United Nations since its founding in 1945.^[53]

The Armed Forces of Belarus have three branches: the Army, the Air Force, and the Ministry of Defense joint staff. Colonel-General Leonid Maltsev heads the Ministry of Defense,^[54] and Alexander Lukashenko (as president) serves as Commander-in-Chief.^[55] The Armed Forces were formed in 1992 using parts of the former Soviet Armed Forces on the new republic's territory. The transformation of the ex-Soviet forces into the Armed Forces of Belarus, which was completed in 1997, reduced the number of its soldiers by 30,000 and restructured its leadership and military formations.^[56] Most of Belarus's service members are conscripts, who serve for 12 months if they have higher education or 18 months if they do not.^[57] However, demographic decreases in the Belarusians of conscription age have increased the importance of contract soldiers, who numbered 12,000 as of 2001.^[58] In 2005, about 1.4% of Belarus's gross domestic product was devoted to military expenditures.^[59] Belarus has not expressed a desire to join NATO but has participated in the Individual Partnership Program since 1997.^[60]

Provinces and districts

Provinces of Belarus

Belarus is divided into six voblasts, or provinces, which are named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers.^[61] Each voblast has a provincial legislative authority, called an oblsovet, which is elected by the voblast's residents, and a provincial executive authority called a voblast administration, whose leader is appointed by the president.^[62] Voblasts are further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as districts or regions).^[61] As with voblasts, each raion has its own legislative authority (raisovet, or raion council) elected by its residents, and an executive authority (raion administration) appointed by higher executive powers. As of 2002, there are six voblasts, 118 raions, 102 towns and 108 urbanized settlements.^[63] Minsk is given a special status, due to the city serving as the national capital. Minsk City is run by an executive committee and granted a charter of self-rule by the national government.^[64]

Voblasts (with administrative centers):

Brest Voblast (Brest)
Homel Voblast (Homel)
Hrodna Voblast (Hrodna)
Mahilyow Voblast (Mahilyow)
Minsk Voblast (Minsk)
Vitsebsk Voblast (Vitsebsk)

Special administrative district:

Minsk City

Geography

Vaskowskae reservoir

Belarus is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land.^[65] According to a 1994 estimate by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, 34% of Belarus is covered by forests.^[66] Many streams and 11,000 lakes are found in Belarus.^[65] Three major rivers run through the country: the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnepr. The Neman flows westward towards the Baltic sea and the Pripyat flows eastward to the Dnepr; the Dnepr flows southward towards the Black Sea.^[66] Belarus's highest point is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill) at 345 meters (1,130 ft), and its lowest point is on the Neman River at 90 meters (300 ft).^[65] The average elevation of Belarus is 525 feet (160 m) above sea level.^[67] The climate ranges from harsh winters, with average January temperatures at −6 °C (21.2 °F), to cool and moist summers with an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F).^[68] Belarus has an average annual rainfall of 550 to 700 millimeters (21.7 to 27.5 inches).^[68] The country experiences a yearly transition from a continental climate to a maritime climate.^[65]

File:Belarus-Minsk Province-Horses.jpg

Horses grazing in Minsk Province

Belarus's natural resources include peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomite (limestone), marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay.^[65] About 70% of the radiation from neighboring Ukraine's 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster entered Belarusian territory, and as of 2005 about a fifth of Belarusian land (principally farmland and forests in the southeastern provinces) continues to be affected by radiation fallout.^[69] The United Nations and other agencies have aimed to reduce the level of radiation in affected areas, especially through the use of caesium binders and rapeseed cultivation, which are meant to decrease soil levels of caesium-137.^[70]^[71]

Belarus is bordered by Latvia on the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, Russia to the north and east and Ukraine to the south. Treaties in 1995 and 1996 demarcated Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania, but Belarus failed to ratify a 1997 treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border.^[72] Belarus and Lithuania ratified final border demarcation documents in February 2007.^[73]

Economy

A Belarusian-made tractor being used to farm

Most of the Belarusian economy remains state-controlled, as in Soviet times.^[40] Thus, 51.2% of Belarusians are employed by state-controlled companies, 47.4% are employed by private Belarusian companies (of which 5.7% are partially foreign-owned), and 1.4% are employed by foreign companies.^[74] The country relies on imports such as oil from Russia.^[75]^[76] Important agricultural products include potatoes and cattle byproducts, including meat.^[77] As of 1994, the biggest exports from Belarus were heavy machinery (especially tractors), agricultural products, and energy products.^[78]

Belarusian GDP growth since 1995 and estimate for 2008

Historically important branches of industry include textiles and wood processing.^[79] As of the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus was one of the world's most industrially developed states by percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) as well as the richest CIS state.^[80] Economically, Belarus involved itself in the CIS, Eurasian Economic Community, and Union with Russia. During the 1990s, however, industrial production plunged because of decreases in imported inputs, in investment, and in demand for exports from traditional trading partners.^[81] It took until 1996 for the gross domestic product to rise;^[82] this coincided with the government putting more emphasis on using the GDP for social welfare and state subsidies.^[82] The GDP for 2006 was US$83.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita.^[77] In 2005, the gross domestic product increased by about 9.9%, with the inflation rate averaging about 9.5%.^[77]

Belarus's largest trading partner is Russia, accounting for nearly half of total trade in 2006.^[83] As of 2006, the European Union is Belarus's next largest trading partner, with nearly a third of foreign trade.^[84]^[83] Because of its failure to protect labor rights, however, Belarus lost its E.U. Generalized System of Preferences status on June 21, 2007, which raised tariff rates to their prior most-favored nation levels.^[84] Belarus applied to become a member of the World Trade Organization in 1993.^[85]

The labor force consists of more than four million people, among whom women hold slightly more jobs than men.^[86] In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed in industrial factories.^[86] Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 1.5% in 2005.^[86] The number of unemployed persons totaled 679,000 of whom about two-thirds are women.^[86] The rate of unemployment has been decreasing since 2003, and the overall rate is the highest since statistics were first compiled in 1995.^[86]

Obverse of the 500 Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR), the national currency

The currency of Belarus is the Belarusian ruble (BYR). The currency was introduced in May 1992, replacing the Soviet ruble. The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since.^[87] As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. This has led to the proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the Russian ruble (RUB), starting as early as 1 January 2008. As of August 2007, the National Bank of Belarus is no longer pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian ruble.^[88] The banking system of Belarus is composed of 30 state-owned banks and one privatized bank.^[89]

Demographics

File:Brest Kirche.jpg

Resurrection Church of Brest is the biggest one in Belarus, over 5000 people can attend service

Ethnic Belarusians constitute 81.2% of Belarus's total population.^[90] The next largest ethnic groups are Russians (11.4%), Poles (3.9%), and Ukrainians (2.4%).^[90] Belarus's two official languages are Belarusian and Russian,^[91] spoken at home by 36.7% and 62.8% of Belarusians, respectively.^[92] Minorities also speak Polish, Ukrainian and Eastern Yiddish.^[93]

Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometer (127 per sq mi); 71.7% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas.^[90] Minsk, the nation's capital and largest city, is home to 1,741,400 of Belarus's 9,724,700 residents.^[90] Gomel, with 481,000 people, is the second largest city and serves as the capital of the Homel Oblast. Other large cities are Mogilev (365,100), Vitebsk (342,400), Hrodna (314,800) and Brest (298,300).^[94]

Like many other European countries, Belarus has a negative population growth rate and a negative natural growth rate. In 2007, Belarus's population declined by 0.41% and its fertility rate was 1.22,^[90] well below the replacement rate. Its net migration rate is +0.38 per 1,000, indicating that Belarus experiences slightly more immigration than emigration.^[90] As of 2007, 69.7% of Belarus's population is aged 14 to 64; 16% is under 14, and 14.6% is 65 or older.^[90] Its population is also aging: while the current median age is 37,^[90] it is estimated that Belarusians' median age will be 51 in 2050.^[95] There are about 0.88 males per female in Belarus.^[90] The average life expectancy is 68.7 years (63.0 years for males and 74.9 years for females).^[90] Over 99% of Belarusians are literate.^[90]^[96]

Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Polotsk

Belarus has historically been a Russian Orthodox country, with minorities practicing Catholicism, Judaism, and other religions. Most Belarusians converted to the Russian Orthodox Church after Belarus was annexed by Russia after the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Belarus's Roman Catholic minority, which makes up perhaps 10% of the country's population and is concentrated in the western part of the country, especially around Hrodna, is made up of a mixture of Belarusians and the country's Polish and Lithuanian minorities. About 1% belong to the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church.^[97] Belarus was a major center of the European Jewish population, with 10% being Jewish, but the population of Jews has been reduced by war, starvation, and the Holocaust to a tiny minority of about 1% or less. Emigration from Belarus is a cause for the shrinking number of Jewish residents.^[98] According to Article 16 of the Constitution, Belarus has no official religion. While the freedom of worship is granted in the same article, religious organizations that are deemed harmful to the government or social order of the country can be prohibited.^[99]

Culture

File:Belarus-Minsk-New National Library-1.jpg

National Library of Belarus in Minsk

Belarusian literature began with 11th- to 13th century religious writing; the 12th century poetry of Cyril of Turaw is representative.^[100] By the 16th century, Polotsk resident Francysk Skaryna translated the Bible into Belarusian. It was published in Prague and Vilnius between 1517 and 1525, making it the first book printed in Belarus or anywhere in Eastern Europe.^[101] The modern period of Belarusian literature began in the late 19th century; one important writer was Yanka Kupala. Many notable Belarusian writers of the time, such as Uładzimir Žyłka, Kazimir Svayak, Yakub Kolas, Źmitrok Biadula and Maksim Haretski, wrote for a Belarusian language paper called Nasha Niva, published in Vilnius. After Belarus was incorporated into the Soviet Union, the Soviet government took control of the Republic's cultural affairs. The free development of literature occurred only in Polish-held territory until Soviet occupation in 1939.^[101] Several poets and authors went into exile after the Nazi occupation of Belarus, not to return until the 1960s.^[101] The last major revival of Belarusian literature occurred in the 1960s with novels published by Vasil Bykaŭ and Uładzimir Karatkievič.

File:Babka Potato Dish-1.jpg

Babka, a traditional Belarusian potato dish

In the 17th century, Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko composed operas and chamber music pieces while living in Minsk. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet Vincent Dunin-Marcinkevich and created the opera Sielanka (Peasant Woman). At the end of the 19th century, major Belarusian cities formed their own opera and ballet companies. The ballet Nightingale by M. Kroshner was composed during the Soviet era and became the first Belarusian ballet showcased at the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre in Minsk.^[102] After the Great Patriotic War, music focused on the hardships of the Belarusian people or on those who took up arms in defense of the homeland. During this period, A. Bogatyryov, creator of the opera In Polesye Virgin Forest, served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers.^[103] The National Academic Theatre of Ballet, in Minsk, was awarded the Benois de la Dance Prize in 1996 as the top ballet company in the world.^[103] Although rock music has risen in popularity in recent years, the Belarusian government has suppressed the development of popular music through various legal and economic mechanisms.^[104] Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the Eurovision Song Contest.^[105]

The Belarusian government sponsors annual cultural festivals such as the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, which showcases Belarusian performers, artists, writers, musicians, and actors. Several state holidays, such as Independence Day and Victory Day, draw big crowds and often include displays such as fireworks and military parades, especially in Vitebsk and Minsk.^[106] The government's Ministry of Culture finances events promoting Belarusian arts and culture both inside and outside the country.

