View source for Belarus

{{Short description|Country in Eastern Europe}}
{{About|the Republic of Belarus}}
{{redirect|Republic of Belarus}}
{{Pp-sock|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Belarus
| common_name            = Belarus
| native_name            = {{ubl|{{native name|be|Рэспубліка Беларусь}}|{{native name|ru|Республика Беларусь}}}}
| image_flag             = Flag of Belarus.svg
| image_coat             = Coat of arms of Belarus (2020).svg
| symbol_type            = Emblem
| national_anthem        = <br />{{native name|be|Дзяржаўны гімн Рэспублікі Беларусь|nolink=yes}}<br />{{transliteration|be|Dziaržaŭny Himn Respubliki Biełaruś}}<br />{{native name|ru|Государственный гимн Республики Беларусь|nolink=yes}}<br />{{transliteration|be|Gosudarstvennyy gimn Respubliki Belarus}}<br />"[[National anthem of Belarus|State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus]]"{{parabr}}{{center|[[File:Anthem-belarus-2002-instr-standard 2004.ogg]]}}
| image_map              = {{Switcher|[[File:Europe-Belarus (orthographic projection).svg|frameless]]|Show globe|[[File:Europe-Belarus.svg|upright=1.15|frameless]]|Show map of Europe|default=1}}
| map_caption            = {{map caption |location_color=green |region=Europe |region_color=dark grey |legend=Location Belarus Europe.png}}
| capital                = [[Minsk]]
| coordinates            = {{Coord|53|55|N|27|33|E|type:city(2000000)_region:BY}}
| largest_city           = capital
| official_languages     = {{hlist|[[Belarusian language|Belarusian]]|[[Russian language|Russian]]{{ref|footnote_a|a}}}}
| languages2_type        = Widely used minority languages
| languages2             = {{hlist|[[Polish language|Polish]]|[[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]|[[Yiddish language|Yiddish]]}}
| ethnic_groups          = {{unbulleted list
 | 84.9% [[Belarusians]]
 | 7.5% [[Russians in Belarus|Russians]]
 | 3.1% [[Poles in Belarus|Poles]]
 | 1.7% [[Ukrainians]]
 | 2.8% other
 }}
| ethnic_groups_ref      = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/upload/iblock/b49/b49a6306ec95b5c2d851e897490581a3.pdf|title=Belarus in figures 2021|publisher=National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus|year=2021|access-date=1 July 2021|archive-date=9 October 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.belstat.gov.by/upload/iblock/b49/b49a6306ec95b5c2d851e897490581a3.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| religion               = {{ublist |item_style=white-space;
|{{Tree list}}
* 91.0% [[Christianity]]
** 83.3% [[Eastern Orthodoxy]]
** 7.7% other [[List of Christian denominations|Christian]]
{{Tree list/end}}
|7.8% [[Irreligion|no religion]]
|1.2% other}}
| religion_year          = 2020
| religion_ref           = <ref name="ggpsurvey">{{Cite web|url=http://ggpsurvey.ined.fr/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FGGS2020.W1.30_V4&v=2&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FGGS2020.W1.30_V2061&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FGGS2020.W1.30_V5&V4slice=1&V2061slice=1&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FGGS2020.W1.30&language=en&mode=table&top=yes|title=Generations and Gender Survey, 2020 Belarus Wave 1|website=ggpsurvey.ined.fr|access-date=25 August 2019|archive-date=16 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016202502/https://ggpsurvey.ined.fr/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FGGS2020.W1.30_V4&v=2&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FGGS2020.W1.30_V2061&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FGGS2020.W1.30_V5&V4slice=1&V2061slice=1&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.49.36.147%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FGGS2020.W1.30&language=en&mode=table&top=yes}}</ref>
| demonym                = [[Belarusians|Belarusian]]
| government_type        = Unitary [[semi-presidential republic]] under an [[authoritarian]] dictatorship{{refn|<ref>{{cite web |title=Belarus |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belarus/#government |website=[[CIA World Factbook]] |access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref><ref name="Short2021">{{cite book | author = John R. Short | date = 25 August 2021 | title = Geopolitics: Making Sense of a Changing World | publisher = Rowman & Littlefield | isbn = 978-1-5381-3540-2 | oclc = 1249714156 | pages = [https://books.google.com/books?id=xdg7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA163 163 ff]}}</ref><ref>[[Constitution of Belarus]], 106, 97.5 97.7.</ref>}}
| leader_title1          = [[President of Belarus|President]]
| leader_name1           = [[Alexander Lukashenko]]{{efn|Some countries, especially Western nations, [[International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests|do not recognize]] Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus since the [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]]. However, he continues to have [[de facto]] control over Belarus, being supported by [[Russia]] and [[China]] and by suppressing internal opposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200923-belarus-leader-lukashenko-holds-secret-inauguration-amid-continuing-protests|title=Belarus leader Lukashenko holds secret inauguration amid continuing protests|website=france24.com|date=23 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54262953|title=Belarus: Mass protests after Lukashenko secretly sworn in|work=BBC News|date=23 September 2020|quote=Several EU countries and the US say they do not recognise Mr. Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus.}}</ref>}}
| leader_title2          = [[Prime Minister of Belarus|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name2           = [[Alexander Turchin]]
| legislature            = [[National Assembly of Belarus|National Assembly]]
| upper_house            = [[Council of the Republic (Belarus)|Council of the Republic]]
| lower_house            = [[House of Representatives (Belarus)|House of Representatives]]
| sovereignty_type       = [[History of Belarus|Formation]]
| established_event1     = [[Kievan Rus']]
| established_date1      = 882
<!--| established_event1     = [[Principality of Polotsk]]
| established_date1      = 987
| established_event2     = [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]
| established_date2      = 1236-->| established_event3     = [[Belarusian Democratic Republic]]
| established_date3      = 25 March 1918
| established_event4     = [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| established_date4      = 31 July 1920
| established_event5     = [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|Declaration of Independence]]
| established_date5      = 25 August 1991
| established_event6     = Internationally recognized ([[dissolution of the Soviet Union]])
| established_date6      = 26 December 1991
| established_event7     = [[Constitution of Belarus|Current constitution]]
| established_date7      = 15 March 1994
| area_km2               = 207,600<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/about/archives/2023/countries/belarus/summaries/|title=Belarus - The World Factbook|website=www.cia.gov}}</ref>
| area_rank              = 84th <!-- Area rank should match [[List of countries and dependencies by area]]-->
| area_sq_mi             = 80,155 <!--Do not remove [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| percent_water          = 2.26% ({{convert|4.700|km2|abbr=on|disp=or}})<ref name="auto"/>
| population_estimate    = {{DecreaseNeutral}} 9,109,280<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/upload/iblock/e1d/fw6q0hxkv3wmuqsqthztn49vpszatpj5.pdf|title=Population at the beginning of 2025|website=belstat.gov.by|access-date=29 March 2025|archive-date=31 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250331163920/https://www.belstat.gov.by/upload/iblock/e1d/fw6q0hxkv3wmuqsqthztn49vpszatpj5.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| population_estimate_rank = 98th
| population_estimate_year = 2025
| population_density_km2 = 43.9
| population_density_sq_mi = 120.8 <!--Do not remove [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} $221.186 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BY">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=913,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Belarus) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=IMF.org |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=13 October 2023}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2023
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 73rd
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = {{increase}} $24,016<ref name="IMFWEO.BY" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 71st
| GDP_nominal            = {{decrease}} $68.864 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BY" />
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2023
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 74th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{decrease}} $7,477<ref name="IMFWEO.BY" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 82nd
| Gini                   = 25.3 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year              = 2019
| Gini_change            = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref               = <ref name="WBgini">{{cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=BY |title=GINI index (World Bank estimate) – Belarus |publisher= World Bank |access-date=12 August 2021}}</ref>
| Gini_rank              = 
| HDI                    = 0.824
| HDI_year               = 2023<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year. -->
| HDI_change             = increase
| HDI_ref                = <ref name="UNHDR">{{Cite web |date=6 May 2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506051232/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf |archive-date=6 May 2025 |access-date=6 May 2025 |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]}}</ref>
| HDI_rank               = 65th
| currency               = [[Belarusian ruble]]
| currency_code          = BYN
| time_zone              = [[Moscow Time|MSK]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/belarus/minsk|title=Time Zone & Clock Changes in Minsk, Belarus|publisher=timeanddate.com}}</ref>
| utc_offset             = [[UTC+03:00|+3]]
| date_format            = dd.mm.yyyy
| drives_on              = right
| calling_code           = [[+375]]
| cctld                  = {{unbulleted list
 | [[.by]]
 | [[.бел]]<ref>{{Cite web | title = Icann Адобрыла Заяўку Беларусі На Дэлегаванне Дамена Першага Ўзроўню З Падтрымкай Алфавітаў Нацыянальных Моў.Бел | url = http://cctld.by/be/history/bel/ | access-date = 26 August 2014  }}</ref>}}
| footnote_a             = {{note|footnote_a}} {{Belarus Constitution|short=|sec=1|art=17}}
| footnote_b             = {{note|footnote_b}} {{Cite web | title = FAO's Information System on Water and Agriculture | publisher = FAO | url = http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries/belarus/index.stm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120126112459/http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries/belarus/index.stm | access-date = 16 February 2013 | archive-date = 26 January 2012 }}
<!--
| Dependency Ratio_year = 2014
| Dependency Ratio = 20
| Dependency Ratio_ref = <ref>{{Cite web | title = Age dependency ratio, old (% of working-age population) | publisher = [[World Bank]] | url = http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.DPND.OL/countries?display=default | access-date = 6 August 2015 }}</ref>-->| today                  = 
| ethnic_groups_year     = 2019
}}

'''Belarus''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˌ|b|ɛ|l|ə|ˈ|r|uː|s}} {{respell|BEL|ə|ROOSS}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|ˌ|b|iː|l|ə|ˈ|r|uː|s}} {{respell|BEE|lə|ROOSS}}, {{IPAc-en|UKalso|ˈ|b|ɛ|l|ə|r|ʌ|s|,_|-|r|ʊ|s}} {{respell|BEL|ə|ru(u)ss}}; {{langx|be|Беларусь|Byelarus}}, {{IPA|be|bʲɛlaˈrusʲ|IPA|be-Беларусь.oga}}; {{langx|ru|Беларусь}}, {{IPA|ru|bʲɪlɐˈrusʲ|lang|Ru-Беларусь.ogg}}; alternatively and formerly known as '''Byelorussia''' (from Russian {{lang|ru|Белоруссия}}), a name [[:ru:Именование белорусского государства на русском языке|often proscribed]] within Belarus, although commonly used in Russia.}} officially the '''Republic of Belarus''',{{efn|{{langx|be|Рэспубліка Беларусь|Respublika Byelarus|links=no}}, {{IPA|be|rɛsˈpublʲika bʲɛlaˈrusʲ|IPA|be-Рэспубліка Беларусь.oga}}; {{langx|ru|Республика Беларусь|Respublika Belarus|links=no}}, {{IPA|ru|rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə bʲɪlɐˈrusʲ|IPA}}.}} 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 spans an area of {{convert|207600|km2}} with a population of {{nowrap|9.1 million}}. The country has a [[hemiboreal]] climate and is administratively divided into [[Regions of Belarus|six regions]]. [[Minsk]] is the capital and [[List of cities and largest towns in Belarus|largest city]]; it is administered separately as a city with special status.

For most of the medieval period, the lands of modern-day Belarus was ruled by independent city-states such as the [[Principality of Polotsk]]. Around 1300 these lands came fully under the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] and subsequently by the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]; this period lasted for 500 years until the [[Partitions of Poland|1792-1795 partitions]] of Poland-Lithuania placed Belarus within the [[Belarusian history in the Russian Empire|Russian Empire]] for the first time. In the aftermath of the [[Russian Revolution]] in 1917, different states arose competing for legitimacy amid the [[Russian Civil War|Civil War]], ultimately ending in the rise of the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]], which became a founding [[Republics of the Soviet Union|constituent republic]] of the [[Soviet Union]] in 1922. After the [[Polish-Soviet War]] (1918–1921), Belarus lost almost [[Western Belarus|half of its territory]] to Poland. Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939, when some lands of the [[Second Polish Republic]] were reintegrated into it after the [[Soviet invasion of Poland]], and were finalized after World War&nbsp;II. During World War II, military operations devastated Belarus, which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources. In 1945, the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the [[United Nations]], along with the Soviet Union. The republic was home to a widespread and diverse [[Belarusian resistance during World War II|anti-Nazi insurgent movement]] which dominated politics until well into the 1970s, overseeing Belarus's [[Belarusian economic miracle|transformation]] from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

The parliament of the republic proclaimed the [[sovereignty]] of Belarus on 27 July 1990, and during the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]], Belarus gained independence on 25 August 1991. Following the adoption of a new [[Constitution of Belarus|constitution]] in 1994, [[Alexander Lukashenko]] was elected Belarus's first president in the country's first and only free [[1994 Belarusian presidential election|election]] after independence, serving as president ever since. Lukashenko heads a highly centralized [[authoritarian]] government. Belarus [[International rankings of Belarus|ranks low]] in international measurements of [[Censorship in Belarus|freedom of the press]] and [[Human rights in Belarus|civil liberties]]. It has continued several Soviet-era policies, such as [[state ownership]] of large sections of the [[Economy of Belarus|economy]]. In 2000, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty for greater cooperation, forming the [[Union State]].

The country has been a member of the [[United Nations]] since its founding and has joined the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]], the [[Collective Security Treaty Organization|CSTO]], the [[Eurasian Economic Union|EAEU]], the [[Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe|OSCE]], and the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]. It has shown no aspirations of joining the [[European Union]] but maintains a [[Belarus–European Union relations|bilateral relationship with the bloc]], and also participates in the [[Baku Initiative]].

Belarus is among the only three European countries (along with [[Russia]] and [[Kosovo]]) not a member of the [[Council of Europe]]; it attempted to join in 1993 but was refused admission because of electoral malpractice and [[human rights in Belarus|serious human rights concerns]] (Belarus is the only European country that continues to use [[Capital punishment in Belarus|capital punishment]]). Its limited [[Belarus-Council of Europe relations|relationship with the Council]] was suspended in 2022 due its facilitation of the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] from its territory [[Timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (24 February – 7 April 2022)#24 February|in April of that year]].

==Etymology==
{{see also|Etymology of Belarus}}
The name ''Belarus'' is closely related with the term ''Belaya Rus<nowiki>'</nowiki>'', i.e., ''[[White Rus']]''.{{sfn|Minahan|1998|p=35}} There are several claims to the origin of the name ''White Rus<nowiki>'</nowiki>''.<ref name="Zaprudnik 1993 2">{{Harvnb|Zaprudnik|1993|p=2}}</ref> An ethno-religious theory suggests that the name used to describe the part of old [[Ruthenia]]n lands within the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] that had been populated mostly by [[Slavs]] who had been Christianized early, as opposed to [[Black Ruthenia]], which was predominantly inhabited by pagan [[Balts]].<ref>Аб паходжанні назваў Белая і Чорная Русь (Eng. "About the Origins of the Names of White and Black Ruthenia"), Язэп Юхо (Joseph Juho), 1956.</ref> An alternative explanation for the name comments on the white clothing the local Slavic population wears.<ref name="Zaprudnik 1993 2"/> A third theory suggests that the old Rus' lands that were not conquered by the [[Tatars]] (i.e., Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Mogilev) had been referred to as ''White Rus<nowiki>'</nowiki>''.<ref name="Zaprudnik 1993 2"/> A fourth theory suggests that the color white was associated with the west, and Belarus was the western part of [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] in the 9th to 13th centuries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://belarus-travel.com/theconcept-of-whiterussia/|title=Why Is Belarus called White Russia &#124; Belarus Travel|date=5 April 2016|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-date=31 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531113644/https://belarus-travel.com/theconcept-of-whiterussia/}}</ref>

[[File:Stemp Efrasinia Polackaja.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|Stamp with the [[Cross of Saint Euphrosyne|Cross of St. Euphrosyne]] by [[Lazar Bohsha]] from 1992]]

The name ''Rus<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' is often conflated with its Latin forms {{lang|la|Russia}} and {{lang|la|Ruthenia}}, thus Belarus is often referred to as ''White Russia'' or ''White Ruthenia''. The name first appeared in [[Middle High German literature|German]] and [[Medieval Latin literature|Latin]] [[medieval literature]]; the chronicles of [[Jan of Czarnków]] mention the imprisonment of Lithuanian grand duke [[Jogaila]] and his mother at "{{lang|la|Albae Russiae, Poloczk dicto}}" in 1381.<ref name="vauchez">{{Harvnb|Vauchez|Dobson|Lapidge|2001|p=163}}</ref> The first known use of ''White Russia'' to refer to Belarus was in the late-16th century by Englishman Sir [[Jerome Horsey]], who was known for his close contacts with the Russian royal court.<ref name="alies">{{cite book |last=Bely |first=Alies |title=The chronicle of the White Russia: an essay on the history of one geographical name |publisher=Encyclopedix |year=2000 |location=Minsk, Belarus |isbn=985-6599-12-1 }}</ref> During the 17th century, the Russian [[tsar]]s used the term to describe the lands added from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.<ref>{{Harvnb|Plokhy|2001|p=327}}</ref>

The term ''Belorussia'' ({{langx|ru|link=no|Белоруссия}}, the latter part similar but spelled and stressed differently from {{lang|ru|Россия|italic=no}}, ''Russia'') first rose in the days of the [[Russian Empire]], and the Russian Tsar was usually styled "the Tsar of All the Russias", as ''Russia'' or the ''Russian Empire'' was formed by three parts of Russia—the [[Great Russia|Great]], [[Little Russia|Little]], and [[White Ruthenia|White]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAItI5C_JPUC&q=Belorussia+Russian+Empire&pg=PA116 |title=Where Nation-States Come From: Institutional Change in the Age of Nationalism |author=Philip G. Roeder |year=2011 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-13467-3 }}</ref> This asserted that the territories are all Russian and all the peoples are also Russian; in the case of the Belarusians, they were variants of the Russian people.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUydX_3rG0AC&q=Belorussia+name&pg=PA385 |title=Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity: The Success-Failure Continuum in Language and Ethnic Identity Efforts |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-19-983799-1 |last1=Fishman |first1=Joshua |last2=Garcia |first2=Ofelia |publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref>

