Belarus spans an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a population of 9.1 million Visit the definitions and notes page to view a description of each topic. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is administratively divided into six regions
Minsk is the capital and largest city Provides an overview of belarus, including key events and facts about this east european country. It is administered separately as a city with special status.
Until it became independent in 1991, belarus, formerly known as belorussia or white russia, was the smallest of the three slavic republics included in the soviet union (the larger two being russia and ukraine). Belarus shares its borders with russia to the northeast, ukraine to the south, poland to the west, and lithuania and latvia to the northwest Covering an area of approximately 207,595 km 2 (80,153 mi 2), belarus sits landlocked within eastern europe. Belarus has been led by alexander lukashenka since 1994
Under lukashenka’s rule, economic and political reform has stalled and the government’s human rights record has steadily deteriorated. Start here for your complete introduction to the republic of belarus, a fascinating country with a rich cultural heritage and extraordinary landscapes.