File:Belarus dress.jpg

Children in traditional dress

The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the Kievan Rus' period. Because of the cool climate, clothes, usually composed of flax or wool, were designed to keep the body warm. They are decorated with ornate patterns influenced by the neighboring cultures: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Each region of Belarus has developed specific design patterns.^[107] An ornamental pattern used on some early dresses is currently used to decorate the hoist of the Belarusian national flag, adopted in a disputed referendum in 1995.^[108]

Belarusian cuisine consists mainly of vegetables, meat (especially pork), and breads. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. A typical Belarusian eats a very light breakfast and two hearty meals, with dinner being the largest meal of the day. Wheat and rye breads are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. To show hospitality, a host traditionally presents an offering of bread and salt when greeting a guest or visitor.^[109] Popular drinks in Belarus include Russian wheat vodka and kvass, a soft drink made from malted brown bread or rye flour. Kvass may also be combined with sliced vegetables to create a cold soup called okroshka.^[110]

Belarus has four World Heritage Sites: the Mir Castle Complex, the Niasvizh Castle, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland), and the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with nine other countries).^[111]

Broadcasting center of state-run TV in Minsk

The largest media holding group in Belarus is the state-owned National State Teleradiocompany. It operates several television and radio stations that broadcast content domestically and internationally, either through traditional signals or the Internet.^[112] The Television Broadcasting Network is one of the major independent television stations in Belarus, mostly showing regional programming. Several newspapers, printed either in Belarusian or Russian, provide general information or special interest content, such as business, politics or sports. In 1998, there were fewer than 100 radio stations in Belarus: 28 AM, 37 FM and 11 shortwave stations.^[113]

File:Talk show zhodino.jpg

Private TV company in Zhodino records a talk-show in a local night club, 2002

All media companies are regulated by the Law On Press and Other Mass Media, passed on January 13, 1995.^[114] This grants the freedom of press; however, Article 5 states that slander cannot be made against the president of Belarus or other officials outlined in the national constitution.^[114] The Belarusian Government has since been criticized for acting against media outlets. Newspapers such as Nasa Niva and the Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta have been targeted for closure by the authorities after they published reports critical of President Lukashenko or other government officials.^[115]^[116] The OSCE and Freedom House have commented regarding the loss of press freedom in Belarus. In 2005, Freedom House gave Belarus a score of 6.75 (not free) when it came to dealing with press freedom. Another issue for the Belarusian press is the unresolved disappearance of several journalists.^[117]

Notes

↑ The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus
↑ UN Statistics Division (2007-08-28). Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49). United Nations Organization. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Axell, Albert (2002). Russia's Heroes, 1941–45. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 247. ISBN 078671011X.
↑ About Belarus - Population. United Nations Office in Belarus (2003). Retrieved 2007-10-07.
↑ Bielawa, Matthew (2002). An Understanding of the Terms 'Ruthenia' and 'Ruthenians. Genealogy of Halychyna/Eastern Galicia. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Alies, Bely (2000). The chronicle of the White Russia: an essay on the history of one geographical name. Minsk, Belarus: Encyclopedix. ISBN 985-6599-12-1.
↑ Law of the Republic of Belarus - About the name of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). Pravo - Law of the Republic of Belarus (1991-09-19). Retrieved 2007-10-06.
↑ Katkouski, Uladzimir (2003-02-03). Belarus: Belarusian and Belarusan the correct adjective forms. Pravapis.org. Retrieved 2006-03-08.
↑ Belarus - Government. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007-12-13). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Rambaud, Alfred and Edgar Saltus (1902). Russia. P. F. Collier & Son, 46–48.
↑ Treuttel and Various (1841). The Foreign Quarterly Review. New York, New York: Jemia Mason, 38.
↑ Plokhy, Serhii (2006). The Origins of the Slavic Nations. Cambridge University Press, 94–95. ISBN 0521864038.
↑ Robinson, Charles Henry (1917). The Conversion of Europe. Longmans, Green, 491–492.
↑ Zaprudnik, Jan (1993). Belarus: At a Crossroads in History. Westview Press, 27. ISBN 0813317940.
↑ Lerski, George Jan and Aleksander Gieysztor (1996). Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966–1945. Greenwood Press, 181–182. ISBN 0313260079.
↑ Edited by Michael Jones and Albert Rigaudière, Jeremy Catto, S. C. Rowell and others (2005). The New Cambridge Medieval History (Vol.6). Cambridge University Press, p.710. ISBN 0521362903.
↑ Nowak, Andrzej (1997-01-01). The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation. Sarmatian Review XVII. Rice University. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Scheuch, E. K. and David Sciulli (2000). Societies, Corporations and the Nation State. BRILL, 187. ISBN 9004116648.
↑ Birgerson, Susanne Michele (2002). After the Breakup of a Multi-Ethnic Empire. Praeger/Greenwood, 101. ISBN 0275969657.
↑ Olson, James Stuart and Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas C. J. Pappas (1994). Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires. Greenwood Press, 95. ISBN 0313274975.
↑ ^21.0 ^21.1 ^21.2 (Birgerson 2002:105–106)
↑ ^22.0 ^22.1 (Olson 1994:95)
↑ ^23.0 ^23.1 ^23.2 ^23.3 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Stalin and Russification. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ Belarus History and Culture. iExplore.com. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ ^25.0 ^25.1 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus- Perestroika. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
↑ {Birgerson 2002:99)
↑ ^27.0 ^27.1 ^27.2 ^27.3 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Prelude to Independence. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ World Factbook: Belarus (TXT). Central Intelligence Agency (1994-10-20). Retrieved 2007-12-21.
↑ ^29.0 ^29.1 Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ OSCE Report on the October 2004 parliamentary elections (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (December 2004). Retrieved 2007-03-21.
↑ Belarus rally marred by arrests. BBC News (2 March 2006). Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ Profile: Alexander Lukashenko. BBC News (20 March 2006). Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ Mulvey, Stephen, "Profile: Europe's last dictator?", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2001-09-10. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
↑ Belarus suspended from the Council of Europe. Press Service of the Council of Europe (January 17 1997). Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ Essential Background - Belarus. Human Rights Watch (2005). Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ Human rights by country - Belarus. Amnesty International Report 2007. Amnesty International (2007). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Capital Punishment in Belarus and Changes of Belarus Criminal Legislation related thereto. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Opening Statement by Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (PDF) (January 18, 2005). Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ At-a-glance: 'Outposts of tyranny'. BBC News (19 January 2005). Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ ^40.0 ^40.1 ^40.2 ^40.3 United States Government (2007). Background Note: Belarus. United States State Department. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
↑ "Russia-Belarus Union Presidency Dismissed", The Moscow Times, 2007-12-10. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
↑ AP. "Putin named PM of Belarus-Russia alliance", 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
↑ Radio Free Europe (2006). CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
↑ EU imposes Belarus travel ban. BBC News. BBC (2002-11-19). Retrieved 2007-12-03.)
↑ ^45.0 ^45.1 Foreign Policy. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2007). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ U.S. Government Assistance FY 97 Annual Report. United States Embassy in Minsk, Belarus (1998). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ "Belarus Democracy Act Will Help Cause of Freedom, Bush Says", USINO, United States State Department, 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Relations between Belarus and the United States of America. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Pan, Letian, "China, Belarus agree to upgrade economic ties", Xinhua News Agency, 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ "Syria and Belarus agree to promote trade", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 1998-03-13. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ "Belarus-Syria report subsantial progress in trade and economic relations", Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus, 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RB (2007). Membership of the Republic of Belarus in International Organizations. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
↑ Growth in United Nations membership, 1945-present. Department of Public Information. United Nations Organization (2006-07-03). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ High-ranking Military Officials of the Republic of Belarus. Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ History (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Routledge, IISS Military Balance 2007, p.158–159
↑ Bykovsky, Pavel; Alexander Vasilevich (2001–05). Military Development and the Armed Forces of Belarus. Moscow Defense Brief. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
↑ Belarus - Military. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2005). Retrieved 2007-10-09.
↑ Belarus and NATO. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2002). Retrieved 2007-10-09.
↑ ^61.0 ^61.1 Section I: Principles of the Constitutional System. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Section V: Local government and self-government. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Carvalho, Fernando Duarte and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (2004). Defence Related SME's: Analysis and Description of Current Conditions. IOS Press, 32. ISBN 1586034081.
↑ About Minsk. Minsk City Executive Committee. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
↑ ^65.0 ^65.1 ^65.2 ^65.3 ^65.4 Belarus - Geography. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007). Retrieved 2007-11-07.
↑ ^66.0 ^66.1 Bell, Imogen (2002). Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2003. Taylor & Francis, 132. ISBN 1857431375.
↑ (Zaprudnik, xix)
↑ ^68.0 ^68.1 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Climate. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Rainsford, Sarah (April 26 2005). Belarus cursed by Chernobyl. BBC News. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ The United Nations and Chernobyl - The Republic of Belarus. United Nations (2004). Retrieved 2007-10-04.
↑ Smith, Marilyn, "Ecological reservation in Belarus fosters new approaches to soil remediation", International Atomic Energy Agency. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
↑ State Border - Delimitation History. State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ Lithuania's Cooperation with Belarus. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
↑ Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Labour. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
↑ Dr. Kaare Dahl Martinsen (2002). The Russian-Belarusian Union and the Near Abroad (PDF). Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. NATO. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
↑ "Russia may cut oil supplies to ally Belarus - Putin", Reuters, 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
↑ ^77.0 ^77.1 ^77.2 The World Factbook - Belarus - Economy. Central Intelligence Agency (2006). Retrieved 2007-10-08.
↑ Library of Congress (1994). Belarus - Exports. Country Studies. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
↑ Economic and Investment Review (pdf). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2007). Retrieved 2007-12-22.
↑ World Bank. "Belarus: Prices, Markets, and Enterprise Reform," pp. 1. World Bank, 1997. ISBN 0821339761
↑ Belarus - Industry. Country Studies. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved 2007-10-08.
↑ ^82.0 ^82.1 World Bank (2006). Belarus - Country Brief 2003. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
↑ ^83.0 ^83.1 Council of Ministers Foreign trade in goods and services in Belarus up by 11.5% in January-October. Published 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
↑ ^84.0 ^84.1 European Union The EU's Relationship With Belarus - Trade (PDF). Published November 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
↑ World Trade Organization Accessions - Belarus. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
↑ ^86.0 ^86.1 ^86.2 ^86.3 ^86.4 Ministry of Statistics and Analysis Labor Statistics in Belarus. Published 2005. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
↑ National Bank of the Republic of Belarus History of the Belarusian Ruble. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
↑ Pravda.ru Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble. Published August 23, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
↑ Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom - Belarus. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
↑ ^90.00 ^90.01 ^90.02 ^90.03 ^90.04 ^90.05 ^90.06 ^90.07 ^90.08 ^90.09 ^90.10 CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - People. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
↑ "Languages across Europe." BBC Education at bbc.co.uk. Accessed November 6, 2007.
↑ Data of the 1999 Belarusian general census In English. Reviewed October 6, 2007.
↑ Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.
↑ World Gazette Largest Cities of Belarus (2007). Published in 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
↑ Population Pyramid Summary for Belarus. US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ The literacy rate is defined as the percentage of people aged 15 and older who can read and write.
↑ Library of Congress Country Studies Belarus - Religion. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
↑ Minsk Jewish Campus Jewish Belarus. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
↑ Webportal of the President of the Republic of Belarus Section One of the Constitution. Published 1994, amended in 1996. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
↑ Old Belarusian Poetry. Virtual Guide to Belarus (1994). Retrieved 2007-10-09.
↑ ^101.0 ^101.1 ^101.2 "Belarus." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-33482>.
↑ Zou, Crystal, "Ballets for Christmas", Shanghai Star, 2003-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
↑ ^103.0 ^103.1 Virtual Guide to Belarus - Classical Music of Belarus. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
↑ Freemuse Blacklisted bands play in Poland. Published on March 17, 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
↑ National State TeleradiocompanyPage on the 2004 Belarusian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. Published 2004. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
↑ Belarusian National Culture. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United States of America. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ Virtual Guide to Belarus Belarusian traditional clothing. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.
↑ Flags of the World Belarus - Ornament. Published November 26, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
↑ Canadian Citizenship and Immigration - Cultures Profile Project - Eating the Belarusian Way. Published in 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
↑ University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Institute of Agriculture and National Resources. Situation and Outlook - People and Their Diets. Published in April 2000. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
↑ Belarus - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
↑ National State Teleradiocompany About us. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
↑ CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - Communications. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
↑ ^114.0 ^114.1 Law of the Republic of Belarus Law On Press and Other Mass Media. Retrieved October 5 2007.
↑ Eurozine Independent Belarusian newspaper "Nasha Niva" to close. Published April 19, 2006.
↑ United States Department of States Media Freedom in Belarus. Press release by Philip T. Reeker. Published May 30, 2003.
↑ Freedom House Country Report - Belarus. Published 2005. Reviewed October 6, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Zaprudnik, Jan. 1993. Belarus: at a crossroads in history. Westview series on the post-Soviet republics. Boulder: Westview Press. ISBN 0813317940 and ISBN 9780813317946

External links

All links Retrieved June 25, 2008.

Belarus Portal

Belarus

Geographic locale

Countries of Europe

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¹ Has majority of its territory in Asia. ² Entirely in Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe. ³ Has dependencies or similar territories outside Europe.