After the [[Bolshevik Revolution]] in 1917, the term ''White Russia'' caused some confusion, as it was also the name of the military force that opposed the red Bolsheviks.<ref>{{Harvnb|Richmond|1995|p=260}}</ref> During the period of the Byelorussian SSR, the term ''Byelorussia'' was embraced as part of a national consciousness. In western Belarus under Polish control, ''Byelorussia'' became commonly used in the regions of [[Białystok]] and [[Grodno]] during the interwar period.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ioffe |first=Grigory |title=Understanding Belarus and How Western Foreign Policy Misses the Mark |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |year=2008 |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=00B6wxgftH8C&q=west+belarus&pg=PA150 |isbn=978-0-7425-5558-7 }}</ref>

The term ''Byelorussia'' (its names in other languages such as English being based on the Russian form) was used officially only until 1991. Officially, the full name of the country is ''Republic of Belarus'' ({{lang|be|Рэспубліка Беларусь}}, {{lang|ru|Республика Беларусь}}, {{lang|be-Latn|Respublika Belarus}}).<ref name="bynamelaw">{{cite web |url=http://pravo.kulichki.com/zak/year1991/doc47159.htm |title=Law of the Republic of Belarus – About the name of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=6 October 2007 |date=19 September 1991 |publisher=Pravo – Law of the Republic of Belarus |language=ru }}</ref><ref name=Factbook>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belarus|access-date=22 December 2007 |year=2007}}</ref> In Russia, the usage of ''Belorussia'' is still very common.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://people.onliner.by/2014/02/26/bel-17|title= "Беларусь" vs "Белоруссия": ставим точку в вопросе|date=26 February 2014|language=ru|work=Onliner|last1= Боровой|first1= Артур}}</ref>

In Lithuanian, besides {{lang|lt|Baltarusija}} (White Russia), Belarus is also called {{lang|lt|Gudija}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Gudija" ar "Baltarusija"? |url=http://www.vlkk.lt/konsultacijos/4292-gudija-baltarusija |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130162211/http://www.vlkk.lt/konsultacijos/4292-gudija-baltarusija |archive-date=30 November 2020 |access-date=22 November 2020 |work=State Commission of the Lithuanian Language |language=lt }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://telegraf.by/arhiv/lithuania_refuses_to_call_belarus_as_belarusia/|title=Lithuania Refuses to Call Belarus as "Belarusia"|date=16 April 2010|work=Telegraf.by}}</ref> The etymology of the word {{lang|lt|Gudija}} is not clear. By one hypothesis the word derives from the [[Old Prussian language|Old Prussian name]] {{lang|prg|Gudwa}}, which, in turn, is related to the form ''Żudwa'', which is a distorted version of ''Sudwa, Sudovia. Sudovia'', in its turn, is one of the names of the [[Yotvingians]]. Another hypothesis connects the word with the [[Oium|Gothic Kingdom]] that occupied parts of the territory of modern Belarus and Ukraine in the 4th and 5th centuries. The self-naming of Goths was ''Gutans'' and ''Gytos'', which are close to Gudija. Yet another hypothesis is based on the idea that {{lang|lt|Gudija}} in Lithuanian means "the other" and may have been used historically by Lithuanians to refer to any people who did not speak Lithuanian.<ref name="Gudas">{{cite conference |last1=Dziarnovič |first1=Aleh |title=Gudas as a Historical Name of Belarusians in the Lithuanian Language: 'Goths' or 'Barbarians'? |book-title=Belarus and its Neighbors: Historical Perceptions and Political Constructs. International Conference Papers |date=2013 |publisher=Uczelnia Łazarskiego |location=Warsaw |pages=56–68 |url=http://pawet.net/library/history/bel_history/dziarnovich/51/Gudas_as_a_Historical_Name_of_Belarusians_in_the_Lithuanian_Language:_%E2%80%98Goths%E2%80%99_or_%E2%80%98Barbarians%E2%80%99.html |access-date=1 May 2021 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501230935/http://pawet.net/library/history/bel_history/dziarnovich/51/Gudas_as_a_Historical_Name_of_Belarusians_in_the_Lithuanian_Language:_%E2%80%98Goths%E2%80%99_or_%E2%80%98Barbarians%E2%80%99.html }}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Belarus}}

===Early history===
{{further|Early Slavs}}
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. The [[Zarubintsy culture]] later became widespread at the beginning of the [[1st millennium]]. In addition, remains from the [[Dnieper–Donets culture]] were found in Belarus and parts of Ukraine.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shaw|first1=Ian|last2=Jameson|first2=Robert|title=A Dictionary of Archaeology|publisher=Wiley|year=2008|pages=203–204|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HKDtlPuM2oC&pg=PA203|isbn=978-0-470-75196-1}}</ref> The region was first permanently settled by [[Baltic peoples|Baltic]] tribes in the 3rd century. Around the 5th century, the area was taken over by the Slavs. The takeover was partially due to the lack of military coordination of the Balts, but their gradual assimilation into Slavic culture was peaceful.<ref>{{harvnb|Zaprudnik|1993|p=7}}</ref> Invaders from [[Asia]], among whom were the [[Huns]] and [[Avars (Carpathians)|Avars]], swept through c. 400–600 AD, but were unable to dislodge the Slavic presence.<ref>John Haywood, ''Historical Atlas, Ancient and Classical World'' (1998).<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed--></ref>

===Kievan Rus'===
{{further|Kievan Rus'}}
[[File:001 Kievan Rus' Kyivan Rus' Ukraine map 1220 1240.jpg|thumb|upright|[[List of early East Slavic states|Principalities]] in Eastern Europe before the Mongol and Lithuanian invasions]]
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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Plokhy |first=Serhii |title=The Origins of the Slavic Nations |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=0-521-86403-8 |pages=94–95}}</ref> The [[Battle on the Nemiga River]] in 1067 was one of the more notable events of the period, the date of which is considered the founding date of [[Minsk]].

Many early principalities were virtually razed or severely affected by a major [[Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'|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]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Charles Henry|title=The Conversion of Europe|url=https://archive.org/details/conversioneurop00robigoog|publisher=Longmans, Green|year=1917|pages=491–492|isbn=978-0-00-750296-7}}</ref> There are no sources of military seizure, but the annals affirm the alliance and united foreign policy of [[Principality of Polotsk|Polotsk]] and Lithuania for decades.<ref>{{cite book |author=NN |translator-last1=Michell |translator-first1=Robert |translator-last2=Forbes |translator-first2=Nevill |others=Introduction by C. Raymond Beazley. Text account by A.A. Shakhmatov |year=1914 |title=The chronicle of Novgorod, 1016–1471 |publisher=London, Offices of the society |page=41 |url=https://archive.org/details/chronicleofnovgo00michrich}}</ref>

Incorporation into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania resulted in an economic, political, and ethno-cultural unification of Belarusian lands.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ermalovich|first=Mikola|title=Pa sliadakh adnago mifa (Tracing one Myth)|publisher=Minsk: Navuka i tekhnika|year=1991|url=http://www.books-by-isbn.com/5-343/5343008763-Pa-sliadakh-adnaho-mifa-M-Ermalovich-5-343-00876-3.html|isbn=978-5-343-00876-0}}</ref> Of the principalities held by the duchy, nine of them were settled by a population that would eventually become the Belarusians.<ref name="zaprudnik">{{Harvnb|Zaprudnik|1993|p=27}}</ref> During this time, the duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385)|Poland]] against the [[Teutonic Knights]] at the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in 1410; the joint victory allowed the duchy to control the northwestern borderlands of [[Eastern Europe]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Lerski|first=George Jan|author2=[[Aleksander Gieysztor]]|title=Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966–1945|publisher=[[Greenwood Press]]|year=1996|pages=181–82|isbn=0-313-26007-9}}</ref>

The [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Muscovites]], led by [[Ivan III of Russia]], began military campaigns in 1486 in an attempt to incorporate the former lands of [[Kievan Rus']], including the territories of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nowak |first=Andrzej |date=1 January 1997 |title=The Russo-Polish Historical Confrontation |url=http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sarmatia/197/Nowak.html |access-date=22 December 2007 |work=Sarmatian Review&nbsp;XVII |publisher=[[Rice University]]}}</ref>

===Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth===
{{Further|Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth}}
[[File:GDL Map, 15cent.png|thumb|A map of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] in the 15th century prior to its union with the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]]. Belarus was fully within its borders.]]

On 2 February 1386, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385)|Kingdom of Poland]] were joined in a [[personal union]] through a [[Union of Krewo|marriage of their rulers]].<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Jones|editor-first=Michael|last=Rowell|first=S.C.|contribution=Baltic Europe|title=The New Cambridge Medieval History (Vol. 6)|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2005|page=710|isbn=0-521-36290-3}}</ref> This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], created in 1569 by the [[Union of Lublin]].<ref name=Lukowski>{{cite book |last1=Lukowski |first1=Jerzy |author-link1=Jerzy Lukowski |last2=Zawadzki |first2=Hubert |title=A Concise History of Poland |edition=1st |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-521-55917-1 |pages=63–64}}</ref><ref name=Riasanovsky>{{cite book |last=Riasanovsky |first=Nicholas V. |title=A History of Russia |year=1999 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-512179-7 |edition=6th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KRjcXHliMpcC&pg=PA137}}</ref>

In the years following the union, the process of gradual [[Polonization]] of both Lithuanians and Ruthenians gained steady momentum. In culture and social life, both the [[Polish language]] and [[Catholicism]] became dominant, and in 1696, Polish replaced Ruthenian as the official language, with Ruthenian being banned from administrative use.<ref>[http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=103&menu=00 "Belarusian": UCLA Language Materials Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222171418/http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=103&menu=00 |date=22 December 2015 }}, ucla.edu; accessed 4 March 2016.</ref> However, the Ruthenian peasants continued to speak their native language. Also, the [[Belarusian Byzantine Catholic Church]] was formed by the Poles to bring Orthodox Christians into the [[Holy See|See of Rome]]. The Belarusian church entered into a full [[Koinonia|communion]] with the [[Latin Church]] through the [[Union of Brest]] in 1595, while keeping its Byzantine [[liturgy]] in the [[Church Slavonic]] language.

===Russian Empire===
{{main|Belarusian history in the Russian Empire}}

{{Further|Kościuszko Uprising|November Uprising|January Uprising}}
[[File:Berezyna.jpg|thumb|Napoleon's ''Grande Armée'' retreating after [[Napoleon's invasion of Russia|his invasion of Russia]] and crossing the [[Berezina river]] (near [[Barysaw]], Belarus)]]
The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795 with the [[Third Partition of Poland]] by Imperial Russia, [[Prussia]], and [[Habsburg monarchy|Austria]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Scheuch|first=E.K.|author2=David Sciulli|title=Societies, Corporations and the Nation State|publisher=Brill|year=2000|page=187|isbn=90-04-11664-8}}</ref> The Belarusian territories acquired by the Russian Empire under the reign of [[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine&nbsp;II]]<ref>{{harvnb|Birgerson|2002|page=101}}</ref> were included into the [[Belarusian Governorate]] ({{langx|ru|Белорусское генерал-губернаторство}}) in 1796 and held until their occupation by the [[German Empire]] during [[World War I]].<ref name="olson95">{{harvnb|Olson|Pappas|Pappas|1994|page=95}}</ref>

Under [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]] and [[Alexander III of Russia|Alexander III]] the national cultures were repressed with policies of [[Polonization]]<ref>{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.pravoslavie.ru/arhiv/050513111111 Воссоединение униатов и исторические судьбы Белорусского народа] (''Vossoyedineniye uniatov i istoričeskiye sud'bi Belorusskogo naroda''), [http://www.pravoslavie.ru/ Pravoslavie portal]</ref> replaced by [[Russification]]<ref name="zytko-1">Żytko, ''Russian policy&nbsp;...'', p. 551.</ref> which included the return to [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]] of Belarusian [[Union of Brest|Uniates]]. Belarusian language was banned in schools while in nearby [[Samogitia]] primary school education with [[Samogitian dialect|Samogitian]] literacy was allowed.<ref name="Корнилов1908">{{cite book|author=Иван Петрович Корнилов|script-title=ru:Русское дєло в Сєверо-Западном крає: материиалы для историии Виленскаго учебнаго округа преимущественно в Муравьевскую эпоху|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=edsGAAAAYAAJ|year=1908|publisher=Тип. А.С. Суворина|language=ru}}</ref>

In a [[Russification]] drive in the 1840s, [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]] prohibited the use of the Belarusian language in public schools, campaigned against Belarusian publications, and tried to pressure those who had converted to Catholicism under the Poles to reconvert to the Orthodox faith. In 1863, economic and cultural pressure exploded in a [[January Uprising|revolt]], led by [[Konstanty Kalinowski]] (also known as Kastus). After the failed revolt, the Russian government reintroduced the use of [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]] to Belarusian in 1864 and no documents in Belarusian were permitted by the Russian government until 1905.<ref>{{cite book|author=D. Marples|title=Belarus: From Soviet Rule to Nuclear Catastrophe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evVZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA26|year=1996|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|isbn=978-0-230-37831-5|page=26}}</ref>

During the negotiations of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Russia–Central Powers)|Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], Belarus first declared independence under German occupation on 25 March 1918, forming the [[Belarusian People's Republic]].<ref name="birgerson">{{harvnb|Birgerson|2002|pages=105–106}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ioffe|first=Grigory|title=Understanding Belarus and How Western Foreign Policy Misses the Mark|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc|year=2008|page=57|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=00B6wxgftH8C&q=west+belarus&pg=PA150|isbn=978-0-7425-5558-7}}</ref> Immediately afterwards, the [[Polish–Soviet War]] ignited, and the territory of Belarus was divided between Poland and Soviet Russia.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJhMhTKw-vgC&q=belarus+partition&pg=PA282|title=The Reconstruction of Nations|author=Timothy Snyder|publisher=Yale University Press |page=282 |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-300-12841-3}}</ref> The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic exists as a [[government in exile]] ever since then; in fact, it is currently the world's longest serving government in exile.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/belarus-government-in-exile-290/|title=Europe's Last Dictatorship Is Opposed by the Oldest Exiled Government in the World|date=26 January 2016}}</ref>

===Early states and interwar period===
[[File:Dziejačy BNR.jpg|thumb|right|The first government ("activists") of the Belarusian People's Republic (BNR, Беларуская Народная Рэспубліка), 1918.<br />Sitting, left to right:<br />[[Aliaksandar Burbis]], [[Jan Sierada]], [[Jazep Varonka]], [[Vasil Zacharka]].<br />Standing, left to right:<br />[[Arkadź Smolič]], [[Pyotra Krecheuski]], [[Kastuś Jezavitaŭ]], Anton Ausianik, Liavon Zayats.]]
The [[Belarusian People's Republic]] was the first attempt to create an independent Belarusian state under the name "Belarus". Despite significant efforts, the state ceased to exist, primarily because the territory was continually dominated by the [[Imperial German Army]] and the [[Imperial Russian Army]] in [[World War I]], and then the [[Bolshevik]] [[Red Army]]. It existed from only 1918 to 1919 but created prerequisites for the formation of a Belarusian state. The choice of name was probably based on the fact that core members of the newly formed government were educated in tsarist universities, with corresponding emphasis on the ideology of West-Russianism.<ref name="Jr.Zaprudnik2010">{{cite book|author1=Vitali Silitski, Jr.|author2=Jan Zaprudnik|title=The A to Z of Belarus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQXyAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA308|date=7 April 2010|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-1-4617-3174-0|pages=308–}}</ref>

The [[Republic of Central Lithuania]] was a short-lived political entity, which was the last attempt to restore Lithuania to the historical confederacy state (it was also supposed to create Lithuania Upper and Lithuania Lower). The republic was created in 1920 following [[Żeligowski's Mutiny|the staged rebellion]] of soldiers of the [[1st Lithuanian–Belarusian Division]] of the [[Polish Army]] under [[Lucjan Żeligowski]]. Centered on the historical capital of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], [[Vilna]] ({{langx|lt|Vilnius}}, {{langx|pl|Wilno}}), for 18 months the entity served as a [[buffer state]] between [[Poland]], upon which it depended, and Lithuania, which claimed the area.<ref name="von Rauch">{{cite book | first=Georg von |last=Rauch |author-link=Georg von Rauch | editor=Gerald Onn | title =The Baltic States: Years of Independence – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 1917–40 | year =1974 | pages = 100–102 | chapter =The Early Stages of Independence | chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=emBIdi4LPz8C&pg=PA101 |publisher =C. Hurst & Co| isbn=0-903983-00-1 }}</ref> After a variety of delays, [[1922 Republic of Central Lithuania general election|a disputed election]] took place on 8 January 1922, and the territory was annexed to Poland. Żeligowski later in his memoir which was published in London in 1943 condemned the annexation of the Republic by Poland, as well as the policy of closing Belarusian schools and general disregard of Marshal [[Józef Piłsudski]]'s confederation plans by Polish ally.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://history-belarus.by/images/img-figures/zeligowski/Zeligowski_Zapomnianae-prawdy.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://history-belarus.by/images/img-figures/zeligowski/Zeligowski_Zapomnianae-prawdy.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=Zapomniane prawdy|author=Żeligowski, Lucjan|year=1943|publisher=F. Mildner & Sons|language = pl}}</ref>

[[File:Kurapaty 1989 meeting.jpg|thumb|Meeting in the [[Kurapaty]] woods, 1989, where between 1937 and 1941 from 30,000 to 250,000 people, including Belarusian [[intelligentsia]] members, were [[Soviet repressions in Belarus|murdered]] by the [[NKVD]] during the [[Great Purge]]]]

In January 1919, a part of Belarus under Bolshevik Russian control was declared the [[Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia]] (SSRB) for just two months, but then merged with the [[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic]] (LSSR) to form the [[Socialist Soviet Republic of Lithuania and Belorussia]] (SSR LiB), which lost control of its territories by August.

