| Revision as of 13:32, 1 May 2007 view source87.247.247.142 (talk) →Human rights situation← Previous edit | Revision as of 13:34, 1 May 2007 view source 87.247.247.142 (talk) →HistoryNext edit → | ||
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| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| gypsies run from russia for steal milk barrelski and call place they end up belarus. | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ] and the ], which eventually became the ]. | |||
| {{legend|hotpink|Kingdom of Poland}} | |||
| {{legend|lightpink|Duchy of Prussia, Polish fief}} | |||
| {{legend|plum|Grand Duchy of Lithuania}} | |||
| {{legend|lightgrey|Duchy of Courland, Lithuanian fief}} | |||
| {{legend|darkgrey|Livonia}} | |||
| ]] | |||
| ] in 1920.]] | |||
| ].]] | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|History of Belarus}} | |||
| Between the sixth and the twelfth centuries, what is now known as Belarus was settled by the ], who still dominate the country. The ] gradually came into contact with the ] and were organized by them under the state of ].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |ency=The Columbia Encyclopedia| edition= |year=2001-2005 |article=Kievan Rus |url=http://www.bartleby.com/65/ki/KievanRu.html}}</ref> | |||
| In the thirteenth century, several of the separate Ruthenian principalities were badly affected by a ] invasion. Later, parts of Rus were swallowed up by the ].<ref> - The Grand Duchy of Lithuania by Cheryl Renshaw. Published on June 5, 2002. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> Most of its population was ethnically slavonic. Slavonic lands enjoyed limited autonomy within Lithuanian state. Sometimes it is wrongly supposed that Belarusian was the official language of the state, because Latin, Old Russian (Ruthenian) and Polish were used side by side in state affairs. Belarusian language was born only in a middle of 19th century when Russian speakers in modern day Belarusian territory were subject to a heavy Polish cultural influence. At the beginning of 17th century Old Russian language was banned in Lithuania and replaced by Polish which was dominant for centuries already. Therefore the use of Old Russian (Old Slavonic-Ruthenian) was allowed in Ruthenian autonomies (principalities). Belarusian lands were easily incorporated into the Duchy within the next one hundred years, because of the strength of Lithuania and the threat of Mongols on modern day Belarusian lands. During this time, the Duchy was involved with battles between different forces. One of the major battles was between the Duchy and the ] at the ] in 1410. The Duchy won the battle and the victory allowed the Duchy to control the North-western borders of Eastern Europe.<ref>Ministry of Foreign Affairs . Published 2000. Retrieved March 22, 2007.</ref> Other miltary battles took place between the Duchy and the ] and the ], resulting in military victories for the Duchy.<ref>Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations. > Retrieved March 22, 2007.</ref> By the fifteenth century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched across much of ], spanning from the ] to the ]. | |||
| On ] ], ] ] was crowned ], and allied the Grand Duchy with ] in a ]. The union was formed between Jogaila and the daughter of King Luis of Poland, Jadwiga, by marriage. This was seen by the Polish as a move to end a union with Hungary.<ref>World History at KMLA . Published in 2000, updated in 2004. Retrieved March 22, 2007.</ref> In the early parts of the ] eventually resulted in the ], a ] ]. The ], led by Tsar Ivan the III, began military conquests in 1486 to try and gain the Kievan Rus' lands, specifically Belarus and Ukraine.<ref>Rice University . Authored by Andrzej Nowak. Published in January 1997. Retrieved March 22, 2007.</ref> The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795, with the commonwealth ] by ], ], and ]. Belarusian territories remained part of the ] until they were occupied by ] during ].<ref>Virtual Guide of Belarus . Published by Vladimir Novik in 1994. Retrieved March 22, 2007.</ref> | |||
| Belarus first declared independence on ] ], forming the ]. The Republic, however, was short-lived, and the regime was overthrown soon after the German withdrawal. In 1919, Belarus became the ] (BSSR). After Russian occupation of eastern and northern Lithuania, it was merged into the ]. After the ] ended in 1921, Byelorussian lands were split between Poland and the ], and the recreated Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the ] in 1922.<ref> - History of Belarus. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> | |||
| In September 1939, as a result of the ], the ] and ], including majority of Polish-held Byelorussian land.<ref> - Avalon Project, Yale Law School. Published in 1996. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> In 1941, ] ]. Byelorussia was occupied soon after and ] until 1944. Over one million buildings were destroyed and the human losses totaled over two million Belarusians.<ref>. United States Library of Congress, published 1995.</ref> The ] was devastated during ]. The population of Belarus did not regain its pre-war level until 1971. The Jewish population, however, never recovered.<ref name="warpop">{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/11.htm |title=Country Studies - Belarus - Stalin and Russification |accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref> | |||
| After the war ended, Byelorussia was among the fifty-one signatories to the founding of the ] in 1945. After the war, Belarus began a process of rebuilding, with help from Moscow. During this time, Belarus became a major center of manufacturing in the western region of the USSR. The increase in jobs brought in a huge immigrant population from the ].<ref name="Soviet-era">{{cite web |url=http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Belarus/History |title=iExplore - Belarus History and Culture |accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref> | |||
