Belarus: An Elongated State?

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus covers an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) and has a population of 9.1 million. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is divided administratively into six regions. Minsk is the capital and largest city.

Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus has retained close ties with Russia, its most dominant neighbour. In 1999, the two countries signed the Union State Foundation Treaty, which aimed to create a politically integrated confederation with a common currency. However, the precise nature of the partnership has remained unclear. Belarus has a history of authoritarian rule, and its Soviet past continues to be reflected in the prominence of communist political parties and the country's style of government.

Belarus's geography and topography

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus covers an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) and has a population of 9.1 million. The country's topography was largely shaped by glaciation during the Pleistocene Epoch, resulting in flat lowlands separated by low-level-topped hills and uplands. The highest point, Dzyarzhynskaya Hill, is only 346 metres (1,132 feet) above sea level, and more than half of Belarus lies below 200 metres (660 feet). The country has more than 20,000 streams and over 10,000 lakes, with the Dnieper, Neman, and Pripyat rivers flowing through it.

The natural vegetation of Belarus is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest, with pine, spruce, oak, and hornbeam trees predominating. Birch is also common, especially in areas where the original forest has been cleared. The Belovezhskaya Forest on the border with Poland is one of the largest surviving areas of primeval mixed forest in Europe and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. It is home to European bison, elk, deer, boars, and a variety of bird and fish species.

Belarus has a cool continental climate moderated by maritime influences from the Atlantic Ocean. The country experiences mild to cold winters, with average temperatures ranging from -4°C to -8°C, and cool, moist summers with an average temperature of 18°C. Annual rainfall ranges from 530 mm to 700 mm, with maximum rainfall occurring from June to August.

The country's demographics and population

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus has a population of approximately 9.1 million people, with an average life expectancy of 72.15 years. The country's population is predominantly urban, with 83.6% living in urban areas. The median age in Belarus is 40.9 years, and the population density is 45 people per square kilometre.

The population of Belarus is made up of various ethnic groups, with Belarusians constituting the majority at 84.9%. Russians make up the second-largest group at 7.5%, followed by Poles (3.1%), Ukrainians (1.7%), and smaller minorities such as Jews, Armenians, Lipka Tatars, and others. The country has two official languages, Belarusian and Russian, with Russian being the dominant language spoken at home by 70% of the population.

Belarus has a negative population growth rate and a negative natural growth rate. The fertility rate is 1.22, well below the replacement rate. The country's population is aging, with the median age expected to rise to between 60 and 64 by 2050. Despite the negative growth rate, Belarus has a positive net migration rate, indicating slightly more immigration than emigration.

The majority of the population in Belarus follows Eastern Orthodox Christianity, with Orthodox Christians making up about 82% of the religious population. Roman Catholicism is practised mostly in the western regions, with a significant Catholic minority, especially around Grodno. Minorities also practise Greek Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, and neo-paganism. Overall, about 48.3% of the population is Orthodox Christian, while 41.1% is not religious.

Belarus has a highly centralized and authoritarian government, led by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. The country has continued several Soviet-era policies, such as state ownership of large sections of the economy, and it is the only European country that continues to use capital punishment. Belarus has close ties with Russia and is dependent on it for imports and exports. However, there have been tensions and disputes between the two countries in recent years.

Its history and political landscape

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. The history of Belarus dates back to the Stone Age, with the first signs of settlements in ancient Belarus dating back some 250,000 BC. The territory that is now Belarus underwent partition and changed hands repeatedly, and as a result, much of the history of Belarus is inseparable from that of its neighbours.

Early History

In the early centuries AD, the colonisation of Belarus by the Slavs began. Over the next few centuries, they settled over the entire region, replacing the earlier Baltic culture. In the 6th to 9th centuries, East Slavs formed the first political associations – unions of tribes.

In the 9th century, the territory of modern Belarus became part of Kievan Rus', a vast East Slavic state ruled by the Rurikids. Upon the death of its ruler Yaroslav the Wise in 1054, the state split into independent principalities. Many early principalities were virtually razed or severely affected by a major Mongol invasion in the 13th century, but the lands of modern-day Belarus avoided the brunt of the invasion and eventually joined the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a powerful state spanning Belarus, Lithuania, the Kiev, Chernigov and Volyn areas of Ukraine, and western Russia from the Baltics to the Black Sea. The Duchy began its rise to power under the reign of Mindovg (Mindaugas) in the 13th century and only began to lose its authority after a number of wars in the 16th century. In 1569, the Duchy and the Kingdom of Poland signed the Union of Lublin, uniting in a federative state.

