In the 9th century the territory of modern Belarus became part of Kievan Rus', a vast East Slavic state ruled by the Rurikid dynasty. MOSCOW Not so long ago, the image of Belarus was of a peaceful, if tightly controlled, former Soviet republic, squeezed between Poland and Russia. [223] [252], Belarus was once a major center of European Jews, with 10% of the population being Jewish. Centered on the historical capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilna (Lithuanian: Vilnius, Polish: Wilno), for 18 months the entity served as a buffer state between Poland, upon which it depended, and Lithuania, which claimed the area. [235] On 1 June 2011, Belarus requested an economic rescue package from the International Monetary Fund. In 2011, Belarus suffered a severe economic crisis attributed to Lukashenko's government's centralized control of the economy, with inflation reaching 108.7%. [165], Bilateral relations with the United States are strained; the United States had not had an ambassador in Minsk since 2007 and Belarus never had an ambassador in Washington since 2008. [222] In 2005, GDP increased by 9.9%; the inflation rate averaged 9.5%. A national constitution was adopted in March 1994 in which the functions of prime minister were given to the President of Belarus. We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Other notable Belarusian sportspeople include cyclist Vasil Kiryienka, who won the 2015 Road World Time Trial Championship, and middle-distance runner Maryna Arzamasava, who won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometre (127 per sqmi); 70% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas. [143], Belarus has often been described as "Europe's last dictatorship" by some media outlets, politicians and authors due to its authoritarian government. Around the 5th century, the area was taken over by the Slavs. [241], According to the 2019 census the population was 9.41 million[242] with ethnic Belarusians constituting 84.9% of Belarus's total population. People with old Belarusian national flags shout during an opposition rally in August in Minsk, Belarus. The number of people employed in the industry is 34.7% of the working population. [199] In August 2021, Belarusian officials, wearing uniforms, riot shields and helmets, were recorded on camera near the BelarusLithuania border pushing and urging the migrants to cross the European Union border. Stalin's purges 1930s - Belarus. [253] The Lipka Tatars, numbering over 15,000, are predominantly Muslims. Is Belarus in the EU? About us. [82], After the war, Belarus was among the 51 founding member states of the United Nations Charter and as such it was allowed an additional vote at the UN, on top of the Soviet Union's vote. Not surprisingly, it took time for perestroika and glasnost to take root there, leaving the Communist establishment strong. [242] List of Every Communist Country in the World as of 2021: China. Wheat and rye bread are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. 1921 - The Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland and Soviet Russia. The Nordic countries perform best overall, but the West's two major challengers do poorly in the cultivation of human and humane values. 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 it was cancelled due to widespread protests and security concerns. Economically, Belarus involved itself in the CIS, Eurasian Economic Community, and Union with Russia. For criminal cases, the highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. [183] However, Belarus cannot join NATO because it is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. [178] Demographic decreases in the Belarusians of conscription age have increased the importance of contract soldiers, who numbered 12,000 in 2001. Dallas, TX: SIL International. No, you are using the term correctly. [45] There are no sources of military seizure, but the annals affirm the alliance and united foreign policy of Polotsk and Lithuania for decades. Belarusian language was banned in schools while in neighboring Samogitia primary school education with Samogitian literacy was allowed. While the freedom of worship is granted in the same article, religious organizations deemed harmful to the government or social order can be prohibited. The first one was the 2004 RussiaBelarus energy dispute when Russian energy giant Gazprom ceased the import of gas into Belarus because of price disagreements. After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev continued his predecessor's cultural hegemony program, stating, "The sooner we all start speaking Russian, the faster we shall build communism. [216], In 2019 the share of manufacturing in GDP was 31%, over two-thirds of this amount falls on manufacturing industries. It shares Europe's oldest forest - Bialowieza - with Poland. The Belarusian church entered into a full communion with the Latin Church through the Union of Brest in 1595, while keeping its Byzantine liturgy in the Church Slavonic language. ", "One Week After Election, Belarus Sees Giant Protests Against 'Europe's Last Dictator', "Belarus: inside Europe's last dictatorship", "Belarus's Lukashenko: 'Better a dictator than gay', "Belarus suspended from the Council of Europe", "Belarus Office of the Directorate General of Programmes", "OSCE Report on the October 2004 parliamentary elections", "Belarus in the aftermath of the Presidential election of 19 March 2006", "Police guard threatened to rape Belarus Free Theatre director after election protest", Belarus opposition leader Andrei Sannikov jailed, "Belarus: 7 presidential candidates face 15 years", "Why Belarus' Dictator Is Not Fond of Applause", "Belarus: EU imposes sanctions as Lukashenko orders police to clear the streets", "UNITED NATIONS MEMBER STATES | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases", "Russia-Belarus relations: The future of the union state", "CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit", "The U.S. Was Set to Send an Ambassador to Belarus. Belarus is not in the European Union (EU). The Byelorussian SSR was the hardest-hit Soviet republic