International membership

Credits

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Belarus ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

History of "Belarus"

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[1] The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus

[unee-2] UN Statistics Division (2007-08-28). Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49). United Nations Organization. Retrieved 2007-12-07.

[axell-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Axell, Albert (2002). Russia's Heroes, 1941–45. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 247. ISBN 078671011X.

[4] About Belarus - Population. United Nations Office in Belarus (2003). Retrieved 2007-10-07.

[5] Bielawa, Matthew (2002). An Understanding of the Terms 'Ruthenia' and 'Ruthenians. Genealogy of Halychyna/Eastern Galicia. Retrieved 2007-03-18.

[alies-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Alies, Bely (2000). The chronicle of the White Russia: an essay on the history of one geographical name. Minsk, Belarus: Encyclopedix. ISBN 985-6599-12-1.

[7] Law of the Republic of Belarus - About the name of the Republic of Belarus (in Russian). Pravo - Law of the Republic of Belarus (1991-09-19). Retrieved 2007-10-06.

[belorussia-8] Katkouski, Uladzimir (2003-02-03). Belarus: Belarusian and Belarusan the correct adjective forms. Pravapis.org. Retrieved 2006-03-08.

[9] Belarus - Government. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007-12-13). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[rambaud-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Rambaud, Alfred and Edgar Saltus (1902). Russia. P. F. Collier & Son, 46–48.

[11] Treuttel and Various (1841). The Foreign Quarterly Review. New York, New York: Jemia Mason, 38.

[12] Plokhy, Serhii (2006). The Origins of the Slavic Nations. Cambridge University Press, 94–95. ISBN 0521864038.

[13] Robinson, Charles Henry (1917). The Conversion of Europe. Longmans, Green, 491–492.

[zaprudnik-14] Zaprudnik, Jan (1993). Belarus: At a Crossroads in History. Westview Press, 27. ISBN 0813317940.

[15] Lerski, George Jan and Aleksander Gieysztor (1996). Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966–1945. Greenwood Press, 181–182. ISBN 0313260079.

[16] Edited by Michael Jones and Albert Rigaudière, Jeremy Catto, S. C. Rowell and others (2005). The New Cambridge Medieval History (Vol.6). Cambridge University Press, p.710. ISBN 0521362903.

[17] Nowak, Andrzej (1997-01-01). The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation. Sarmatian Review XVII. Rice University. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[18] Scheuch, E. K. and David Sciulli (2000). Societies, Corporations and the Nation State. BRILL, 187. ISBN 9004116648.

[19] Birgerson, Susanne Michele (2002). After the Breakup of a Multi-Ethnic Empire. Praeger/Greenwood, 101. ISBN 0275969657.

[20] Olson, James Stuart and Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas C. J. Pappas (1994). Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires. Greenwood Press, 95. ISBN 0313274975.

[birgerson-21] 21.0 ^21.1 ^21.2 (Birgerson 2002:105–106)

[olson95-22] 22.0 ^22.1 (Olson 1994:95)

[warpop-23] 23.0 ^23.1 ^23.2 ^23.3 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Stalin and Russification. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[Soviet-era-24] Belarus History and Culture. iExplore.com. Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[Gorby-25] 25.0 ^25.1 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus- Perestroika. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-03-26.

[massgraves-26] {Birgerson 2002:99)

[byind-27] 27.0 ^27.1 ^27.2 ^27.3 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Prelude to Independence. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[28] World Factbook: Belarus (TXT). Central Intelligence Agency (1994-10-20). Retrieved 2007-12-21.

[conby-29] 29.0 ^29.1 Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[OSCE-30] OSCE Report on the October 2004 parliamentary elections (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (December 2004). Retrieved 2007-03-21.

[31] Belarus rally marred by arrests. BBC News (2 March 2006). Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[32] Profile: Alexander Lukashenko. BBC News (20 March 2006). Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[33] Mulvey, Stephen, "Profile: Europe's last dictator?", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2001-09-10. Retrieved 2007-12-21.

[CoE-34] Belarus suspended from the Council of Europe. Press Service of the Council of Europe (January 17 1997). Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[HRW-35] Essential Background - Belarus. Human Rights Watch (2005). Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[36] Human rights by country - Belarus. Amnesty International Report 2007. Amnesty International (2007). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[37] Capital Punishment in Belarus and Changes of Belarus Criminal Legislation related thereto. Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[38] Opening Statement by Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (PDF) (January 18, 2005). Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[39] At-a-glance: 'Outposts of tyranny'. BBC News (19 January 2005). Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[stategov-40] 40.0 ^40.1 ^40.2 ^40.3 United States Government (2007). Background Note: Belarus. United States State Department. Retrieved 2007-11-07.

[41] "Russia-Belarus Union Presidency Dismissed", The Moscow Times, 2007-12-10. Retrieved 2007-12-13.

[42] AP. "Putin named PM of Belarus-Russia alliance", 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27.

[cisstrained-43] Radio Free Europe (2006). CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit. Retrieved 2007-11-07.

[euban-44] EU imposes Belarus travel ban. BBC News. BBC (2002-11-19). Retrieved 2007-12-03.)

[foreignrelations-45] 45.0 ^45.1 Foreign Policy. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2007). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[fy97-46] U.S. Government Assistance FY 97 Annual Report. United States Embassy in Minsk, Belarus (1998). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[47] "Belarus Democracy Act Will Help Cause of Freedom, Bush Says", USINO, United States State Department, 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[48] Relations between Belarus and the United States of America. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[49] Pan, Letian, "China, Belarus agree to upgrade economic ties", Xinhua News Agency, 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[50] "Syria and Belarus agree to promote trade", BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation, 1998-03-13. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[51] "Belarus-Syria report subsantial progress in trade and economic relations", Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus, 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[byintorgs-52] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RB (2007). Membership of the Republic of Belarus in International Organizations. Retrieved 2007-11-04.

[53] Growth in United Nations membership, 1945-present. Department of Public Information. United Nations Organization (2006-07-03). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[54] High-ranking Military Officials of the Republic of Belarus. Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[s4-55] Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[56] History (in Russian). Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[57] Routledge, IISS Military Balance 2007, p.158–159

[conscripts-58] Bykovsky, Pavel; Alexander Vasilevich (2001–05). Military Development and the Armed Forces of Belarus. Moscow Defense Brief. Retrieved 2007-10-09.

[ciabymil-59] Belarus - Military. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2005). Retrieved 2007-10-09.

[60] Belarus and NATO. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2002). Retrieved 2007-10-09.

[s1-61] 61.0 ^61.1 Section I: Principles of the Constitutional System. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[s5-62] Section V: Local government and self-government. Constitution of Belarus. Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus (2004). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[carvalho-63] Carvalho, Fernando Duarte and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (2004). Defence Related SME's: Analysis and Description of Current Conditions. IOS Press, 32. ISBN 1586034081.

[64] About Minsk. Minsk City Executive Committee. Retrieved 2007-12-20.

[ciageo-65] 65.0 ^65.1 ^65.2 ^65.3 ^65.4 Belarus - Geography. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007). Retrieved 2007-11-07.

[bell-66] 66.0 ^66.1 Bell, Imogen (2002). Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2003. Taylor & Francis, 132. ISBN 1857431375.

[67] (Zaprudnik, xix)

[locclimate-68] 68.0 ^68.1 Fedor, Helen (1995). Belarus - Climate. Belarus: A Country Study. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[Chernobyl-69] Rainsford, Sarah (April 26 2005). Belarus cursed by Chernobyl. BBC News. Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[uncher-70] The United Nations and Chernobyl - The Republic of Belarus. United Nations (2004). Retrieved 2007-10-04.

[iaea-71] Smith, Marilyn, "Ecological reservation in Belarus fosters new approaches to soil remediation", International Atomic Energy Agency. Retrieved 2007-12-19.

[72] State Border - Delimitation History. State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[73] Lithuania's Cooperation with Belarus. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2007-12-19.

[econstats-74] Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of the Republic of Belarus (2006). Labour. Retrieved 2007-11-06.

[natotrade-75] Dr. Kaare Dahl Martinsen (2002). The Russian-Belarusian Union and the Near Abroad (PDF). Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. NATO. Retrieved 2007-11-07.

[76] "Russia may cut oil supplies to ally Belarus - Putin", Reuters, 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2007-10-08.

[ciaecon-77] 77.0 ^77.1 ^77.2 The World Factbook - Belarus - Economy. Central Intelligence Agency (2006). Retrieved 2007-10-08.

[byexports-78] Library of Congress (1994). Belarus - Exports. Country Studies. Retrieved 2007-11-04.

[wood-79] Economic and Investment Review (pdf). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (2007). Retrieved 2007-12-22.

[wb97-80] World Bank. "Belarus: Prices, Markets, and Enterprise Reform," pp. 1. World Bank, 1997. ISBN 0821339761

[81] Belarus - Industry. Country Studies. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved 2007-10-08.

[bybriefwb06-82] 82.0 ^82.1 World Bank (2006). Belarus - Country Brief 2003. Retrieved 2007-11-09.

[tradestats-83] 83.0 ^83.1 Council of Ministers Foreign trade in goods and services in Belarus up by 11.5% in January-October. Published 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007.

[eutrade-84] 84.0 ^84.1 European Union The EU's Relationship With Belarus - Trade (PDF). Published November 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007.

[85] World Trade Organization Accessions - Belarus. Retrieved October 6, 2007.

[labor-86] 86.0 ^86.1 ^86.2 ^86.3 ^86.4 Ministry of Statistics and Analysis Labor Statistics in Belarus. Published 2005. Retrieved March 18, 2007.

[87] National Bank of the Republic of Belarus History of the Belarusian Ruble. Retrieved March 18, 2007.

[88] Pravda.ru Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble. Published August 23, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007.

[89] Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom - Belarus. Retrieved March 18, 2007.

[demographics-90] 90.00 ^90.01 ^90.02 ^90.03 ^90.04 ^90.05 ^90.06 ^90.07 ^90.08 ^90.09 ^90.10 CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - People. Retrieved 2007-11-07.

[91] "Languages across Europe." BBC Education at bbc.co.uk. Accessed November 6, 2007.

[92] Data of the 1999 Belarusian general census In English. Reviewed October 6, 2007.

[93] Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.

[94] World Gazette Largest Cities of Belarus (2007). Published in 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.

[census-95] Population Pyramid Summary for Belarus. US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[96] The literacy rate is defined as the percentage of people aged 15 and older who can read and write.

[97] Library of Congress Country Studies Belarus - Religion. Retrieved July 9, 2007.

[98] Minsk Jewish Campus Jewish Belarus. Retrieved July 9, 2007.

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[bypoem-100] Old Belarusian Poetry. Virtual Guide to Belarus (1994). Retrieved 2007-10-09.

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[102] Zou, Crystal, "Ballets for Christmas", Shanghai Star, 2003-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-20.

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[104] Freemuse Blacklisted bands play in Poland. Published on March 17, 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2007.

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[107] Virtual Guide to Belarus Belarusian traditional clothing. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.

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[109] Canadian Citizenship and Immigration - Cultures Profile Project - Eating the Belarusian Way. Published in 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2007.

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[UNSECO-111] Belarus - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2006-03-26.

[112] National State Teleradiocompany About us. Retrieved October 5, 2007.

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[presslaw-114] 114.0 ^114.1 Law of the Republic of Belarus Law On Press and Other Mass Media. Retrieved October 5 2007.

