The Belarusian Language: Where It's Spoken And Why

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 is a medium-sized European state, spanning an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a population of around 9.4 million. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is divided into six administrative regions. Minsk, the largest city and the nation's capital, is administered separately and enjoys special status. Belarus is predominantly flat, with a terrain intersected by hills, flatlands, and lowlands with marshes and lakes. The country is home to thousands of streams and lakes, with three major rivers: the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnieper.

Belarus is landlocked and bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, 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, with 20,000 streams and over 10,000 lakes. Minsk, the capital and largest city, is home to around one-fifth of the population.

The country's flat lowlands are separated by low-level-topped hills and uplands, with the highest point being Dzyarzhynskaya Hill at 345 metres (1,132 ft) above sea level. Belarus has a cool continental climate, with mild to cold winters and cool, moist summers.

Belarus has strong ties with Russia, and the two countries signed a treaty in 1999 to create a politically integrated confederation. However, Belarus has maintained its independence, becoming a member of the United Nations and joining organisations such as the CIS, CSTO, EAEU, OSCE, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

The official languages of Belarus are Belarusian and Russian, with Russian being the dominant language, spoken by around 70% of the population. Belarusian is an East Slavic language, closely related to Russian and Ukrainian, with around 3.5 million active speakers in the country.

Belarusian and Russian are its official languages

Belarusian and Russian are the two official languages of Belarus. Belarusian is an East Slavic language, closely related to Russian and Ukrainian. It is spoken in some parts of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine by Belarusian minorities in those countries.

Before Belarus gained independence in 1991, the language was known in English as Byelorussian or Belorussian, or alternatively as White Russian. Following independence, it became known as Belarusian, or alternatively as Belarusan.

As one of the East Slavic languages, Belarusian shares many grammatical and lexical features with other members of the group. To some extent, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian retain a degree of mutual intelligibility. Belarusian descends from a language generally referred to as Ruthenian (13th to 18th centuries), which had, in turn, descended from what is referred to as Old East Slavic (10th to 13th centuries).

In the first Belarusian census in 1999, about 36.7% of the population declared Belarusian as a "language spoken at home". About 85.6% of Belarusians declared it their "mother tongue". However, according to a 2009 study by the Belarusian government, 72% of Belarusians speak Russian at home, while only 11.9% actively use Belarusian (others speak a mixture of Russian and Belarusian, known as Trasianka). Approximately 29.4% of Belarusians can write, speak, and read Belarusian, while 52.5% can only read and speak it.

The Belarusian language has been known under several names, both contemporary and historical. Some of the most dissimilar names are from the Old Belarusian period.

The official English name, Belarusian, is derived from the name of the country, Belarus. It may also be spelled Belarusan, a form used officially from 1992 to 1995, including in the United Nations and by the diaspora.

Byelorussian, or Belorussian, is derived from the Russian-language name of the country, Byelorussia, used officially during the times of the USSR (1922-1991) and later in the Russian Federation.

White Russian or White Ruthenian (and its equivalents in other languages) are literal translations of the composite word Belarusian. The term "White Ruthenian" with reference to the language has appeared in English-language texts since at least 1921. The oldest recorded use of this term is in Latin, "Albae Russiae, Poloczk dicto", in 1381.

There have been several alternative suggestions for the name of the language, including:

• Grand Lithuanian, proposed and used by Jan Stankievič since the 1960s, referencing the chancery language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
• Kryvian or Krivian, derived from the name of the Slavonic tribe Krivichi, one of the main tribes in the foundations of the forming of the Belarusian nation. Created and used in the 19th century by Belarusian Polish-speaking writers.
• Simple or Local, used mainly in times preceding the common recognition of the existence of the Belarusian language and nation.
• Simple Black Ruthenian, used in the beginning of the 19th century by the Russian researcher Baranovski, attributed to contemporary vernacular Belarusian.