| Under the control of ], a policy of ] was started to "protect" Byelorussian SSR from influences by ]. <!--The plan was to have any trace of Belarus's cultural identity to be replaced by those of Russia.--> This policy involved sending Russians from various parts of the Soviet Union and placing them in key positions in the Belorussian SSR government. The official use of the ] and other cultural aspects were limited by ]. After Stalin died in 1953, his successor, ], continued this program, stating, "The sooner we all start speaking ], the faster we shall build ]."<ref name="warpop"/> When Soviet premier ] began pushing through his ] plan, the Belarusian people delivered a petition to him in December 1986 explaining the loss of ]. This event has been coined by historians as the "cultural Chernobyl". (Earlier that year, Belarus was exposed to ] from the explosion at the ] power plant in neighboring ].)<ref name="Gorby">{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/belarus/12.htm |title=Country Studies - Belarus - Perestroika |accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref> In June of ], ] were discovered at the city of ]. The graves allegedly contained about 250,000 of Stalin's victims.<ref name="Gorby"/> Some contend that this discovery was proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people, and caused some to seek independence.<ref name="massgraves">{{cite web |url=http://www.district87.org/staff/gordonr/russia/belarus.htm |title=Belarus Backgrounder |accessdate=2006-03-26}}</ref> | |||
| After the discovery of the mass graves by archaeologist ], it caused some Belarusians to press Moscow on why this happened. After clashes with the police, the ] was created in October of 1988, having ] as the chairman of the new party. Two years later in March of 1990, elections for seats in the ] of the BSSR took place. While only 10% of the seats were taken by the BPF, the populace was content with the selection of the delegates. Belarus declared itself sovereign on ] ], by the issuance of the ]. The BSSR became the Republic of Belarus on ] ], days after the coup on Gorbachev, even with the support of the ]. Days after the declaration, ] ] and his entire cabinent renounced their membership in the CPB, soon stopping the activities of the CPB completely.<ref name="byind">Country Studies . Library of Congress. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref> | |||
| Around that time, ] became Chairman of the ] of Belarus, the top leadership position in Belarus, after liberals replaced ] for siding with the coup. The white, red, white flag and the ] shield were chosen as the national ]. Shushkevich, along with ] of Russia and ] of ], met on ] ], in ] to formally declare the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the ], being headquarted in ]. In 1993, there was an agreement in the Supreme Soviet to reduce its service by one year, so that new elections could take place in 1994.<ref name="byind"/> | |||
| Before the ], two events occurred that shaped Belarus forever. First, Shushkevich was outed by a vote of no-confidence and replaced by a Kyebich ally, ]. In March of that year, a national constitution was adopted, which replaced the office of prime minister with that of a ]. With the first round of elections for president, the two candidates for the office were Kyebich and ], who campaigned on a plan to rid the government of corruption. In the second round in July, Lukashenko was declared the winner with over 80% of the vote.<ref name="byind"/> Since that election, Lukashenko has held the office of president, being reelected ] and ]. | |||
| There appears to be a movement in Belarus towards reuniting with ]. In November 2005, ] was sent to both ] and Lukashenko for approval.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20051114-102844-6237r.htm |title=Belarus union moves forward |first=Michael |last=Mainville |journal=The Washington Times |month=November 15 |year=2005}}</ref> This move, along with others, is part of the 1996 plan created by Lukashenko and former Russian President ] to create a ]. | |||
| ==Politics== | ==Politics== | ||
Revision as of 13:34, 1 May 2007
For other uses, see Belarus (disambiguation).| Рэспубліка Беларусь Республика Беларусь Republic of Belarus | |
|---|---|
Flag
National emblem
| |
| Motto: none | |
| Anthem: Мы, беларусы (Belarusian) My, Belarusy (transliteration) We Belarusians | |
 Location of Belarus (orange) | |
| Capitaland largest city | Minsk |
| Official languages | Belarusian, Russian |
| Government | Presidential republic |
| • President | Alexander Lukashenko |
| • Prime Minister | Sergey Sidorsky |
| Independence from the Soviet Union | |
| • Declared | July 27 1990 |
| • Established | August 25 1991 |
| • Completed | December 25 1991 |
| • Water (%) | negligible (183 km²) |
| Population | |
| • 2006 estimate | 10,293,011 (79th) |
| • 1999 census | 10,045,237 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
| • Total | $79.13 billion (64th) |
| • Per capita | $7,700 (78th) |
| Gini (2002) | 29.7 low inequality |
| HDI (2004) |  0.794Error: Invalid HDI value (67th) |
| Currency | rouble (BYR) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Calling code | 375 |
| ISO 3166 code | BY |
| Internet TLD | .by |
| |
Belarus (Belarusian and Russian: Беларусь Transliteration: Byelarus) listen is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordering Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk and other major cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk. One third of the country is forested, and industries such as agriculture and manufacturing are staples of the Belarusian economy. Belarus is one of the countries that was affected by nuclear radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident from the neighboring Ukraine.