[115] Eurozine Independent Belarusian newspaper "Nasha Niva" to close. Published April 19, 2006.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Ready}} {{Images OK}}
 {{featured article}}
-{{redirect|BLR|the IATA code|Bengaluru International Airport}}
-{{otheruses}}
 {{Infobox Country
 |native_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Рэспубліка Беларусь<br />Республика Беларусь<br />Republic of Belarus</span>
@@ Line 13: / Line 11: @@
 |national_anthem = Мы, беларусы{{spaces|2}}<small>([[Belarusian language|Belarusian]])</small><br />''[[My Belarusy|My, Belarusy]]''{{spaces|2}}<small>([[transliteration]])<br />''We Belarusians''</small>
 |official_languages = [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]], [[Russian language|Russian]]
-|demonym = [[Belarusians|Belarusian]], [[Belarusians|Belarussian]]
+|demonym = [[Belarusians|Belarusian]], Belarussian
 |capital = [[Minsk]]
 |latd=53 |latm=55 |latNS=N |longd=27 |longm=33 |longEW=E
@@ Line 25: / Line 23: @@
 |sovereignty_note = from the [[Soviet Union]]
 |established_event1 = Declared
-|established_date1 = [[July 27]] [[1990]]
+|established_date1 = July 27 1990
 |established_event2 = Established
-|established_date2 = [[August 25]] [[1991]]
+|established_date2 = August 25 1991
 |established_event3 = Completed
-|established_date3 = [[December 25]] [[1991]]
+|established_date3 = December 25 1991
 |area_km2 = 207600
 |area_sq_mi = 80155 <!--Do not remove [[WP:MOSNUM]]—>
@@ Line 70: / Line 68: @@
 Until the 20th century, the [[Belarusians]] lacked the opportunity to create a distinctive national identity, since the lands of modern-day Belarus belonged to several countries, including the [[Duchy of Polatsk]], the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]], and the [[Russian Empire]]. After the short-lived [[Belarusian People's Republic]] (1918–19), Belarus became a [[Republics of the Soviet Union|constituent republic of the Soviet Union]], the [[Byelorussian SSR]].
-The final unification of Belarusian lands within its modern borders took place in 1939, when the ethnically Belarusian lands that were part of [[Second Polish Republic|interwar Poland]] were annexed by the USSR and attached to the Soviet Belarus. The territory and its nation were devastated in [[World War II]], during which Belarus lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources;<ref name="axell">{{cite book | last = Axell | first = Albert | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Russia's Heroes, 1941–45 | publisher = Carroll & Graf Publishers | date= 2002 | location = | pages = 247 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 078671011X }}</ref> the republic recovered<!--"recovered" sounds too cut-and-dried: it remained economically impoverished under the Soviet system, yes? The combining of both this and the UN idea in the one sentence makes it seem as though there's causality: one begot the other. Also, it sounds too much as though B. was independent, rather than a client Russian sattelite.—> in the post-war years and became one of the founding members of the [[United Nations]]. The parliament of the republic declared the sovereignty of Belarus on [[July 27]], [[1990]], and following the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)|collapse of the Soviet Union]], Belarus declared independence on [[August 25]], [[1991]]. [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has been the country's president since 1994. During his presidency, Lukashenko has implemented<!--retained?—> Soviet-era policies, such as state ownership of the economy, despite objections from Western governments. Since 1996, Belarus has been negotiating with Russia to unify into a single state called the [[Union of Russia and Belarus]].
+The final unification of Belarusian lands within its modern borders took place in 1939, when the ethnically Belarusian lands that were part of [[Second Polish Republic|interwar Poland]] were annexed by the USSR and attached to the Soviet Belarus. The territory and its nation were devastated in [[World War II]], during which Belarus lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources;<ref name="axell">{{cite book | last = Axell | first = Albert | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Russia's Heroes, 1941–45 | publisher = Carroll & Graf Publishers | date= 2002 | location = | pages = 247 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 078671011X }}</ref> the republic recovered<!--"recovered" sounds too cut-and-dried: it remained economically impoverished under the Soviet system, yes? The combining of both this and the UN idea in the one sentence makes it seem as though there's causality: one begot the other. Also, it sounds too much as though B. was independent, rather than a client Russian sattelite.—> in the post-war years and became one of the founding members of the [[United Nations]]. The parliament of the republic declared the sovereignty of Belarus on July 27, 1990, and following the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)|collapse of the Soviet Union]], Belarus declared independence on August 25, 1991. [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has been the country's president since 1994. During his presidency, Lukashenko has implemented<!--retained?—> Soviet-era policies, such as state ownership of the economy, despite objections from Western governments. Since 1996, Belarus has been negotiating with Russia to unify into a single state called the [[Union of Russia and Belarus]].
 Most of Belarus's population of 9.85 million reside in the urban areas surrounding Minsk and other [[oblast]] (regional) capitals.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://un.by/en/aboutbelarus/population/ |title=About Belarus - Population |accessdate=2007-10-07 |date=2003 |publisher=United Nations Office in Belarus }}</ref> More than 80% of the population are native Belarusians, with sizable minorities of Russians, Ukrainians and Poles. Since a referendum in 1995, the country has had two official languages: [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]] and [[Russian language|Russian]]. The [[Constitution of Belarus]] does not declare an official religion, although the primary religion in the country is [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]].
 == Etymology ==
-The name ''Belarus'' derives from the term ''[[White Russia]]'', which first appeared in German and Latin [[medieval]] literature. The Latin term for the area was ''Russia Alba''. Historically, the country was referred to in [[English language|English]] as ''White Russia''. It is also claimed by some people that the correct translation is ''White [[Ruthenia]]'' (''White Rus'' phonetically), which either describes the area of Eastern Europe populated by Slavic people or the states that occupied the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.halgal.com/ruthenian.html |title=An Understanding of the Terms 'Ruthenia' and 'Ruthenians |accessdate=2007-03-18 |last=Bielawa |first=Matthew |date=2002 |work=Genealogy of Halychyna/Eastern Galicia }}</ref> The first known use of ''White Russia'' to refer to Belarus was in the late-16th century by Englishman Sir [[Jerome Horsey]].<ref name="alies">{{cite book | last = Alies | first = Bely | title = The chronicle of the White Russia: an essay on the history of one geographical name | publisher = Encyclopedix | date= 2000 | location = Minsk, Belarus | isbn = 985-6599-12-1 }}</ref> During the 17th century, Russian [[tsar]]s used ''White [[Ruthenia|Rus']]'', asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]].<ref name="alies"/>
+The name ''Belarus'' derives from the term ''[[White Russia]]'', which first appeared in German and Latin [[medieval]] literature. The Latin term for the area was ''Russia Alba''. Historically, the country was referred to in [[English language|English]] as ''White Russia''. It is also claimed by some people that the correct translation is ''White [[Ruthenia]]'' (''White Rus'' phonetically), which either describes the area of Eastern Europe populated by Slavic people or the states that occupied the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.halgal.com/ruthenian.html |title=An Understanding of the Terms 'Ruthenia' and 'Ruthenians |accessdate=2007-03-18 |last=Bielawa |first=Matthew |date=2002 |work=Genealogy of Halychyna/Eastern Galicia }}</ref> The first known use of ''White Russia'' to refer to Belarus was in the late-16th century by Englishman Sir [[Jerome Horsey]].<ref name="alies">{{cite book | last = Alies | first = Bely | title = The chronicle of the White Russia: an essay on the history of one geographical name | publisher = Encyclopedix | date= 2000 | location = Minsk, Belarus | isbn = 985-6599-12-1 }}</ref> During the 17th century, Russian [[tsar]]s used ''White Rus''', asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]].<ref name="alies"/>
-Belarus was named ''Belorussia'' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: Белоруссия) in the days of [[Imperial Russia]], and the Russian tsar was usually styled ''Tsar of [[Russia|All the Russias]]—[[Great Russia|Great]], [[Little Russia|Little]], and [[White Russia|White]]''. ''Belorussia'' was the only [[Russian language]] name of the country (its names in other languages such as English being based on the Russian form) until 1991, when the [[Supreme Soviet]] of the [[Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]] decreed by law that the new independent republic should be called ''Belarus'' (Беларусь) in Russian and in all other language transcriptions of its name. The change was made to reflect adequately the [[Belarusian language]] form of the name.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://pravo.kulichki.com/zak/year1991/doc47159.htm |title=Law of the Republic of Belarus - About the name of the Republic of Belarus |accessdate=2007-10-06 |date=1991-09-19 |publisher=Pravo - Law of the Republic of Belarus |language=Russian }}</ref> Accordingly, the name ''Belorussia'' was replaced by ''Belarus'' in English, and, to some extent, in Russian (although the traditional name still persists in that language as well); likewise, the adjective ''Belorussian'' or ''Byelorussian'' was replaced by ''Belarusian'' in English (though Russian has not developed a new adjective). Some Belarusians object to the name ''Belorussia'' as an unwelcome reminder of the days under Russian and Soviet rule.<ref name='belorussia'> {{cite web|url=http://pravapis.org/art_belarusian_adjective.asp |title=Belarus: Belarusian and Belarusan the correct adjective forms |accessdate=2006-03-08 |last=Katkouski |first=Uladzimir |date=2003-02-03 |publisher=Pravapis.org }}</ref> However, most residents of the country do not mind the use of Byelorussiya in Russian (which is, actually, the most widely spoken language there) – as evidenced by the fact that several popular newspapers published locally still retain the traditional name of the country in Russian in their names, for example ''Komsomolskaya Pravda v Byelorussii'', which is the localised publication of a popular Russian tabloid, and ''Sovetskaya Byelorussiya''. Officially, the full name of the country is ''Republic of Belarus'' (Рэспубліка Беларусь, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Byelarus').<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#Govt |title=Belarus - Government |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2007-12-13 |work=[[The World Factbook]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] }}</ref> {{Audio|Republic of Belarus.ogg|listen}}
+Belarus was named ''Belorussia'' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: Белоруссия) in the days of [[Imperial Russia]], and the Russian tsar was usually styled ''Tsar of [[Russia|All the Russias]]—[[Great Russia|Great]], [[Little Russia|Little]], and [[White Russia|White]]''. ''Belorussia'' was the only Russian language name of the country (its names in other languages such as English being based on the Russian form) until 1991, when the [[Supreme Soviet]] of the [[Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]] decreed by law that the new independent republic should be called ''Belarus'' (Беларусь) in Russian and in all other language transcriptions of its name. The change was made to reflect adequately the [[Belarusian language]] form of the name.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://pravo.kulichki.com/zak/year1991/doc47159.htm |title=Law of the Republic of Belarus - About the name of the Republic of Belarus |accessdate=2007-10-06 |date=1991-09-19 |publisher=Pravo - Law of the Republic of Belarus |language=Russian }}</ref> Accordingly, the name ''Belorussia'' was replaced by ''Belarus'' in English, and, to some extent, in Russian (although the traditional name still persists in that language as well); likewise, the adjective ''Belorussian'' or ''Byelorussian'' was replaced by ''Belarusian'' in English (though Russian has not developed a new adjective). Some Belarusians object to the name ''Belorussia'' as an unwelcome reminder of the days under Russian and Soviet rule.<ref name='belorussia'> {{cite web|url=http://pravapis.org/art_belarusian_adjective.asp |title=Belarus: Belarusian and Belarusan the correct adjective forms |accessdate=2006-03-08 |last=Katkouski |first=Uladzimir |date=2003-02-03 |publisher=Pravapis.org }}</ref> However, most residents of the country do not mind the use of Byelorussiya in Russian (which is, actually, the most widely spoken language there) – as evidenced by the fact that several popular newspapers published locally still retain the traditional name of the country in Russian in their names, for example ''Komsomolskaya Pravda v Byelorussii'', which is the localised publication of a popular Russian tabloid, and ''Sovetskaya Byelorussiya''. Officially, the full name of the country is ''Republic of Belarus'' (Рэспубліка Беларусь, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Byelarus').<ref> {{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#Govt |title=Belarus - Government |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2007-12-13 |work=[[The World Factbook]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] }}</ref> {{Audio|Republic of Belarus.ogg|listen}}
 == History ==
@@ Line 89: / Line 87: @@
 Upon the death of Kievan Rus' ruler, [[Prince Yaroslav the Wise]], the state split into independent principalities.<ref>{{cite book | last = Plokhy | first = Serhii | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Origins of the Slavic Nations | publisher = Cambridge University Press | date= 2006 | location = | pages = 94–95 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0521864038 }}</ref> These Ruthenian principalities were badly affected by a [[Mongol invasion of Rus|Mongol invasion]] in the 13th century, and many were later incorporated into the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Robinson | first = Charles Henry | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Conversion of Europe | publisher = Longmans, Green | date= 1917 | location = | pages = 491–492 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = }}</ref> Of the principalities held by the Duchy, nine were settled by ancestors of the Belarusian people.<ref name='zaprudnik'>{{cite book | last = Zaprudnik | first = Jan | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Belarus: At a Crossroads in History | publisher = Westview Press | date= 1993 | location = | pages = 27 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0813317940 }}</ref> During this time, the Duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of Poland against the [[Teutonic Knights]] at the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in 1410; the joint victory allowed the Duchy to control the northwestern border lands of Eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite book | last = Lerski | first = George Jan | authorlink = | coauthors = Aleksander Gieysztor | title = Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966–1945 | publisher = Greenwood Press | date= 1996 | location = | pages = 181–182 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0313260079 }}</ref>