The Belarusian alphabet is a variant of the Cyrillic script, which was first used as an alphabet for the Old Church Slavonic language. The modern Belarusian form was defined in 1918 and consists of thirty-two letters. Before that, Belarusian had also been written in the Latin alphabet (Łacinka), the Belarusian Arabic alphabet (by Lipka Tatars), and the Hebrew alphabet (by Belarusian Jews).

There are several systems of romanization of Belarusian written texts. The Belarusian Latin alphabet is rarely used.

Standardized Belarusian grammar in its modern form was adopted in 1959, with minor amendments in 1985 and 2008. It is mostly synthetic and partly analytic, quite similar to Russian grammar. However, Belarusian orthography differs significantly from Russian orthography in some respects, as it is a phonemic orthography that closely represents the surface phonology.

In addition to the standardized lect, there are two main dialects of the Belarusian language: the North-Eastern and the South-Western. The North-Eastern dialect is characterized by the "soft sounding R" and "strong akanye", while the South-Western dialect is characterized by the "hard sounding R" and "moderate akanye".

There is a high degree of mutual intelligibility among Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian. Within East Slavic, Belarusian is most closely related to Ukrainian.

The country has a population of around 9 million

Belarus has a population of around 9 million people. The country is officially known as the Republic of Belarus and is landlocked, bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarusians share a distinct ethnic identity and language, but they never enjoyed unity and political sovereignty until their independence in 1991.

The country has a rich history, with different states controlling the lands of modern-day Belarus between the medieval period and the 20th century, including Kievan Rus', the Principality of Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. During World War II, Belarus lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources due to military operations.

The population of Belarus is predominantly urban, with about 70% residing in cities. Minsk, the capital and largest city, is home to one-fifth of the country's population. The country has a negative population growth rate and a negative natural growth rate, with a fertility rate of 1.22 in 2007. The median age is expected to rise to between 60 and 64 by 2050.

Belarusians make up over three-quarters of the population, with Russians being the second-largest ethnic group, comprising 7.5% of the population. The country has two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. However, Russian is more commonly spoken, with 70% of the population using it in their daily lives.

The country has a low unemployment rate and is known for its strong agricultural sector, producing goods such as grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, and flax. Belarus is also known for manufacturing products like tractors, trucks, and motorcycles. Despite its economic development, Belarus is considered one of the poorest countries in Europe in terms of total wealth.

Minsk is the capital and largest city

The city is Belarus's main industrial hub and is located centrally in the country. It was almost entirely rebuilt following its near destruction in World War II. Today, Minsk is a sprawling modern city.

Minsk has a rich history, with the date of its founding considered to be that of the Battle of the Nemiga River in 1067. The city became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 13th century, and later joined the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century. During the Polish-Soviet War (1918-1921), Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland. Minsk was devastated during World War II, losing about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources.

In more recent times, Minsk has become known for its gambling industry and as the home of the country's vibrant IT sector.

Belarus is known for its tractors, potatoes, and being run by a dictator

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is known for its tractors, potatoes, and, unfortunately, for being run by a dictator.

Belarusians love their tractors and potatoes. In fact, they consume more potatoes per head than any other country—an estimated 180 kg, or almost half a kilogram a day. Minsk Tractor Works, for example, is a Belarusian company that manufactures tractors and other agricultural machinery. Belarusians' love for potatoes dates back to the 1800s when it became a staple food crop and the heart of the country's cuisine.

Belarus is also known for being run by a dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, who has been the president of Belarus since 1994, making him the current longest-serving head of state in Europe. Lukashenko heads a highly centralized and authoritarian government, often described as "Europe's last dictatorship." He has maintained state ownership of key industries, suppressed opponents, and limited media freedom. International monitors have not regarded Belarusian elections as free and fair, except for his initial win. As a result, multiple Western governments have imposed sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials.

Belarus is a developing country with a population of about 9.4 million people. It has a "very high" human development ranking and is one of the most equal countries in the world in terms of resource distribution. However, it ranks low in international measurements of freedom of the press and civil liberties.

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