The [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]] (BSSR) was created in July 1920.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ioffe |first1=Grigorij Viktorovič |last2=Silitski |first2=Vitali |title=Historical dictionary of Belarus |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham (Md.) |isbn=978-1-5381-1706-4 |page=282 |edition=3rd}}</ref>

The contested lands were divided between Poland and the [[Soviet Union]] after the war ended in 1921, and the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922.<ref name="birgerson" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Marples|first=David|title=Belarus: A Denationalized Nation|publisher=Routledge|year=1999|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EMCYfOSaLSgC&q=Belarusian+People%27s+Republic&pg=PA8|isbn=90-5702-343-1}}</ref> In the 1920s and 1930s, Soviet agricultural and economic policies, including [[collectivization]] and [[Five-year plans of the Soviet Union|five-year plans for the national economy]], led to famine and political repression.<ref>{{cite web |title=Belarus history |url=http://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/history |access-date=17 March 2017 |publisher=Official website of the Republic of Belarus}}</ref>

The [[Western Belorussia|western part of modern Belarus]] remained part of the [[Second Polish Republic]].<ref name="ocu1">{{cite book|title=The global and the local: understanding the dialectics of business systems|last=Sorge|first=Arndt|year=2005|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-153534-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Nick Baron|author2=Peter Gatrell|title=Homelands|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FCBVPqAWuUsC&pg=PA19|access-date=18 September 2015|year= 2004|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=978-1-84331-385-4|page=19|chapter=War, Population Displacement and State Formation in the Russian Borderlands 1914–1924}}</ref> 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 in Poland|Belarusian minority]] was no exception.<ref name="Davies">[[Norman Davies]], ''[[God's Playground]]'' (Polish edition), second tome, pp. 512–513</ref><ref name="Stosunki">{{Cite web |title=Stosunki polsko-białoruskie pod okupacją sowiecką (1939–1941) |trans-title=Polish–Belarusian relations under Soviet occupation (1939–1941) |url=http://www.bialorus.pl/index.php?secId=49&docId=60&&Rozdzial=historia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623073822/http://www.bialorus.pl/index.php?secId=49&docId=60&&Rozdzial=historia |archive-date=23 June 2008}}</ref> The [[polonization]] drive was inspired and influenced by the Polish [[National Democracy (Poland)|National Democracy]], led by [[Roman Dmowski]], who advocated refusing Belarusians and Ukrainians the right for a free national development.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mironowicz |first=Eugeniusz |year=2007 |trans-title=Białorusini i Ukraińcy w polityce obozu piłsudczykowskiego |title=Belarusians and Ukrainians in the policies of the Piłsudski camp |url=http://kamunikat.org/usie_knihi.html?pubid=2006 |language=pl |pages=4–5 |publisher=Wydawn. Uniwersyteckie Trans Humana |isbn=978-83-89190-87-1}}</ref> A Belarusian organization, the ''[[Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union]]'', was banned in 1927, and opposition to Polish government was met with state repressions.<ref name="Davies" /><ref name="Stosunki" /> Nonetheless, compared to the (larger) [[Ukrainian minority in Poland|Ukrainian minority]], Belarusians were much less politically aware and active, and thus suffered fewer repressions than the Ukrainians.<ref name="Davies" /><ref name="Stosunki" /> In 1935, after the death of Piłsudski, a new wave of repressions was released upon the minorities, with many [[Belarusian Orthodox Church|Orthodox churches]] and Belarusian schools being closed.<ref name="Davies" /><ref name="Stosunki" /> Use of the [[Belarusian language]] was discouraged.<ref>Bieder, H. (2000): Konfession, Ethnie und Sprache in Weißrußland im 20. Jahrhundert. In: Zeitschrift für Slawistik 45 (2000), 200–214.</ref> Belarusian leadership was sent to [[Bereza Kartuska prison]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lubachko |first=Ivan |title=Belorussia under Soviet Rule, 1917–1957 |title-link=Belorussia under Soviet Rule, 1917–1957 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |year=1972|page=137}}</ref>

===World War II===
{{main|Byelorussia in World War II|German occupation of Byelorussia during World War II}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-137-1010-37A, Minsk, deutsche Truppen vor modernen Gebäuden.jpg|thumb|upright|German soldiers in [[Minsk]], August 1941]]
[[File:Hatiny1.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Khatyn]] Memorial; during World War II the German Nazis murdered civilians in 5,295 different localities in [[Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany|occupied Soviet Belarus]].]]
In September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded and occupied eastern Poland, following the German [[invasion of Poland]] two weeks earlier which marked the beginning of [[World War II]]. The territories of [[Western Belorussia]] were [[Soviet annexation of Western Belorussia|annexed]] and incorporated into the Byelorussian SSR.<ref name="uni1">{{cite book |last=Abdelal |first=Rawi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o85YDMTeMrUC&q=reunification+of+western+belarus |title=National purpose in the world economy: post-Soviet states in comparative perspective |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8014-3879-0}}</ref><ref name="uni2">{{cite book |last=Taylor & Francis Group |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wGA4o-UhAfgC&q=reunification+of+western+belarus&pg=PA713 |title=Europa World Year, Book 1 |publisher=[[Routledge|Europa publications]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-85743-254-1}}</ref><ref name="uni3">
* Клоков В. Я. Великий освободительный поход Красной Армии. (Освобождение Западной Украины и Западной Белоруссии).-Воронеж, 1940.
* Минаев В. Западная Белоруссия и Западная Украина под гнетом панской Польши.—М., 1939.
* Трайнин И.Национальное и социальное освобождение Западной Украины и Западной Белоруссии.—М., 1939.—80 с.
* Гiсторыя Беларусі. Том пяты.—Мінск, 2006.—с. 449–474
</ref><ref name="uni4">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jZJntMQtkSYC&q=Belarus+map+1945&pg=PA106|title=Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship|author=Andrew Wilson|year=2011|publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-13435-3}}</ref> The Soviet-controlled Byelorussian People's Council officially took control of the territories, whose populations consisted of a mixture of Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Jews, on {{nowrap|28 October}} 1939 in [[Białystok]]. Nazi Germany [[Operation Barbarossa|invaded the Soviet Union]] in 1941. The [[Defense of Brest Fortress|defense]] of [[Brest Fortress]] was the first major battle of [[Operation Barbarossa]].

The Byelorussian SSR was the hardest-hit Soviet republic in World War II; it remained under [[German occupation of Byelorussia during World War II|German occupation]] until 1944. The German {{lang|de|[[Generalplan Ost]]}} called for the extermination, expulsion, or enslavement of most or all Belarusians to provide more [[Lebensraum|living space]] in the [[Drang nach Osten|East]] for Germans.<ref>[[Timothy Snyder|Snyder, Timothy]] (2010). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ks0WBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA160 Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin]''. Basic Books. p. 160. {{ISBN|0-465-00239-0}}</ref> Most of Western Belarus became part of the ''[[Reichskommissariat Ostland]]'' in 1941, but in 1943 the German authorities allowed local [[Byelorussian collaboration with Nazi Germany|collaborators]] to set up a client state, the [[Belarusian Central Council]].<ref>(German) Dallin, Alexander (1958). ''Deutsche Herrschaft in Russland, 1941–1945: Eine Studie über Besatzungspolitik'', pp. 234–236. Droste Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf.</ref>

During World War II, Belarus was home to a variety of [[Belarusian resistance during World War II|guerrilla movements]], including Jewish, Polish, and Soviet partisans. Belarusian partisan formations formed a large part of the [[Soviet partisans]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Exeler |first=Franziska |title=What Did You Do during the War?: Personal Responses to the Aftermath of Nazi Occupation |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309756528 |journal=Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History |page=807 |via=ResearchGate}}</ref> and in the modern day these partisans have formed a core part of the Belarusian national identity, with Belarus continuing to refer to itself as the "partisan republic" since the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ioffe |first=Grigory |date=6 February 2015 |title=The Partisan Movements in Belarus During World War II (Part Two) |url=https://jamestown.org/program/the-partisan-movements-in-belarus-during-world-war-ii-part-two/ |access-date=29 March 2023 |website=[[Jamestown Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chernyshova |first=Natalya |title=Belarus |url=https://soviethistory.msu.edu/1973-2/belarus/ |access-date=29 March 2023 |website=Seventeen Moments in Soviet History|date=15 June 2022 }}</ref> Following the war, many former Soviet partisans entered positions of government, among them [[Pyotr Masherov]] and [[Kirill Mazurov]], both of whom were First Secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia. Until the late 1970s, the Belarusian government was almost entirely composed of former partisans.<ref name="Ioffe">{{Cite journal |last=Ioffe |first=Grigory |date=December 2003 |title=Understanding Belarus: Belarusian Identity |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |volume=55 |issue=8 |page=1259 |doi=10.1080/0966813032000141105 |jstor=3594506 |s2cid=143667635 |issn=0966-8136 }}</ref> Numerous pieces of media have been made about the Belarusian partisans, including the 1985 film ''[[Come and See]]'' and the works of authors [[Ales Adamovich]] and [[Vasil Bykaŭ]].

The German occupation in 1941–1944 and war on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] devastated Belarus. During that time, 209 out of 290 towns and cities were destroyed, 85% of the republic's industry, and more than one million buildings. After the war, it was estimated that 2.2 million local inhabitants had died, and of those some 810,000 were combatants—some foreign. This figure represented [[World War II casualties of the Soviet Union|a staggering quarter of the prewar population]].<ref name="axell">{{cite book |last=Axell |first=Albert |url=https://archive.org/details/russiasheroes19400albe/page/247 |title=Russia's Heroes, 1941–45 |publisher=Carroll & Graf Publishers |year=2002 |isbn=0-7867-1011-X |page=[https://archive.org/details/russiasheroes19400albe/page/247 247]}}</ref> In the 1990s some raised the estimate even higher, to 2.7 million.<ref>{{cite book|title=Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship|author=Andrew Wilson|year=2011|isbn=978-0-300-13435-3|page=110|publisher=Yale University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jZJntMQtkSYC&q=Belarus%20map%201945&pg=PA110}}</ref> The [[History of the Jews in Belarus|Jewish population of Belarus]] was devastated during [[the Holocaust]] and never recovered.<ref name="axell"/><ref name="warpop">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/11.htm|title=Belarus&nbsp;– Stalin and Russification|access-date=26 March 2006|last=Fedor|first=Helen|year=1995|work=Belarus: A Country Study|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=10335986@cmsArticle|title=Потери гражданского населения|website=function.mil.ru|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971.<ref name="warpop"/> Belarus was also hit hard economically, losing around half of its economic resources.<ref name="axell" />

===Post-war===
[[File:М. І. Гусеў. Плакат, выпушчаны да выбараў у Вярхоўныя Саветы БССР і СССР ад заходніх абласцей Беларусі.jpg|thumb|upright|Belarusian poster where the text reads "Long live the Stalinist constitution of victorious socialism and true democracy!" (issued in 1940)]]
The borders of the Byelorussian SSR and Poland were redrawn, in accord with the 1919-proposed [[Curzon Line]].<ref name="olson95"/>  Byelorus gained territory to the west: the formerly Polish [[Kresy]].

[[Joseph Stalin]] implemented a policy of [[Sovietization]] to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from [[Western world|Western influences]].<ref name="warpop"/> This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Byelorussian SSR government. After Stalin died 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."<ref name="warpop"/>

Between Stalin's death in 1953 and 1980, Belarusian politics was dominated by former members of the Soviet partisans, including First Secretaries Kirill Mazurov and Pyotr Masherov.<ref name="Ioffe"/> Mazurov and Masherov oversaw Belarus's [[Belarusian economic miracle|rapid industrialisation]] and transformation from one of the Soviet Union's poorest republics into one of its richest.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Andrew |title=Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-300-25921-6 |edition=New |location=New Haven, London |pages=237–239}}</ref> In 1986, the Byelorussian SSR was contaminated with most (70%) of the [[nuclear fallout]] from the explosion at the [[Chernobyl disaster|Chernobyl]] power plant located 16&nbsp;km beyond the border in the neighboring [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]].<ref name="Gorby">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/12.htm|title=Belarus- Perestroika|access-date=26 March 2007|last=Fedor|first=Helen|year=1995|work=Belarus: A Country Study|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 August 2020|title=Belarus: Five things you may not know about the country|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53727243|access-date=16 August 2020|work=BBC News}}</ref>

By the late 1980s, political liberalization led to a national revival, with the [[Belarusian Popular Front]] becoming a major pro-independence force.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1066125.html|title=Post-Soviet Belarus: A Timeline|website=rferl.org|date=24 February 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17941637|title=Belarus profile – Timeline|work=BBC News|date=20 August 2018}}</ref>

===Independence===
[[File:RIAN archive 848095 Signing the Agreement to eliminate the USSR and establish the Commonwealth of Independent States.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed the [[Belavezha Accords]], [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|dissolving the Soviet Union]], 8 December 1991]]
In March 1990, [[12th Belarusian Supreme Council|elections]] for seats in the [[Supreme Soviet]] of the Byelorussian SSR took place. Though the opposition candidates, mostly associated with the pro-independence [[Belarusian Popular Front]], took only 10% of the seats,<ref name="byind">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/39.htm|title=Belarus&nbsp;– Prelude to Independence|access-date=22 December 2007|last=Fedor|first=Helen|year=1995|work=Belarus: A Country Study|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> Belarus declared itself sovereign on 27 July 1990 by issuing the [[Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History, Belarus |url=https://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/history |website=Belarus.by |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402173018/https://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/history }}</ref>

[[1991 Belarusian strikes|Wide-scale strikes]] erupted in April 1991. With the support of the [[Communist Party of Byelorussia]], the country's name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on 25 August 1991.<ref>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belarus|access-date=4 March 2016|year=2016|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belarus/}}</ref><ref name="byind"/> [[Stanislav Shushkevich]], the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus, met with [[Boris Yeltsin]] of Russia and [[Leonid Kravchuk]] of Ukraine on 8 December 1991 in [[Białowieża Forest]] to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]].<ref name="byind"/>

In January 1992, the [[Belarusian Popular Front]] campaigned for early elections later in the year, two years before they were scheduled. By May of that year, about 383,000 signatures had been collected for a petition to hold the referendum, which was 23,000 more than legally required to be put to a referendum at the time. Despite this, the meeting of the [[Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus]] to ultimately decide the date for the referendum was delayed by six months. However, with no evidence to suggest such, the Supreme Council rejected the petition on the grounds of massive irregularities. Elections for the Supreme Council were set for March 1994. A new law on parliamentary elections failed to pass by 1993. Disputes over the referendum were accredited to the largely conservative [[Party of Belarusian Communists]], which controlled the Supreme Council at the time and was largely opposed to political and economic reform, with allegations that some of the deputies opposed Belarusian independence.<ref>{{cite book |title=Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States 1997 |date=November 1996 |publisher=Europa Publications Limited |isbn=1-85743-025-5 |page=181 |edition=3 }}</ref>

===Lukashenko era===
[[File:Belarus 1997 CIA map.jpg|thumb|1997 map of Belarus]]
A national constitution was adopted in March 1994 in which the functions of prime minister were given to the [[President of Belarus]]. A two-round [[1994 Belarusian presidential election|election for the presidency on 24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994]]<ref name=Factbook/> catapulted the formerly unknown Alexander Lukashenko into national prominence. He garnered 45% of the vote in the first round and 80%<ref name="byind"/> in the second, defeating [[Vyacheslav Kebich]] who received 14% of the vote. The elections were the first and only free elections in Belarus after independence.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/116265.stm Profile: Europe's last dictator?] BBC News, 10 September 2001</ref>

The 2000s saw some economic disputes between Belarus and its primary economic partner, Russia. The first one was the [[2004 Russia–Belarus energy dispute]] when Russian energy giant [[Gazprom]] ceased the import of gas into Belarus because of price disagreements. The [[2007 Russia–Belarus energy dispute]] centered on accusations by Gazprom that Belarus was siphoning oil from the [[Druzhba pipeline]] that runs through Belarus. Two years later the so-called [[Milk War]], a trade dispute, started when Russia wanted Belarus to recognize the independence of [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]] and through a series of events ended up banning the import of dairy products from Belarus.

In 2011, Belarus suffered [[Economy of Belarus#Crisis of 2011|a severe economic crisis]] attributed to Lukashenko's government's centralized control of the economy, with inflation reaching 108.7%.<ref name="2011-crisis">{{cite web |author=Andrew E. Kramer |date=11 May 2011 |title=Belarus Economic Crisis Deepens as Currency Plunges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/world/europe/12belarus.html |url-access=limited |work=The New York Times}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Around the same time the [[2011 Minsk Metro bombing]] occurred in which 15 people were killed and 204 were injured. Two suspects, who were arrested within two days, confessed to being the perpetrators and were executed by shooting in 2012. The official version of events as publicised by the Belarusian government was questioned in the unprecedented wording of the [[UN Security Council]] statement condemning "the apparent terrorist attack" intimating the possibility that the Belarusian government itself was behind the bombing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2011/sc10225.doc.htm|title=Security Council Press Statement on Minsk Bombing &#124; Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|website=www.un.org}}</ref>