At different points in its history, parts of Belarus have been under the control of several countries, including the Duchy of Polatsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. Belarus became a Soviet republic in 1922 (see Byelorussian SSR). The republic declared its sovereignty on 27 July 1990. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus officially declared independence on 25 August 1991. Since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko has been the country's president. During his rule, Lukashenko used Soviet-era policies, despite objections from Western powers. Belarus is currently in negotiations with Russia to unify into a single state: the Union of Russia and Belarus.
belarus (pronounced bel-anus)is a country which nobody knows exists. only queers and rapists are from belarus. It's name derives from the latin bell-endo originally translating as "visa?" or "you want marry daughter?"
History
gypsies run from russia for steal milk barrelski and call place they end up belarus.
Politics
man with most sheep run country. nice!
Human rights situation
human right? what is human right?
Provinces and districts
Belarus is divided into six provinces ("voblasts"), named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers. The city of Minsk, located in the Minsk province, has the special status of being a national subordinate, as it isn't included in any voblast. Subdivision into voblasts was inherited from the Soviet era. Voblasts are further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as "districts" or "regions"). Local legislative authorities (raisovet, "raion council") are elected by the raion's residents. Local executive authorities (raion administration) are appointed by higher executive authorities. In the same way, each voblast has its own legislative authority (oblsovet), elected by residents, and an executive authority (voblast administration), whose leader is appointed by the President.
(Administrative centers are given in parentheses)
- Minsk (capital)
- Brest Province (Brest)
- Homyel Province (Homyel)
- Hrodna Province (Hrodna)
- Mahilyow Province (Mahilyow)
- Minsk Province (Minsk)
- Vitsebsk Province (Vitsebsk)
Geography
who care?
Economy
The Belarusian economy remains mostly state-controlled, as in Soviet times. Over half of the business are state controlled and foreign ownership is under 4%. The country is relatively stable economically, but depends to a large extent on raw material supplies, such as oil, from its close ally Russia. Industry and agriculture remain largely in state hands. Agriculture is dominated by collective farming, with major sub-sectors being the cultivation of potatoes and cattle breeding.
Historically important branches of industry include textiles and wood processing. After 1965, creation of heavy industry and mechanical engineering (tractors, refrigerators, etc.) significantly strengthened the country's development. Within the Soviet Union, Belarus was one of the most industrially-developed republics. Economically, Belarus involved itself in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Eurasian Economic Community, and Union with Russia. Soon after 1990, industrial production plunged due to the introduction of free market structures into the former Soviet Union. Economic growth returned in 1996, and in 2001 Belarus was the first CIS country to reach Soviet-era levels of industrial production and agricultural production.
Gross domestic product (GDP) for 2005 was $79.13 billion (estimate), which equates to an annual income of approximately $7,700 dollar per head. In 2005, the gross domestic product increased by about 8-9%, with the inflation rate averaging about 8%. According to the UN, average monthly income grew from US$20 to US$225 during the last 10 years.
Over four million people comprise the labor force in Belarus, with women holding slightly more jobs than men. In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population were employed in industrial factories. Employment is also high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate, according to Belarusian government statistics, was about 1.5% in 2005. The number of unemployed persons totaled 679,000, with approximately two-thirds being women. The rate of unemployment has been decreasing since 2003, and the overall rate has been lower since statistics were first taken in 1995.
The currency of Belarus is the Belarusian ruble (BYR). The currency was introduced in May of 1992, replacing the Soviet ruble. The ruble was re-introduced with new values in 2000 and has been in use since. As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, there has been discussion between both states to use a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. This has led to the suggestion for the Belarusian ruble to be discontinued in favor of the Russian ruble (RUB), starting on 1 January 2008, according to Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. The banking system of Belarus is composed of thirty state owned banks and one privatized bank.
