Belarus, country of eastern Europe. As of March 2022, countries or regions subject to U.S. sanctions (either unilaterally or in part) include Afghanistan, the Balkans, Belarus, Burma, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic. 5 Views From Belarus On The Country's Political Crisis. The Romanian Patronal System of Public Corruption (pp. 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 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. Russia agrees to sell Belarus gas at 60% below the price charged to other European countries, . 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. The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) was created in July 1920. The first coins of the Republic of Belarus were issued on 27 December 1996. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote; the Russian Federation and the CIS deemed the vote open and fair[152] while the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair. [57], Joseph Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Byelorussian SSR from Western influences. [258] The government's Ministry of Culture finances events promoting Belarusian arts and culture both inside and outside the country. [164] 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. During Soviet times, present day Belarus had a communist political system that was constitutionally defined as a Marxist-Leninist single party socialist republic guided in part by the political ideas of Karl Marx, one of the fathers of historical materialism, as well as by Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin. 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. It also blasted Belarus for being subservient to China. [136] The National Assembly is a bicameral parliament comprising the 110-member House of Representatives (the lower house) and the 64-member Council of the Republic (the upper house). [143], Belarus has often been described as "Europe's last dictatorship" by some media outlets, politicians and authors due to its authoritarian government. [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". Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. There were 679,000 unemployed Belarusians, two-thirds of whom were women. 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. [255] Minorities also speak Polish, Ukrainian and Eastern Yiddish. "People in these countries are virtually isolated from the rest of the world by authoritarian rulers who muzzle the media and keep a chokehold on information through restrictive laws, fear, and intimidation," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. The Belorussian senior group earned bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. [242] Minority groups include: Russians (7.5%), Poles (3.1%), and Ukrainians (1.7%). [222] In 2005, GDP increased by 9.9%; the inflation rate averaged 9.5%. [232] The ruble was reintroduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use ever since. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Around 1840 the Statutes were banned by the Russian tsar following the November Uprising. 1919 - The Russian Red Army conquers Belarus, and establishes communist rule. 96.19. [79] Most of Western Belarus became part of the Reichskommissariat Ostland in 1941, but in 1943 the German authorities allowed local collaborators to set up a client state, the Belarusian Central Council. Ever since the emergence of statehood in the territory of Belarus and up to the end of the 18th century, the country belonged to the Western, rather than Eastern, tradition of Christianity.. "About the Origins of the Names of White and Black Ruthenia"), (Joseph Juho), 1956. Belarus offers a distinct case of post-communist development, remaining Eastern Europe's most authoritarian state to this day. American taxpayers still give money to Communist China for. [122] About 40% of Belarus is covered by forests. 1921 - The Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland and Soviet Russia. Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with the capital Minsk. [227] In 2006, GDP amounted to US$83.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars (estimate), or about $8,100 per capita. 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. [139], The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister and five deputy prime ministers. [174] 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. We were very nervous . 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]. [35][36] In Russia, the usage of Belorussia is still very common. [37], In Lithuanian, besides Baltarusija (White Russia), Belarus is also called Gudija. [17][82][83] The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971. The former Soviet republic was occupied by the Nazis between 1941 and 1944, when it lost 2.2 million. In 1996, Lukashenko called for a controversial vote to extend the presidential term from five to seven years, and as a result the election that was supposed to occur in 1999 was pushed back to 2001. In the 19th century, Polish composer Stanisaw Moniuszko composed operas and chamber music pieces while living in Minsk. As of 2015[update], 69.9% of Belarus's population is aged 14 to 64; 15.5% is under 14, and 14.6% is 65 or older. The runner-up opposition leader Andrei Sannikov received less than 3% of the vote; independent observers criticized the election as fraudulent. (ed. NATO used to be much smaller, and it is only since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the break up of the Warsaw pact, the communist equivalent to NATO, that the organisation swelled its. [239][240], The banking system of Belarus consists of two levels: Central Bank (National Bank of the Republic of Belarus) and 25 commercial banks. [233] As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. Among the parties supportive of Lukashenko are the Communist Party of Belarus (KPB), a successor of the monolithic ruling Communist Party of the Soviet era; the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus; and the Agrarian Party. [123][124] The country lies within two ecoregions: Sarmatic mixed forests and Central European mixed forests. Other large cities are Mogilev (365,100), Vitebsk (342,400), Grodno (314,800) and Brest (298,300). [197] In July 2021, Belarusian authorities launched a hybrid warfare by human trafficking of migrants to the European Union. [54] However, the Ruthenian peasants continued to speak their native language. The Belarusian Constitution forbids the use of special extrajudicial courts. From manipulated elections, to a centrally planned economy, Dallas, TX: SIL International. 