[[File:Alexander Lukashenko, opening of Slavianski Bazar 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Alexander Lukashenko]] has ruled Belarus since 1994.]]
[[2020–2021 Belarusian protests|Mass protests]] erupted across the country following the disputed [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Belarus's Protests Aren't Particularly Anti-Putin |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/19/belarus-protest-not-anti-russian-putin-interfere/ |work=Foreign Policy |date=19 August 2020}}</ref> in which Lukashenko sought a sixth term in office.<ref>{{cite news |title=Protests in Belarus continue despite challenger's departure |url=https://apnews.com/dc7ec04bfb73782a094c18ed4e63feaa |work=Associated Press |date=11 August 2020}}</ref><!-- Russian and EU leaders warned of any external interference in Belarus's internal affairs.<ref>{{cite news |title=EU leaders to warn Russia against Belarus interference |url=https://euobserver.com/foreign/149166 |work=EUobserver In 2019, Lukashenko had bilateral talks in |date=18 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Putin warns western leaders over 'meddling' in Belarus |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f96fdf91-6826-4af2-923d-ff14947fcd15 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/f96fdf91-6826-4af2-923d-ff14947fcd15 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=Financial Times |date=18 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Russian FM in Syria, meets Assad in first visit since 2012 |publisher=Associated Press |date=7 September 2020 |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-fm-syria-meets-assad-115535854.html |access-date=7 September 2020 }}</ref>--> Neighbouring countries Poland and Lithuania do not recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus and the Lithuanian government has allotted a residence for main opposition candidate [[Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya]] and other members of the Belarusian opposition in [[Vilnius]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Belarus asks Lithuania to extradite opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya |date=5 March 2021 |url=https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/05/belarus-asks-lithuania-to-extradite-opposition-leader-tsikhanouskaya |publisher=Euronews |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania to Belarus: 'Rather watch hell freeze over' than deliver Tsikhanouskaya |url=https://www.dw.com/en/lithuania-to-belarus-rather-watch-hell-freeze-over-than-deliver-tsikhanouskaya/a-56787250 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Headquarters of Tsikhanouskaya, Coordination Council and National Anti-Crisis Management |date=7 January 2021 |url=https://www.voiceofbelarus.com/headquarters-of-tsikhanouskaya/ |publisher=Voice of Belarus |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Belarus protests: Why Poland is backing the opposition |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54090389 |work=BBC News |date=10 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Belarus opposition leader: Foreign mediation may be needed |url=https://apnews.com/c70e47ca9c2c3526324c89982c1bac26 |work=Associated Press |date=9 September 2020}}</ref> Neither is Lukashenko recognized as the legitimate president of Belarus by the European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 August 2020 |title=El Pais interview with HR/VP Borrell: "Lukashenko is like Maduro. We do not recognize him but we must deal with him" |url= https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/84346/el-pais-interview-hrvp-borrell-%E2%80%9Clukashenko-maduro-we-do-not-recognize-him-he-must-deal-him%E2%80%9D_en |publisher=eeas.europa.eu}}</ref><ref>Dave Lawler, [https://www.axios.com/us-lukashenko-president-belarus-353ed235-98f7-446f-919a-6a6cdab81975.html "U.S. no longer recognizes Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221151140/https://www.axios.com/us-lukashenko-president-belarus-353ed235-98f7-446f-919a-6a6cdab81975.html |date=21 December 2021 }}, ''Axios''. 24 September 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/belarus-election-result-2020-protest-uk-lukashenko-dominic-raab-latest-a9673596.html |title=Belarus election: UK refuses to recognise the result and demands international investigation into 'grisly repression' of protests |website=The Independent |location= London |date=17 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-denounces-lukashenko-inauguration-belarus-1.5736840 |date=24 September 2020 |title=Canada denounces Lukashenko's inauguration in Belarus, preparing sanctions over human rights violations |work=CBC News}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 August 2020 |title= U.S., EU Sanction Belarus in Coordinated Western Action |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-leaders-agree-to-adopt-sanctions-on-belarus-officials-11601596533 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-election-sanctions-idUSKBN26K2R1|title=Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko |newspaper=Reuters |date=29 September 2020 |last1=Ljunggren |first1=Josh Smith}}</ref> [[International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine|Further sanctions]] were imposed in 2022 following the [[Belarusian involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine|country's role and complicity]] in the Russian invasion of Ukraine; Russian troops were allowed to stage part of the invasion from Belarusian territory.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 2022 |title=Ukraine conflict: UK sanctions Belarus for role in Russian invasion |work=BBC News |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60580294 |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Guarascio |first=Francesco |date=2 March 2022 |title=EU bans 70% of Belarus exports to bloc with new sanctions over Ukraine invasion |work=[[Reuters]] |url= https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-approves-new-sanctions-against-belarus-over-ukraine-invasion-source-2022-03-02/ |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref> Sanctions were targeted towards not only corporate offices and individual officers of government, but also private individuals who work in the [[state-owned enterprise]] industrial sector.<ref name="efrusi">{{cite news |last1=Ferris |first1=Emily |title=Could Russia's Reliance on Belarus be its Soft Underbelly? |url=https://static.rusi.org/could-russias-reliance-on-belarus-be-its-soft-underbelly.pdf |publisher=The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies |date=12 January 2023}}</ref> [[Norway]] and [[Japan]] have joined the sanctions regime which aims to isolate Belarus from the international supply chain. Most major Belarusian banks are also under restrictions.<ref name=efrusi/>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Belarus|Climate of Belarus}}

Belarus lies between latitudes [[51st parallel north|51°]] and [[57th parallel north|57° N]], and longitudes [[23rd meridian east|23°]] and [[33rd meridian east|33° E]]. Its extension from north to south is {{convert|560|km|abbr=on}}, from west to east is {{convert|650|km|abbr=on}}.<ref name="statistics">{{cite web|url=http://landofancestors.com/travel/statistics/geography/235-coordinates-of-the-extreme-points-of-the-state-frontier.html|title=Coordinates of the extreme points of the state frontier. Main Geographic Characteristics of the Republic of Belarus|publisher=the Scientific and Production State Republican Unitary Enterprise "National Cadastre Agency" of the State Property Committee of the Republic of Belarus|year=2011|website=Land of Ancestors|access-date=11 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053717/http://landofancestors.com/travel/statistics/geography/235-coordinates-of-the-extreme-points-of-the-state-frontier.html|archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref> It is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of [[marsh]]y land.<ref name="ciageo">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belarus|section=Geography|access-date=7 November 2007|year=2007}}</ref> About 40% of Belarus is covered by forests.<ref name="key facts"/><ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/europethecis/belarus/belarus_2005_en.pdf|title= Belarus: Window of Opportunity (see Table 15, page 66)|publisher=United Nations|access-date=22 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001230713/http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/europethecis/belarus/belarus_2005_en.pdf|archive-date=1 October 2008|url-status=live}}
</ref> The country lies within two ecoregions: [[Sarmatic mixed forests]] and [[Central European mixed forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Many streams and 11,000 lakes are found in Belarus.<ref name="ciageo"/> Three major rivers run through the country: the [[Neman River|Neman]], the [[Pripyat River|Pripyat]], and the [[Dnieper River|Dnieper]]. The Neman flows westward towards the Baltic Sea and the Pripyat flows eastward to the Dnieper; the Dnieper flows southward towards the [[Black Sea]].<ref name="bell">{{cite book|last=Bell|first=Imogen|title=Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2002|page=132|isbn=1-85743-137-5}}</ref>

[[File:Strusta Lake - Panorama.jpg|thumb|[[Strusta Lake]] in the [[Vitebsk Region]]]]
The highest point is [[Dzyarzhynskaya Hara]] (Dzyarzhynsk Hill) at {{convert|345|m|ft|0}}, and the lowest point is on the Neman River at {{convert|90|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ciageo"/> The average elevation of Belarus is {{convert|160|m|0|abbr=on}} [[above mean sea level|above sea level]].<ref>{{harvnb|Zaprudnik|1993|p=xix}}</ref> The climate features mild to cold winters, with January minimum temperatures ranging from {{convert|-4|°C|°F|1|lk=on}} in southwest ([[Brest, Belarus|Brest]]) to {{convert|-8|°C|°F|1}} in northeast ([[Vitebsk]]), and cool and moist summers with an average temperature of {{convert|18|°C|°F|1}}.<ref name="locclimate">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/15.htm |title=Belarus&nbsp;– Climate |access-date=22 December 2007 |last=Fedor |first=Helen |year=1995 |work=Belarus: A Country Study |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> Belarus has an average annual rainfall of {{convert|550|to|700|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="locclimate"/> The country is in the transitional zone between [[continental climate]]s and [[Oceanic climate|maritime climates]].<ref name="ciageo"/>

Natural resources include [[peat]] deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, [[granite]], dolomite ([[limestone]]), [[marl]], chalk, sand, gravel, and clay.<ref name="ciageo"/> About 70% of the radiation from neighboring Ukraine's 1986 [[Chernobyl disaster|Chernobyl nuclear disaster]] entered Belarusian territory, and about a fifth of Belarusian land (principally farmland and forests in the southeastern regions) was affected by radiation fallout.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4485003.stm|work=BBC News|title=Belarus cursed by Chernobyl|first=Sarah|last=Rainsford|date=26 April 2005|access-date=26 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424152147/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4485003.stm| archive-date= 24 April 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="uncher">{{cite web|url=http://chernobyl.undp.org/english/belarus.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506084709/http://chernobyl.undp.org/english/belarus.html| archive-date=6 May 2008| publisher=United Nations|title=The United Nations and Chernobyl&nbsp;– The Republic of Belarus|year=2004|access-date=4 October 2007}}</ref><ref name="iaea">{{cite news|first=Marilyn|last=Smith|title=Ecological reservation in Belarus fosters new approaches to soil remediation|publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency|url=http://tc.iaea.org/tcweb/news_archive/Chernobyl/ecoreserve/default.asp|access-date=19 December 2007}}</ref>

In Belarus, [[forest cover]] is around 43% of the total land area, equivalent to 8,767,600 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 7,780,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forests covered 6,555,600 hectares (ha), and planted forests covered 2,212,000 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 2% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 16% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Belarus |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BLR/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

Belarus borders 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. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uef.fi/documents/428549/854028/countryreport-belarus-borders.pdf/751f5e6f-b72f-468e-999e-e1988a790aa7|title=Country Report: Belarus Borders: Borders and policy in Belarus|author=Larissa Titarenko|access-date=9 February 2017|year=2011|publisher=University of Eastern Finland|page=14}}</ref> Belarus and Lithuania ratified final border demarcation documents in February 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uef.fi/documents/428549/854028/countryreport-belarus-borders.pdf/751f5e6f-b72f-468e-999e-e1988a790aa7|title=Country Report: Belarus Borders|author=Larissa Titarenko|access-date=12 November 2018|publisher=[[University of Eastern Finland]]}}</ref>

==Government and politics==
{{Main|Politics of Belarus}}

{{See also|United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus}}
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=300
| align            = right
| caption_align    = center
| image1           = Alexander Lukashenko (2024-05-24) (cropped) 3.jpg|caption1=[[Alexander Lukashenko]]<br /><small>[[President of Belarus|President]]</small>
| image2           = Aliaksandr Turčyn.png|caption2=[[Aleksandr Turchin]]<br /><small>[[Prime Minister of Belarus|Prime Minister]]</small>
}} 
[[File:House of Representatives of Belarus.jpg|thumb|[[Government House, Minsk]]]]

Belarus, by the constitution, is a [[semi-presidential republic]] with [[separation of powers]], governed by a [[President of Belarus|president]] and the [[National Assembly of Belarus|National Assembly]]. However, Belarus has been led by a highly centralized and authoritarian government,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Levitsky |first1=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZDI05p1PDgC |title=Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War |last2=Way |first2=Lucan A. |date=2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-49148-8 |series=Problems of International Politics |location=Cambridge |page=203 |chapter=The Evolution of Post-SovietCompetitive Authoritarianism |quote=Unlike his predecessor, Lukashenka consolidated authoritarian rule. He censored state media and closed Belarus's only independent radio station [...]. |author-link=Steven Levitsky |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="Short2021" /> and has often been described as "Europe's last dictatorship" and president Alexander Lukashenko as "Europe's last dictator"<ref>{{cite web |date=27 November 2012 |title=Interview with Belarus President Lukashenko |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-lukashenko-extracts-idUSBRE8AQ0V520121127 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108230535/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-lukashenko-extracts-idUSBRE8AQ0V520121127 |archive-date=8 November 2021 |access-date=9 November 2021 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |quote="I am the last dictator in Europe," Belarussian {{sic}}  President Alexander Lukashenko has told Reuters in a rare interview.}}<br />{{Cite news |last=Tharoor |first=Ishaan |title=Analysis {{!}} Can people power topple Europe's 'last dictator'? |language=en |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/24/belarus-protests-lukashenko/ |url-status=live |access-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824133119/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/24/belarus-protests-lukashenko/ |archive-date=24 August 2020}}<br />{{Cite news |date=9 January 2007 |title=Profile: Alexander Lukashenko |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3882843.stm |url-status=live |access-date=7 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023013357/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3882843.stm |archive-date=23 October 2007 |quote='..an authoritarian ruling style is characteristic of me [Lukashenko]'}}<br />{{Cite book |last1=Levitsky |first1=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZDI05p1PDgC |title=Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War |last2=Way |first2=Lucan A. |date=2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-49148-8 |series=Problems of International Politics |location=Cambridge |page=203 |chapter=The Evolution of Post-Soviet Competitive Authoritarianism |quote=Unlike his predecessor, Lukashenka consolidated authoritarian rule. He censored state media and closed Belarus's only independent radio station [...]. |author-link=Steven Levitsky |access-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612042246/https://books.google.com/books?id=NZDI05p1PDgC |archive-date=12 June 2020 |url-status=live}}<br />{{Cite news |last1=Treisman |first1=Rachel |date=16 August 2020 |title=One Week After Election, Belarus Sees Giant Protests Against 'Europe's Last Dictator' |language=en |website=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/16/903036245/one-week-after-election-belarus-sees-giant-protests-against-europe-s-last-dictat |url-status=live |access-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206063006/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/24/belarus-protests-lukashenko/ |archive-date=6 December 2021}}</ref> by some media outlets, politicians and authors.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rausing |first=Sigrid |date=7 October 2012 |title=Belarus: inside Europe's last dictatorship |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/07/belarus-inside-europes-last-dictatorship |access-date=7 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="reuters1">{{cite news |date=4 March 2012 |title=Belarus's Lukashenko: 'Better a dictator than gay' |work=[[Reuters]] |location=Berlin |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-dicator-idUSTRE8230T320120304 |url-status=live |access-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006194656/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/04/us-belarus-dicator-idUSTRE8230T320120304 |archive-date=6 October 2015 |quote=...German Foreign Minister's branding him 'Europe's last dictator'}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liabedzka |first1=Anatoly |date=2008 |title=Europe's Last Dictatorship |journal=European View |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=81–89 |doi=10.1007/s12290-008-0029-7 |s2cid=154655219}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Marples |first1=David R |date=2005 |title=Europe's Last Dictatorship: The Roots and Perspectives of Authoritarianism in 'White Russia' |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |volume=57 |issue=6 |pages=895–908 |doi=10.1080/1080/09668130500199509 |s2cid=153436132}}</ref> Belarus has been considered an [[autocracy]] where power is ultimately concentrated in the hands of the president, elections are not free and [[judicial independence]] is weak.<ref>{{cite book |author=Burkhardt F. |title=Constitutional Politics in Central and Eastern Europe |publisher=Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft. Springer VS |year=2016 |isbn=978-3-658-13761-8 |editor1=Fruhstorfer A. |pages=463–493 |chapter=Belarus |doi=10.1007/978-3-658-13762-5_19 |editor2=Hein M.}}</ref> 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 {{nowrap|by-elections}}.<ref name="CoE">{{cite web |date=17 January 1997 |title=Belarus suspended from the Council of Europe |url=http://press.coe.int/cp/97/11a(97).htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426062531/http://press.coe.int/cp/97/11a%2897%29.htm |archive-date=26 April 2006 |access-date=26 March 2006 |publisher=Press Service of the Council of Europe}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Republic of Belarus |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/belarus/Belarus-04.htm |access-date=9 December 2020 |work=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}</ref> Readmission of the country into the council is dependent on the completion of benchmarks set by the council, including the improvement of [[Human rights in Belarus|human rights]], [[rule of law]], and democracy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Belarus – Office of the Directorate General of Programmes |url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/programmes/belarus |access-date=9 December 2020 |website=coe.int}}</ref> A delegation still participates in the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] activities.<ref>https://en.belsat.eu/89274049/the-voice-of-free-belarus-sounds-in-europe</ref>

The term for each presidency is five years. Under the 1994 constitution, the president could serve for only two terms as president, but a [[2004 Belarusian referendum|change in the constitution in 2004]] eliminated term limits.<ref name="bbclukapro">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3882843.stm|title=Profile: Alexander Lukashenko|access-date=30 April 2010|date=9 January 2007|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420191928/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3882843.stm| archive-date=20 April 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Lukashenko has been President of Belarus since 1994. In 1996, Lukashenko called for a controversial vote to extend the presidential term from five to seven years, and as a result [[2001 Belarusian presidential election|the election]] that was supposed to occur in 1999 was pushed back to 2001. The [[1996 Belarusian referendum|referendum on the extension]] was denounced as a "fantastic" fake by the chief electoral officer, [[Viktar Hanchar]], who was removed from the office for official matters only during the campaign.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jeffries, Ian|year=2004|title=The countries of the former Soviet Union at the turn of the twenty-first century: the Baltic and European states in transition|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-25230-X|page=274}}</ref> The National Assembly is a [[bicameralism|bicameral parliament]] comprising the 110-member [[House of Representatives (Belarus)|House of Representatives]] (the lower house) and the 64-member [[Council of the Republic (Belarus)|Council of the Republic]] (the upper house).<ref>[[Constitution of Belarus]] Chapter 4, Art. 90 and 91</ref>
[[File:Victory square, Minsk 01.jpg|thumb|[[Victory Square, Minsk|Victory Square]] in Minsk]]
The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the [[List of prime ministers of Belarus|prime minister]], make constitutional amendments, call for a [[Motion of Confidence|vote of confidence]] on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Belarus 1994 (rev. 2004)|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Belarus_2004?lang=en|website=Constitute|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, conduct an impeachment trial of the president, and accept or reject the bills passed by the House of Representatives. Each chamber can veto any law passed by local officials if it is contrary to the Constitution.<ref name="conby">{{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19332.html#doc|title=Section&nbsp;IV:The President, Parliament, Government, the Courts|access-date=22 December 2007|year=2004|work=[[Constitution of Belarus]]|publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217035445/http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19332.html|archive-date=17 December 2007}}</ref>

The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister and five deputy prime ministers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.government.by/en/eng_sostav1.html |title=Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=21 April 2010|year=2010|publisher=Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304020325/http://www.government.by/en/eng_sostav1.html|archive-date=4 March 2010}}</ref> The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. The judiciary comprises the [[Supreme Court of Belarus|Supreme Court]] and specialized courts such as the [[Constitutional Court of Belarus|Constitutional Court]], which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. The judges of national courts are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Council of the Republic. For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. The Belarusian Constitution forbids the use of special extrajudicial courts.<ref name="conby"/>