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The union between Poland and Lithuania, known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, lasted from 1569 to 1795. This was a particularly turbulent time in Belarusian history, as the state was drawn into numerous wars in Europe and with Russia. The Commonwealth led to long wars that weakened the state, and it eventually lost its independence. In 1772, the western provinces of Belarus were annexed to the Russian Empire, and in 1795, the Commonwealth was divided between Russia, Austria, and Prussia.

The Russian Empire

As a result of the division of the Commonwealth, Belarus became part of the Russian Empire. In these new territories, the Russian government started to pursue a policy of Russification. During this time, there were a string of conflicts, including revolts under Tadeusz Kosciuszko's leadership in 1794, the Napoleonic invasion of Russia in 1812, and the Polish Revolt of 1830-1831.

In the 1880s, the revolutionary organisation Gomon was established by Belarusian students in Saint Petersburg. This was the precursor to the first Belarusian national political party, Gromada, formed in 1903. In 1906, the Stolypin agrarian reform began, and mass displacement of the peasant classes saw more than 33,000 people move from Belarusian territory to Siberia.

World War I and Independence

During World War I, Belarusian territory was the scene of bloody battles between German and Russian forces. In March 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk marked Belarus' exit from the war, and the Belarusian territories were occupied by German forces until 1918. In the same year, the Belarusian People's Republic declared independence, but this lasted only until the German withdrawal and subsequent Bolshevik Red Army invasion.

In January 1919, a part of Belarus under Bolshevik Russian control was declared the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia (SSRB). The contested lands were later divided between Poland and the Soviet Union, and the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922.

World War II

During World War II, military operations devastated Belarus, which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources. The Byelorussian SSR was the hardest-hit Soviet republic, and it remained under German occupation until 1944. The German occupation and war on the Eastern Front devastated Belarus, with 209 out of 290 towns and cities destroyed, 85% of the republic's industry, and more than one million buildings.

Post-War Period and Soviet Union Membership

After World War II, the borders of the Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn, and Belarus became a member of the United Nations. Joseph Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from Western influences, sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union to hold key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government.

Between Stalin's death in 1953 and 1980, Belarusian politics was dominated by former members of the Soviet partisans. During this time, Belarus underwent rapid industrialisation and transformation from one of the Soviet Union's poorest republics into one of its richest.

Independence and the Lukashenko Era

In the late 1980s, political liberalisation led to a national revival, with the Belarusian Popular Front becoming a major pro-independence force. In July 1990, the parliament of the republic proclaimed the sovereignty of Belarus, and in August 1991, Belarus gained independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Following the adoption of a new constitution in 1994, Alexander Lukashenko was elected Belarus's first president in the country's first and only free election after independence. Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus since 1994 and heads a highly centralised and authoritarian government. Belarus has been described as "Europe's last dictatorship", and it has been criticised for human rights violations, persecution of non-governmental organisations, and a lack of freedom of the press and civil liberties.

In 2020, Lukashenko sought a sixth term in office, winning the presidential election with 80% of the vote. However, the election was disputed

Belarus's economy and trade

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus has a hemiboreal climate and is divided administratively into six regions. Minsk is the capital and largest city.

The economy of Belarus is an upper-middle-income mixed economy. As a post-Soviet transition economy, Belarus rejected most privatisation efforts in favour of retaining centralised political and economic controls by the state. The highly centralised Belarusian economy emphasises full employment and a dominant public sector. It has been described as a welfare state or market socialist. Belarus is the world's 74th-largest economy by GDP.

The country has a well-developed manufacturing industry, services sector, and agriculture. Belarus is a major producer of potash, salt, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, metal-cutting machine tools, agricultural equipment, motorcycles, chemicals, fertilisers, textiles, and consumer goods. Belarus has trade relations with over 180 countries. As of 2007, its main trading partners were Russia, which accounted for about 45% of Belarusian exports and 55% of imports (including petroleum), and EU countries, with 25% of exports and 20% of imports. Other major trading partners include Ukraine, Poland, and Germany.