-On [[February 2]], [[1386]], the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]] were joined in a [[personal union]] through a [[Act of Kreva|marriage of their rulers]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Edited by Michael Jones | first = | authorlink = | coauthors =Albert Rigaudière, Jeremy Catto, S. C. Rowell and others | title = The New Cambridge Medieval History (Vol.6) | publisher = Cambridge University Press| date= 2005 | location = | pages = p.710 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0521362903 }}</ref> This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]], [[Union of Lublin|created in 1569]]. The [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Russians]], led by Tsar [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan the III]], began military conquests in 1486 in an attempt to gain the Kievan Rus' lands, specifically Belarus and Ukraine.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia/197/Nowak.html |title=The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation |accessdate=2007-12-22 |last=Nowak |first=Andrzej |date=1997-01-01 |work=Sarmatian Review XVII |publisher=[[Rice University]] }}</ref> The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, and the commonwealth was [[partitions of Poland|partitioned]] by [[Imperial Russia]], [[Prussia]], and [[Austria]], dividing Belarus.<ref>{{cite book | last = Scheuch | first = E. K. | authorlink = | coauthors = David Sciulli | title = Societies, Corporations and the Nation State | publisher = BRILL | date= 2000 | location = | pages = 187 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 9004116648 }}</ref> Belarusian territories were acquired by the [[Russian Empire]] during the reign of [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine II]]<ref>{{cite book | last = Birgerson | first = Susanne Michele | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = After the Breakup of a Multi-Ethnic Empire | publisher = Praeger/Greenwood | date= 2002 | location = | pages = 101 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0275969657 }}</ref> and held until their occupation by [[Imperial Germany|Germany]] during [[World War I]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Olson | first = James Stuart | authorlink = | coauthors = Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas C. J. Pappas | title = Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires | publisher = Greenwood Press | date= 1994 | location = | pages = 95 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0313274975 }}</ref>
+On February 2, 1386, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]] were joined in a [[personal union]] through a [[Act of Kreva|marriage of their rulers]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Edited by Michael Jones | first = | authorlink = | coauthors =Albert Rigaudière, Jeremy Catto, S. C. Rowell and others | title = The New Cambridge Medieval History (Vol.6) | publisher = Cambridge University Press| date= 2005 | location = | pages = p.710 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0521362903 }}</ref> This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]], [[Union of Lublin|created in 1569]]. The [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Russians]], led by Tsar [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan the III]], began military conquests in 1486 in an attempt to gain the Kievan Rus' lands, specifically Belarus and Ukraine.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia/197/Nowak.html |title=The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation |accessdate=2007-12-22 |last=Nowak |first=Andrzej |date=1997-01-01 |work=Sarmatian Review XVII |publisher=[[Rice University]] }}</ref> The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, and the commonwealth was [[partitions of Poland|partitioned]] by [[Imperial Russia]], [[Prussia]], and [[Austria]], dividing Belarus.<ref>{{cite book | last = Scheuch | first = E. K. | authorlink = | coauthors = David Sciulli | title = Societies, Corporations and the Nation State | publisher = BRILL | date= 2000 | location = | pages = 187 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 9004116648 }}</ref> Belarusian territories were acquired by the [[Russian Empire]] during the reign of [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine II]]<ref>{{cite book | last = Birgerson | first = Susanne Michele | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = After the Breakup of a Multi-Ethnic Empire | publisher = Praeger/Greenwood | date= 2002 | location = | pages = 101 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0275969657 }}</ref> and held until their occupation by [[Imperial Germany|Germany]] during [[World War I]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Olson | first = James Stuart | authorlink = | coauthors = Lee Brigance Pappas, Nicholas C. J. Pappas | title = Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires | publisher = Greenwood Press | date= 1994 | location = | pages = 95 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0313274975 }}</ref>
 [[Image:History of Russia, XVIII c.jpg|thumb|Map of the [[Russian Empire]], 1762–1801]]
-During the negotiations of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], Belarus first declared independence on [[25 March]] [[1918]], forming the [[Belarusian National Republic|Belarusian People's Republic]]. The Germans supported the BPR, which lasted for about 10 months.<ref name='birgerson'>(Birgerson 2002:105–106'')</ref> Soon after the Germans were defeated, the BPR fell under the influence of the Bolsheviks and the Red Army and became the [[Byelorussian SSR|Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]] in 1919.<ref name='birgerson'/> After Russian occupation of eastern and northern Lithuania, it was merged into the [[Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. Byelorussian lands were then split between Poland and the [[Soviet]]s after the [[Polish-Soviet War]] ended in 1921, and the recreated Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the [[Soviet Union|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] in 1922.<ref name='birgerson'/>
+During the negotiations of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], Belarus first declared independence on 25 March 1918, forming the [[Belarusian National Republic|Belarusian People's Republic]]. The Germans supported the BPR, which lasted for about 10 months.<ref name='birgerson'>(Birgerson 2002:105–106'')</ref> Soon after the Germans were defeated, the BPR fell under the influence of the Bolsheviks and the Red Army and became the [[Byelorussian SSR|Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]] in 1919.<ref name='birgerson'/> After Russian occupation of eastern and northern Lithuania, it was merged into the [[Lithuanian-Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. Byelorussian lands were then split between Poland and the [[Soviet]]s after the [[Polish-Soviet War]] ended in 1921, and the recreated Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the [[Soviet Union|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] in 1922.<ref name='birgerson'/>
 In September 1939, as a result of the [[Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact]], the [[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)|Soviet Union invaded Poland]] and [[Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union|annexed its eastern lands]], including most Polish-held Byelorussian land.<ref name="olson95">(Olson 1994:95)</ref> [[Nazi Germany]] [[Operation Barbarossa|invaded the Soviet Union]] in 1941. Byelorussia was the hardest hit Soviet Republic in the war and [[Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany|remained in Nazi hands]] until 1944. During that time, Germany destroyed 209 out of 290 cities in the republic, 85% of the republic's industry, and more than one million buildings, while causing human losses<!-- COPYEDITOR'S NOTE: casualties? —> estimated between two and three million (about a quarter to one-third of the total population).<ref name="axell"/> The [[History of the Jews in Belarus|Jewish population of Byelorussia]] was devastated during [[The Holocaust]] and never recovered.<ref name="warpop">{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/11.htm |title=Belarus - Stalin and Russification |accessdate=2006-03-26 |last=Fedor |first=Helen |date=1995 |work=Belarus: A Country Study |publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971.<ref name="warpop"/> After the war ended, Byelorussia was among the 51 founding countries of the [[United Nations Charter]] in 1945 and began rebuilding the Soviet Republic. During this time, the Byelorussian SSR became a major center of manufacturing in the western region of the USSR, increasing jobs and bringing an influx of ethnic [[Russians]] into the republic.<ref name="Soviet-era">{{cite web |url=http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Belarus/History |title=Belarus History and Culture |accessdate=2006-03-26 |publisher=iExplore.com}}</ref> The borders of Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn to a point known as the [[Curzon Line]].<ref name="olson95"/>
@@ Line 99: / Line 97: @@
 [[Joseph Stalin]] implemented a policy of [[Sovietization]] to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from [[Western world|Western influences]].<ref name="warpop"/> <!--The plan was to have any trace of Belarus's cultural identity to be replaced by those of Russia.—> This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government. The official use of the [[Belarusian language]] and other cultural aspects were limited by [[Politics of the Soviet Union|Moscow]]. After Stalin died in 1953, successor [[Nikita Khrushchev]] continued this program, stating, "The sooner we all start speaking [[Russian language|Russian]], the faster we shall build [[communism]]".<ref name="warpop"/> When Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] began pushing through his [[Perestroika|reform plan]], the Belarusian people delivered a petition to him in December 1986 explaining the loss of [[culture of Belarus|their culture]]. Earlier that year, Byelorussian SSR was exposed to [[nuclear fallout]] from the explosion at the [[Chernobyl disaster|Chernobyl]] power plant in neighboring [[Ukrainian SSR]].<ref name='Gorby'> {{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/12.htm |title=Belarus- Perestroika |accessdate=2007-03-26 |last=Fedor |first=Helen |date=1995 |work=Belarus: A Country Study |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> In June 1988 at the rural site of [[Kurapaty]] near Minsk, archaeologist [[Zianon Pazniak]], the leader of [[Christian Conservative Party of the BPF]], discovered [[mass graves]] which contained about 250,000 bodies of victims executed in 1937-1941.<ref name="Gorby"/> Some nationalists contend that this discovery is proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people, causing Belarusian nationalists to seek independence.<ref name="massgraves">{Birgerson 2002:99)</ref>
 [[Image:Bialoruscy.studenci.png|thumb|A banner displayed by Belarusian students near [[Warsaw University]] showing support for Belarusian independence]]
-Two years later, in March 1990, elections for seats in the [[Supreme Soviet]] of the Byelorussian SSR took place. Though the pro-independence [[Belarusian Popular Front]] took only 10% of the seats, the populace was content with the selection of the delegates.<ref name='byind'> {{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/39.htm |title=Belarus - Prelude to Independence |accessdate=2007-12-22 |last=Fedor |first=Helen |date=1995 |work=Belarus: A Country Study |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> Belarus declared itself sovereign on [[July 27]], [[1990]], by issuing the [[Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. With the support of the Communist Party, the country's name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on [[August 25]], [[1991]].<ref name="byind"/> [[Stanislav Shushkevich]], the Chairman of the [[Supreme Soviet]] of Belarus, met with [[Boris Yeltsin]] of Russia and [[Leonid Kravchuk]] of [[Ukraine]] on [[December 8]] [[1991]] in [[Belavezhskaya Pushcha]] to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]].<ref name="byind"/> A [[Constitution of Belarus|national constitution]] was adopted in March 1994, in which the functions of prime minister were given to the [[president of Belarus|president]].
+Two years later, in March 1990, elections for seats in the [[Supreme Soviet]] of the Byelorussian SSR took place. Though the pro-independence [[Belarusian Popular Front]] took only 10% of the seats, the populace was content with the selection of the delegates.<ref name='byind'> {{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/39.htm |title=Belarus - Prelude to Independence |accessdate=2007-12-22 |last=Fedor |first=Helen |date=1995 |work=Belarus: A Country Study |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> Belarus declared itself sovereign on July 27, 1990, by issuing the [[Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. With the support of the Communist Party, the country's name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on August 25, 1991.<ref name="byind"/> [[Stanislav Shushkevich]], the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, met with [[Boris Yeltsin]] of Russia and [[Leonid Kravchuk]] of [[Ukraine]] on December 8 1991 in [[Belavezhskaya Pushcha]] to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]].<ref name="byind"/> A [[Constitution of Belarus|national constitution]] was adopted in March 1994, in which the functions of prime minister were given to the [[president of Belarus|president]].
-Two-round elections for the presidency ([[24 June]] [[1994]] and [[10 July]] [[1994]])<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact94/wf950026.txt |title=World Factbook: Belarus |accessdate=2007-12-21 |date=1994-10-20 |format=TXT |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency }}</ref> resulted in the politically unknown [[Alexander Lukashenko]] winning more than 45 % of the vote in the first round and 80 %<ref name="byind"/> in the second round, beating [[Vyacheslav Kebich]] who got 14 %. Lukashenko was reelected [[Belarusian presidential election, 2001|in 2001]] and [[Belarusian presidential election, 2006|in 2006]].
+Two-round elections for the presidency (24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994)<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact94/wf950026.txt |title=World Factbook: Belarus |accessdate=2007-12-21 |date=1994-10-20 |format=TXT |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency }}</ref> resulted in the politically unknown [[Alexander Lukashenko]] winning more than 45 % of the vote in the first round and 80 %<ref name="byind"/> in the second round, beating [[Vyacheslav Kebich]] who got 14 %. Lukashenko was reelected [[Belarusian presidential election, 2001|in 2001]] and [[Belarusian presidential election, 2006|in 2006]].
 ==Politics==
@@ Line 108: / Line 106: @@
 <!--Please add new information to relevant articles of the series—>
 [[Image:Victory-square.jpg|thumb|left|Victory Square, [[Minsk]]]]
