Belarus

Internet country code

.by

Internet hosts

5,308 (2004)

Internet users

1,391,900 (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly domestic: local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long; local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity - Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus' fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

Telephones - main lines in use

3,071,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.118 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $2.976 billion expenditures: $3.211 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (2003 est.)

Currency

Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)

Currency code

BYB/BYR

Current account balance

$-945 million (2003)

Debt - external

$851 million (2001 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

21.7 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$194.3 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Belarus' economy in 2003 posted 6.1 percent growth and is likely to continue expanding through 2004, albeit at a slower growth rate. The Belarusian economy in 2004 is likely to be hampered by high inflation, persistent trade deficits, and ongoing rocky relations with Russia, Belarus' largest trading partner and energy supplier. Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies.

Electricity - consumption

26.69 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

300 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

4.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

24.4 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 1,790.92 (2003), 1,920 (2002), 1,390 (2001), 876.75 (2000), 248.795 (1999)

Exports

$9.413 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Russia 49.1%, UK 9.4%, Poland 4.4%, Germany 4.2%, Netherlands 4.2% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $62.56 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 11.1% industry: 36.4% services: 52.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.8% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 20% (1998)

Imports

$11.09 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 65.8%, Germany 7.1%, Ukraine 3.1% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2003 est.)

Industries

metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

28.2% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

21.7% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

4.8 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Natural gas - consumption

18 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

17.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

200 million cu m (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

230,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

37,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

22% (1995 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$637 million (2003)

Unemployment rate

2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers (2003 est.)

Area

total: 207,600 sq km land: 207,600 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Kansas

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

53 00 N, 28 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay

Irrigated land

1,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 2,900 km border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Land use

arable land: 29.55% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 69.85% (2001)

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

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

Terrain

generally flat and contains much marshland

Administrative divisions

6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers

Capital

Minsk

Constitution

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

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: none former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador George A. KROL embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002 mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723 telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348 FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604 FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (since 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei KOBYAKOV (since December 2003), Vladimir DRAZHIN (since 24 September 2001), Ivan BAMBIZA (since 25 May 2004), Anatoly TYUTYUNOV (since July 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; new election held 9 September 2001; October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits allowing president to run for a third term in September 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%

Flag description

red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamention in red

Government type

republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Independence

25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

International organization participation

CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteliy (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms) elections: last held 18 March and 1 April 2001 and 17 and 31 October 2004 (bi-election will be held March 2005 to fill one unfilled seat in the Palata Predstaviteliy); international observers widely denounced the October 2004 elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on massive government falsification; pro-Lukashenko candidates won every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for technical reasons election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Palata Pretsaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

Political parties and leaders

Pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Social-Sports Party; Opposition parties: Belarusian Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat Party Narodnaya Gromada or BSDP NG [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LEBEDKO]; Party of Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson] note: the opposition Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV] was liquidated in August 2004, but remains active

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place.

Military branches

Army, Air and Air Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$176.1 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY02)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,764,856 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 2,164,923 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (May 2004)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 86,716 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.3% (male 859,219; female 823,839) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,469,926; female 3,662,203) 65 years and over: 14.5% (male 496,204; female 999,129) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

10.52 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

14.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

15,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 13.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

Belarusian, Russian, other

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.57 years male: 62.79 years female: 74.65 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.8% female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 36.9 years male: 34.2 years female: 39.5 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian

Net migration rate

2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

10,310,520 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.11% (2004 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.36 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain undemarcated despite European Union financial support

Illicit drugs

limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities

Airports

135 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 50 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 under 914 m: 21 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 85 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 64 (2003 est.)

Heliports

1 (2003 est.)

Highways

total: 74,385 km paved: 66,203 km unpaved: 8,182 km (2000)

Pipelines

gas 5,223 km; oil 2,443 km; refined products 1,686 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Mazyr

Railways

total: 5,523 km broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2003)

Waterways

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