| AREA |
207,595
sq km (80,153 sq miles). |
| POPULATION |
10,236,127 (1997). |
| POPULATION DENSITY |
49.3 per sq km. |
| CAPITAL |
Minsk |
| CAPITAL
POPULATION |
1,679,500 (1997). |
| GEOGRAPHY |
Belarus is bordered
by Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and
the Russian Federation. It is covered largely
by forests and lakes which are rich in wildlife
and is crossed by major rivers such as the
Dnieper. |
| GOVERNMENT |
Republic since 1994.
Gained independence from the Soviet Union
in 1994. Head of State: President Aleksandr
Lukashenko since 1994. Head of Government:
Prime Minister Sergej Ling since 1997. |
| LANGUAGE |
The official languages
are Belarusian and Russian. |
| RELIGION |
Christian, mainly Eastern
Orthodox and Roman Catholic with small Protestant,
Jewish and Muslim communities. |
| STANDARD TIME |
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from
last Sunday in March to Saturday before
last Sunday in October). |
| ELECTRICITY |
220V, 50Hz. Adaptors
are recommended. |
| COMMUNICATIONS |
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