-Belarus is a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[republic]], governed by a [[Leaders of Belarus|president]] and the [[National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus|National Assembly]]. In accordance with the constitution, the president is elected once in five years. The National Assembly is a [[bicameral parliament]] comprising the 110-member [[House of Representatives of the Republic of Belarus|House of Representatives]] (the lower house) and the 64-member [[Council of the Republic of Belarus|Council of the Republic]] (the upper house). The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the [[List of Belarusian Prime Ministers|prime minister]], make constitutional amendments, call for a [[Motion of Confidence|vote of confidence]] on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, conduct an impeachment trial of the president, and accept or reject the bills passed by the House of Representatives. Each chamber has the ability to veto any law passed by local officials if it is contrary to the [[Constitution of Belarus]].<ref name='conby'> {{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19332.html#doc |title=Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2004 |work=[[Constitution of Belarus]] |publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> Since 1994, [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has been the president of Belarus. The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. The judiciary comprises the [[Supreme Court of Belarus|Supreme Court]] and specialized courts such as the [[Constitutional Court of Belarus|Constitutional Court]], which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. The judges of national courts are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Council of the Republic. For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. The Belarusian Constitution forbids the use of special extra-judicial courts.<ref name="conby"/>
+Belarus is a [[presidential system|presidential]] [[republic]], governed by a [[Leaders of Belarus|president]] and the [[National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus|National Assembly]]. In accordance with the constitution, the president is elected once in five years. The National Assembly is a [[bicameral parliament]] comprising the 110-member [[House of Representatives of the Republic of Belarus|House of Representatives]] (the lower house) and the 64-member [[Council of the Republic of Belarus|Council of the Republic]] (the upper house). The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the [[List of Belarusian Prime Ministers|prime minister]], make constitutional amendments, call for a [[Motion of Confidence|vote of confidence]] on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, conduct an impeachment trial of the president, and accept or reject the bills passed by the House of Representatives. Each chamber has the ability to veto any law passed by local officials if it is contrary to the [[Constitution of Belarus]].<ref name='conby'> {{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19332.html#doc |title=Section IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2004 |work=Constitution of Belarus |publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> Since 1994, [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has been the president of Belarus. The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. The judiciary comprises the [[Supreme Court of Belarus|Supreme Court]] and specialized courts such as the [[Constitutional Court of Belarus|Constitutional Court]], which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. The judges of national courts are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Council of the Republic. For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. The Belarusian Constitution forbids the use of special extra-judicial courts.<ref name="conby"/>
 [[Image:Belarus-Minsk-House of Government and Vladimir Lenin Monument (perspective corrected).jpg|thumb|House of Government in Minsk, with a statue to [[Vladimir Lenin]] in the foreground]]
@@ Line 119: / Line 117: @@
 {{main|Foreign relations of Belarus|Armed Forces of Belarus}}
 [[Image:Lukashenko NAM meeting.jpg|thumb|left|President [[Alexander Lukashenko]] in Cuba, 2006]]
-Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market.<ref name="stategov">{{Cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5371.htm|title=Background Note: Belarus|accessdate=2007-11-07|publisher=United States State Department|year=2007|author=United States Government}}</ref> The [[Union of Russia and Belarus]], a supranational confederation, was established in a 1996–99 series of treaties that called for monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common foreign and defense policy.<ref name=stategov/> Although the future of the Union was in doubt because of Belarus' repeated delays of monetary union, the lack of a referendum date for the draft constitution, and a [[Russia-Belarus energy dispute|2006–07 dispute about petroleum trade]].<ref name=stategov/> On [[December 11]], [[2007]], reports emerged that a framework for the new state was discussed between both countries.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= AP, Reuters | title=Russia-Belarus Union Presidency Dismissed | date=2007-12-10 | publisher= | url =http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/12/10/022.html | work =The Moscow Times | pages = | accessdate = 2007-12-13 | language = }}</ref> On [[May 27]], [[2008]], Belarusian President Lukashenko said that he had named Russian Prime Minister [[Vladimir Putin]] the "prime minister" of the Russia-Belarus alliance. The meaning of the move was not immediately clear; however, there is speculation that Putin may become president of a unified state of Russia and Belarus after having stepped down as Russian president in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | author= AP | title=Putin named PM of Belarus-Russia alliance | date=2008-05-27 | publisher= | url =http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24839107 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-27 | language = }}</ref>
+Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market.<ref name="stategov">{{Cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5371.htm|title=Background Note: Belarus|accessdate=2007-11-07|publisher=United States State Department|year=2007|author=United States Government}}</ref> The [[Union of Russia and Belarus]], a supranational confederation, was established in a 1996–99 series of treaties that called for monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common foreign and defense policy.<ref name=stategov/> Although the future of the Union was in doubt because of Belarus' repeated delays of monetary union, the lack of a referendum date for the draft constitution, and a [[Russia-Belarus energy dispute|2006–07 dispute about petroleum trade]].<ref name=stategov/> On December 11, 2007, reports emerged that a framework for the new state was discussed between both countries.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= AP, Reuters | title=Russia-Belarus Union Presidency Dismissed | date=2007-12-10 | publisher= | url =http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/12/10/022.html | work =The Moscow Times | pages = | accessdate = 2007-12-13 | language = }}</ref> On May 27, 2008, Belarusian President Lukashenko said that he had named Russian Prime Minister [[Vladimir Putin]] the "prime minister" of the Russia-Belarus alliance. The meaning of the move was not immediately clear; however, there is speculation that Putin may become president of a unified state of Russia and Belarus after having stepped down as Russian president in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | author= AP | title=Putin named PM of Belarus-Russia alliance | date=2008-05-27 | publisher= | url =http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24839107 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-27 | language = }}</ref>
 Belarus was a founder member of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS); however, recently other CIS members have questioned the effectiveness of the organization.<ref name="cisstrained">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/11/6e49cd34-6c37-40ff-87f4-a6557e84f7e9.html|title=CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit|accessdate=2007-11-07|year=2006|author=Radio Free Europe}}</ref> Belarus has trade agreements with several European Union member states (despite other member states' travel ban on Lukashenko and top officials),<ref name="euban">{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2492939.stm|title=EU imposes Belarus travel ban|accessdate=2007-12-03|publisher=BBC|year=2002-11-19|work=BBC News}})</ref> as well as with its neighbors Lithuania, Poland and Latvia.<ref name='foreignrelations'> {{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/ |title=Foreign Policy |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2007 |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref>
@@ Line 133: / Line 131: @@
 [[Image:Belarus.geohive.png|thumb|250px|Provinces of Belarus]]
-Belarus is divided into six ''[[voblast]]s'', or provinces, which are named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers.<ref name='s1'> {{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html |title=Section I: Principles of the Constitutional System |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2004 |work=[[Constitution of Belarus]] |publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> Each voblast has a provincial legislative authority, called an ''oblsovet'', which is elected by the voblast's residents, and a provincial executive authority called a voblast administration, whose leader is appointed by the president.<ref name='s5'> {{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html |title=Section V: Local government and self-government |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2004 |work=[[Constitution of Belarus]] |publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> Voblasts are further subdivided into ''[[raion]]s'' (commonly translated as ''districts'' or ''regions'').<ref name="s1"/> As with voblasts, each raion has its own legislative authority (''raisovet'', or raion council) elected by its residents, and an executive authority (raion administration) appointed by higher executive powers. As of 2002, there are six voblasts, 118 raions, 102 towns and 108 urbanized settlements.<ref name='carvalho'>{{cite book | last = Carvalho | first = Fernando Duarte | authorlink = | coauthors = North Atlantic Treaty Organization | title = Defence Related SME's: Analysis and Description of Current Conditions | publisher = IOS Press | date = 2004 | location = | pages = 32 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1586034081 }}</ref> Minsk is given a special status, due to the city serving as the national capital. Minsk City is run by an executive committee and granted a charter of self-rule by the national government.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.minsk.gov.by/cgi-bin/gor_ind.pl?〈=eng |title=About Minsk |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher=Minsk City Executive Committee }}</ref>
+Belarus is divided into six ''[[voblast]]s'', or provinces, which are named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers.<ref name='s1'> {{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html |title=Section I: Principles of the Constitutional System |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2004 |work=[[Constitution of Belarus]] |publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> Each voblast has a provincial legislative authority, called an ''oblsovet'', which is elected by the voblast's residents, and a provincial executive authority called a voblast administration, whose leader is appointed by the president.<ref name='s5'> {{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html |title=Section V: Local government and self-government |accessdate=2007-12-22 |date=2004 |work=Constitution of Belarus |publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> Voblasts are further subdivided into ''[[raion]]s'' (commonly translated as ''districts'' or ''regions'').<ref name="s1"/> As with voblasts, each raion has its own legislative authority (''raisovet'', or raion council) elected by its residents, and an executive authority (raion administration) appointed by higher executive powers. As of 2002, there are six voblasts, 118 raions, 102 towns and 108 urbanized settlements.<ref name='carvalho'>{{cite book | last = Carvalho | first = Fernando Duarte | authorlink = | coauthors = North Atlantic Treaty Organization | title = Defence Related SME's: Analysis and Description of Current Conditions | publisher = IOS Press | date = 2004 | location = | pages = 32 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1586034081 }}</ref> Minsk is given a special status, due to the city serving as the national capital. Minsk City is run by an executive committee and granted a charter of self-rule by the national government.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.minsk.gov.by/cgi-bin/gor_ind.pl?〈=eng |title=About Minsk |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher=Minsk City Executive Committee }}</ref>
 '''Voblasts (with administrative centers):'''<br />
@@ Line 166: / Line 164: @@
 Historically important branches of industry include textiles and wood processing.<ref name='wood'> {{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/docs/eio/2007eng.pdf |title=Economic and Investment Review |accessdate=2007-12-22 |coauthors=Ministry of the Economy of the Republic of Belarus |date=2007 |format=pdf |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus }}</ref> As of the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus was one of the world's most industrially developed states by percentage of [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) as well as the richest CIS state.<ref name="wb97">[[World Bank]]. "Belarus: Prices, Markets, and Enterprise Reform," [http://books.google.com/books?id=0jCvjCHPHpcC&pg=PA83&dq=isbn:0821339761&sig=RynOYFR1n4g7p2Vj4MuYrbikQsU#PPA1,M1 pp. 1]. World Bank, 1997. ISBN 0821339761</ref> Economically, Belarus involved itself in the CIS, [[Eurasian Economic Community]], and [[Union of Russia and Belarus|Union with Russia]]. During the 1990s, however, industrial production plunged because of decreases in imported inputs, in investment, and in demand for exports from traditional trading partners.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/30.htm |title=Belarus - Industry |accessdate=2007-10-08 |date=1995 |work=Country Studies |publisher=Library of Congress }}</ref> It took until 1996 for the gross domestic product to rise;<ref name="bybriefwb06">{{Cite web|url=http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/eca.nsf/2656afe00bc5f02185256d5d005dae97/8ec2dc1ef03aed3e85256d5d0067dc90?OpenDocument|title=Belarus - Country Brief 2003|accessdate=2007-11-09|year=2006|author=World Bank}}</ref> this coincided with the government putting more emphasis on using the GDP for social welfare and state subsidies.<ref name="bybriefwb06"/> The GDP for 2006 was US$83.1 billion in [[purchasing power parity]] (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita.<ref name='ciaecon'> {{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#Econ |title=The World Factbook - Belarus - Economy |accessdate=2007-10-08 |date=2006 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency }}</ref> In 2005, the gross domestic product increased by about 9.9%, with the inflation rate averaging about 9.5%.<ref name='ciaecon'/>
