The Republic of Belarus

              

The Republic of Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe. It borders on Latvia, Lithuania, the Ukraine, Russia and Poland.  Its present population is about 12 million people.

   

Belarus is a land of vast plains and picturesque hills, thick forests and green meadows, deep blue lakes and flowing rivers.

Forests cover 2/5 of Belarus, they are scattered all over the country. There are a lot of rivers and lakes in our country. 

The Dnieper, Pripyat, Beresins, Sozh, Zapadnaya Dvina, Neman are the biggest rivers with more then 500 kilometers in length. The largest lake in Belarus is Lake Naroch which stretches 13 kilometers from West to East. It is a very popular recreation area in our country.

 

Belarus has a moderately continental climate due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean with a warm winter and warm summer.

The history of Belarus goes back to ancient times beginning with the Polotsk Principality in the 10th century. As Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe many wars took place on its territory.

              
In the 20th century alone Belarus survived three revolutions and three bloody wars. The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was one of the most heroic and tragic periods in the history of the century. For three years the territory of Belarus was occupied by the Nazis.

The country lost more than 3 million people (every third citizen fell in the fight against fascism), many towns and villages were ruined. Belarus lost more then half of its national wealth.

    

Today Belarus is a developed industrial state. Industry makes up 70% of the Gross National Product. The main industries are engineering, chemical industry, wood-working industry, light and food industries.
The major industrial centres in Belarus are Minsk, Gomel, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Soligorsk, Zhodino, Brest and others. Belarussian goods are exported to many countries and are known all over the world.

            

The Republic of Belarus has a well-developed science and educational system. Nowadays in Belarus there are 43 universities, academies and institutes which provide training in various spheres of science and humanities.

                       

At present Belarus actively participates in an effective international partnership with the governments of different states and international organizations. As a co-founder of the United Nations, Belarus cooperates with various institutions and organizations of the United Nations, World Bank, World Health Organization, International Labor Organization, UNESCO, the European Union, etc. Belarus has a friendly working relationship with such countries as Germany, Denmark, France, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, The USA and many others.

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