We even give money to Communist Cuba a country our own government has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism," Haley said. [227] In 2006, GDP amounted to US$83.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita. The Head of State is the President of the Republic of Belarus. "I thought he saved us from the 'wild capitalism' of the 1990s, and I voted for him twice," said Vladislav,. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belarus&oldid=1141790380. [citation needed], The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795 with the Third Partition of Poland by Imperial Russia, Prussia, and Austria. [206] The Regions are further subdivided into 118 raions, commonly translated as districts (Belarusian: ; Russian: ). Covering an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) and with a population of 9.2 million, Belarus is the 13th-largest and the 20th-most populous country in Europe. Countries Sanctioned by the U.S. and Why - Investopedia Flutter Entertainment Plc: The online gambling firm reported higher full-year revenues and profits, after winning two million new monthly customers through acquisitions and newly legalized sports . [144][145][146][147] The Council of Europe removed Belarus from its observer status since 1997 as a response for election irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections. According to Article 16 of the Constitution, Belarus has no official religion. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko believes that his country will develop more intensively under a strong China, the BelTA news agency reported. Belarus - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica The 2007 RussiaBelarus energy dispute centered on accusations by Gazprom that Belarus was siphoning oil off of the Druzhba pipeline that runs through Belarus. The Belorussian senior group earned bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. [120] Norway and Japan have joined the sanctions regime which aims to isolate Belarus from the international supply chain. [261], The last major revival of Belarusian literature occurred in the 1960s with novels published by Vasil Byka and Uladzimir Karatkievich. MINSK, March 1. Noticeable gymnasts include Inna Zhukova, who earned silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Liubov Charkashyna, who earned bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and Melitina Staniouta, Bronze All-Around Medalist of the 2015 World Championships. In all three countries, the share of the population that identifies with Orthodox Christianity is up significantly since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It also blasted Belarus for being subservient to China. Communist China strongest and most disciplined enemy US ever faced [121] It is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land. [73][74] Nonetheless, compared to the (larger) Ukrainian minority, Belarusians were much less politically aware and active, and thus suffered fewer repressions than the Ukrainians. . .., 1939. [87][88], In March 1990, elections for seats in the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR took place. [246] The average life expectancy is 72.15 (66.53 years for men and 78.1 years for women). "We wish you success . Haley said that she will cut foreign aid to countries that dislike the US and launched her #CutEveryCent campaign. [276], Belarus has four UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites: the Mir Castle Complex, the Nesvizh Castle, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland), and the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with nine other countries). Treaties in 1995 and 1996 demarcated Belarus's borders with Latvia and Lithuania, and Belarus ratified a 1997 treaty establishing the Belarus-Ukraine border in 2009. Formerly Communist countries (by current name): Formerly part of the Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. A Divided Europe Conflict between the Western nations (including the United States, Great Britain, France and other countries) and the Communist Eastern bloc (led by the Union of Soviet. Angela Davis, 79, was . MOSCOW Not so long ago, the image of Belarus was of a peaceful, if tightly controlled, former Soviet republic, squeezed between Poland and Russia. [123][124] The country lies within two ecoregions: Sarmatic mixed forests and Central European mixed forests. [197] In July 2021, Belarusian authorities launched a hybrid warfare by human trafficking of migrants to the European Union. . Lukashenko was officially re-elected in 2001, in 2006, in 2010, in 2015 and again in 2020, although none of those elections were considered free or fair nor democratic.[91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100]. The Americans and British feared. On January 31, 1992, the U.S. Embassy . KHATYN, Belarus Even by Soviet standards, the massive memorial complex near Minsk to the victims of Nazi atrocities stands out for its immense scale and ambition.Spread across half a million . Many early Rus' 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. [263] The free development of literature occurred only in Polish-held territory until Soviet occupation in 1939. Vigorous postwar reconstruction promptly followed the end of the war and the Byelorussian SSR became a major center of manufacturing in the western USSR, creating jobs and attracting ethnic Russians. [180], Belarus has not expressed a desire to join NATO but has participated in the Individual Partnership Program since 1997,[181] and Belarus provided refueling and airspace support for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Economically, Belarus involved itself in the CIS, Eurasian Economic Community, and Union with Russia. Amnesty International,[101] and Human Rights Watch[102] have criticized Lukashenko's violations of human rights. [129] The United Nations and other agencies have aimed to reduce the level of radiation in affected areas, especially through the use of caesium binders and rapeseed cultivation, which are meant to decrease soil levels of caesium-137. [220][221] Important agricultural products include potatoes and cattle byproducts, including meat. Its net migration rate is +0.38 per 1,000, indicating that Belarus experiences slightly more immigration than emigration. [54] However, the Ruthenian peasants continued to speak their native language. [232] The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since. East Germany & the True Test of a Civilization Albania country profile 16 January Albania is a small, mountainous country in the Balkan peninsula, with a long Adriatic and Ionian coastline. Other notable Belarusian sportspeople include cyclist Vasil Kiryienka, who won the 2015 Road World Time Trial Championship, and middle-distance runner Maryna Arzamasava, who