Belarus

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.by

Internet hosts

147,311 (2010) country comparison to the world: 71

Internet users

2.643 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 69

Telephone system

general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now digital domestic: state-owned Beltelcom is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line teledensity is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; multiple GSM mobile-cellular networks are experiencing rapid growth; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons 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); 3 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 (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

4.139 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 40

Telephones - mobile cellular

10.333 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 69

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $23.59 billion expenditures: $24.7 billion (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76

Central bank discount rate

10.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 13.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.217% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 11.675% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance

-$8.5 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 -$6.39 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$33.1 billion (30 June 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $22.13 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

27.2 (2008) country comparison to the world: 129 21.7 (1998)

Economy - overview

Belarus has seen limited structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subjected to pressure by central and local governments, including arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. Continued state control over economic operations hampers market entry for businesses, both domestic and foreign. Government statistics indicate GDP growth was strong, surpassing 10% in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high rate of inflation and a low rate of unemployment. However, the global crisis pushed the country into recession in 2009, and GDP grew only 0.2% for the year. Slumping foreign demand hit the industrial sector hard. Minsk has depended on a standby-agreement with the IMF to assist with balance of payments shortfalls. In line with IMF conditions, in 2009, Belarus devalued the ruble more than 40% and tightened some fiscal and monetary policies. On 1 January 2010, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a customs union, with unified trade regulations and customs codes still under negotiation. In late January, Russia and Belarus amended their 2007 oil supply agreement. The new terms raised prices for above quota purchases, increasing Belarus' current account deficit. GDP grew 4.8% in 2010, in part, on the strength of renewed export growth. In December 2010, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to form a Common Economic Space and Russia removed all Belarusian oil duties.

Electricity - consumption

31.07 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Electricity - exports

5.245 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

1.84 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

32.95 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62

Exchange rates

Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 3,019.9 (2010) 2,789.49 (2009) 2,130 (2008) 2,145 (2007) 2,144.6 (2006)

Exports

$25.35 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $21.36 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Russia 38.9%, Netherlands 11%, Ukraine 10.2% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$54.71 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$131.2 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 $121.9 billion (2009 est.) $121.7 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 9.5% industry: 44.8% services: 45.8% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,600 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $12,600 (2009 est.) $12,600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 0.2% (2009 est.) 10.2% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.8% highest 10%: 21.9% (2008)

Imports

$34.47 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 $28.32 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 51.8%, Germany 6.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.8% (2010)

Industrial production growth rate

10.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 186 12.9% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

36.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

Labor force

5 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 74

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 14% industry: 34.7% services: 51.3% (2003 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

17.75 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Natural gas - imports

17.6 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15

Natural gas - production

150 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Oil - consumption

163,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63

Oil - exports

310,500 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 41

Oil - imports

471,400 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Oil - production

31,010 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68

Oil - proved reserves

198 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

Population below poverty line

27.1% (2003 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.431 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $4.831 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$16.75 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $13.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$25.25 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 $16.55 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.554 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $3.949 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

43.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

Unemployment rate

1% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 1.6% (2005) note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers

Area

total: 207,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 86 land: 202,900 sq km water: 4,700 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.79 cu km/yr (23%/47%/30%) per capita: 286 cu m/yr (2000)

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

Irrigated land

1,310 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

total: 3,306 km border countries: Latvia 171 km, Lithuania 680 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Land use

arable land: 26.77% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 72.63% (2005)

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

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

Terrain

generally flat and contains much marshland

Total renewable water resources

58 cu km (1997)

Administrative divisions

6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk) note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; Russian spelling provided for reference when different from Belarusian

Capital

name: Minsk geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March and will continue throughout 2011

Constitution

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

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: Byelarus' former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael SCANLAN embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002 mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723 telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347 through 7348 FAX: [375] (17) 334-7853