The Belarusian economy has been impacted by the political situations inside the republic. The impact is mostly felt in the form of sanctions against the country or the leadership of Belarus. For example, the European Union adopted Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 on 18 May 2006. The Regulation provided for a freeze on the funds of President Lukashenko and between 30 to 35 high-level officials of Belarus. The sanctions also provided for travel bans for the aforementioned leaders. The sanction was imposed by the EU after the nation-block declared that the 19 March 2006 elections were fraudulent and called for the crackdown on opposition groups.
Demographics
The majority of the population of Belarus are native Belarusians, who comprise 81.2% of the total population of 10,293,011 people. Russians are the second largest group, making up 11.4% of the population. Poles and Ukrainians account for 3.9% and 2.4% of the population, respectively.
Languages commonly spoken in Belarus are Russian and Belarusian. Both are the official languages of Belarus.
The population density is about 50 persons per square kilometer (127/sq. mi) and 71.7% of the total population lives in urban areas. Of the urban population, 24% live in Minsk, the national capital and largest city.
Most of the population, 69.7%, are between the ages of 14 and 64. Sixteen percent of the population is under 14, while 14.6% are age 65 or older. The median age of the population is 37. The average life expectancy for Belarusian citizens is 68.72 years; for males it is 63.03 years and for females it is 74.96 years.
The literacy rate in Belarus (the number of people aged 15 and older who can read and write) is 99%, with men at 99.8% and women at 99.3%. The male-to-female ratio in 2005 was estimated to be .88 males to every female.
Most demographic indicators for Belarus resemble other European countries, notably with both the population growth rate and the natural growth rate in the negative. The population growth is currently at −0.06%Template:Inote in 2005, with a fertility rate of 1.43. The population is also growing older, and by the year 2050, the majority of the population will be over the age of 50. The migration rate is +2.3 for every 1,000 people in Belarus.
According to the Save the Children international organization report (comparing 167 countries), Belarus has the highest rating for the quality of life for women and children among all countries in the former Soviet Union. Belarus ranked sixteenth for mothers' quality of life, fourteenth for a womans' quality of life and twentieth for the quality of life for children. The closest former Soviet republics are Estonia (18th for Women's rank), Ukraine (21/31/26) and Russia (27/34/64).
Much of the population is located in Minsk, the national capital of Belarus and, with 1,741,400 people, the largest city of the country. Homyel, with 481,000 people, is the second largest city of Belarus and serves as the capital of the Honyel Oblast. Other large cities are Mogilev (365,100), Vitebsk (342,400), Hrodna (314,800) and Brest (298,300).
Culture
The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the Kievan Rus' period. Due to the climate of Belarus, clothing that kept a person warm was required. The clothes that were made in Belarus were composed of either flax or wool and were decorated with ornate patterns and over time, has been influenced by the cultures of its neighbors: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Each region of Belarus has a specific pattern used on their designs. An ornament pattern used on some early dresses is current used to decorate the hoist of the Belarusian national flag.
Belarusian cuisine consists of mostly of vegetables, meats and breads. The foods that are considered to be staples of Belarus include pork, cabbages, potatoes and bread. Because of traditional cooking methods in the pre-Soviet era, foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. A typical Belarusian eats in a day a very light breakfast and two hearty meals, with dinner being the largest meal of the day. Wheat and rye breads are both consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful due to the conditions being too harsh to grow wheat. When greeting a guest or visitor, an offering of bread salt is presented to show hospitality. Drinks are also popular among the Belarusians, mostly Russian wheat vodka or kvass. Kvass is a type of soft drink that is made from either brown bread or rye flour that has been malted. Kvass can also be combined with sliced vegetables to create a cold soup called okroshka.