won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. Belarusian language was banned in schools while in neighboring Samogitia primary school education with Samogitian literacy was allowed. . ., 2006.. Belarus offers a distinct case of post-communist development, remaining Eastern Europe's most authoritarian state to this day. A court on Friday sentenced Belarus' top human rights advocate and one of the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, to 10 years in prison. In 2011, Belarus suffered a severe economic crisis attributed to Lukashenko's government's centralized control of the economy, with inflation reaching 108.7%. Typically, Belarusians eat a light breakfast and two hearty meals later in the day. [265][bettersourceneeded], After the Second World War, music focused on the hardships of the Belarusian people or on those who took up arms in defense of the homeland. Policies of Polonization[58] changed by Russification,[59] which included the return to Orthodox Christianity of Belarusian Uniates. [107][108][109][110][111] Neither is Lukashenko recognized as the legitimate president of Belarus by the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom nor the United States. Is Belarus in the EU? In the 1990s some raised the estimate even higher, to 2.7 million. A two-round election for the presidency on 24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994[36] catapulted the formerly unknown Alexander Lukashenko into national prominence. However, it was short-lived as the communist rule and later the Nazi occupation of Belarus would suppress the freethinking writers of Belarus and force many into leave the country. ", "The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation", "Belarusian": UCLA Language Materials Project, , "Europe's Last Dictatorship Is Opposed by the Oldest Exiled Government in the World", "War, Population Displacement and State Formation in the Russian Borderlands 19141924", "Stosunki polsko-biaoruskie pod okupacj sowieck (19391941)", Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, "Andrei Gromyko Dies, Was Soviet Diplomat for 50 Years", "Belarus: Five things you may not know about the country", Republic of Belarus Presidential Election 19 March 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Report, "Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions", "Standing up for Free and Fair Elections in Belarus", Belarus election 'neither free nor fair,' says UN human rights expert, "Belarus poll workers describe fraud in Aug. 9 election", "Lukashenka vs. democracy: Where is Belarus heading? Soviet Union: History, leaders and legacy | Live Science The Statutes allowed the right to own land only to noble families of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. [271] One ornamental pattern common in early dresses currently decorates the hoist of the Belarusian national flag, adopted in a disputed referendum in 1995. He garnered 45% of the vote in the first round and 80%[89] in the second, defeating Vyacheslav Kebich who received 14% of the vote. Many Belarusian writers of the time, such as Uadzimir yka, Kazimir Svayak, Yakub Kolas, mitrok Biadula, and Maksim Haretski, wrote for Nasha Niva, a Belarusian-language paper published that was previously published in Vilnius but now is published in Minsk. From 1 July until 31 December 2016, the old and new currencies were in parallel circulation and series 2000 notes and coins can be exchanged for series 2009 from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021. [122], Natural resources include peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomite (limestone), marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay. "Red was the colour . Geopolitically, Belarus. [203] On 2 December 2021, the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada imposed new sanctions on Belarus. [235] On 1 June 2011, Belarus requested an economic rescue package from the International Monetary Fund. [40], From 5000 to 2000 BC, the Bandkeramik predominated in what now constitutes Belarus, and the Cimmerians as well as other pastoralists roamed through the area by 1,000 BC. These articles were aimed to defend the rights of the Lithuanian nobility within the duchy against Polish and other nobles of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth. Belarus was part of the Soviet Union and became an independent country in 1991, after the USSR collapsed. After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev continued his predecessor's cultural hegemony program, stating, "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism. [256] Belarusian, although not as widely used as Russian, is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population, whereas Russian is the mother tongue of only 41.5%.[255]. [71][citation needed][72] After an early period of liberalization, tensions between increasingly nationalistic Polish government and various increasingly separatist ethnic minorities started to grow, and the Belarusian minority was no exception. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. [82], After the war, Belarus was among the 51 founding member states of the United Nations Charter and as such it was allowed an additional vote at the UN, on top of the Soviet Union's vote. We do not recognize him but we must deal with him", U.S. no longer recognizes Lukashenko as legitimate president of Belarus, "Belarus election: UK refuses to recognise result and demands international investigation into 'grisly repression' of protests", "Canada denounces Lukashenko's inauguration in Belarus, preparing sanctions over human rights violations", "U.S., EU Sanction Belarus in Coordinated Western Action", "Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko", "Ukraine conflict: UK sanctions Belarus for role in Russian invasion", "EU bans 70% of Belarus exports to bloc with new sanctions over Ukraine invasion", "Could Russia's Reliance on Belarus be its Soft Underbelly? [41] The region was first permanently settled by Baltic tribes in the 3rd century. Main Geographic Characteristics of the Republic of Belarus", "Belarus: Window of Opportunity (see Table 15, page 66)", "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm", "The United Nations and Chernobyl The Republic of Belarus", "Ecological reservation in Belarus fosters new approaches to soil remediation", "Country Report: Belarus Borders: Borders and policy in Belarus", "SectionIV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts", "Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Belarus", "Interview with Belarus President Lukashenko", "Analysis | Can people power topple Europe's 'last dictator'? The national football team has never qualified for a major tournament; however, BATE Borisov has played in the Champions League. [62][63] Immediately afterwards, the PolishSoviet War ignited, and the territory of Belarus was divided between Poland and Soviet Russia. [207] It is run by an executive committee and has been granted a charter of self-rule.