in World War II; it remained in Nazi hands until 1944. Vigorous postwar reconstruction promptly followed the end of the war and the Byelorussian SSR became a major center of manufacturing in the western USSR, creating jobs and attracting ethnic Russians. Smokescreen: India's fragile batting from Delhi, Nagpur gapingly exposed in Indore Batting of Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar covered the fragile nature of India's top-order batting in the first two Tests of the India-Australia series. [248] Roman Catholicism is practiced mostly in the western regions, and there are also different denominations of Protestantism. The welcoming ceremony also included the anthems of the two countries and the honor guard march. Belarus, a country of about 9.5 million people which gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has a troubled record on human rights that has complicated its relationships with the U.S. and the EU for almost all its independence. [248], Belarus's Catholic minority is concentrated in the western part of the country, especially around Grodno, consisting in a mixture of Belarusians and the country's Polish and Lithuanian minorities. The runner-up opposition leader Andrei Sannikov received less than 3% of the vote; independent observers criticized the election as fraudulent. The Head of State is the President of the Republic of Belarus. [106] 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. [234], On 23 May 2011, the ruble depreciated 56% against the United States dollar. Except for China, the numbers for most comrades are weak in GDP as well as human development see Belarus, North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and Venezuela. [120] Norway and Japan have joined the sanctions regime which aims to isolate Belarus from the international supply chain. [205], Belarus's two official languages are Russian and Belarusian;[254] Russian is the most common language spoken at home, used by 70% of the population, while Belarusian, the official first language, is spoken at home by 23%. MOFA condemned the Chinese Communist Party's "continuous spread of false statements" and its practice of forcing other countries to agree with its claims. A two-round election for the presidency on 24 June 1994 and 10 July 1994[36] catapulted the formerly unknown Alexander Lukashenko into national prominence. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. [258] The government's Ministry of Culture finances events promoting Belarusian arts and culture both inside and outside the country. A panel of US lawmakers tasked with scrutinizing Beijing held a debut hearing Tuesday overshadowed by protests from the public gallery as it focused on the "existential" threat of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.Committee chairman Mike Gallagher gave a sweeping introduction outlining "The Chinese Communist Party's Threat to America" -- the title of the hearing -- aided by a multimedia . [162] Belarus has trade agreements with several European Union member states (despite other member states' travel ban on Lukashenko and top officials),[163] including neighboring Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. "About the Origins of the Names of White and Black Ruthenia"), (Joseph Juho), 1956. [144][145][146][147] The Council of Europe removed Belarus from its observer status since 1997 as a response for election irregularities in the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections. We even give money to Communist Cuba a country our own government has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism," Haley said. 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. MOFA mentioned that Belarus and any other country's acceptance of China's "absurd remarks" that belittle Taiwan's . At the end of the 19th century, major Belarusian cities formed their own opera and ballet companies. The biggest of these was the Soviet Union (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) which was made up of countries such as Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia and a number of other countries. [57], Joseph Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from Western influences. It also blasted Belarus for being subservient to China. [266] 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. The main trading partners are Russia, which accounts for about 45% of Belarusian exports and 55% of imports, and the EU countries, which account for 25% of exports and 20% of imports. [276], Belarus has four UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites: the Mir Castle Complex, the Nesvizh Castle, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland), and the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with nine other countries). The title, "Socialism Is the Best Prophylaxis," comes from a statement made by Dr. Maxim Zetkin (1883-1965), the son of the communist and international women's rights activist Clara Zetkin . At the basic level are 118 raions councils and 10 cities of oblast subordination councils, which are supervised by the governments of the oblasts. Beltelecom is the only operator licensed to provide commercial VoIP services in Belarus. The directives, part of a 3,500 . The self-naming of Goths was Gutans and Gytos, which are close to Gudija. The 2007 RussiaBelarus energy dispute centered on accusations by Gazprom that Belarus was siphoning oil off of the Druzhba pipeline that runs through Belarus. Noticeable gymnasts include Inna Zhukova, who earned silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Liubov Charkashyna, who earned bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and Melitina Staniouta, Bronze All-Around Medalist of the 2015 World Championships. [118][119] These include not only corporate offices and individual officers of government but also private individuals who work in the state-owned enterprise industrial sector. On December 25, 1991, the United States recognized the independence of the Republic of Belarus, and on December 28, 1991, Belarus and the United States established diplomatic relations. On January 31, 