Exploring The Links Between Belarus And The Dead Sea

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe that shares its borders with Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland. The country is not located near the Dead Sea, which is bordered by Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.

Belarus's neighbouring countries

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by five countries: Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, Russia to the north and the east, and Ukraine to the south. Belarus has a population of around 9.1 million people and spans an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi). The country has a hemiboreal climate and is divided into six administrative regions, with Minsk being the capital and the largest city.

Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, which share borders with Belarus, have faced an influx of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa since 2021. The Belarusian government has been accused of orchestrating this influx in retaliation for the deterioration of Belarus–European Union relations. This has resulted in a state of emergency being declared in these neighbouring countries, with increased border security measures such as razor wire fences and heightened border patrols.

Russia, which shares the longest border with Belarus, has maintained close diplomatic and economic ties with the country. In 1999, the two nations signed the Union State Foundation Treaty, aiming for greater cooperation and political integration. However, their relationship has also faced challenges, with Russia expressing dissatisfaction over Belarus's delays in monetary union and other issues.

Ukraine, which borders Belarus to the south, has historically shared cultural and linguistic similarities. Both countries were part of the Kievan Rus', a vast East Slavic state, in the 9th century. Additionally, Ukraine and Belarus experienced similar trajectories during the Soviet era, with both becoming founding members of the United Nations and the Soviet Union.

The Dead Sea's neighbouring countries

The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake located in the Judean desert of southern Israel, bordered by Jordan to the east and Palestine's Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west. It is the lowest place on Earth, with its shores being the lowest land-based elevation on the planet. The Dead Sea is also one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, with a salinity of 342 g/kg or 34.2% as of 2011. This salinity makes it impossible for plants and animals to flourish, hence its name.

The Dead Sea's main tributary is the Jordan River, which flows from the north into the lake. Other sources of water include the Arava Stream (Wadi Arava), the Wadi Mujib (Arnon Stream), and the Wadi al-Hasa (Brook of Zered), among others. The high salinity of the Dead Sea is due to the evaporation of water over the years, as a result of the desert climate in the region.

The Dead Sea is bordered by several towns and cities, with the nearest major city being Jerusalem, which is about an hour's drive away. On the Israeli side, there are several hotels and resorts located on the southwest end at Ein Bokek near Neve Zohar. Highway 90, one of the world's lowest roads, runs along the Israeli and West Bank shores of the Dead Sea. On the Jordanian side, there are nine international franchises that have opened seaside resort hotels near the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center, along the eastern shore.

The Dead Sea has a rich history and has been referenced in the Hebrew Bible, where it is referred to as "the Salt Sea" due to its high salt content. It has also been mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the location of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Dead Sea has attracted visitors for thousands of years and is known for its therapeutic and healing properties.

The distance between Belarus and the Dead Sea

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It shares its borders with five countries: Poland to the west, Lithuania to the northwest, Latvia and Russia to the north, and Ukraine to the south. Belarus does not share a border with the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west, and Israel to the southwest. It is located in the Jordan Rift Valley, a geographic feature formed by the Dead Sea Transform (DST). The Dead Sea is known for its high salinity, making it challenging for aquatic life to flourish, hence its name.

In contrast, the Dead Sea region is characterized by its aridity due to the rain shadow effect of the Judaean Mountains. The highlands east of the Dead Sea receive more rainfall than the Dead Sea itself, contributing to its unique climate. The Dead Sea has a hot desert climate, with year-round sunny skies and dry air, and minimal annual rainfall.

While Belarus and the Dead Sea are both located in the Northern Hemisphere, they are separated by considerable distances and distinct geographical features. Belarus is part of the East European Platform, with a predominantly flat terrain intersected by hills, flatlands, and lowlands with marshes and lakes. On the other hand, the Dead Sea lies in a rift valley, with surrounding mountains and a basin that continues to recede.

The bodies of water that Belarus borders

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with no direct access to the sea. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, and Ukraine to the south. Belarus has thousands of lakes and rivers, which are important for the country's cultural and natural heritage, as well as for the surrounding communities.

One of the major rivers in Belarus is the Dnieper, which is the longest river in the country and the fourth-longest in Europe. It flows through Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, covering a distance of 1,333 miles, with 430 miles flowing through Belarus alone. The river is used for hydroelectric generation and transportation, and it also served as a trade route connecting the Greeks to the Varangians. The Daugava River is the second-longest river in Belarus, with a total length of 630 miles, 210 of which flow through the country. This river rises in Russia and flows through Belarus and Latvia before draining into the Gulf of Riga in Latvia.

The Neman River is Belarus's third-longest river, spanning 568 miles. It originates near Minsk and flows through Lithuania and Russia before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. The river is a source of fish, a means of transportation, and a source of hydroelectric power. It is also used for manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and recreation. The Bug River, at 480 miles long, is the fourth-longest river in Belarus and also flows through Poland and Ukraine. It forms a boundary between Poland and Belarus for a distance of 111 miles.

In addition to these major rivers, Belarus has numerous other waterways, including the Pripyat, Horyn, Sojh, Berezina, Lovat, and Neris rivers. The country also boasts over 4,000 lakes, with Lake Narach being the largest at 79.2 square kilometers. Other significant lakes include Osveya, Chervonoye, Lukomlskoye, and Dryvyaty. Belarus's vast network of waterways plays a crucial role in the country's landscape, ecology, and economy.

The bodies of water that the Dead Sea borders

The Dead Sea is a landlocked salt lake located in southwestern Asia, between Israel and Jordan. The eastern shore of the Dead Sea belongs to Jordan, while the southern half of its western shore belongs to Israel. The northern half of the western shore lies within the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank and has been under Israeli control since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The Dead Sea is fed by various water sources, including the Jordan River, which forms its main tributary and flows from the north into the lake. Other sources include the Arava Stream (Wadi Arava), the Wadi Mujib (Arnon Stream), the Wadi Darga (or Nahal Darga), and the Wadi al-Hasa (Brook of Zered), among others.

The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on Earth's surface, with a depth of approximately 304 metres (997 feet) and a surface that sits about 430 metres (1,412 feet) below sea level. It is the deepest hypersaline lake globally and one of the saltiest bodies of water, with a salinity level of about 342 g/kg or 34.2%. This extreme salinity makes the Dead Sea a challenging environment for plants and animals, leading to its name.

The Dead Sea's main, northern basin is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and 15 kilometres (9 miles) wide at its widest point. The lake was once divided into two basins by the peninsula of Al-Lisān, but the drop in water levels has caused this peninsula to extend eastward, separating the basins with a strip of dry land. The northern basin largely retains its dimensions due to its steeply plunging shoreline, while the southern basin has been subdivided into dozens of large evaporation pools for salt extraction.

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