===Elections===
Lukashenko was officially re-elected as president [[2001 Belarusian presidential election|in 2001]], [[2006 Belarusian presidential election|in 2006]], [[2010 Belarusian presidential election|in 2010]], [[2015 Belarusian presidential election|in 2015]], [[2020 Belarusian presidential election|in 2020]] and again [[2025 Belarusian presidential election|in 2025]], although none of those elections were considered free or fair nor democratic.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1534621.stm Belarus vote 'neither free nor fair'] BBC News, 10 September 2001</ref><ref>[http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus/19395 Republic of Belarus Presidential Election 19 March 2006: OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Report] OSCE</ref><ref name="osce-preliminary">{{cite web |author=OSCE |date=20 December 2010 |title=Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions |url=http://www.osce.org/item/48240.html |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="Bedford">{{Cite journal |author=Sofie Bedford |date=2017 |title="The Election Game": Authoritarian Consolidation Processes in Belarus |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/675780/summary |journal=Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization |volume=25 |pages=381–305 |quote=officially the [EU] sanctions were reduced as a 'reward' for the 2015 presidential elections being peaceful and non-violent, despite the fact that these elections were just as non-democratic as any previous election in Belarus |number=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Foreign Affairs |author2=International Trade Canada |date=25 September 2012 |title=Standing up for Free and Fair Elections in Belarus |url=http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/09/25a.aspx?view=d |access-date=7 January 2013 |publisher=Government of Canada}}</ref><ref name="Authoritarian">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Mark P. |date=2018 |title=Presidential and Legislative Elections |url=https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190258658-e-23 |access-date=21 May 2020 |website=The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems |pages=282–302 |language=en |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.013.23 |isbn=978-0-19-025865-8 |quote="unanimous agreement among serious scholars that... Lukashenko's 2015 election occurred within an authoritarian context." |editor-first1=Erik S |editor-first2=Robert J |editor-first3=Matthew S |editor-last1=Herron |editor-last2=Pekkanen |editor-last3=Shugart}}</ref><ref name="Haraszti">[https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/10/512522-belarus-election-neither-free-nor-fair-says-un-human-rights-expert Belarus election 'neither free nor fair,' says UN human rights expert], United Nations (13 October 2015).</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=1 September 2020 |title=Belarus poll workers describe fraud in Aug. 9 election |publisher=AP |url=https://apnews.com/article/international-news-ap-top-news-europe-72e43a8b9e4c56362d4c1d6393bd54fb |access-date=1 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Belarus_election_notdemo">{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Mark P. |date=2018 |editor1-last=Herron |editor1-first=Erik S |editor2-last=Pekkanen |editor2-first=Robert J |editor3-last=Shugart |editor3-first=Matthew S |title=Presidential and Legislative Elections |url=https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190258658-e-23 |access-date=21 May 2020 |website=The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems |language=en |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-025865-8 |quote="unanimous agreement among serious scholars that... Lukashenko's 2015 election occurred within an authoritarian context."}}</ref><ref name="atlanticcouncil_about_elections">{{cite news |date=10 August 2020 |title=Lukashenka vs. democracy: Where is Belarus heading? |website=AtlanticCouncil |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/lukashenko-vs-democracy-where-is-belarus-heading/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200812183957/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/lukashenko-vs-democracy-where-is-belarus-heading/ |archive-date=12 August 2020 |quote=However, the vote was marred by allegations of widespread fraud. These suspicions appeared to be confirmed by data from a limited number of polling stations that broke ranks with the government and identified opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the clear winner.}}</ref>[[File:Flag of Belarus in Budejovice.jpg|thumb|The [[White-red-white flag|former flag of Belarus]], used in 1918, then [[Belarusian Central Council|in 1943–44]] and then between 1991 and 1995, is widely used as a symbol of opposition to the government of Alexander Lukashenko.]]
Neither the pro-Lukashenko parties, such as the [[Belarusian Social Sporting Party]] and the [[Republican Party of Labour and Justice]] (RPTS), nor the [[People's Coalition 5 Plus]] opposition parties, such as the [[BPF Party]] and the [[United Civic Party]], won any seats in the [[2004 Belarusian parliamentary election|2004 elections]]. The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) ruled that the elections were unfair because opposition candidates were arbitrarily denied registration and the election process was designed to favor the ruling party.<ref name="OSCE">{{cite web|url=http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus/38658|format=PDF|title=OSCE Report on the October 2004 parliamentary elections|date=December 2004|publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|access-date=21 March 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Belarus-Minsk-Opposition_Protests_2006.03.19.jpg|thumb|right|Protests at [[October Square, Minsk|October Square]] in Minsk in 2006 after the [[2006 Belarusian presidential election]]]]
In the [[2006 Belarusian presidential election|2006 presidential election]], Lukashenko was opposed by [[Alaksandar Milinkievič]], who represented a coalition of opposition parties, and by [[Alyaksandr Kazulin]] of the Social Democrats. Kazulin was detained and beaten by police during protests surrounding the [[All Belarusian People's Assembly]]. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote; the Russian Federation and the [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] deemed the vote open and fair<ref>{{cite web|url=http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC10890.pdf|title=Belarus in the aftermath of the Presidential election of 19 March 2006|access-date=25 May 2010|date=11 April 2006|publisher=Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111084334/http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=%2FDocuments%2FWorkingDocs%2FDoc06%2FEDOC10890.pdf|archive-date=11 January 2012}}</ref> while the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4766024.stm|date=2 March 2006|title=Belarus rally marred by arrests|work=BBC News|access-date=26 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060313155728/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4766024.stm|archive-date=13 March 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the December completion of the [[2010 Belarusian presidential election|2010 presidential election]], Lukashenko was elected to a fourth straight term with nearly 80% of the vote in elections. The runner-up opposition leader [[Andrei Sannikov]] received less than 3% of the vote; independent observers criticized the election as fraudulent. When opposition protesters took to the streets in Minsk, many people, including some presidential candidates, were beaten and arrested by the riot police.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belarus/8224956/Police-guard-threatened-to-rape-Belarus-Free-Theatre-director-after-election-protest.html|title=Police guard threatened to rape Belarus Free Theatre director after election protest|last=Oliphant|first=Roland|date=25 December 2010|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=22 April 2011|location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311053243/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belarus/8224956/Police-guard-threatened-to-rape-Belarus-Free-Theatre-director-after-election-protest.html|archive-date=11 March 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Many of the candidates, including Sannikov, were sentenced to prison or house arrest for terms which are mainly and typically over four years.<ref name="SannikovSentenced">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13400666 Belarus opposition leader Andrei Sannikov jailed], [[BBC News Online]] (14 May 2011)</ref><ref name="kyi">{{cite news|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/93334|title=Belarus: 7 presidential candidates face 15 years|newspaper=[[Kyiv Post]]|date=22 December 2010|access-date=23 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119193447/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/93334|archive-date=19 January 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Six months later amid an unprecedented economic crisis, activists utilized social networking to initiate a fresh round of protests characterized by wordless hand-clapping.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2081858,00.html|author=Motlagh, Jason|title=Why Belarus' Dictator Is Not Fond of Applause|magazine=Time|access-date=8 July 2011|date=7 July 2011|archive-date=7 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907080044/http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2081858,00.html}}</ref>

In the [[2012 Belarusian parliamentary election|2012 parliamentary election]], 105 of the 110 members elected to the House of Representatives were not affiliated with any political party. The [[Communist Party of Belarus]] won 3 seats, and the [[Belarusian Agrarian Party]] and RPTS, one each.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |date=2012 |title=Belarus |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/belarus.html |access-date=18 March 2015 |publisher=Parties and Elections in Europe}}</ref> Most non-partisans represent a wide scope of social organizations such as workers' collectives, public associations, and civil society organizations, similar to the composition of the Soviet legislature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Soviet Local Government |url=http://kibristasosyalistgercek.net/english/localGov/local_gov.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221062403/http://kibristasosyalistgercek.net/english/localGov/local_gov.html |archive-date=21 February 2009 |access-date=18 July 2010 |url-status=usurped |publisher=Russia Today Society}}</ref>

In the [[2020 Belarusian presidential election|2020 presidential election]], Lukashenko won again with official results giving him 80% of the vote, leading to [[2020–2021 Belarusian protests|mass protests]]. The [[European Union]] and the [[United Kingdom]] did not recognise the result and the EU imposed sanctions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/eu-threatens-belarus-sanctions-as-it-rejects-election-result-12052472|title=Belarus: EU imposes sanctions as Lukashenko orders police to clear the streets|website=Sky News|date=19 August 2020}}</ref>

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Belarus}}

[[File:Putin with Alexander Lukashenko 2015.jpg|thumb|right|President [[Alexander Lukashenko]] shaking hands with [[President of Russia|Russian President]] [[Vladimir Putin]], 2015]]
The Byelorussian SSR was one of the two Soviet republics that joined the [[United Nations]] along with the Ukrainian SSR as one of the original 51 members in 1945.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2006/org1469.doc.htm|title=UNITED NATIONS MEMBER STATES &#124; Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|website=www.un.org}}</ref> Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market.<ref name="stategov">{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5371.htm|title=Background Note: Belarus|access-date=7 November 2007|publisher=United States State Department|year=2007|author=United States Government}}</ref>

The [[Union State]], a supranational confederation between Belarus and Russia, was established in a 1996–99 series of treaties that called for monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common foreign and defense policy. However, the future of the union has been placed in doubt because of Belarus's repeated delays of monetary union, the lack of a referendum date for the draft constitution, and a [[2007 Russia–Belarus energy dispute|dispute over the petroleum trade]].<ref name=stategov/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/russia-belarus-relations-future-union-state-65288/|title = Russia-Belarus relations: The future of the union state}}</ref> Belarus was a founding member of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS).<ref name="cisstrained">{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/11/6e49cd34-6c37-40ff-87f4-a6557e84f7e9.html|title=CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit|access-date=7 November 2007|year=2006|author=Radio Free Europe| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116014000/http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/11/6e49cd34-6c37-40ff-87f4-a6557e84f7e9.html|archive-date= 16 November 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> Belarus has trade agreements with several [[European Union]] member states (despite other member states' travel ban on Lukashenko and top officials),<ref name="euban">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2492939.stm|title=EU imposes Belarus travel ban|access-date=3 December 2007 |date=19 November 2002|work=BBC News}}</ref> including neighboring Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.<ref name="foreignrelations">{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217002512/http://mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/|archive-date=17 February 2008|title=Foreign Policy|access-date=22 December 2007|year=2007|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus}}</ref> Travel bans imposed by the European Union have been lifted in the past in order to allow Lukashenko to attend diplomatic meetings and also to engage his government and opposition groups in dialogue.<ref name="Belarus president visits Vatican">{{cite news|title=Belarus president visits Vatican|date=27 April 2009|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|url =https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8021513.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=30 April 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Normandy format talks in Minsk (February 2015) 03.jpeg|thumb|left|Leaders of Belarus, Russia, Germany, France, and Ukraine at the summit in [[Minsk II|Minsk]], 11–12 February 2015]]
Bilateral relations with the United States are strained; the United States has not had an ambassador in Minsk since 2007 and Belarus has not had an ambassador in Washington since 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Gramer |first1=Robbie |last2=Mackinnon |first2=Amy |date=12 August 2020 |title=The U.S. Was Set to Send an Ambassador to Belarus. Then Came the Crackdown. |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/12/belarus-lukashenko-elections-protests-united-states-diplomatic-relations/ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jamestown.org/program/modest-advances-us-belarus-relations/|title=Modest Advances in US-Belarus Relations|website=Jamestown}}</ref> Diplomatic relations remained tense, and in 2004, the United States passed the [[Belarus Democracy Act of 2004|Belarus Democracy Act]], which authorized funding for anti-government Belarusian NGOs, and prohibited loans to the Belarusian government, except for humanitarian purposes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Belarus Democracy Act Will Help Cause of Freedom, Bush Says|date=22 October 2007|publisher=United States State Department|url=http://usinfo.state.gov/dhr/Archive/2004/Oct/22-739373.html|work=USINO|access-date=22 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016052521/http://usinfo.state.gov/dhr/Archive/2004/Oct/22-739373.html|archive-date=16 October 2007}}</ref>

Relations between [[Belarus–China relations|China and Belarus]] are close,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/feedarticle/9003481|title=China's Xi promises Belarus $1 billion in loans|newspaper=Guardian|access-date=4 March 2016|location=London|date=7 May 2008}}</ref> with Lukashenko visiting China multiple times during his tenure.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Yan |last2=Cheng |first2=Enfu |date=1 December 2020 |title=Market Socialism in Belarus: An Alternative to China's Socialist Market Economy |url=https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.11.4.0428 |journal=World Review of Political Economy |volume=11 |issue=4 |page=438 |doi=10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.11.4.0428 |issn=2042-8928 |s2cid=236786906|url-access=subscription |doi-access=free }}</ref> Belarus also has strong ties with [[Syria]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Syria and Belarus agree to promote trade|date=13 March 1998|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/65106.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> considered a key partner in the Middle East.<ref>{{cite news|title=Belarus-Syria report substantial progress in trade and economic relations|date=31 August 2007|publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press32193.html|access-date=22 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120063008/http://www.president.gov.by/en/press32193.html|archive-date=20 January 2008}}</ref> In addition to the CIS, Belarus is a member of the [[Eurasian Economic Union]] (previously the [[Eurasian Economic Community]]), the [[Collective Security Treaty Organization]],<ref name="foreignrelations" /> the international [[Non-Aligned Movement]] since 1998,<ref name="byintorgs">{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/international-organizations/a25183575d762f8b.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205033317/http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/international-organizations/a25183575d762f8b.html |archive-date=5 December 2007 |title=Membership of the Republic of Belarus in International Organizations|access-date=4 November 2007|year=2007|author=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RB}}</ref> and the [[Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe]] (OSCE). As an OSCE member state, Belarus's international commitments are subject to monitoring under the mandate of the [[U.S. Helsinki Commission]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/members/growth.shtml |title=Growth in United Nations membership, 1945–present |access-date=22 December 2007 |date=3 July 2006 |work=Department of Public Information |publisher=[[United Nations|United Nations Organization]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216164953/http://www.un.org/members/growth.shtml |archive-date=16 December 2007 }}</ref> Belarus is included in the European Union's [[Eastern Partnership]] program, part of the EU's [[European Neighbourhood Policy]] (ENP), which aims to bring the EU and its neighbours closer in economic and geopolitical terms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/international-affairs/european-neighbourhood-policy_en |title=European Neighbourhood Policy |date=6 December 2016 |publisher=European Commission Migration and Home Affairs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121064422/https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/international-affairs/european-neighbourhood-policy_en |archive-date=21 November 2020 |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> However, Belarus suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership program on 28 June 2021, after the EU imposed more sanctions against the country.<ref name="eapsusp1">{{cite news| url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eastern-partnership/belarus/ |title=EU relations with Belarus |website=Council of the EU |access-date=9 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="eapsusp2">{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-freezes-migrant-cooperation-deal-over-eu-sanctions/a-58082501 |title=Belarus freezes migrant cooperation deal over EU sanctions |website=Deutsche Welle | date=28 June 2021 |access-date=9 February 2022}}</ref>

===Military===
{{Main|Armed Forces of Belarus}}

[[File:RIAN archive 1047080 Work of "Kamenyuki" frontier post on Belarus border with Poland.jpg|thumb|Soldiers patrol in the [[Białowieża Forest]] on the Belarusian border with Poland]]
Lieutenant General [[Viktor Khrenin]] heads the Ministry of Defence,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mil.by/en/forces/squad|title=Leaders|access-date=18 March 2015|year=2015|publisher=Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus|archive-date=2 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602031529/http://www.mil.by/en/forces/squad/}}</ref> and Alexander Lukashenko (as president) serves as Commander-in-Chief.<ref name="conby"/> The armed forces were formed in 1992 using parts of the former [[Soviet Armed Forces]] on the new republic's territory. The transformation of the ex-Soviet forces into the Armed Forces of Belarus, which was completed in 1997, reduced the number of its soldiers by 30,000 and restructured its leadership and military formations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mod.mil.by/7okrugarmia.html|title=History|access-date=22 December 2007|year=2006|publisher=Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217010640/http://www.mod.mil.by/7okrugarmia.html|archive-date=17 December 2007}}</ref>

Most of Belarus's service members are [[conscription|conscripts]], who serve for 12 months if they have higher education or 18 months if they do not.<ref>Routledge, [[International Institute for Strategic Studies|IISS]] Military Balance 2007, pp. 158–59</ref> Demographic decreases in the Belarusians of conscription age have increased the importance of contract soldiers, who numbered 12,000 in 2001.<ref name="conscripts">{{cite web|url=http://mdb.cast.ru/mdb/5-2001/dp/mdafb|title=Military Development and the Armed Forces of Belarus|access-date=9 October 2007|last=Bykovsky|first=Pavel|author2=Alexander Vasilevich|date=May 2001|work=Moscow Defense Brief|archive-date=5 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705204122/http://mdb.cast.ru/mdb/5-2001/dp/mdafb/}}</ref> In 2005, about 1.4% of Belarus's gross domestic product was devoted to military expenditure.<ref name="ciabymil">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belarus|section=Military and Security|access-date=9 October 2007|year=2007}}</ref>

Belarus has not expressed a desire to join [[NATO]] but has participated in the Individual Partnership Program since 1997,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/multilateral/c21ec980e0def482.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130171113/http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/foreign-policy/multilateral/c21ec980e0def482.html |archive-date=30 November 2007 |title=Belarus and NATO|access-date=9 October 2007|year=2002|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus}}</ref> and Belarus provided refueling and airspace support for the [[International Security Assistance Force]] mission in [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/organizations/membership/list/c6eaf2b20c037582.html|title=North Atlantic Treaty Organization|access-date=30 April 2010|year=2009|publisher=The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus|archive-date=16 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816094259/http://mfa.gov.by/en/organizations/membership/list/c6eaf2b20c037582.html}}</ref> Belarus first began to cooperate with NATO upon signing documents to participate in their Partnership for Peace Program in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/press/news_mfa/c6f560f2f8d745ee.html|title=NATO Council adopted individual partnership program with Belarus|access-date=30 April 2010|date=11 March 2002|publisher=The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus}}</ref> However, Belarus cannot join NATO because it is a member of the CSTO. Tensions between NATO and Belarus peaked after the March 2006 presidential election in Belarus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ru.forsecurity.org/nato-and-belarus-partnership-past-tensions-and-future-possibilities|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020091957/http://ru.forsecurity.org/nato-and-belarus-partnership-past-tensions-and-future-possibilities|archive-date=20 October 2013|title=Nato and Belarus: partnership, past tensions and future possibilities|access-date=25 November 2010|date=21 November 2010|author=Laurie Walker}}</ref>