[208]. Belarus, a country of about 9.5 million people which gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has a troubled record on human rights that has complicated its relationships with the U.S. and the EU for almost all its independence. This Holocaust monument in Belarus is haunting - and subversive After the World War, most literature focussed on war-related topics. 275-316) Lszl Nndor Magyari Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. List of Every Communist Country in the World as of 2021: China. Upon the death of Kievan Rus' ruler Yaroslav I the Wise in 1054, the state split into independent principalities. 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). Along with neighbouring and mainly. [255] Minorities also speak Polish, Ukrainian and Eastern Yiddish. Beltelecom is the only operator licensed to provide commercial VoIP services in Belarus. Though the opposition candidates, mostly associated with the pro-independence Belarusian Popular Front, took only 10% of the seats,[89] Belarus declared itself sovereign on 27 July 1990 by issuing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. "About the Origins of the Names of White and Black Ruthenia"), (Joseph Juho), 1956. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. [23][24], Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin heads the Ministry of Defence,[176] and Alexander Lukashenko (as president) serves as Commander-in-Chief. [233] As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. The number of people employed in the industry is 34.7% of the working population. The depreciation was even steeper on the black market and financial collapse seemed imminent as citizens rushed to exchange their rubles for dollars, euros, durable goods, and canned goods. The Belarusian church entered into a full communion with the Latin Church through the Union of Brest in 1595, while keeping its Byzantine liturgy in the Church Slavonic language. The judiciary comprises the Supreme Court and specialized courts such as the Constitutional Court, which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. [274] Tennis player Victoria Azarenka became the first Belarusian to win a Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open in 2012. [244] Gomel, with a population of 481,000, is the second-largest city and serves as the capital of the Gomel Region. [205] Each raion has its own legislative authority, or raion council, (Belarusian: ; Russian: ) elected by its residents, and an executive authority or raion administration appointed by oblast executive powers. [217] The growth rate is much lower than for the economy as a wholeabout 2.2% in 2021. [261] The modern era of Belarusian literature began in the late 19th century; one prominent writer was Yanka Kupala. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote; the Russian Federation and the CIS deemed the vote open and fair[152] while the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair. Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the Eurovision Song Contest. China and Belarus called for a cease-fire and negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine as leaders of the two countries meet in Beijing to improve their relations. In my message of congratulations that reflected the position of me as the President of Belarus and my family, I honestly admitted that we were really worried about the outcomes of the congress of the Chinese Communist Party. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Kremlin said that Russia stood ready "to provide the necessary assistance to resolve the problems that have arisen" and referred to a collective security treaty. Average Belarusians still remember his heyday - and the pledges that never came through. Belarus appeared to be the Prussia of the Soviet Union. Belarus country profile - BBC News For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. Belarusian military could 'soon' join war in Ukraine, US and NATO - CNN "[82], Soviet Belarusian communist politician Andrei Gromyko, who served as Soviet foreign minister (19571985) and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (19851988), was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he was replaced by Eduard Shevardnadze. , ", "Number and territorial distribution of the population", "Belarus GDP Distribution Across Economic Sectors", "The Russian-Belarusian Union and the Near Abroad", "Russia may cut oil supplies to ally Belarus Putin", "What Are The Biggest Industries In Belarus? [84] In 1986, the Byelorussian SSR was contaminated with most (70%) of the nuclear fallout from the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant located 16km beyond the border in the neighboring Ukrainian SSR. [253] The Lipka Tatars, numbering over 15,000, are predominantly Muslims. [61], During the negotiations of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Belarus first declared independence under German occupation on 25 March 1918, forming the Belarusian People's Republic. Its population is also aging; the median age of 3034 is estimated to rise to between 60 and 64 in 2050. and install a government of loyalists to intensify Communist Party control over the economy and society. [198] Lithuanian authorities and top European officials Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell condemned the usage of migrants as a weapon and suggested that Belarus could be subject to further sanctions. The Communist Party of China is the founding and sole governing political party of the People's Republic of China. [135] Alexander Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus since 1994. It existed from only 1918 to 1919 but created prerequisites for the formation of a Belarusian state. [112][113][114][115] The European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States have all imposed sanctions against Belarus because of the rigged election and political oppression during the ongoing protests in the country. At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus was one of the world's most industrially developed states by percentage of GDP as well as the richest CIS member-state. Belarus is a presidential republic. Another hypothesis connects the word with the Gothic Kingdom that occupied parts of the territory of modern Belarus and Ukraine in the 4th and 5th centuries. At the basic level are 118 raions councils and 10 cities of oblast subordination councils, which are supervised by the governments of the oblasts. [17][82][83] The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971. [116][117] Further sanctions were imposed in 2022 following the country's role in the invasion of Ukraine.
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