The Belarusian labour market is highly regulated, with important elements of the central planning system still in place. The decision to determine wages is left to firms, but the government can affect the structure of wages through the tariff system, a type of centrally determined wage grid.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, under Lukashenko's leadership, Belarus has maintained government control over key industries and eschewed the large-scale privatisations seen in other former Soviet republics. The period between 1996 and 2000 was characterised by significant financial distress, particularly in 1998 and 1999, as a result of the financial and economic crisis in Russia. This resulted in a sharp increase in prices, the devaluation of the national currency, a decline in trade with Russia and other CIS countries, and overall deterioration of the country's balance of payments.

Between 2001 and 2005, the national economy demonstrated steady and dynamic growth, with GDP growing at an average rate of 7.4%. The GDP further grew in 2006, 2007, and 2008, reaching 9.9%, 8.2%, and 10% respectively. Analysis of foreign direct investment between 2002 and 2007 shows that nearly 80% of FDI was geared into the service sector, while industrial concerns accounted for 20%.

In April 2022, the EU imposed trade sanctions on Belarus due to its facilitation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions are in addition to those imposed following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, which was widely criticised by Western observers.

The culture and customs of Belarus

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It has a rich cultural heritage that has been influenced by various factors, including its physical environment, the ethnographic background of its people, and the region's religious diversity. Here is an overview of the culture and customs of Belarus:

Traditions and Festivals

Belarus has a number of traditional festivals that are celebrated throughout the year. One of the major winter festivals is Koliady, which marks the beginning of the New Year and is celebrated from January 6th to 19th. People prepare for this festival by slaughtering a pig, cleaning their houses, making new outfits, and bathing.

Another ancient Slavic festival is "Maslenitza" or "Cheese Week," which is usually celebrated eight weeks before Easter. During this festival, people enjoy dairy products and abstain from eating meat. It is a time to rejoice over the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

The summer solstice or the night of Ivan Kupala is also celebrated in Belarus, where unmarried girls weave wreaths and float them on the water to predict if they will get married that year. Bonfires are lit, and people jump over them for good luck.

The harvest festival, "Dozhinki," is also widely celebrated with entertainment, agricultural product sales, and recognition of the best farmers' work.

Literature and Performing Arts

Belarus has a long literary history, dating back to the 11th century with the works of St. Cyril of Turaw. In the 16th century, Francysk Skaryna translated the Bible into Old Belarusian, making it the first book printed in Eastern Europe. Modern Belarusian literature emerged in the late 19th century with writers like Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas, who wrote about rural themes and modernized the Belarusian literary language.

Belarusian theatre also gained popularity in the early 20th century, with playwrights like Ihnat Bujnicki. The country has produced renowned writers, poets, and playwrights such as Maksim Bahdanovich, Ales Harun, and Vladimir Zylka.

In the realm of performing arts, Belarus has a strong tradition of folk music and dance. Classical music has developed mainly since World War II, with notable composers like Kulikovich Shchahlow. The National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Minsk is home to respected ballet and opera troupes.

Cuisine and Dress

Belarusian cuisine is heavily based on locally grown crops, particularly potatoes. Popular dishes include potato dumplings, potato pancakes, and baked potato pie. Meat, especially pork, is also commonly consumed, along with rye bread. Traditional beverages include "kvass," a drink made from fermented bread, and "kompot," a berry juice.

The traditional Belarusian dress has its origins in the Kievan Rus' period and is designed to provide warmth in the cool climate. The clothing features intricate embroidery and is often made from flax or wool. Each region of Belarus has developed its unique design patterns and motifs.

Religion and Beliefs

Belarus has a diverse religious landscape. While Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant faith, Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam also have a significant presence. The Belarusian people celebrate various religious holidays, including Orthodox and Roman Catholic Easters, Christmas, and traditional festivals with pagan roots.

Social Customs

Belarusian society values family and community. Weddings are important ceremonies where the whole family gathers, and various rituals are performed. Independence Day is a significant national holiday, celebrated on July 3rd, marking the liberation of Minsk from German occupation in 1944.

Arts and Architecture

Belarus has a rich artistic heritage, with painters, sculptors, and other artists contributing to the country's cultural landscape. In architecture, the country boasts medieval castles, such as the Mir Castle Complex and the Nesvizh Castle, which are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Cathedral of St. Sophia in Polatsk, dating from the 11th century, is one of the oldest surviving monuments of architecture in the country.

Frequently asked questions