===Human rights and corruption===
{{Further|Human rights in Belarus}}
[[File:Gdansk mural Ales Bialacki.jpg|thumb|right|Graffiti in [[Gdańsk]] depicting Belarusian human rights activist [[Ales Bialiatski]]]]
[[Amnesty International]],<ref name="amnesty">{{cite web |title=Human rights by country&nbsp;– Belarus |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/europe-and-central-asia/belarus/ |access-date=22 January 2020 |publisher=[[Amnesty International]]}}</ref> and [[Human Rights Watch]]<ref name="HRW" /> have criticized Lukashenko's violations of human rights. Belarus's [[Democracy Index]] rating is the lowest in Europe, the country is labelled as "not free" by [[Freedom House]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/belarus|title=Belarus: Country Profile|website=Freedom House|date=20 April 2023 }}</ref> as "repressed" in the [[Index of Economic Freedom]], and in the [[Press Freedom Index]] published by [[Reporters Without Borders]], Belarus is ranked 153rd out of 180 countries for 2022.<ref>{{citation| publisher=[[Reporters Without Borders]]| title=Belarus| access-date=8 June 2022| url=https://rsf.org/en/country/belarus}}</ref> The Belarusian government is criticized for human rights violations and its persecution of non-governmental organizations, journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians.<ref name="amnesty"/><ref name="HRW">{{cite web |url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/belaru9878.htm |title=Essential Background&nbsp;– Belarus |access-date=26 March 2006 |year=2005 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |archive-date=15 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050115051738/http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/belaru9878.htm }}</ref> Lukashenko announced a law in 2014 that prohibits [[kolkhoz]] farm workers (9% of work force) from leaving their jobs at will—a change of job and living location will require permission from governors. Lukashenko himself compared the law with [[serfdom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://charter97.org/en/news/2014/5/28/100271|title=Lukashenka promises "serfdom" in villages|publisher=Charter '97|date=28 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2014 |title=Pańszczyzna u Łukaszenki. Prezydent Białorusi chce zakazać kołchoźnikom odchodzić z pracy |trans-title=Serfdom under Lukashenko. The President of Belarus wants to ban collective farm workers from leaving their jobs |url=http://wyborcza.pl/1,75477,16075099,Panszczyzna_u_Lukaszenki__Prezydent_Bialorusi_chce.html |newspaper=Gazeta Wyborcza |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://belsat.eu/en/wiadomosci/a,11316,in-chase-of-upgrade-serfdom-for-woodworkers.html |title=In chase of upgrade: serfdom for woodworkers? |date=2012 |publisher=[[Belsat]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726234207/http://belsat.eu/en/wiadomosci/a%2C11316%2Cin-chase-of-upgrade-serfdom-for-woodworkers.html |archive-date=26 July 2014 }}</ref> Belarus is the only European country still using [[capital punishment]], having carried out executions in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/act50/001/2012/en/|title=Death sentences and executions in 2011|date=27 March 2012}}</ref> [[LGBT rights in Belarus]] are ranked among the lowest in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rainbow Europe |url=https://www.ilga-europe.org/rainbow-europe/ |website=ILGA-Europe |date=4 February 2022 |access-date=3 August 2023}}</ref> In 2023, Lukashenko signed a law which allows using capital punishment against officials and soldiers convicted of high [[treason]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Belarus approves death penalty for officials convicted of high treason |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/belarus-approves-death-penalty-officials-convicted-high-treason-2023-03-09/ |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

The judicial system lacks independence and is subject to political interference.<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 Human Rights Reports: Belarus|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2012/eur/204263.htm|work=The US Department of State|access-date=17 November 2013}}</ref> Corrupt practices such as bribery often took place during tender processes, and [[whistleblower]] protection and national [[ombudsman]] are lacking in Belarus's anti-corruption system.<ref>{{cite web|title=Snapshot of the Belarus Country Profile|url=http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/europe-central-asia/belarus/snapshot.aspx|work=Business Anti-Corruption Portal|date=5 November 2020 |publisher=GAN Integrity Solutions}}</ref>
[[File:2020 Belarusian protests — Minsk, 16 August p0036.jpg|thumb|Rally against Lukashenko in Minsk, 23 August 2020]]
In 2020, the [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] declared it had received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people who were arrested during the [[2020–2021 Belarusian protests]] following the presidential election. The reports included violence against women and children, including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26199&LangID=E |title=UN human rights experts: Belarus must stop torturing protesters and prevent enforced disappearances |date=1 September 2020 |access-date=1 September 2020 |website=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]]}}</ref> At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in [[Okrestino]] prison in Minsk, or on the way there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boell.de/de/2020/10/29/das-verpruegelte-minsk|title=Das verprügelte Minsk|website=Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung}}</ref> In an interview from September 2020 Lukashenko claimed that detainees faked their bruises, saying, "Some of the girls there had their butts painted in blue".<ref>{{cite news | title=Lukashenko blames Americans and drunks for Belarus protests |date=9 September 2020 |work=[[MSN]] | url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/lukashenko-blames-americans-and-drunks-for-belarus-protests/vp-BB18ShbU | access-date=20 May 2021}}</ref>

On 23 May 2021, Belarusian authorities forcibly diverted [[Ryanair Flight 4978]] from [[Athens]] to [[Vilnius]] to detain opposition activist and journalist [[Roman Protasevich]] along with his girlfriend; in response, the [[European Union]] imposed stricter sanctions on Belarus.<ref>{{cite web |title=EU imposes sanctions on Belarusian economy |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/06/24/eu-imposes-sanctions-on-belarusian-economy/ |website=[[Council of the European Union]] |date=24 June 2021 |access-date=5 August 2021 }}</ref> In May 2021, Lukashenko threatened that he would flood the European Union with migrants and drugs as a response to the sanctions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Joe |title=Belarus dictator threatens to 'flood EU with drugs and migrants' |url=https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/europe/952979/belarus-dictator-threatens-flood-eu-with-drugs-migrants-avoid-sanctions |website=[[The Week]] |date=28 May 2021 |access-date=6 August 2021 }}</ref> In July 2021, Belarusian authorities launched [[hybrid warfare]] by [[human trafficking]] of [[Belarus–European Union border crisis|migrants to the European Union]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitmore |first1=Brian |title=Belarus dictator weaponizes illegal migrants against EU |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/belarus-dictator-weaponizes-illegal-migrants-against-eu/ |website=[[Atlantic Council]] |date=30 June 2021|access-date=5 August 2021 }}</ref> [[Lithuania]]n authorities and European officials [[Ursula von der Leyen]], [[Josep Borrell]] condemned the usage of migrants as a weapon and suggested Belarus could be subject to further sanctions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Valerie |title=In Lithuania, Migrants Find Themselves Caught in a Geopolitical Battle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/world/europe/lithuania-belarus-migrants-european-union.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/world/europe/lithuania-belarus-migrants-european-union.html |archive-date=28 December 2021 |url-access=limited |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=19 July 2021|access-date=5 August 2021 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> In August 2021, Belarusian officials, wearing uniforms, riot shields and helmets, were recorded on camera near the [[Belarus–Lithuania border]] pushing and urging the migrants to cross the EU border.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beniušis |first1=Vaidotas |last2=Balkūnas |first2=Vidmantas |date=5 August 2021 |title=Baltarusijos pareigūnai su skydais blokuoja migrantų grąžinimą: kadrai iš pasienio |trans-title=Belarusian officials with shields block the return of migrants: footage from the border |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/isskirtine-medziaga-lietuviu-grazintus-migrantus-baltarusija-stumia-atgal-56-1545890 |access-date=5 August 2021 |website=[[15min.lt]] |language=lt}}</ref> Following the granting of humanitarian visas to Olympic athlete [[Krystsina Tsimanouskaya]] and her husband, [[Poland]] accused Belarus of organizing hybrid warfare as the number of migrants crossing the [[Belarus–Poland border]] sharply increased compared to 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wądołowska |first1=Agnieszka |title=Poland accuses Belarus of sending migrants over border as "living weapons" in "hybrid war" |url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2021/08/06/poland-accuses-belarus-of-sending-migrants-over-border-as-living-weapons-in-hybrid-war/ |website=Notes From Poland |access-date=6 August 2021 |date=6 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Poland Says Belarus Is Letting Migrants Cross Border In 'Hybrid War' With EU |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/poland-belarus-migrants-tsimanouskaya/31395719.html |website=[[RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty]] |access-date=6 August 2021 |date=5 August 2021 }}</ref> Illegal migrants numbers exceeded the previous annual numbers in [[Latvia]].<ref>{{cite web |date=6 August 2021 |title=Lukašenkos keršto akcija pasiekė ir Latviją: šią savaitę – ryškus nelegalių migrantų skaičiaus šuolis |trans-title=Lukashenko’s revenge operation has reached Latvia too: this week – a sharp spike in the number of illegal migrants |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/world/lukasenkos-kersto-akcija-pasieke-ir-latvija-sia-savaite-ryskus-nelegaliu-migrantu-skaiciaus-suolis.d?id=87896227 |access-date=6 August 2021 |website=[[DELFI]] |language=lt}}</ref> On 2 December 2021, the United States, EU, UK and [[Canada]] imposed new sanctions on Belarus.<ref>{{cite web |title=US, EU, UK and Canada Announce New Belarus Sanctions |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-eu-uk-and-canada-announce-new-belarus-sanctions/6336956.html |website=[[Voice of America]] |date=2 December 2021 |access-date=19 December 2021 }}</ref>

===Administrative divisions===
{{Further|Regions of Belarus|Districts of Belarus}}
[[File:Belarus, administrative divisions - en - colored.png|thumb|Administrative divisions of Belarus]]
Belarus is divided into six regions called [[oblast]]s ({{langx|be|вобласць}}; {{langx|ru|область}}), which are named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers: [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]], [[Gomel]], [[Grodno]], [[Mogilev]], [[Minsk]], and [[Vitebsk]].<ref name="s1">{{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html|title=Section&nbsp;I: Principles of the Constitutional System. Published 1994, amended in 1996|access-date=22 December 2007|year=2004|work=[[Constitution of Belarus]]|publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217035739/http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19329.html|archive-date=17 December 2007}}</ref> Each region has a provincial legislative authority, called a region council ({{langx|be|link=no|абласны Савет Дэпутатаў}}; {{langx|ru|link=no|Областной Совет депутатов}}), which is elected by its residents, and a provincial executive authority called a region administration ({{langx|be|link=no|абласны выканаўчы камітэт}}; {{langx|ru|link=no|областной исполнительный комитет}}), whose chairman is appointed by the president.<ref name="s5">{{cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press19333.html|title=Section&nbsp;V: Local government and self-government|access-date=22 December 2007|year=2004|work=[[Constitution of Belarus]]|publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105204240/http://president.gov.by/en/press19333.html|archive-date=5 November 2007}}</ref> The regions are further subdivided into 118 [[raion]]s, commonly translated as districts ({{langx|be|link=no|раён}}; {{langx|ru|link=no|район}}).<ref name="s1"/> Each raion has its own legislative authority, or raion council, ({{langx|be|link=no|раённы Савет Дэпутатаў}}; {{langx|ru|link=no|районный Совет депутатов}}) elected by its residents, and an executive authority or raion administration appointed by oblast executive powers.<ref name="key facts">{{cite web|title=Key Facts|publisher=Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus|year=2015|url=http://president.gov.by/en/facts-en/|access-date=18 March 2015|archive-date=25 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125091057/http://president.gov.by/en/facts-en/}}</ref> The city of Minsk is split into nine districts and enjoys special status as the nation's capital at the same administration level as the oblasts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minsk.gov.by/en/tempage/minsk|title=About Minsk|access-date=27 April 2010|date=16 December 2009|publisher=Minsk City Executive Committee|archive-date=22 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522052906/http://minsk.gov.by/en/tempage/minsk/}}</ref> It is run by an executive committee and has been granted a charter of self-rule.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minsk.gov.by/cgi-bin/gor_ind.pl?lang=eng|title=About Minsk|access-date=20 December 2007|publisher=Minsk City Executive Committee}}</ref>

===Local government===
[[Local government]] in Belarus is administered by administrative-territorial units ({{langx|be|адміністрацыйна-тэрытарыяльныя адзінкі}}; {{langx|ru|административно-территориальные единицы}}), and occurs on two levels: basic and primary. At the basic level are 118 raions councils and 10 cities of oblast subordination councils, which are supervised by the governments of the oblasts.<ref name="COE">{{cite web |title=Strengthening Institutional Frameworks for Local Governance Programme |url=https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=0900001680687cd6 |website=rm.coe.int |publisher=Council of Europe |access-date=20 February 2022}}</ref> At the primary level are 14 cities of raion subordination councils, 8 [[List of urban-type settlements in Belarus|urban-type settlements]] councils, and 1,151 village councils.<ref name="President">{{cite web |title=State Structure |url=https://president.gov.by/en/president/detjam/gosudarstvennoe-ustrojstvo |website=president.gov.by |publisher=Press Service President of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=20 February 2022 |archive-date=20 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220112745/https://president.gov.by/en/president/detjam/gosudarstvennoe-ustrojstvo |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=СВЕДЕНИЯ о составе избранных депутатов местных Советов депутатов двадцать восьмого созыва |url=https://rec.gov.by/uploads/folderForLinks/elections-ms28-elect-59-60.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://rec.gov.by/uploads/folderForLinks/elections-ms28-elect-59-60.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |website=rec.gov.by |publisher=Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=21 February 2022}}</ref> The councils are elected by their residents, and have executive committees appointed by their executive committee chairs. The chairs of executive committees for raions and city of oblast subordinations are appointed by the regional executive committees at the level above; the chairs of executive committees for towns of raion subordination, settlements, and villages are appointed by their councils, but upon the recommendation of the raion executive committees.<ref name="COE"/> In either case, the councils have the power to approve or reject a nominee for executive committee chair.

[[Human settlement|Settlements]] without their own local council and executive committee are called territorial units ({{langx|be|тэрытарыяльныя адзінкі}}; {{langx|ru|территориальные единицы}}). These territorial units may also be classified as a city of regional or raion subordination, urban-type settlement, or rural settlement, but whose government is administered by the council of another primary or basic unit.<ref name="Administrative">{{cite web |title=Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Беларусь |url=http://world_of_law.pravo.by/text.asp?RN=H19800154 |website=world_of_law.pravo.by |publisher=National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=21 February 2022}}</ref> In October 1995, a [[decree|presidential decree]] abolished the local governments of cities of raion subordination and urban-type settlements which served as the [[administrative centre|administrative center]] of raions, demoting them from administrative-territorial units to territorial units.<ref name="Decree95">{{cite web |title=№ 434 от 20.10.1995. Об объединении административных единиц Республики Беларусь, имеющих общий административный центр |url=https://belzakon.net/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE/%D0%A3%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%A0%D0%91/1995/6531 |website=belzakon.net |publisher=Belzakon |access-date=23 February 2022}}</ref>

As for 2019, the administrative-territorial and territorial units include 115 cities, 85 urban-type settlements, and 23,075 rural settlements.<ref name="Census">{{cite web |title=Number and territorial distribution of the population |url=https://census.belstat.gov.by/sections/1 |website=census.belstat.gov.by |publisher=National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=21 February 2022 |archive-date=29 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629085107/https://census.belstat.gov.by/sections/1 }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Belarus}}

[[File:GDP per capita development of Belarus.svg|thumb|Change in per capita GDP of Belarus, 1973–2018.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} Figures are inflation-adjusted to 2011 International dollars.]]
[[File:Belarus regions by Gross Regional Product GRP 2022.png|thumb|Belarus regions by Gross Regional Product (GRP)]]
Belarus is [[Developing country|a developing country]], but at 60th place in the United Nations' [[Human Development Index]], it has "very high" human development.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nations |first=United |title=Country Insights |url=https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights |language=en}}</ref> In 2019, the share of manufacturing in GDP was 31%. Manufacturing employed 35% of the workforce.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Neill |first1=Aaron |title=Belarus GDP Distribution Across Economic Sectors |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/446138/belarus-gdp-distribution-across-economic-sectors/ |access-date=6 April 2021 |website=Statista}}</ref>  Manufacturing growth is much smaller than for the economy as a whole—about 2.2% in 2021. Important agricultural products include potatoes and cattle byproducts, including meat.<ref name="ciaecon"/>

===Trade===
Belarus has trade relations with over 180 countries. As of 2024, its main trading partners were Russia, which accounted for 66% of Belarus' international trade, and EU countries, with 11% of the country's trade.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/belarus_en|title=EU trade relations with Belarus|date=3 July 2024|website=policy.trade.ec.europa.eu}}</ref>

In April 2022, as a result of its facilitation of the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], the EU imposed trade sanctions on Belarus.<ref>{{cite press release |title=EU sanctions in response to the involvement of Belarus in the Russian military aggression against Ukraine |date=8 April 2022 |url=https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/eu-sanctions-response-involvement-belarus-russian-military-aggression-against-ukraine |publisher=[[European Commission]]}}</ref> The sanctions were extended and expanded in August 2023.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Belarus: EU adopts new round of individual sanctions over continued human rights abuses and imposes further targeted measures in response to involvement in Russia's military aggression against Ukraine |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/08/03/belarus-eu-adopts-new-round-of-individual-sanctions-over-continued-human-rights-abuses-and-imposes-further-targeted-measures-in-response-to-involvement-in-russia-s-military-aggression-against-ukraine/ |date=3 August 2023 |publisher=[[Council of the European Union]]}}</ref> These sanctions are in addition to those imposed following the rigged 2020 "election" of Lukashenko.<ref>{{cite web |title=EU restrictive measures against Belarus |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/sanctions/restrictive-measures-against-belarus/ |publisher=[[European Council]], [[Council of the European Union]]}}</ref>

