Let's talk of the Republic of Belarus

The official name of our county is the Republic of Belarus. It's total area is 207,600 km². It is situated nearly in the extreme western part of the East-European Plain within the basins of the Dnieper, the Western Dvina and the Upper Neman. It borders on Russia in the north and east, on Lithuania and Latvia in the north-west, on Poland in the west, and on the Ukraine in the south. Belarus stretches for 560 kilometres from south to north and for 650 kilometres from east to west.

Its population is about 9.5 mln people: 83% of Belarusians, 8% of Russians, 3% of Poles and 2% of Ukrainians. 76% of the population live in towns and cities.

Belarus is situated on a plain rising to hills, the highest of which is Mt. Dzerzhinskaya reaching 350 metres above sea level. There are more than 3,000 rivers in the country. The longest are the Dnieper, Neman, Western Dvina, Prypiat, Berezina, Sozh and Vilia. Belarus is called a lake-country. There are about 10,800 lakes here noted for their great depth, transparent water and beautiful scenery. The largest of them is Lake Naroch.

The largest forests in Belarus are called pushchas. There are elks and deer, wild boars and wolves, bears and foxes, beavers and lynxes in the forests. Pinewoods, mighty oak groves, birch groves and all sorts of other mixed forest formations are the charm, wealth and pride of our homeland.

Belarus has a temperate-continental climate with moderate features which is characteristic for Central Europe, with hot summers, long, cold winters and very distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is about 7°C.

The capital of our country is Minsk. Its population is about one fifth of the country population. In accordance with the political division, Belarus consists of six regions: Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev regions.

The Republic of Belarus is a democratic social state with the rule of law. The state power exercised on the basis of its division on legislative, executive and judicial. Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic of Belarus is a head of state. In accordance with the Constitution the legislative body is the Parliament. The executive power is exercised by the Government. The Council of Ministers is the central body of state administration. The local administration is carried through the system of local executive and administrative bodies. The judicial power belongs to the courts. We have two official languages: Belarusian and Russian.

The most developing branches of industry are motor-car construction, machine-tool construction and bearing production, electrical industry, oil mining and processing, production of synthesized fiber, fertilizers, pharmaceutical industry, production of building materials, light and food industries.

Natural conditions of the Republic of Belarus let succesfully produce such highly remunerative kinds of production as milk, beef, pork, meat and eggs of poultry, grain, potatoes, long-fibred flax, white beet and so on.

Our country is famous for its people who are hospitable, tolerant, hard-working and friendly. I'm proud of my country and its people and I'm happy that it is my homeland.