Introduction
Background
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place under President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA.
Geography
Area
total : 207,600 sq km
land: 202,900 sq km
water: 4,700 sq km
Climate
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Natural resources
timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
People and Society
Population
total: 9,501,451
Ethnic groups
Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)
Languages
Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.)
Religions
Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.42% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Capital
name: Minsk
Executive branch
chief of state: President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Roman GOLOVCHENKO (since 4 June 2020)
Legislative branch
summary: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Council of the Republic (65 seats) and the House of Representatives (110 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant; recalled by Belarus in 2008); Chargé d'Affaires Pavel SHIDLOWSKI (since 9 August 2022)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Peter KAUFMAN (since June 2023)
Economy
Economic overview
declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$254.407 billion (2023 est.)
$244.89 billion (2022 est.)
$256.855 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$27,700 (2023 est.)
$26,500 (2022 est.)
$27,600 (2021 est.)
Exports
$47.87 billion (2023 est.)
$46.878 billion (2022 est.)
$49.435 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
China 15%, Ukraine 12%, Poland 9%, Kazakhstan 8%, Lithuania 8% (2022)
Exports - commodities
fertilizers, refined petroleum, rapeseed oil, wood, beef (2022)
Imports
$47.398 billion (2023 est.)
$42.289 billion (2022 est.)
$45.465 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
China 26%, Poland 15%, Germany 12%, Lithuania 12%, Turkey 9% (2022)
Imports - commodities
cars, packaged medicine, fabric, plastic products, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)
Page last updated: Tuesday, September 03, 2024