At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus was one of the world's most industrially developed states by proportion of GDP and the richest CIS member-state.<ref name="wb97">[[World Bank]]. "Belarus: Prices, Markets, and Enterprise Reform", [https://books.google.com/books?id=0jCvjCHPHpcC&pg=PA83 p. 1]. World Bank, 1997; {{ISBN|0-8213-3976-1}}</ref> In 2015, 39.3% of Belarusians were employed by state-controlled companies, 57.2% by private companies (in which the government has a 21.1% stake) and 3.5% by foreign companies.<ref name="econstats">{{Cite web |title=Belarus in Figures, 2016 |url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/en/ofitsialnaya-statistika/publications/statistical-publications-data-books-bulletins/public_compilation/index_4921/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221122356/https://www.belstat.gov.by/en/ofitsialnaya-statistika/publications/statistical-publications-data-books-bulletins/public_compilation/index_4921/ |archive-date=21 February 2021 |access-date=16 May 2021 |website=www.belstat.gov.by}}</ref> In 1994, Belarus's main exports included heavy machinery (especially [[Belarus (tractor)|tractors]]), agricultural products, and energy products.<ref name="byexports">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/36.htm|title=Belarus&nbsp;– Exports|access-date=4 November 2007|year=1994|author=Library of Congress|work=Country Studies}}</ref> Economically, Belarus involved itself in the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS), [[Eurasian Economic Community]], and [[Union State|Union with Russia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Belarus and CIS countries and Georgia |url=https://mfa.gov.by/en/bilateral/cis/ |website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418001701/https://mfa.gov.by/en/bilateral/cis/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the 1990s, industrial production plunged due to decreases in imports, investment, and demand for Belarusian products from its trading partners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/30.htm|title=Belarus&nbsp;– Industry|access-date=8 October 2007|year=1995|work=Country Studies|publisher=Library of Congress}}</ref> GDP only began to rise in 1996;<ref name="bybriefwb06">{{cite web|url=http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/eca.nsf/2656afe00bc5f02185256d5d005dae97/8ec2dc1ef03aed3e85256d5d0067dc90?OpenDocument|title=Belarus&nbsp;– Country Brief 2003|access-date=9 November 2007|year=2006|author=World Bank|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210182026/http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ECA/eca.nsf/2656afe00bc5f02185256d5d005dae97/8ec2dc1ef03aed3e85256d5d0067dc90?OpenDocument|archive-date=10 December 2007}}</ref> the country was the fastest-recovering former Soviet republic in the terms of its economy.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bDx0Ak4xnOQC&q=Belarus+GDP+1996&pg=PA328|title=Transition: The First Decade|first1=Mario I.|last1=Bléjer|first2=Director of the Centre for Central Banking Studies Mario I.|last2=Blejer|first3=Marko|last3=Skreb|date=9 May 2001|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-02505-8|via=Google Books}}</ref> In 2006, GDP amounted to US$83.1 billion in [[purchasing power parity]] (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita.<ref name="ciaecon">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belarus|section=Economy|access-date=8 October 2007|year=2007}}</ref> In 2005, GDP increased by 9.9%; the inflation rate averaged 9.5%.<ref name="ciaecon" /> Belarus was ranked 85th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.wipo.int |language=en}}</ref> and remained in the same rank in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belarus ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2025|url=https://www.wipo.int/gii-ranking/en/belarus|access-date=2025-10-22 |website=www.wipo.int|language=en}}</ref>

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, under Lukashenko's leadership, Belarus has maintained government control of key industries and eschewed the large-scale privatizations seen in other former Soviet republics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sharon |first1=Omondi |title=What Are The Biggest Industries In Belarus? |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-biggest-industries-in-belarus.html |website=World Atlas |date=14 June 2019 |access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref>

Belarus applied to become a member of the [[World Trade Organization]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |title=Accessions – Belarus |url=http://www.wto.org/English/thewto_e/acc_e/a1_belarus_e.htm |access-date=29 April 2013 |publisher=Wto.org}}</ref> Due to its failure to protect labor rights, including passing laws forbidding unemployment or working outside state-controlled sectors,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/no-job-pay-up-belarus-imposes-fines-for-being-unemployed/518581.html|title=No Job? Pay Up. Belarus Imposes Fines for Being Unemployed – News|work=The Moscow Times|date=3 April 2015 }}</ref> Belarus lost its EU [[Generalized System of Preferences]] status on 21 June 2007, which raised tariff rates to their prior [[most favored nation]] levels.<ref name="eutrade">{{Cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/belarus/pdf/belarus_trade_en.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325112636/http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/belarus/pdf/belarus_trade_en.pdf|title=The EU's Relationship With Belarus&nbsp;– Trade|archive-date=25 March 2009}}</ref>

===Employment===
The labor force consists of more than 4 million people, of whom women are slightly more than men.<ref name="econstats" /> In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed in industrial factories. Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate was 1.5% in 2005, according to government statistics. There were 679,000 unemployed Belarusians, of whom two-thirds were women. The unemployment rate has been declining since 2003, and the overall rate of employment is the highest since statistics were first compiled in 1995.<ref name="econstats" />

===Currency===
[[File:Belarus - Annual GDP and CPI rates 2001-2013.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Belarusian annual [[GDP]] and [[CPI]] rates 2001–2013{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}]]
The currency of Belarus is the [[Belarusian ruble]]. The currency was introduced in May 1992 to replace the [[Soviet ruble]] and it has undergone [[redenomination]] twice since then. The first coins of the Republic of Belarus were issued on 27 December 1996.<ref>{{cite web|title=Banknotes and Coins of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus|url=http://www.nbrb.by/engl/CoinsBanknotes/|publisher=National Bank of the Republic of Belarus|access-date=20 July 2010|archive-date=27 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627160916/http://nbrb.by/engl/CoinsBanknotes/}}</ref> The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbrb.by/engl/CoinsBanknotes|title=History of the Belarusian ruble|publisher=National Bank of the Republic of Belarus|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref> In 2007, The [[National Bank of the Republic of Belarus|National Bank of Belarus]] abandoned pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian ruble.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 August 2007 |title=Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble |url=http://english.pravda.ru/world/ussr/23-08-2007/96292-belarus_russia-0 |access-date=29 April 2013 |publisher=English.pravda.ru}}</ref> As part of the [[Union State|Union of Russia and Belarus]], the two states have discussed using a single currency analogous to the Euro. This led to a proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the [[Russian ruble]] (RUB), starting as early as 1 January 2008.

On 23 May 2011, the ruble depreciated 56% against the United States dollar. 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.<ref>{{cite news|author=Yuras Karmanau |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2015143616_apeubelaruscrisis.html|title=Belarus devaluation spreads panic|newspaper=Seattle Times|date=25 May 2011|access-date=27 May 2011}}</ref> On 1 June 2011, Belarus requested an economic rescue package from the [[International Monetary Fund]].<ref>[http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/GB/20110601/CP01/306019917/-1/sag08/with-economy-in-tatters-belarus-appeals-to-imf-for-rescue-loan-of-up&template=cpArt With economy in tatters, Belarus appeals to IMF for rescue loan of up to $8&nbsp;billion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114172921/http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/GB/20110601/CP01/306019917/-1/sag08/with-economy-in-tatters-belarus-appeals-to-imf-for-rescue-loan-of-up%26template%3DcpArt |date=14 January 2014 }}, Associated Press, 1 June 2011; retrieved 2 June 2011</ref><ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/belarus-appeals-imf-8bln-rescue-loan-161455781.html Belarus Appeals To IMF For $8bln Rescue Loan.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307072633/http://news.yahoo.com/belarus-appeals-imf-8bln-rescue-loan-161455781.html |date=7 March 2016 }} Associated Press, 1 June 2011; retrieved 2 June 2011</ref> A new currency, the new Belarusian ruble ([[ISO 4217]] code: BYN)<ref name="currency-iso.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.currency-iso.org/dam/downloads/dl_currency_iso_amendment_161.docx |format=DOC |title=ISO 4217 Amendment Number 161 |website=Currency-iso.org |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> was introduced in July 2016, replacing the [[Belarusian ruble]] in a rate of 1:10,000 (10,000 old ruble = 1 new ruble). From 1 July until 31 December 2016, the old and new currencies were in parallel circulation, and series 2000 notes and coins could be exchanged for series 2009 from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021.<ref name="currency-iso.org"/> This [[redenomination]] can be considered an effort to fight the high inflation rate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mrik.gov.by/ru/republic-ru/view/mezhdunarodnoe-oboznachenie-belorusskogo-rublja-menjaetsja-na-byn-posle-denominatsii-7686/|title=Международное обозначение белорусского рубля меняется на BYN после деноминации – Новости республики – Минский район-Минск-Новости Минска-Новости Минского района-Минский райисполком|access-date=18 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325023542/http://www.mrik.gov.by/ru/republic-ru/view/mezhdunarodnoe-oboznachenie-belorusskogo-rublja-menjaetsja-na-byn-posle-denominatsii-7686/|archive-date=25 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://president.gov.by/ru/news_ru/view/kommentarij-k-ukazu-450-ot-4-nojabrja-2015-g-12489/|title=Новости – Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь}}</ref> On 6 October 2022, Lukashenko banned price increases, to combat food inflation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Belarusian Strongman Lukashenka Bans Price Hikes To Curb Inflation |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-inflation-lukashenka-bans-price-increases/32068574.html |newspaper=Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty}}</ref> In January 2023, Belarus legalized [[copyright infringement]] of [[Digital media|media]] and [[intellectual property]] created by "unfriendly" foreign nations.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ntim |first1=Zac |title=Belarus Legalizes Piracy Of Audiovisual Material And Computer Software From "Unfriendly" Nations |url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/belarus-legalizes-piracy-of-content-from-unfriendly-nations-1235215833/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=10 January 2023}}</ref>

The banking system of Belarus consists of two levels: the Central Bank (National Bank of the Republic of Belarus) and 25 commercial banks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Belarus|title=Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom&nbsp;– Belarus|access-date=18 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223175533/http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=Belarus|archive-date=23 February 2007|url-status=unfit}}</ref>

===Free economic zones===
Belarus has established six [[free economic zone]]s to encourage investment and development. The zones are:<ref>{{cite web | title=Free Economic Zones (FEZ) |website= Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus | url=https://economy.gov.by/en/cez-en/ | access-date=January 28, 2025}}</ref>
*FEZ Brest (1996)
*FEZ Gomel-Raton (1998)
*FEZ Grodnoinvest (2002)
*FEZ Minsk (1998)
*FEZ Mogilev (2002)
*FEZ Vitebsk (1999)

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Belarus|Belarusians}}

According to the 2019 census the population was 9.41 million<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Национальный состав населения Республики Беларусь|url=https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/naselenie-i-migratsiya/naselenie/statisticheskie-izdaniya/index_18090/|access-date=30 November 2020|website=www.belstat.gov.by|archive-date=17 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017054127/https://www.belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/solialnaya-sfera/naselenie-i-migratsiya/naselenie/statisticheskie-izdaniya/index_18090/}}</ref> with ethnic [[Belarusians]] constituting 84.9% of Belarus's total population.<ref name=":0" /> Minority groups include: [[Russians]] (7.5%), [[Polish people|Poles]] (3.1%), and [[Ukrainians]] (1.7%).<ref name=":0" />
Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometre (127 per sq&nbsp;mi); 70% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://un.by/en/aboutbelarus/population|title=About Belarus&nbsp;– Population|access-date=7 October 2007|year=2003|publisher=United Nations Office in Belarus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017223223/http://un.by/en/aboutbelarus/population|archive-date=17 October 2007}}</ref> [[Minsk]], the nation's capital and largest city, was home to 1,937,900 residents {{as of|2015|alt=in 2015}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/otrasli-statistiki/naselenie/demografiya_2/operativnaya-informatsiya_1/o-demograficheskoi-situatsii/o-demograficheskoi-situatsii-v-yanvare-marte-2015-g/|script-title=ru:О демографической ситуации в январе-марте 2015 г.|trans-title=About demographic situation in January–March 2015|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504020547/http://belstat.gov.by/ofitsialnaya-statistika/otrasli-statistiki/naselenie/demografiya_2/operativnaya-informatsiya_1/o-demograficheskoi-situatsii/o-demograficheskoi-situatsii-v-yanvare-marte-2015-g/|archive-date=4 May 2015}}</ref> [[Gomel]], with a population of 481,000, is the second-largest city and serves as the capital of the [[Gomel Region]]. Other large cities are [[Mogilev]] (365,100), [[Vitebsk]] (342,400), [[Grodno]] (314,800) and [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]] (298,300).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-43&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=&srt=pnan|title=Largest Cities of Belarus (2007)|publisher=World-gazetteer.com|access-date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000814/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-43&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=&srt=pnan|archive-date=1 October 2007}}</ref>

Like many other Eastern European countries, Belarus has a negative population growth rate and a negative natural growth rate. In 2007, Belarus's population declined by 0.41% and its [[Total fertility rate|fertility rate]] was 1.22,<ref name="demographics"/> well [[Sub-replacement fertility|below the replacement rate]]. However, its [[net migration rate]] is 0.38 per 1,000, indicating that Belarus experiences slightly more immigration than emigration, unlike most neighbouring countries which experience significant negative net migration. {{As of|2015}}, 69.9% of Belarus's population is aged 14 to 64; 15.5% is under 14, and 14.6% is 65 or older. Its population is also aging; the median age of 30–34 is estimated to rise to between 60 and 64 in 2050.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/informationGateway.php|title=International Programs: International Data Base|access-date=9 February 2017|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208114205/http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/informationGateway.php|archive-date=8 February 2017}}</ref> There are about 0.87 males per female in Belarus.<ref name="demographics">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belarus|section=People and Society|access-date=7 November 2007|year=2007}}</ref> The average life expectancy is 72.15 (66.53 years for men and 78.1 years for women).<ref name="demographics"/> Over 99% of Belarusians aged 15 and older are [[literate]].<ref name="demographics"/>
{{Largest cities
| country      = Belarus
| stat_ref     = <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://chislennost.com/en/by/list_of_cities_in_belarus_by_population.html |title=List of cities in Belarus by population |date=2025 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=chislennost.com}}</ref>
| list_by_pop  =
| div_name     = Region
| div_link     =
|city_1 = Minsk
|div_1 = Minsk Region
|pop_1 = 1,949,070
|city_2 = Gomel
|div_2 = Gomel Region
|pop_2 = 526,901
|city_3 = Mogilev
|div_3 = Mogilev Region
|pop_3 = 374,713
|city_4 = Vitebsk
|div_4 = Vitebsk Region
|pop_4 = 373,859
|city_5 = Grodno
|div_5 = Grodno Region
|pop_5 = 361,445

|city_6 = Brest, Belarus{{!}}Brest
|div_6 = Brest Region
|pop_6 = 337,445

|city_7 = Babruysk
|div_7 = Mogilev Region
|pop_7 = 217,149

|city_8 = Baranavichy
|div_8 = Brest Region
|pop_8 = 170,708

|city_9 = Barysaw
|div_9 = Minsk Region
|pop_9 = 145,744

|city_10 = Pinsk
|div_10 = Brest Region
|pop_10 = 135,679
}}

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Belarus}}

[[File:Полацк. Сафійскі сабор.jpg|thumb|[[Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk]] is one of the oldest churches in Belarus. Its current style is an ideal example of [[Baroque in Poland|baroque architecture]] in the former [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]].]]
According to the census of November 2011, 58.9% of all Belarusians adhered to some kind of religion; out of those, [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] made up about 82%: Eastern Orthodox in Belarus are mainly part of the [[Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church]], though a small [[Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]] also exists.<ref name="mfa">{{cite web|url=https://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/IssueLibrary/MINISTRY%20OF%20FOREIGN%20AFFARIS_Religion%20and%20denominations%20in%20Belarus.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/IssueLibrary/MINISTRY%20OF%20FOREIGN%20AFFARIS_Religion%20and%20denominations%20in%20Belarus.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title=Religion and denominations in the Republic of Belarus |date=November 2011 |access-date=29 June 2021|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus}}</ref> [[Roman Catholicism in Belarus|Roman Catholicism]] is practiced mostly in the western regions, and there are also different denominations of Protestantism.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=00B6wxgftH8C&q=belarus+catholics&pg=PA39|title=Understanding Belarus and how Western Foreign Policy Misses the Mark|isbn=978-0-7425-5558-7|last1=Ioffe|first1=Grigoriĭ Viktorovich|last2=Ioffe|first2=Grigorij V.|year=2008|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield }}{{page needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationmaster.com/country/bo-belarus/rel-religion|title=Belarusian Religion statistics, definitions and sources|website=Nation Master|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref> Minorities also practice [[Belarusian Greek Catholic Church|Greek Catholicism]], [[Judaism]], [[Islam]] and [[Modern paganism|neo-paganism]]. Overall, 48.3% of the population is Orthodox Christian, 41.1% is not religious, 7.1% is Roman Catholic and 3.3% follows other religions.<ref name=mfa/>

Belarus's Catholic minority is concentrated in the western part of the country, especially around [[Grodno]], consisting of a mixture of Belarusians and the country's [[Polish people|Polish]] and [[Lithuanian people|Lithuanian]] minorities.<ref name="Belarus – Religion">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/20.htm|title=Belarus – Religion|publisher=Country Studios}}</ref> President Lukashenko has stated that Orthodox and Catholic believers are the "two main confessions in our country".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.belta.by/en/news/president?id=363517|title=Belarus, Roman Catholic Church may ink cooperation agreement|website=Belarusian Telegraph Agency|date=25 April 2009|access-date=4 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326123631/http://news.belta.by/en/news/president?id=363517|agency=BelITA|archive-date=26 March 2012}}</ref>

Belarus was once a major center of European Jews, with 10% of the population being [[history of the Jews in Belarus|Jewish]]. But since the mid-20th century, the number of Jews has been reduced by [[the Holocaust]], deportation, and emigration, so that today it is a very small minority of less than one percent.<ref>Minsk Jewish Campus [http://www.meod.by/en/belarus-info/jewish-belarus.html Jewish Belarus] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130824171216/http://www.meod.by/en/belarus-info/jewish-belarus.html|date=24 August 2013}}; retrieved 9 July 2007.</ref> The [[Lipka Tatars]], numbering over 15,000, are predominantly [[Islam in Belarus|Muslims]]. According to Article 16 of the [[Constitution of Belarus|Constitution]], Belarus has no official religion. While the [[freedom of religion|freedom of worship]] is granted in the same article, religious organizations deemed harmful to the government or social order can be prohibited.<ref name="s1"/>

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Belarus}}

[[File:Zweisprachiges Schild Weißrussisch Russisch.JPG|thumb|Bilingual Belarusian–Russian sign in Belarusian town [[Rakaw]] in 2014]]
Belarus's two official languages are [[Russian language|Russian]] and [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/languages/belarusian.shtml|title=Languages across Europe.|website=BBC |access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref> According to data published by the [[National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus]], the [[2019 Belarus census|2019 census]] recorded that 54.1% of the population described Belarusian as their "mother tongue" compared to 42.3% who described Russian in that way.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mother tongue in Belarus 2019 |url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/belarus-lang2019mt.htm |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=pop-stat.mashke.org}}</ref> In addition, 71.4% described Russian and 26% described Belarusian as the "language normally spoken at home".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spoken language in Belarus 2019 |url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/belarus-lang2019sl.htm |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=pop-stat.mashke.org}}</ref> Minorities also speak [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] and [[Eastern Yiddish]].<ref>Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, TX: SIL International. Online version: [http://www.ethnologue.com/ Ethnologue.com].</ref> Following the election of [[Alexander Lukashenko]], plans to have most schools teach in Belarusian were scrapped and they continued mainly teaching in Russian.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bekus |first1=Nelly |title=Struggle over identity: the official and the alternative "Belarusianness" |date=2010 |publisher=CEU press |location=Budapest |isbn=978-963-9776-68-5 |pages=151–155 |url=https://books.openedition.org/ceup/616 |access-date=28 January 2024}}</ref> The annual circulation of Belarusian-language literature also significantly decreased from 1990 to 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Belarusian language in the period of socio-political crisis: signs of linguistic discrimination |url=https://penbelarus.org/en/2022/09/26/belaruskaya-mova-u-peryyad-gramadska-palitychnaga-kryzisu-prayavy-mounaj-dyskryminaczyi.html |website=Penbelarus.org |date=26 September 2022 |access-date=28 January 2024}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Belarus}}

===Arts and literature===
[[File:Нацыянальны акадэмічны Вялікі тэатар опэры і балету г. Менск 2.jpg|thumb|The [[National Opera and Ballet of Belarus|Opera and Ballet Theater]] in Minsk]]
The Belarusian government sponsors annual cultural festivals such as the [[Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk amazes with its artistic atmosphere, popular artistes, hundreds of events and thousands of reasons to enjoy|url=http://www.sb.by/en-belarus-magazine/culture/article/vitebsk-of-all-times.html|website=sb.by|date=22 September 2015 |access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref> which showcases Belarusian performers, artists, writers, musicians, and actors. Several state holidays, such as [[Independence Day (Belarus)|Independence Day]] and [[Victory Day (9 May)|Victory Day]], draw big crowds and often include displays such as fireworks and military parades, especially in Vitebsk and Minsk.<ref name="festivals">{{cite web|url=http://www.belarusembassy.org/belarus/culture.htm|title=Belarusian National Culture| publisher=Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the United States of America|access-date=26 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210203549/http://www.belarusembassy.org/belarus/culture.htm|archive-date=10 February 2006}}</ref> The government's Ministry of Culture finances events promoting Belarusian arts and culture both inside and outside the country.