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Oleg KRAVCHENKO 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 Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH (since 28 December 2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place on 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held on 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the president to run in a third (19 March 2006) and fourth election (19 December 2010); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 79.7%, Andrey SANNIKAU 2.6%, other candidates 17.7%; note - election marred by electoral fraud

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

Government type

republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Independence

25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

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

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

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

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Council of the Republic or Sovet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Palata Predstaviteley - last held on 28 September 2008 (next to be held in the spring of 2012); international observers determined that despite minor improvements the election ultimately fell short of democratic standards; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won every seat election results: Sovet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KPB 6, AP 1, no affiliation 103

National anthem

name: "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians) lyrics/music: Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI note: music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as "Dziarzauny himn Respubliki Bielarus" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)

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

National symbol(s)

mounted knight known as Pahonia (the Chaser)

Political parties and leaders

pro-government parties: Belarusian Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolay ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Communist Party of Belarus or KPB [Tatsyana HOLUBEVA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Sergey GAYDUKEVICH]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Vasiliy ZADNEPRYANYY] opposition parties: Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Pavel SEVERINETS] (unregistered); Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Sergey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV] (unregistered); Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Aleksey YANUKEVICH]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Hramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada ("Assembly") or BSDPH [Anatoliy LEVKOVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party People's Assembly ("Narodnaya Hramada") [Nikolay STATKEVICH] (unregistered); Belarusian Women's Party Nadzeya ("Hope") [Yelena YESKOVA, chairperson]; Christian Conservative Party or BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; European Belarus Campaign [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Party of Freedom and Progress [Vladimir NOVOSYAD] (unregistered); "Tell the Truth" Campaign [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatoliy LEBEDKO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

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. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,401,785 females age 16-49: 2,429,653 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,693,626 females age 16-49: 2,012,401 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 51,855 female: 48,760 (2010 est.)

Military branches

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

Military expenditures

1.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 104

Military service age and obligation

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.2% (male 699,048/female 660,130) 15-64 years: 71.7% (male 3,328,548/female 3,542,359) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 427,086/female 920,381) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

9.76 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.3% (2005) country comparison to the world: 117

Death rate

13.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population (2008)

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 83

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

17,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Health expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 113

Hospital bed density

11.23 beds/1,000 population (2007) country comparison to the world: 4

Infant mortality rate

total: 6.25 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 173 male: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.2 years country comparison to the world: 139 male: 65.57 years female: 77.18 years (2011 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.8% female: 99.4% (1999 census)

Major cities - population

MINSK (capital) 1.837 million (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 132

Median age

total: 39 years male: 36.1 years female: 42.1 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian

Net migration rate

0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Physicians density

4.869 physicians/1,000 population (2007) country comparison to the world: 5

Population

9,577,552 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Population growth rate

-0.363% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 218

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 91% of population rural: 97% of population total: 93% of population unimproved: urban: 9% of population rural: 3% of population total: 7% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2007)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.062 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.26 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 215

Urbanization

urban population: 75% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

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

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

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Belarus is a source, destination, and transit country for women, men, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in Russia, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and within Belarus; Belarusian men, women, and children are found in forced begging, as well as in forced labor in the construction industry and other sectors in Russia and Belarus tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the government did not demonstrate evidence of increasing anti-trafficking efforts; instead, it weakened victim protection efforts and prosecuted and convicted fewer trafficking offenders than in previous years; however, the government did conduct anti-trafficking prevention campaigns jointly with NGOs, identifying a number of victims of trafficking, and providing limited in-kind assistance to anti-trafficking NGOs (2011)

Airports

67 (2010) country comparison to the world: 74

Airports - with paved runways

total: 35 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 27 (2010)

Heliports

1 (2010)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

Mazyr

Railways

total: 5,537 km country comparison to the world: 32 broad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified) standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)

Roadways

total: 94,797 km country comparison to the world: 47 paved: 84,028 km unpaved: 10,769 km (2005)

Waterways

2,500 km (use limited by its location on the perimeter of the country and by its shallowness) (2003) country comparison to the world: 35