1 GeoFroggy

Belarus

Continent: Europe

Geography

People &
Society

Government

Economy

Energy

Communications

Military &
Security

Transportation

Terrorism

Transnational Issues
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Background

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place.

Location

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Area Comparative

Slightly smaller than Kansas

Maritime Claims

none (landlocked)

Climate
Cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Natural Hazards

NA

Environment Current Issues

Soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Environment International Agreements

Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography Note

Landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay
Year

Map Reference

  • Europe

Irrigated Land 1998

  • 1,150 sq km

Area 2004

  • Total
    207,600 sq km
  • Land
    207,600 sq km
  • Water
    0 sq km

Coastline

  • 0 km

Geographical Coordinates

  • 53 00 N, 28 00 E

Land use 2004

  • Arable Land
    29.55%
  • Permanent Crops
    0.6%
  • Other
    69.85%

Terrain

  • Generally flat and contains much marshland

Elevation

  • Lowest Point: Nyoman River 90 m
  • Highest Point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Land Boundaries

  • Total
    2,900 km
  • Latvia
    141 km
  • Lithuania
    502 km
  • Poland
    407 km
  • Russia
    959 km
  • Ukraine
    891 km

Natural Resources

  • Forests
  • Peat deposits
  • Small quantities of oil and natural gas
  • Granite
  • Dolomitic limestone
  • Marl
  • Chalk
  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • Clay
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