In the field of music, the first major composition by a Belarusian was the opera Faust by Radzivill and other opera pieces. In the seventeenth century, Polish composer Stanislau Maniushka resided in Belarus, composing many opera and chamber pieces while in Minsk. During his stay, he worked with Belarusian poet Vincent Dunin-Marcinkevich and created the opera Sialianka (Peasant Woman). At the end of the nineteenth century, the major cities in Belarus were forming their own opera and ballet companies. During the Soviet era, early music saw the creation of the ballet Nightingale by M. Kroshner. After the Great Patriotic War, the music focused on the hardship of the Belarusian people or on the Belarusians who took up arms in defense of the homeland. This was also the time period that A. Bogatyryov, the creator of the opera "In Polesye Virgin Forest," served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers. After independence, ballet is still important culturally to Belarus. The National Academic Theatre of Ballet, in Minsk, was awarded the Benois de la Dance Prize in 1996 as the top ballet company in the world. Modern music has seen a rise in popularity and creation among Belarusians. Famous rock bands from the country include NRM, Neurodubel, Ulis, Nowaje Nieba, and Krama. Several Belarusian acts perform in Poland and Lithuania, where the population of Belarusian speakers are very high. Poland is also the host of the Belarusian alternative music festival Basowiszcza. Since 2004, Belarus has been sending artists to the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Belarusian government sponsors many annual cultural festivals: "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk", "Minsk Spring", "Slavonic Theatrical Meetings", International Jazz Festival, National Harvesting Festival, "Arts for Children and Youth", the Competition of Youth Variety Show Arts, "Muses of Niesvizh", "Mir Castle", and the National Festival of the Belarusian Song and Poetry. These events showcase talented Belarusian performers, artists, writers, musicians, or actors. The festivals end with a ceremony where prizes are awarded in honor of famous Belarusian composers.
Several state holidays, like Independence Day or Victory Day draw big crowds and include various displays such as fireworks and military parades. Most of the festivals take place in Vitebsk or Minsk.
Belarus has four World Heritage Sites, two of them shared between Belarus and its neighbors. The four are: the Mir Castle Complex; the Niasvizh Castle; the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland); and the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Moldova, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine).
International rankings
Every year, several non-governmental groups and international organizations release ratings that compare various nations to each other on issues of government corruption, freedom in the press, economic activity and women's rights. This is a sampling of the various groups with their report, along with the results of how Belarus is ranked.
- Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers 2006, sixteenth for mothers, fourteenth for women, and twentieth for children out of 167 countries
- A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine: Globalization Index 2005, not ranked out of 62 countries
- Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal: 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 143rd out of 155 countries (with a score of 3.99, Repressed)
- IMD International: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005, not ranked out of 60 economies (countries and regions)
- The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 100th out of 111 countries
- Reporters Without Borders: Fifth annual worldwide press freedom index (2006), ranked 151th of 168 countries
- Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2004, ranked 74th of 146 countries
- World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, not ranked out of 104 countries
See also
References
- ^ Ministry of Statistics and Analysis Labor Statistics in Belarus. Published 2005. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
- National Bank of the Republic of Belarus History of the Belarusian Ruble. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
- "Russia-Belarus Union to have common currency starting from 2008". Retrieved 2006-03-26.
- Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom - Belarus. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty EU Sanctions on Belarus. Published in 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
- "CIA World Factbook (2005) - Belarus - People". Retrieved 2007-01-27.
- "Population Pyramid Summary for Belarus". US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
- "State Of The Worlds Mothers 2006" (PDF). Save The Children. Retrieved 2006-06-22.
- World Gazette Largest Cities of Belarus (2007). Published in 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
- Virtual Guide to Belarus Belarusian traditional clothing. Retrieved on March, 21, 2007.
- Flags of the World Belarus - Ornament. Published November 26, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- Canadian Citizenship and Immigration - Cultures Profile Project - Eating the Belarusian Way. Published in 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Institute of Agriculture and National Resources. Situation and Outlook - People and Their Diets. Published in April 2000. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- Virtual Guide to Belarus - Classical Music of Belarus. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
- Freemuse Blacklisted bands play in Poland. Published on March 17, 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
- National State TeleradiocompanyPage on the 2004 Belarusian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. Published 2004. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
- "Belarusian National Culture". Retrieved 2006-03-26.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publsher=ignored (|publisher=suggested) (help) - "Belarus - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Retrieved 2006-03-26.
External links
Miscellaneous
- The EU's relations with Belarus - European Commission website
- Current Status of United Nations Romanization Systems for Geographical Names of Belarus
- Template:PDFlink
Media
Governmental websites
- President's official site
- Government of Belarus
- Embassy of Belarus in the United States
- E-Government in Belarus
Informational/cultural
- A Belarus Miscellany
- The Virtual Guide of Belarus
- Belarus Inside - Belarus by Belarusians
- Web directory of Belarusian topics
- Belarus News and Analysis
- Dudutki Park: An outdoor museum
- Belarus National Tourism Agency
- Videos of Minsk
- Eating the Belarusian way
- Belarusian festivals
- History and Heritage of Belarus in photos
- Castles and Palaces of Belarus
- Media in Belarus
- "Belarus". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
- Chernobyl Children Life Line
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