1992, the U.S. Embassy . Belarus Imposes Fines for Being Unemployed News", "The EU's Relationship With Belarus Trade", "Banknotes and Coins of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus", "Belarus abandons pegging its currency to Russian ruble", With economy in tatters, Belarus appeals to IMF for rescue loan of up to $8billion. With the support of the Communist Party, the country's name was changed to the Republic of Belarus on 25 August 1991. Cuba. Belarus "fully agrees with and supports China's position and proposals on a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, which is of great significance to resolving the crisis," CCTV quoted . [126], The highest point is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill) at 345 metres (1,132ft), and the lowest point is on the Neman River at 90m (295ft). Andrei Arlovski, who was born in Babruysk, Byelorussian SSR, is a current UFC fighter and the former UFC heavyweight champion of the world. [60], In a Russification drive in the 1840s, Nicholas I prohibited 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. The United States supports a sovereign, independent Belarus which respects the rights and voices of the Belarusian people. [48] During this time, the duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of 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. The third Article of the Statutes established that all lands of the duchy will be eternally within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and never enter as a part of other states. In my message of congratulations that reflected the position of me as the President of Belarus and my family, I honestly admitted that we were really worried about the outcomes of the congress of the Chinese Communist Party. [121] It is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land. [238] This redenomination can be considered an effort to fight the high inflation rate. /TASS/. Belarus, country of eastern Europe. An influential author who devoted his work to awakening the awareness of the catastrophes the country has suffered, was Ales Adamovich. The present borders of Belarus were established during the turmoil of the World War Two. The Americans and British feared. 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. [127] The climate features mild to cold winters, with January minimum temperatures ranging from 4C (24.8F) in southwest (Brest) to 8C (17.6F) in northeast (Vitebsk), and cool and moist summers with an average temperature of 18C (64.4F). In the 1990s some raised the estimate even higher, to 2.7 million. The Communist Party of Belarus won 3 seats, and the Agrarian Party and Republican Party of Labour and Justice, one each. The law was compared with serfdom by Lukashenko himself. [175] However, Belarus suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership program on 28 June 2021, after the EU imposed more sanctions against the country. [87][88], In March 1990, elections for seats in the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR took place. The Communist Party of China is the founding and sole governing political party of the People's Republic of China. In 2015, 39.3% of Belarusians were employed by state-controlled companies, 57.2% were employed by private companies (in which the government has a 21.1% stake) and 3.5% were employed by foreign companies. [260], By the 16th century, Polotsk resident Francysk Skaryna translated the Bible into Belarusian. Beltelecom owns all the backbone channels that linked to the Lattelecom, TEO LT, Tata Communications (former Teleglobe), Synterra, Rostelecom, Transtelekom and MTS ISPs. Belarus is also known for its strong rhythmic gymnasts. eligowski 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 Jzef Pisudski's confederation plans by Polish ally.[68]. 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". The 2000s saw a number of economic disputes between Belarus and its primary economic partner, Russia. [129] The United Nations and other agencies have aimed to reduce the level of radiation in affected areas, especially through the use of caesium binders and rapeseed cultivation, which are meant to decrease soil levels of caesium-137. From 1 July until 31 December 2016, the old and new currencies were in parallel circulation and series 2000 notes and coins can be exchanged for series 2009 from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021. 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. Belarus appeared to be the Prussia of the Soviet Union. Belarus was part of the Soviet Union and became an independent country in 1991, after the USSR collapsed. Settlements without their own local council and executive committee are called territorial units (Belarusian: ; Russian: ). [49], The Muscovites, led by Ivan III of Moscow, began military campaigns in 1486 in an attempt to incorporate the former lands of Kievan Rus', specifically the territories of modern-day Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The other countries on the list are Eritrea, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Syria, and Belarus. Despite significant efforts, the state ceased to exist, primarily because the territory was continually dominated by the German Imperial Army and the Imperial Russian Army in World War I, and then the Bolshevik Red Army. [159] Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. [194] 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". [151], In the 2006 presidential election, Lukashenko was opposed by Alaksandar Milinkievi, who represented a coalition of opposition parties, and by Alaksandar Kazulin of the Social Democrats. Darya Domracheva is a leading biathlete whose honours include three gold medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was the last Soviet republic where the communist economic system worked and it was also the most militarized. While Russia is no longer communist, its president, Vladimir Putin, considers the fall of the Soviet Union the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century" and is currently (as of.
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