Belarusian literature<ref>{{cite web|title=Belarusian Literature|url=http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Belarusian_Literature|website=yivoencyclopedia.org|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref> began with 11th- to 13th-century religious scripture, such as the 12th-century poetry of [[Cyril of Turaw]].<ref name="bypoem">{{cite web|url=http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/literature/Old_Poetry.html |title=Old Belarusian Poetry |access-date=9 October 2007|year=1994|publisher=Virtual Guide to Belarus|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011050535/http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/literature/Old_Poetry.html|archive-date=11 October 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

By the 16th century, [[Polotsk]] resident [[Francysk Skaryna]] translated the Bible into Belarusian. It was published in [[Prague]] and [[Vilnius]] sometime between 1517 and 1525, making it the first book printed in Belarus or anywhere in Eastern Europe.<ref name="byeb">"Belarus: history", [https://www.britannica.com/place/Belarus/Government-and-society#toc33453 Britannica.com]; accessed 4 March 2016.</ref> The modern era of Belarusian literature began in the late 19th century; one prominent writer was [[Yanka Kupala]]. Many Belarusian writers of the time, such as [[Uładzimir Žyłka]], Kazimir Svayak, [[Yakub Kolas]], [[Źmitrok 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nn.by/?c=ar&i=151632&lang=en|title=About Nasha Niva newspaper|work=Nasha Niva|date=21 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325164633/http://nn.by/?c=ar&i=151632&lang=en|archive-date=25 March 2016}}</ref>

After Belarus was incorporated into the Soviet Union, the Soviet government took control of the Republic's cultural affairs. At first, a policy of "Belarusianization" was followed in the newly formed Byelorussian SSR. This policy was reversed in the 1930s, and the majority of prominent Belarusian intellectuals and nationalist advocates were either exiled or killed in Stalinist purges.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tereshkovich|first=Pavel|author2=Robert J. Valliere|title=The Belarusian Road to Modernity|journal=International Journal of Sociology|year=2001|volume=31|series=Belarus:Between the East and the West (I)|issue=3|pages=78–89|doi=10.1080/15579336.2001.11770234|jstor=20628625|s2cid=152025564}}</ref> The free development of literature occurred only in Polish-held territory until Soviet occupation in 1939. Several poets and authors went into exile after the Nazi occupation of Belarus and would not return until the 1960s.<ref name="byeb"/>

[[File:Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Poet and librettist [[Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich]]]]
The last major revival of Belarusian literature occurred in the 1960s with novels published by [[Vasil Bykaŭ]] and [[Uladzimir Karatkievich]]. An influential author who examined the catastrophes the country has suffered was [[Ales Adamovich]]. He was named by [[Svetlana Alexievich]], the Belarusian winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] 2015, as "her main teacher, who helped her to find a path of her own".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2015/alexievich/biographical/|title=The Nobel Prize in Literature 2015|website=NobelPrize.org}}</ref>

[[Music of Belarus|Music in Belarus]] largely comprises a rich tradition of folk and religious music. The country's folk music traditions can be traced back to the times of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]. In the 19th century, Polish composer [[Stanisław Moniuszko]] composed operas and chamber music pieces while living in Minsk. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet [[Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich]] and created the opera ''Sialanka'' (''Peasant Woman''). At the end of the 19th century, major Belarusian cities formed their own opera and ballet companies. The ballet ''[[Nightingale (ballet)|Nightingale]]'' by M. Kroshner was composed during the Soviet era and became the first Belarusian ballet showcased at the National Academic Vialiki Ballet Theatre in Minsk.<ref>{{cite news|first=Crystal|last=Zou|title=Ballets for Christmas|date=11 December 2003|url=http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/2003/1211/wh28-1.html|work=Shanghai Star|access-date=20 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050225084753/http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/2003/1211/wh28-1.html|archive-date=25 February 2005}}</ref>

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. During this period, [[Anatoly Bogatyrev]], creator of the opera ''In Polesye Virgin Forest'', served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers.<ref name="clasmus">{{cite web|url=http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/music/Belarusian_composers_&_classical_music.htm|title=Classical Music of Belarus|publisher=Belarusguide.com|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref> The National Academic Theatre of Ballet in Minsk was awarded the [[Prix Benois de la Danse|Benois de la Dance Prize]] in 1996 as the top ballet company in the world.<ref name="clasmus"/> Rock music has become increasingly popular in recent years, though the Belarusian government has attempted to limit the amount of foreign music aired on the radio in favor of traditional Belarusian music. Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the [[Eurovision Song Contest]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Eurovision.tv|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/timeline|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504003019/http://www.eurovision.tv/page/timeline|archive-date=4 May 2013|website=Eurovision.tv|access-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref>National State Teleradiocompany{{cite web|url=http://www.tvr.by/eng/konkurs.asp |title=Belarus entry to the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest |access-date=25 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224183337/http://www.tvr.by/eng/konkurs.asp |archive-date=24 February 2008}}</ref>

[[Marc Chagall]] was born in Liozna (near [[Vitebsk]]) in 1887. He spent the [[World War I]] years in Soviet Belarus, becoming one of the country's most distinguished artists and a member of the modernist [[avant-garde]] and was a founder of the Vitebsk Arts College.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ehu.lt/ru/news/pokazatj-statjju/shagal-v-belarusi-ignoriruemj-zabtj-i-snova-otkrtj|title=Шагал в Беларуси: игнорируемый, забытый и снова открытый|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326221817/http://www.ehu.lt/ru/news/pokazatj-statjju/shagal-v-belarusi-ignoriruemj-zabtj-i-snova-otkrtj|archive-date=26 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-7EHMntMsUC&q=%D0%A8%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BB+%D0%92%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B1%D1%81%D0%BA&pg=PA298|title=Атлас мировой живописи|isbn=978-5-373-00553-1|last1=Геташвили|year=2006|publisher=ОЛМА Медиа Групп }}</ref>

===Dress===
The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the [[Kievan Rus']] period. Due to the cool climate, clothes were designed to conserve body heat and were usually made from [[flax]] or [[wool]]. They were decorated with ornate patterns influenced by the neighboring cultures: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Each region of Belarus has developed specific design patterns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belarusguide.com/culture1/clothing/index.html|title=Belarusian traditional clothing|publisher=Belarusguide.com|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref> One ornamental pattern common in early dresses currently decorates the hoist of the [[Flag of Belarus|Belarusian national flag]], adopted in a [[1995 Belarusian referendum|disputed referendum]] in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fotw.fivestarflags.com/by.html#orn|title=Belarus – Ornament, Flags of the World|publisher=Fotw.fivestarflags.com|access-date=29 April 2013|archive-date=9 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909230337/http://fotw.fivestarflags.com/by.html#orn}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
[[File:Potato pancakes.jpg|thumb|right|[[Potato pancake|Draniki]], the national dish]]
[[Belarusian cuisine]] consists mainly of vegetables, meat (particularly pork), and bread. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or [[stewed]]. Typically, Belarusians eat a light breakfast and two hearty meals later in the day. [[Wheat]] and [[rye]] bread are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. To show hospitality, a host traditionally presents an offering of [[bread and salt]] when greeting a guest or visitor.<ref>Canadian Citizenship and Immigration&nbsp;– [http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/belarus/eating.html Cultures Profile Project&nbsp;– Eating the Belarusian Way] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320041709/http://www.cp-pc.ca/english/belarus/eating.html |date=20 March 2007 }} (1998); retrieved 21 March 2007.</ref>

===Sport===
{{see also|Belarus at the Olympics}}

Belarus has competed in the Olympic Games since the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] as an independent nation. Receiving heavy sponsorship from the government, [[ice hockey]] is the nation's second most popular sport after [[Association football|football]]. The [[Belarus national football team|national football team]] has never qualified for a major tournament; however, [[FC BATE Borisov|BATE Borisov]] has played in the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]]. The [[Belarus national men's ice hockey team|national hockey team]] finished fourth at the [[Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Salt Lake City Olympics]] following an upset win over Sweden in the quarterfinals and regularly competes in the [[Ice Hockey World Championships|World Championships]], often making the quarterfinals. Belarusian players are present in the [[Kontinental Hockey League]] in Eurasia, particularly for Belarusian club [[HC Dinamo Minsk]], and several have played in the [[National Hockey League]] in North America. The [[2014 IIHF World Championship]] was hosted in Belarus and the [[2021 IIHF World Championship]] was supposed to be co-hosted in Latvia and Belarus, but was cancelled due to widespread protests and security concerns. The [[2021 UEC European Track Championships]] in cycling was also cancelled because Belarus was not considered a safe host.

[[File:Victoria Azarenka (18567208246).jpg|thumb|right|[[Victoria Azarenka]], professional [[tennis]] player and a former [[List of WTA number 1 ranked players|world No. 1]] in singles]]
[[Darya Domracheva]] is a leading [[biathlon|biathlete]] whose honours include three gold medals at the [[2014 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympic.org/darya-domracheva |title=Darya Domracheva |website=www.olympic.org}}</ref> [[Tennis]] player [[Victoria Azarenka]] became the first Belarusian to win a [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] singles title at the [[Australian Open]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/queen-victoria-takes-the-throne-determined-to-court-further-success-20120129-1qo2l.html|title=Queen Victoria takes the throne determined to court further success|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 January 2012}}</ref> She won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the [[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Summer Olympics]] with [[Max Mirnyi]], who holds ten Grand Slam titles in [[Singles tennis|doubles]].

Other notable Belarusian sportspeople include cyclist [[Vasil Kiryienka]], who won the [[2015 UCI Road World Championships – Men's time trial|2015 Road World Time Trial Championship]], and middle-distance runner [[Maryna Arzamasava]], who won the gold medal in the [[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800m at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics]].  [[Andrei Arlovski]], who was born in [[Babruysk]], [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]], is a current [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter and the former [[List of UFC champions|UFC heavyweight champion of the world]].  [[Aryna Sabalenka]] is a noted women's tennis player, currently (Nov 2025) world No. 1.

Belarus is known for its strong rhythmic gymnasts. 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. The Belarusian senior group earned bronze at the [[2012 London Olympics]].

===Telecommunications===
{{Main|Telecommunications in Belarus}}

{{See also|Censorship in Belarus}}
* Country code: [[.by]]

The state telecom monopoly, Beltelecom, holds the exclusive interconnection with Internet providers outside of Belarus. Beltelecom owns all the backbone channels that linked to the Lattelecom, TEO LT, [[Tata Communications]] (former [[Teleglobe]]), Synterra, [[Rostelecom]], Transtelekom and MTS ISPs. Beltelecom is the only operator licensed to provide commercial VoIP services in Belarus.<ref name=ONI-Belarus-Nov2010>[http://opennet.net/research/profiles/belarus "ONI Country Profile: Belarus"], OpenNet Initiative, 18 November 2010</ref>

===World Heritage Sites===
Belarus has four [[UNESCO]]-designated [[World Heritage Site]]s: the [[Mir Castle Complex]], the [[Nesvizh Castle]], the [[Białowieża Forest|Belovezhskaya Pushcha]] (shared with [[Poland]]), and the [[Struve Geodetic Arc]] (shared with nine other countries).<ref name="UNSECO">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/by| title=Belarus&nbsp;– UNESCO World Heritage Centre|access-date=26 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421205516/https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/by|archive-date=21 April 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Belarus|Europe|}}
* [[List of Belarus-related topics]]
* [[Outline of Belarus]]
* {{anl|Republican Scientific Medical Library}}
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Birgerson|first=Susanne Michele|title=After the Breakup of a Multi-Ethnic Empire|publisher=Praeger/Greenwood|year=2002|isbn=0-275-96965-7}}
* {{Cite book|last=Minahan|first=James|title=Miniature Empires: A Historical Dictionary of the Newly Independent States|publisher=Greenwood|year=1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RSxt-JB-PDkC&q=White+Rus&pg=PA35|isbn=0-313-30610-9}}
* {{cite book|last1=Olson|first1=James Stuart|first2=Lee Brigance|last2=Pappas|first3=Nicholas C. J.|last3=Pappas|title=Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the Russian and Soviet Empires|publisher=Greenwood Press|year=1994|isbn=0-313-27497-5}}
* {{Cite book|last=Plokhy|first=Serhii|title=The Cossacks and Religion in Early Modern Ukraine|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NCzzxNisc1MC&q=white+rus+commonwealth&pg=PA327|isbn=0-19-924739-0}}
* {{Cite book|last=Richmond|first=Yale|title=From Da to Yes: Understanding the East Europeans|publisher=Intercultural Press|year=1995|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Y8GNIp42ysC&q=Byelorussia+name&pg=PA260|isbn=1-877864-30-7}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Vauchez|first1=André|first2=Richard Barrie|last2=Dobson|first3=Michael|last3=Lapidge|title=Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages|publisher=Routledge|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qtgotOF0MKQC&q=White+Ruthenia&pg=PA163|isbn=1-57958-282-6}}
* {{Cite book|last=Zaprudnik|first=Jan|title=Belarus: At a Crossroads in History|publisher=Westview Press|year=1993|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qtnTh3-2Ki8C&q=Belarusia+name&pg=PA1|isbn=0-8133-1794-0}}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Main|Bibliography of the history of Belarus and Byelorussia}}

{{See also|List of Slavic studies journals}}
{{refbegin}}
* Bennett, Brian M. ''The Last Dictatorship in Europe: Belarus under Lukashenko'' (Columbia University Press, 2011)
* Frear, Matthew. ''Belarus Under Lukashenka: Adaptive Authoritarianism'' (Routledge, 2015)
* Korosteleva, Elena A. (June 2016). [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13510347.2015.1005009 "The European Union and Belarus: Democracy Promotion by Technocratic Means?"] ''Democratization'' '''23''': 4 pp.&nbsp;678–698. {{doi|10.1080/13510347.2015.1005009}}.
* {{Cite book |last1=Levy |first1=Patricia |first2=Michael |last2=Spilling |title=Belarus |publisher=Benchmark Books |year=2009 |location=New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KTwkKhg1BbsC&q=Belarusian+name&pg=PA95 |isbn=978-0-7614-3411-5 |ref=none}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Minsk (government) |last1= Kropotkin |first1= Peter Alexeivitch |last2= Bealby |first2= John Thomas |volume= 18 |pages= 555, 556|ref=none}}
* Marples, David. '''Our Glorious Past': Lukashenka's Belarus and the Great Patriotic War'' (Columbia University Press, 2014)
* Parker, Stewart. ''The Last Soviet Republic: Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus'' (Trafford Publishing, 2007)
* Rudling, Pers Anders. ''The Rise and Fall of Belarusian Nationalism, 1906–1931'' (University of Pittsburgh Press; 2014) 436 pages
* {{Cite book |last=Ryder |first=Andrew |title=Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States |publisher=Routledge |year=1998 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qmN95fFocsMC&q=Belarus+name+law+1991&pg=PA183 |isbn=1-85743-058-1 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |author1=Silitski, Vitali |author2=Jan Zaprudnik |name-list-style=amp |title=The A to Z of Belarus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQXyAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |year=2010 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-1-4617-3174-0 |ref=none}}
* Snyder, Timothy (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=xSpEynLxJ1MC ''The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999'']
* {{Cite book |last=Szporluk |first=Roman |title=Russia, Ukraine, and the Breakup of the Soviet Union |publisher=Hoover Institution Press |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oLWeUoWEAGgC&q=Belorussia&pg=PA113 |isbn=0-8179-9542-0 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Treadgold |first1=Donald |first2=Herbert J. |last2=Ellison |title=Twentieth Century Russia |publisher=Westview Press |year=1999 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xs8sYy1vIS0C&q=belorussia+nationalists+name&pg=PA230 |isbn=0-8133-3672-4 |ref=none}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}
* Vakar, Nicholas Platonovich. ''Belorussia: The Making of a Nation: A Case Study'' (Harvard UP, 1956).
* Vakar, Nicholas Platonovich. ''A Bibliographical Guide to Belorussia'' (Harvard UP, 1956)
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Belarus|Belarus|collapsible=collapsed}}
* [http://www.belarus.by/en/ Website of the Republic of Belarus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115201716/http://www.belarus.by/en/ |date=15 January 2018 }} by [[BelTA]] news agency
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belarus/ Belarus]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=BLR&subj=1&paia= FAO Country Profiles: Belarus]

{{Belarus topics}}
{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Eastern Europe|state=collapsed}}
{{Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)|state=collapsed}}
{{Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC)}}
{{Shanghai Cooperation Organisation}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|53|N|27|E|region:BY|display=title}}

[[Category:Belarus| ]]
[[Category:Countries in Europe]]
[[Category:Landlocked countries]]
[[Category:Member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States]]
[[Category:Member states of the United Nations]]
[[Category:Member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization]]
[[Category:Member states of the Eurasian Economic Union]]
[[Category:Republics]]
[[Category:Countries and territories where Russian is an official language]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1991]]