-Belarus's largest trading partner is Russia, accounting for nearly half of total trade in 2006.<ref name="tradestats">Council of Ministers [http://www.government.by/en/eng_analytics11.html Foreign trade in goods and services in Belarus up by 11.5% in January-October]. Published 2006. Retrieved [[October 6]], [[2007]].</ref> As of 2006, the European Union is Belarus's next largest trading partner, with nearly a third of foreign trade.<ref name="eutrade"/><ref name="tradestats"/> Because of its failure to protect labor rights, however, Belarus lost its E.U. [[Generalised System of Preferences|Generalized System of Preferences]] status on [[June 21]], [[2007]], which raised tariff rates to their prior [[most-favored nation]] levels.<ref name="eutrade">European Union [http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/belarus/pdf/belarus_trade_en.pdf The EU's Relationship With Belarus - Trade] (PDF). Published November 2006. Retrieved [[October 6]], [[2007]].</ref> Belarus applied to become a member of the [[World Trade Organization]] in 1993.<ref>World Trade Organization [http://www.wto.org/English/thewto_e/acc_e/a1_belarus_e.htm Accessions - Belarus]. Retrieved [[October 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
+Belarus's largest trading partner is Russia, accounting for nearly half of total trade in 2006.<ref name="tradestats">Council of Ministers [http://www.government.by/en/eng_analytics11.html Foreign trade in goods and services in Belarus up by 11.5% in January-October]. Published 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007.</ref> As of 2006, the European Union is Belarus's next largest trading partner, with nearly a third of foreign trade.<ref name="eutrade"/><ref name="tradestats"/> Because of its failure to protect labor rights, however, Belarus lost its E.U. [[Generalised System of Preferences|Generalized System of Preferences]] status on June 21, 2007, which raised tariff rates to their prior [[most-favored nation]] levels.<ref name="eutrade">European Union [http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/belarus/pdf/belarus_trade_en.pdf The EU's Relationship With Belarus - Trade] (PDF). Published November 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2007.</ref> Belarus applied to become a member of the [[World Trade Organization]] in 1993.<ref>World Trade Organization [http://www.wto.org/English/thewto_e/acc_e/a1_belarus_e.htm Accessions - Belarus]. Retrieved October 6, 2007.</ref>
 The labor force consists of more than four million people, among whom women hold slightly more jobs than men.<ref name="labor">Ministry of Statistics and Analysis
-[http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/indicators/labor.php Labor Statistics in Belarus]. Published 2005. Retrieved [[March 18]], [[2007]].</ref> In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed in industrial factories.<ref name="labor"/> Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 1.5% in 2005.<ref name="labor"/> The number of unemployed persons totaled 679,000 of whom about two-thirds are women.<ref name="labor"/> The rate of unemployment has been decreasing since 2003, and the overall rate is the highest since statistics were first compiled in 1995.<ref name="labor"/>
+[http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/indicators/labor.php Labor Statistics in Belarus]. Published 2005. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed in industrial factories.<ref name="labor"/> Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 1.5% in 2005.<ref name="labor"/> The number of unemployed persons totaled 679,000 of whom about two-thirds are women.<ref name="labor"/> The rate of unemployment has been decreasing since 2003, and the overall rate is the highest since statistics were first compiled in 1995.<ref name="labor"/>
 [[Image:Belarus-2000-Bill-500-Obverse.jpg|thumb|Obverse of the 500 [[Belarusian ruble]] (BYB/BYR), the national currency]]
-The currency of Belarus is the [[Belarusian ruble]] (BYR). The currency was introduced in May 1992, replacing the [[Soviet ruble]]. The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since.<ref>National Bank of the Republic of Belarus [http://www.nbrb.by/Natiobank/Banknotes/ENG/index.html History of the Belarusian Ruble]. Retrieved [[March 18]], [[2007]].</ref> As part of the [[Union of Russia and Belarus]], both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the [[Euro]]. This has led to the proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the [[Russian ruble]] (RUB), starting as early as [[1 January]] [[2008]]. As of August 2007, the [[National Bank of the Republic of Belarus|National Bank of Belarus]] is no longer pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian ruble.<ref>Pravda.ru [http://english.pravda.ru/world/ussr/23-08-2007/96292-belarus_russia-0 Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble]. Published [[August 23]], [[2007]]. Retrieved [[October 6]], [[2007]].</ref> The banking system of Belarus is composed of 30 state-owned banks and one privatized bank.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Belarus|title=Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom - Belarus|accessmonthday=March 18|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
+The currency of Belarus is the [[Belarusian ruble]] (BYR). The currency was introduced in May 1992, replacing the [[Soviet ruble]]. The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since.<ref>National Bank of the Republic of Belarus [http://www.nbrb.by/Natiobank/Banknotes/ENG/index.html History of the Belarusian Ruble]. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> As part of the [[Union of Russia and Belarus]], both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the [[Euro]]. This has led to the proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the [[Russian ruble]] (RUB), starting as early as 1 January 2008. As of August 2007, the [[National Bank of the Republic of Belarus|National Bank of Belarus]] is no longer pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian ruble.<ref>Pravda.ru [http://english.pravda.ru/world/ussr/23-08-2007/96292-belarus_russia-0 Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble]. Published August 23, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007.</ref> The banking system of Belarus is composed of 30 state-owned banks and one privatized bank.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Belarus|title=Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom - Belarus|accessmonthday=March 18|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
 ==Demographics==
 {{main|Demographics of Belarus}}
 [[Image:Brest Kirche.jpg|thumb|left|222px|Resurrection Church of Brest is the biggest one in Belarus, over 5000 people can attend service]]
-Ethnic [[Belarusians]] constitute 81.2% of Belarus's total population.<ref name="demographics">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#People |title=CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - People |accessdate=2007-11-07}}</ref> The next largest ethnic groups are [[Russians]] (11.4%), [[Polish people|Poles]] (3.9%), and [[Ukrainians]] (2.4%).<ref name="demographics"/> Belarus's two official languages are [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]] and Russian,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/languages/belarusian.shtml "Languages across Europe."] BBC Education at bbc.co.uk. Accessed [[November 6]], [[2007]].</ref> spoken at home by 36.7% and 62.8% of Belarusians, respectively.<ref>Data of the 1999 Belarusian general census [http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/census/p6.php In English]. Reviewed [[October 6]], [[2007]].</ref> Minorities also speak [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] and [[Eastern Yiddish]].<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.</ref>
+Ethnic [[Belarusians]] constitute 81.2% of Belarus's total population.<ref name="demographics">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#People |title=CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - People |accessdate=2007-11-07}}</ref> The next largest ethnic groups are [[Russians]] (11.4%), [[Polish people|Poles]] (3.9%), and [[Ukrainians]] (2.4%).<ref name="demographics"/> Belarus's two official languages are [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]] and Russian,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/languages/belarusian.shtml "Languages across Europe."] BBC Education at bbc.co.uk. Accessed November 6, 2007.</ref> spoken at home by 36.7% and 62.8% of Belarusians, respectively.<ref>Data of the 1999 Belarusian general census [http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/census/p6.php In English]. Reviewed October 6, 2007.</ref> Minorities also speak [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] and [[Eastern Yiddish]].<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.</ref>
-Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometer (127 per sq mi); 71.7% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas.<ref name="demographics"/> [[Minsk]], the nation's capital and largest city, is home to 1,741,400 of Belarus's 9,724,700 residents.<ref name="demographics"/> [[Gomel]], with 481,000 people, is the second largest city and serves as the capital of the Homel Oblast. Other large cities are [[Mogilev]] (365,100), [[Vitebsk]] (342,400), [[Hrodna]] (314,800) and [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]] (298,300).<ref>World Gazette [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-43&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=&srt=pnan Largest Cities of Belarus (2007)]. Published in 2007. Retrieved [[March 19]], [[2007]].</ref>
+Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometer (127 per sq mi); 71.7% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas.<ref name="demographics"/> [[Minsk]], the nation's capital and largest city, is home to 1,741,400 of Belarus's 9,724,700 residents.<ref name="demographics"/> [[Gomel]], with 481,000 people, is the second largest city and serves as the capital of the Homel Oblast. Other large cities are [[Mogilev]] (365,100), [[Vitebsk]] (342,400), [[Hrodna]] (314,800) and [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]] (298,300).<ref>World Gazette [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-43&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=&srt=pnan Largest Cities of Belarus (2007)]. Published in 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.</ref>
 Like many other European countries, Belarus has a negative population growth rate and a negative natural growth rate. In 2007, Belarus's population declined by 0.41% and its [[fertility rate]] was 1.22,<ref name="demographics"/> well [[Sub-replacement fertility|below the replacement rate]]. Its [[net migration rate]] is +0.38 per 1,000, indicating that Belarus experiences slightly more [[immigration]] than [[emigration]].<ref name="demographics"/> As of 2007, 69.7% of Belarus's population is aged 14 to 64; 16% is under 14, and 14.6% is 65 or older.<ref name="demographics"/> Its population is also aging: while the current median age is 37,<ref name="demographics"/> it is estimated that Belarusians' median age will be 51 in 2050.<ref name="census">{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbpyrs.pl?cty=BO&out=s&ymax=250 |publisher=US Census Bureau |title=Population Pyramid Summary for Belarus |accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref> There are about 0.88 males per female in Belarus.<ref name="demographics"/> The average life expectancy is 68.7 years (63.0 years for males and 74.9 years for females).<ref name="demographics"/> Over 99% of Belarusians are literate.<ref name="demographics"/><ref>The literacy rate is defined as the percentage of people aged 15 and older who can read and write.</ref>
 [[Image:Belarus-Polatsk-Cathedral of Sophia-3.jpg|thumb|Cathedral of Saint Sophia in [[Polotsk]]]]
-Belarus has historically been a [[Russian Orthodox]] country, with minorities practicing [[Catholicism]], [[Judaism]], and other religions. Most Belarusians converted to the Russian Orthodox Church after Belarus was annexed by Russia after the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Belarus's Roman Catholic minority, which makes up perhaps 10% of the country's population and is concentrated in the western part of the country, especially around [[Hrodna]], is made up of a mixture of Belarusians and the country's [[Polish people|Polish]] and [[Lithuanian people|Lithuanian]] minorities. About 1% belong to the [[Belarusian Greek Catholic Church]].<ref>Library of Congress Country Studies [http://countrystudies.us/belarus/20.htm Belarus - Religion]. Retrieved [[July 9]], [[2007]].</ref> Belarus was a major center of the European Jewish population, with 10% being Jewish, but the population of Jews has been reduced by war, starvation, and the [[Holocaust]] to a tiny minority of about 1% or less. Emigration from Belarus is a cause for the shrinking number of Jewish residents.<ref>Minsk Jewish Campus [http://www.meod.by/en/report/jbelarus/ Jewish Belarus]. Retrieved [[July 9]], [[2007]].</ref> According to Article 16 of the [[Constitution of Belarus|Constitution]], Belarus has no official religion. While the [[freedom of worship]] is granted in the same article, religious organizations that are deemed harmful to the government or social order of the country can be prohibited.<ref>Webportal of the President of the Republic of Belarus [http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html Section One of the Constitution]. Published 1994, amended in 1996. Retrieved [[June 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
+Belarus has historically been a [[Russian Orthodox]] country, with minorities practicing [[Catholicism]], [[Judaism]], and other religions. Most Belarusians converted to the Russian Orthodox Church after Belarus was annexed by Russia after the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Belarus's Roman Catholic minority, which makes up perhaps 10% of the country's population and is concentrated in the western part of the country, especially around [[Hrodna]], is made up of a mixture of Belarusians and the country's [[Polish people|Polish]] and [[Lithuanian people|Lithuanian]] minorities. About 1% belong to the [[Belarusian Greek Catholic Church]].<ref>Library of Congress Country Studies [http://countrystudies.us/belarus/20.htm Belarus - Religion]. Retrieved July 9, 2007.</ref> Belarus was a major center of the European Jewish population, with 10% being Jewish, but the population of Jews has been reduced by war, starvation, and the [[Holocaust]] to a tiny minority of about 1% or less. Emigration from Belarus is a cause for the shrinking number of Jewish residents.<ref>Minsk Jewish Campus [http://www.meod.by/en/report/jbelarus/ Jewish Belarus]. Retrieved July 9, 2007.</ref> According to Article 16 of the [[Constitution of Belarus|Constitution]], Belarus has no official religion. While the [[freedom of worship]] is granted in the same article, religious organizations that are deemed harmful to the government or social order of the country can be prohibited.<ref>Webportal of the President of the Republic of Belarus [http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html Section One of the Constitution]. Published 1994, amended in 1996. Retrieved June 6, 2007.</ref>
 ==Culture==
@@ Line 193: / Line 191: @@
 [[Image:Babka Potato Dish-1.jpg|thumb|[[Babka]], a traditional Belarusian potato dish]]