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. [158], 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. The Byelorussian SSR was the hardest-hit Soviet republic in World War II; it remained in Nazi hands until 1944. [57], Under Nicholas I and Alexander III the national cultures were repressed. [178] Demographic decreases in the Belarusians of conscription age have increased the importance of contract soldiers, who numbered 12,000 in 2001. [148][149] Re-admission of the country into the council is dependent on the completion of benchmarks set by the council, including the improvement of human rights, rule of law, and democracy. A well-known journalist in Belarus and a long-time correspondent for Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, 49-year-old Poczobut was also an activist for the Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB), a Polish minority organisation that has been delegalised by the Belarusian authorities. [246] Over 99% of Belarusians aged 15 and older are literate. The law was compared with serfdom by Lukashenko himself. [128] The country is in the transitional zone between continental climates and maritime climates. [247] There are about 0.87 males per female in Belarus. In the 9th century the territory of modern Belarus became part of Kievan Rus', a vast East Slavic state ruled by the Rurikid dynasty. . Economically, Belarus involved itself in the CIS, Eurasian Economic Community, and Union with Russia. Another hypothesis connects the word with the Gothic Kingdom that occupied parts of the territory of modern Belarus and Ukraine in the 4th and 5th centuries. [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. MOFA condemned the Chinese Communist Party's "continuous spread of false statements" and its practice of forcing other countries to agree with its claims. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market. [187][188] Similar regulations were introduced for the forestry industry in 2012. [166][167] Diplomatic relations remained tense, and in 2004, the United States passed the Belarus Democracy Act, which authorized funding for anti-government Belarusian NGOs, and prohibited loans to the Belarusian government, except for humanitarian purposes. After the World War, most literature focussed on war-related topics. [196] In May 2021, Lukashenko threatened that he will flood the European Union with migrants and drugs as a response to the sanctions. He garnered 45% of the vote in the first round and 80%[89] in the second, defeating Vyacheslav Kebich who received 14% of the vote. [45] There are no sources of military seizure, but the annals affirm the alliance and united foreign policy of Polotsk and Lithuania for decades. Belarus, by constitution, is a presidential republic with separation of powers, governed by a president and the National Assembly. (Eng. [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 other countries on the list are Eritrea, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Syria, and Belarus. [192], On 1 September 2020, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights declared that its experts received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people who were arrested during the protests following the presidential election. [123] 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. [157], In the 2020 presidential election, Lukashenko won again with official results giving him 80% of the vote, leading to mass protests. Receiving heavy sponsorship from the government, ice hockey is the nation's second most popular sport after football. [218] 449474, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 20:35. Beltelecom is the only operator licensed to provide commercial VoIP services in Belarus. [253] The Lipka Tatars, numbering over 15,000, are predominantly Muslims. [265][bettersourceneeded], After the Second World War, music focused on the hardships of the Belarusian people or on those who took up arms in defense of the homeland. [73][74] Nonetheless, compared to the (larger) Ukrainian minority, Belarusians were much less politically aware and active, and thus suffered fewer repressions than the Ukrainians. [205] Each region has a provincial legislative authority, called a region council (Belarusian: ; Russian: ), which is elected by its residents, and a provincial executive authority called a region administration (Belarusian: ; Russian: ), whose chairman is appointed by the president. Political activists like me should not be imprisoned simply for making YouTube videos. Bankers in China are being told to rectify their mindsets, clean up their "hedonistic" lifestyles and stop copying Western ways. [235] On 1 June 2011, Belarus requested an economic rescue package from the International Monetary Fund. Open. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. Though the opposition candidates, mostly associated with the pro-independence Belarusian Popular Front, took only 10% of the seats,[89] Belarus declared itself sovereign on 27 July 1990 by issuing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. ", "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. [66], The Republic of Central Lithuania was a short-lived political entity, which was the last attempt to restore Lithuania in the historical confederacy state (it was also supposed to create Lithuania Upper and Lithuania Lower). [38][39] The etymology of the word Gudija is not clear. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich and created the opera Sialanka (Peasant Woman). Under Lukashenko, 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. [90], Mass protests erupted in April 1991 and became known as the 1991 Belarusian strikes. [153], After the December completion of the 2010 presidential election, Lukashenko was elected to a fourth straight term with nearly 80% of the vote in elections. Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. It's just that, IMO, the data from the whole post-communist region show that the countries that adopted shock therapy fully actually ended [231], The labor force consists of more than four million people, among whom women hold slightly more jobs than men. The national football team has never qualified for a major tournament; however, BATE Borisov has played in the Champions League. Occupied by Nazi Germany, Belarus was retaken by Stalin's Russia in 1944 and remained under Soviet control until declaring its sovereignty on July 27, 1990 and independence from the Soviet Union on August 25, 1991. The judiciary comprises the Supreme Court and specialized courts such as the Constitutional Court, which deals with specific issues related to constitutional and business law. 275-316) Lszl Nndor Magyari [238] This redenomination can be considered an effort to fight the high inflation rate. On January 31, 1992, the U.S. Embassy . Washington CNN The US and NATO believe that Belarus could "soon" join Russia in its war against Ukraine, US and NATO officials tell CNN, and that the country is already taking steps to do. There is no better example of communism's. 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. 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. [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). [244] Gomel, with a population of 481,000, is the second-largest city and serves as the capital of the Gomel Region. so the map above is more of a modern representation of the countries that formerly made up East Europe. The 2000s saw a number of economic disputes between Belarus and its primary economic partner, Russia. [141] 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. Belarusian literature[259] began with 11th- to 13th-century religious scripture, such as the 12th-century poetry of Cyril of Turaw. At the talks in Beijing Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated Xi Jinping on the great trust demonstrated by the Chinese people at the National Congress of the Chinese Communist . About us. Upon the death of Kievan Rus' ruler Yaroslav I the Wise in 1054, the state split into independent principalities. Belarus is also known for its strong rhythmic gymnasts. [214], Belarus is a developing country. [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. [23][24], Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin heads the Ministry of Defence,[176] and Alexander Lukashenko (as president) serves as Commander-in-Chief. [55] The Belarusian territories acquired by the Russian Empire under the reign of CatherineII[56] were included into the Belarusian Governorate (Russian: -) in 1796 and held until their occupation by the German Empire during World War I. [269][270], The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the Kievan Rus' period. [183] However, Belarus cannot join NATO because it is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. [195], On 23 May 2021, Belarusian authorities forcibly diverted a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius in order to detain opposition activist and journalist Roman Protasevich along with his girlfriend; in response, the European Union imposed stricter sanctions on Belarus. [189] Belarus is the only European country still using capital punishment having carried out executions in 2011. [14][15][16][78] 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 28 October 1939 in Biaystok. [46] Trying to avoid the Tatar Yoke, the Principality of Minsk sought protection from Lithuanian princes further north and in 1242, the Principality of Minsk became a part of the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Geopolitically, Belarus. Formerly Communist countries (by current name): Formerly part of the Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. ), 2005. The Belarusian leader pointed out that NATO was quickly building up forces on the border with Belarus in Poland and in the Baltic countries Read more Moscow-Kiev talks to begin at 12:00 Moscow . [198] Lithuanian authorities and top European officials Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell condemned the usage of migrants as a weapon and suggested that Belarus could be subject to further sanctions. Several poets and authors went into exile after the Nazi occupation of Belarus and would not return until the 1960s. [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. Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the Eurovision Song Contest. [160][161] Belarus was a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus was one of the world's most industrially developed states by percentage of GDP as well as the richest CIS member-state. [248] Roman Catholicism is practiced mostly in the western regions, and there are also different denominations of Protestantism. Since then, it has maintained close economic and political ties with Russia. In addition, remains from the DnieperDonets culture were found in Belarus and parts of Ukraine. [50], On 2 February 1386, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were joined in a personal union through a marriage of their rulers. Along with neighbouring and mainly. Belarus has so far won five medals (two silvers and three bronzes) at the 2nd edition of the Children of Asia Games. The number of people employed in the industry is 34.7% of the working population. Darya Domracheva is a leading biathlete whose honours include three gold medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics. This is only a partial archive of certain expired general licenses likely to be of interest -- it is not an exhaustive list of every general license that may relate to OFAC sanctions programs. [228], Due to its failure to protect labor rights, including passing laws forbidding unemployment or working outside of state-controlled sectors,[229] Belarus lost its EU Generalized System of Preferences status on 21 June 2007, which raised tariff rates to their prior most favored nation levels. [132] Belarus and Lithuania ratified final border demarcation documents in February 2007.[133]. [219] In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed by industrial factories. In: Zeitschrift fr Slawistik 45 (2000), 200214. Wheat and rye bread are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. The Soviet Union by 1948 had installed communist-leaning governments in Eastern European countries that the USSR had liberated from Nazi control during the war. [180], Belarus has not expressed a desire to join NATO but has participated in the Individual Partnership Program since 1997,[181] and Belarus provided refueling and airspace support for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Published 1994, amended in 1996", "SectionV: Local government and self-government", "STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME", " ", " - ", " 434 20.10.1995. [160], The union of Russia and Belarus, a supranational confederation, was established in a 199699 series of treaties that called for monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common foreign and defense policy. 1919 - The Russian Red Army conquers Belarus, and establishes communist rule. [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. Lukashenko was officially re-elected in 2001, in 2006, in 2010, in 2015 and again in 2020, although none of those elections were considered free or fair nor democratic.[91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100]. The United States supports a sovereign, independent Belarus which respects the rights and voices of the Belarusian people. [85][86], By the late 1980s, political liberalization led to a national revival, with the Belarusian Popular Front becoming a major pro-independence force. The Belarusian government sponsors annual cultural festivals such as the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk,[257] which showcases Belarusian performers, artists, writers, musicians, and actors. [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. Belarus has competed in the Olympic Games since the 1994 Winter Olympics as an independent nation. . ", "Coordinates of the extreme points of the state frontier. However, its 60th place ranking in the United Nations' Human Development Index places it in the category of states with; "very high" human development. Many early Rus' principalities were virtually razed or severely affected by a major Mongol invasion in the 13th century, but the lands of modern-day Belarus avoided the brunt of the invasion and eventually joined the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Zarubintsy culture later became widespread at the beginning of the 1st millennium. Most major Belarusian banks are also under restrictions. During that time, 209 out of 290 towns and cities were destroyed, 85% of the republic's industry, and more than one million buildings. [213], As for 2019, the administrative-territorial and territorial units include 115 cities, 85 urban-type settlements, and 23,075 rural settlements. Anyone who remembers Ukraine in 1989. [47] Of the principalities held by the duchy, nine of them were settled by a population that would eventually become the Belarusians. [155][156] Six months later amid an unprecedented economic crisis, activists utilized social networking to initiate a fresh round of protests characterized by wordless hand-clapping. [121] It is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land. ", "Snapshot of the Belarus Country Profile", "UN human rights experts: Belarus must stop torturing protesters and prevent enforced disappearances", "Lukashenko blames Americans and drunks for Belarus protests", "EU imposes sanctions on Belarusian economy", "Belarus dictator threatens to 'flood EU with drugs and migrants', "Belarus dictator weaponizes illegal migrants against EU", "In Lithuania, Migrants Find Themselves Caught in a Geopolitical Battle", "Baltarusijos pareignai su skydais blokuoja migrant grinim: kadrai i pasienio", "Poland accuses Belarus of sending migrants over border as "living weapons" in "hybrid war", "Poland Says Belarus Is Letting Migrants Cross Border In 'Hybrid War' With EU", "Lukaenkos kerto akcija pasiek ir Latvij: i savait rykus nelegali migrant skaiiaus uolis", "US, EU, UK and Canada Announce New Belarus Sanctions", "SectionI: Principles of the Constitutional System. During this period, Anatoly Bogatyrev, creator of the opera In Polesye Virgin Forest, served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers. Each chamber has the ability to veto any law passed by local officials if it is contrary to the constitution.