-In the 17th century, Polish composer [[Stanislaw Moniuszko]] composed operas and chamber music pieces while living in Minsk. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet [[Vincent Dunin-Marcinkevich]] and created the opera ''Sielanka'' (''Peasant Woman''). At the end of the 19th century, major Belarusian cities formed their own opera and ballet companies. The ballet ''[[Nightingale (ballet)|Nightingale]]'' by M. Kroshner was composed during the Soviet era and became the first Belarusian ballet showcased at the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre in Minsk.<ref>{{cite news | first=Crystal | last=Zou | coauthors= | title=Ballets for Christmas | date=2003-12-11 | publisher= | url =http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/2003/1211/wh28-1.html | work =Shanghai Star | pages = | accessdate = 2007-12-20 | language = }}</ref> After the [[Great Patriotic War (term)|Great Patriotic War]], music focused on the hardships of the Belarusian people or on those who took up arms in defense of the homeland. During this period, A. Bogatyryov, creator of the opera ''In Polesye Virgin Forest'', served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers.<ref name="clasmus">Virtual Guide to Belarus - [http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/music/Belarusian_composers_&_classical_music.htm Classical Music of Belarus]. Retrieved [[March 21]], [[2007]].</ref> The National Academic Theatre of Ballet, in Minsk, was awarded the [[Benois de la Dance Prize]] in 1996 as the top ballet company in the world.<ref name="clasmus"/> Although rock music has risen in popularity in recent years, the Belarusian government has suppressed the development of popular music through various legal and economic mechanisms.<ref>Freemuse [http://www.freemuse.org/sw12630.asp Blacklisted bands play in Poland]. Published on [[March 17]], [[2006]]. Retrieved [[March 18]], [[2007]].</ref> Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the [[Eurovision Song Contest]].<ref>National State Teleradiocompany[http://www.tvr.by/eng/konkurs.asp Page on the 2004 Belarusian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest]. Published 2004. Retrieved [[March 18]], [[2007]].</ref>
+In the 17th century, Polish composer [[Stanislaw Moniuszko]] composed operas and chamber music pieces while living in Minsk. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet [[Vincent Dunin-Marcinkevich]] and created the opera ''Sielanka'' ''(Peasant Woman)''. At the end of the 19th century, major Belarusian cities formed their own opera and ballet companies. The ballet ''[[Nightingale (ballet)|Nightingale]]'' by M. Kroshner was composed during the Soviet era and became the first Belarusian ballet showcased at the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre in Minsk.<ref>{{cite news | first=Crystal | last=Zou | coauthors= | title=Ballets for Christmas | date=2003-12-11 | publisher= | url =http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/2003/1211/wh28-1.html | work =Shanghai Star | pages = | accessdate = 2007-12-20 | language = }}</ref> After the [[Great Patriotic War (term)|Great Patriotic War]], music focused on the hardships of the Belarusian people or on those who took up arms in defense of the homeland. During this period, A. Bogatyryov, creator of the opera ''In Polesye Virgin Forest'', served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers.<ref name="clasmus">Virtual Guide to Belarus - [http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/music/Belarusian_composers_&_classical_music.htm Classical Music of Belarus]. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref> The National Academic Theatre of Ballet, in Minsk, was awarded the [[Benois de la Dance Prize]] in 1996 as the top ballet company in the world.<ref name="clasmus"/> Although rock music has risen in popularity in recent years, the Belarusian government has suppressed the development of popular music through various legal and economic mechanisms.<ref>Freemuse [http://www.freemuse.org/sw12630.asp Blacklisted bands play in Poland]. Published on March 17, 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the [[Eurovision Song Contest]].<ref>National State Teleradiocompany[http://www.tvr.by/eng/konkurs.asp Page on the 2004 Belarusian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest]. Published 2004. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref>
 The Belarusian government sponsors annual cultural festivals such as the [[Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk]], which showcases Belarusian performers, artists, writers, musicians, and actors. Several state holidays, such as [[Independence Day]] and [[Victory Day (Eastern Europe)|Victory Day]], draw big crowds and often include displays such as fireworks and military parades, especially in Vitebsk and Minsk.<ref name="festivals">{{cite web| url=http://www.belarusembassy.org/belarus/culture.htm| title=Belarusian National Culture| publisher=Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United States of America| accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref> The government's Ministry of Culture finances events promoting Belarusian arts and culture both inside and outside the country.
@@ Line 199: / Line 197: @@
 [[Image:Belarus dress.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Children in traditional dress]]
-The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the [[Kievan Rus']] period. Because of the cool climate, clothes, usually composed of [[flax]] or [[wool]], were designed to keep the body warm. They are decorated with ornate patterns influenced by the neighboring cultures: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Each region of Belarus has developed specific design patterns.<ref>Virtual Guide to Belarus [http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/clothing/index.html Belarusian traditional clothing]. Retrieved on [[March 21]], [[2007]].</ref> An ornamental pattern used on some early dresses is currently used to decorate the hoist of the [[Flag of Belarus|Belarusian national flag]], adopted in a [[Belarusian referendum, 1995|disputed referendum]] in 1995.<ref>Flags of the World [http://fotw.fivestarflags.com/by.html#orn Belarus - Ornament]. Published [[November 26]], [[2006]]. Retrieved [[March 21]], [[2007]].</ref>
+The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the [[Kievan Rus']] period. Because of the cool climate, clothes, usually composed of [[flax]] or [[wool]], were designed to keep the body warm. They are decorated with ornate patterns influenced by the neighboring cultures: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Each region of Belarus has developed specific design patterns.<ref>Virtual Guide to Belarus [http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/clothing/index.html Belarusian traditional clothing]. Retrieved on March 21, 2007.</ref> An ornamental pattern used on some early dresses is currently used to decorate the hoist of the [[Flag of Belarus|Belarusian national flag]], adopted in a [[Belarusian referendum, 1995|disputed referendum]] in 1995.<ref>Flags of the World [http://fotw.fivestarflags.com/by.html#orn Belarus - Ornament]. Published November 26, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref>
-[[Cuisine of Belarus|Belarusian cuisine]] consists mainly of vegetables, meat (especially pork), and breads. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. A typical Belarusian eats a very light breakfast and two hearty meals, with dinner being the largest meal of the day. Wheat and rye breads are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. To show hospitality, a host traditionally presents an offering of bread and salt when greeting a guest or visitor.<ref>Canadian Citizenship and Immigration - [http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/belarus/eating.html Cultures Profile Project - Eating the Belarusian Way]. Published in 1998. Retrieved [[March 21]], [[2007]].</ref> Popular drinks in Belarus include Russian wheat vodka and ''[[kvass]]'', a soft drink made from malted brown bread or rye flour. ''Kvass'' may also be combined with sliced vegetables to create a cold soup called ''okroshka''.<ref>University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Institute of Agriculture and National Resources. [http://www.ianr.unl.edu/kendrick/411/people-S00.html Situation and Outlook - People and Their Diets]. Published in April 2000. Retrieved [[March 21]], [[2007]].</ref>
+[[Cuisine of Belarus|Belarusian cuisine]] consists mainly of vegetables, meat (especially pork), and breads. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. A typical Belarusian eats a very light breakfast and two hearty meals, with dinner being the largest meal of the day. Wheat and rye breads are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. To show hospitality, a host traditionally presents an offering of bread and salt when greeting a guest or visitor.<ref>Canadian Citizenship and Immigration - [http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/belarus/eating.html Cultures Profile Project - Eating the Belarusian Way]. Published in 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref> Popular drinks in Belarus include Russian wheat vodka and ''[[kvass]]'', a soft drink made from malted brown bread or rye flour. ''Kvass'' may also be combined with sliced vegetables to create a cold soup called ''okroshka''.<ref>University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Institute of Agriculture and National Resources. [http://www.ianr.unl.edu/kendrick/411/people-S00.html Situation and Outlook - People and Their Diets]. Published in April 2000. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref>
 Belarus has four [[World Heritage Sites]]: the [[Mir Castle Complex]], the [[Niasvizh Castle]], the [[Belovezhskaya Pushcha]] (shared with [[Poland]]), and the [[Struve Geodetic Arc]] (shared with nine other countries).<ref name="UNSECO">{{cite web| url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/by| title=Belarus - UNESCO World Heritage Centre| accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref>
 [[Image:State TV Belarus.jpg|thumb|Broadcasting center of state-run TV in Minsk]]
-The largest media holding group in Belarus is the state-owned [[National State Teleradiocompany]]. It operates several television and radio stations that broadcast content domestically and internationally, either through traditional signals or the Internet.<ref>National State Teleradiocompany [http://www.tvr.by/eng/about.asp About us]. Retrieved [[October 5]], [[2007]].</ref> The Television Broadcasting Network is one of the major independent television stations in Belarus, mostly showing regional programming. Several [[List of newspapers in Belarus|newspapers]], printed either in Belarusian or Russian, provide general information or special interest content, such as business, politics or sports. In 1998, there were fewer than 100 radio stations in Belarus: 28 [[AM broadcasting|AM]], 37 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] and 11 [[shortwave]] stations.<ref name="communication">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#Comm |title=CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - Communications |accessdate=2007-10-04}}</ref>
+The largest media holding group in Belarus is the state-owned [[National State Teleradiocompany]]. It operates several television and radio stations that broadcast content domestically and internationally, either through traditional signals or the Internet.<ref>National State Teleradiocompany [http://www.tvr.by/eng/about.asp About us]. Retrieved October 5, 2007.</ref> The Television Broadcasting Network is one of the major independent television stations in Belarus, mostly showing regional programming. Several [[List of newspapers in Belarus|newspapers]], printed either in Belarusian or Russian, provide general information or special interest content, such as business, politics or sports. In 1998, there were fewer than 100 radio stations in Belarus: 28 [[AM broadcasting|AM]], 37 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] and 11 [[shortwave]] stations.<ref name="communication">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html#Comm |title=CIA World Factbook (2007) - Belarus - Communications |accessdate=2007-10-04}}</ref>
 [[Image:Talk show zhodino.jpg|thumb|left|Private TV company in [[Zhodzina|Zhodino]] records a talk-show in a local night club, 2002]]
-All media companies are regulated by the Law On Press and Other Mass Media, passed on [[January 13]], [[1995]].<ref name="presslaw">Law of the Republic of Belarus [http://www.law.by/work/EnglPortal.nsf/6e1a652fbefce34ac2256d910056d559/1f80c30387b1623dc2256dc00051dc63?OpenDocument Law On Press and Other Mass Media]. Retrieved [[October 5]] [[2007]].</ref> This grants the freedom of press; however, Article 5 states that slander cannot be made against the president of Belarus or other officials outlined in the national constitution.<ref name="presslaw"/>
+All media companies are regulated by the Law On Press and Other Mass Media, passed on January 13, 1995.<ref name="presslaw">Law of the Republic of Belarus [http://www.law.by/work/EnglPortal.nsf/6e1a652fbefce34ac2256d910056d559/1f80c30387b1623dc2256dc00051dc63?OpenDocument Law On Press and Other Mass Media]. Retrieved October 5 2007.</ref> This grants the freedom of press; however, Article 5 states that slander cannot be made against the president of Belarus or other officials outlined in the national constitution.<ref name="presslaw"/>
-The Belarusian Government has since been criticized for acting against media outlets. Newspapers such as ''[[Nasa Niva]]'' and the ''Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta'' have been targeted for closure by the authorities after they published reports critical of President Lukashenko or other government officials.<ref>Eurozine [http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-04-19-newsitem-en.html Independent Belarusian newspaper "Nasha Niva" to close]. Published [[April 19]], [[2006]].</ref><ref>United States Department of States [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/21094.htm Media Freedom in Belarus]. Press release by Philip T. Reeker. Published [[May 30]], [[2003]].</ref> The OSCE and [[Freedom House]] have commented regarding the loss of press freedom in Belarus. In 2005, Freedom House gave Belarus a score of 6.75 (not free) when it came to dealing with press freedom. Another issue for the Belarusian press is the unresolved disappearance of several journalists.<ref>Freedom House [http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=47&nit=358&year=2005 Country Report - Belarus]. Published 2005. Reviewed [[October 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
+The Belarusian Government has since been criticized for acting against media outlets. Newspapers such as ''[[Nasa Niva]]'' and the ''Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta'' have been targeted for closure by the authorities after they published reports critical of President Lukashenko or other government officials.<ref>Eurozine [http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-04-19-newsitem-en.html Independent Belarusian newspaper "Nasha Niva" to close]. Published April 19, 2006.</ref><ref>United States Department of States [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/21094.htm Media Freedom in Belarus]. Press release by Philip T. Reeker. Published May 30, 2003.</ref> The OSCE and [[Freedom House]] have commented regarding the loss of press freedom in Belarus. In 2005, Freedom House gave Belarus a score of 6.75 (not free) when it came to dealing with press freedom. Another issue for the Belarusian press is the unresolved disappearance of several journalists.<ref>Freedom House [http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=47&nit=358&year=2005 Country Report - Belarus]. Published 2005. Reviewed October 6, 2007.</ref>
 {{-}}

Difference between revisions of "Belarus" - New World Encyclopedia

Revision as of 02:48, 29 June 2008

Contents

Etymology

History

Politics

Foreign relations and military

Provinces and districts

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Culture

See also

Notes

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

External links

Credits

Difference between revisions of "Belarus" - New World Encyclopedia

Revision as of 02:48, 29 June 2008

Etymology

History

Politics

Foreign relations and military

Provinces and districts

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Culture

See also

Notes

ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees

External links

Credits

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees