The Republic of Belarus (also common, but not officially Belarus) is an independent unitary state in Eastern Europe with a territory of 207.6 thousand km 2 and a population of 9.5 million people in 2016. The capital and largest city is Minsk. State languages: Belarusian and Russian, head of state is the president.
Physiographic location
The country's area is 207.6 thousand square kilometers, which is 86th in the world. It is one of the largest European states and has no access to the sea. The north-west of the country borders on Lithuania, the west on Poland, the north on Latvia, the east on the Russian Federation, and the south on Ukraine.
According to 2016 statistics, the country's population was 9.5 million people, the average density was 46 people per square kilometer, with the majority of the population living in the territory of the largest agglomeration in the country, Minsk. The largest cities are Minsk and Gomel. The country is inhabited by representatives of more than 130 nationalities, Belarusians make up 84% of the population, Russians - 8.3%, Poles - 3.1%; Ukrainians - 1.7%, etc.
Relief features
Most of the country is represented by plains, 200-300 meters high. Mostly in the central part there are groups of small hills, which have the common name Belarusian Ridge. Here is the highest point in Belarus, Mount Dzerzhinskaya (345 meters), located on the Minsk Hills.
Nature
Rivers
Belarus is extremely rich in water resources; on its territory there are more than 20 thousand rivers, with a total length of 90 thousand kilometers, the largest of which are the Dnieper with its tributaries Pripyat, Sozh, Berezina, Western Dvina, Viliya, Goryn, Western Bug, Neman, united by a number of canals (Dnieper-Bugsky, Dnieper-Nemansky, Berezinsky)...
Lakes
There are more than 10 thousand lakes on the territory of the Republic (the largest of them are Naroch, with an area of 80 km 2 and Lake Osveya, its area is 53 km 2). In the south of Belarus, in Polesie, a huge territory of 39 thousand km is occupied by the Pripyat swamps, which are the largest wetland in Europe...
Forests
The forest resources of Belarus occupy a key position among its natural resources; they cover an area of more than 9 thousand hectares, which is 38.8% of the entire territory of the country. Most of the forests consist of coniferous trees, small-leaved trees (birch, alder, aspen) make up 36.5%, hardwoods (oak) - 3.5%. Based on a number of timber raw material indicators, Belarus is one of the leading European timber exporting countries...
Plants and animals of Belarus
About 28 species of trees and more than 70 species of various shrubs grow in the forests of Belarus; the most common are birch, pine, spruce, oak, and aspen; more than 20% of the entire territory is occupied by meadows and pastures, with herbs growing on them. More than 76 species of representatives of the order of mammals live on the plains and mountainous hills, the most common of which are deer, wild boar, elk, wolf, and beaver. The vast expanses of Polesie swamps have become a habitat for 300 species of birds; typical representatives of the avifauna in the swamps of Belarus are cranes, storks and herons. 63 species of fish were identified in rivers and lakes. To preserve populations of especially rare mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and insects listed in the Red Book of Belarus, special protected areas have been created, the most famous among them is the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park and Biosphere Reserve, where relict trees that are more than 500 years, and the bison population, which has long been destroyed by humans in other countries, is being bred...
Climate of Belarus
Belarus lies in a temperate climate zone, its western part is transitional from maritime to continental, formed under the influence of air masses blowing from the Atlantic. This causes periodic thaws in winter. The average temperature in July is +17,+19 0 C, in January - -5, -8 0 C, the amount of precipitation will increase from south to north, in the south it is 500 mm, in the northwest - 800 mm, the maximum falls in the autumn -winter period...
Resources
Natural resources
Belarus is rich in deposits of such minerals as potash and rock salt (Starobinskoye and Petrikovskoye deposits with billions of tons of salt). There are several dozen oil fields in the Gomel region, natural gas is also produced here in small quantities, and a promising deposit of brown coal and oil shale has been discovered in the Pripyat Valley. On the territory of Polesie there are large reserves of peat; there are more than 7 thousand peat bogs. Also on the territory of Belarus, ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, raw materials for the production of building materials are mined...
Minerals of Belarus
The main resources obtained on its territory for various industries are forests, peat deposits, small deposits of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, quartz sand, gravel, clay...
Industry and agriculture of Belarus
The most developed branches of industrial production in Belarus are mechanical engineering (automotive manufacturing - MAZ, BelAZ, production of refrigeration units - ATLANT, televisions - Horizon, Vityaz), metalworking, chemical and petrochemical industries, mining industry (potassium and rock salt) , electric power, food and light, woodworking and timber industries. Agriculture occupies a very important place in the country's economy and provides almost 8% of GDP; it employs about 10% of the country's total working population. Most agricultural products are produced by large farms, formerly collective and state farms, which receive millions in subsidies and support from the country's state.
Both crop farming and livestock farming are equally well developed in Belarus. The country ranks first among the CIS countries in per capita potato production, meat and milk production, third place after Kazakhstan and Ukraine in grain collection...
Culture
Peoples of Belarus: culture and traditions
The original and unique culture of the Belarusian people has a long history; it originates from the process of settlement of Slavic tribes and their interaction with the Baltic tribes that had previously lived on these lands. Then the culture of the Radimichi, Krivichi and Dregovichi tribes who settled here was greatly influenced by the baptism of Rus' in 988 and their adoption of Christianity. One of the most ancient monuments of East Slavic architecture that has come down to us is the Transfiguration Cathedral, erected by the architect John in 1161 in Polotsk. In those days when the territory of Belarus was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a large number of castles and fortresses, Gothic churches and Catholic churches were created...
Such celebrities as avant-garde artist Marc Chagall, the first female professor of mathematics Sofia Kovalevskaya, Soviet front-line writer Vasil Bykov, etc. were born in Belarus and showed their genius talent to the world. All of them are an integral part of not only Belarusian, but also the entire world culture in in general.
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The country is located in the central part of Eastern Europe, in the west of the East European Plain. Administratively, Belarus consists of 6 regions, including 112 districts and 12 cities of regional subordination.
Largest cities– Gomel, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Grodno and Brest.
Capital of Belarus- Minsk city.
Borders and area of Belarus
Common border with Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, Poland.
The republic covers an area of 207,600 square kilometers.
Map of Belarus
Timezone
Population
9,468,000 people.
Language
The official languages are Belarusian and Russian.
Religion
82.5% of the believing population are Orthodox, 12% are Catholics, 4% are Muslims.
Finance
The official currency is the Belarusian ruble.
Medical care and insurance
The level of medical care in medical institutions leaves much to be desired. This is due to the lack of highly qualified personnel. Medical care, even in Minsk, is not always high, but nevertheless of sufficient quality. The first visit to the doctor is free, further treatment is provided according to insurance. Medical insurance is recommended for all citizens visiting the republic. Traditional medicine is also popular. Ticks are active in forest areas in spring and summer.
Mains voltage
220 volt. Often there are old-style sockets without a grounding contact.
International dialing code of Belarus
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The Republic of Belarus is located in the eastern part of Europe. It covers an area of 207,595 square kilometers. More than nine million people live in this state. It is also a multinational country, with almost one hundred and thirty nationalities. Belarus is a member of the UN, EurAsEC, as well as other international structures. And as a full-fledged state, the country has state borders with its neighbors.
Who does Belarus border with?
The longest state border is with the Russian Federation. Its length is about 1280 km. The remaining countries bordering Belarus are Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia.
In second place is the border separating Belarus and Ukraine. Length - 1084 km. Belarus borders on the EU states from the west and north. So, its length is 398 km. Its length with the former republics of the USSR is: with Lithuania - 678 km; with Latvia - 173 km. The total land border of the Republic of Belarus is 2969 km. The country has no access to the sea.
Modern borders were actually established in 1964 based on a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which determined the size of the territory of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.
The states with which Belarus borders recognize their borders and have no territorial claims.
Russian-Belarusian border
It was formed from the moment Belarus and Russia acquired the status of separate and independent states. Until 1991, it was a conditional dividing line between the union republics of the Soviet Union. Now this border does not have any border crossing points or any checkpoints. In fact, it exists formally. There are no customs barriers. Of the total 1239 km of this border, it runs on land for 857 km. Along river beds, its length is 362 km. 19 km - along the lakes. Elements of border control on the Belarusian-Russian border were introduced in February 2017 by the Russian Federation. Russia created a border zone to ensure the security of the country.
Large Russian cities bordering Belarus: Velikiye Luki, Smolensk, Roslavl, Bryansk. Among the small border settlements are Nevel, Sebezh, Rudnya, Velezh, Klintsy, Surazh.
On the Russian side, the regions bordering Belarus are Pskov, Smolensk, Bryansk.
Also within the Republic of Belarus, Russia owns the Medvezhye-Sankovo enclave with an area of 4.5 square kilometers.
With most of the states with which Belarus borders, checkpoints have been identified within the framework of the Decree of the President of the Republic of May 10, 2006.
Belarusian-Ukrainian border
Its length is 1084 km. It starts from the junction of the states with the Republic of Poland in the west. And it ends in the east, at the triple junction with the Russian Federation.
The state border line was established by an agreement between these former Soviet republics of the USSR dated May 12, 1997. It received state status even earlier, in June 1993.
Until 2017, it existed only nominally. Crossing it was free. However, after it was simultaneously broken through by 200 violators from the Ukrainian side, the border on the Belarusian side began to be equipped with engineering barriers. Protective measures have been seriously strengthened.
Belarusian-Polish border
Has the status of a state border. Its length with the Republic of Poland is almost 399 km. In the north it begins at the triple junction with Lithuania and extends in the south to the border with Ukraine. It is legally defined as the border of the union state of Belarus and Russia with the European Union. Along its entire length it is equipped with engineering protection systems. Security is carried out by the Border Service of the Republic of Belarus.
13 checkpoints have been established with Poland. Of these: 4 - railway; 6 - automobile; 3 - simplified checkpoints.
Currently, work is underway to create another automobile checkpoint.
Belarusian-Lithuanian border
It has a length between the Republic of Belarus and Lithuania of 678 km. In the southwest it begins at the junction with Poland, and in the north it ends at the border with the Republic of Latvia. It is the border of the European Union.
Along its entire length there are 18 crossing points: 2 - railway; 5 - automobile, 11 - simplified passes.
Belarusian-Latvian border
It has a length of 172 km. It starts from the junction with the Russian Federation in the northeast and ends in the north, on the border with Lithuania. It is also part of the demarcation between Belarus and the European Union. Along its length there are 7 crossing points, of which: 1 - railway, 2 - automobile, 4 - simplified entry.
Diplomatic relations have been established and maintained with the countries with which Belarus borders.
The demarcation between Russia and Belarus runs along the former border between the RSFSR and the BSSR within the former Soviet Union, which existed as an administrative division line. Before 2017, there were practically no border control points. We can say that for citizens of the two countries, the border between Russia and Belarus was only on the map.
How to get from Russia to Belarus
So is there a border between Russia and Belarus? When traveling from Russia to Belarus and back, citizens are concerned about how it will look in practice, because crossing the border in most cases involves registration, inspection, various checks, and customs control. Crossing the border between Russia and Belarus occurs unnoticed. For citizens of two countries, it is enough to have a passport of the country of residence and documents for the car.
This is due to the fact that an agreement on friendship, cooperation and good neighborliness was signed between the fraternal countries in 1995. The border, which has a length of 1239 kilometers, of which 857 km runs on land, 387 km on water (rivers, lakes), was opened.
Is the border between Russia and Belarus closed?
As such, there was no border service on the border with Belarus; travel was free, but since 02/07/2017, a border zone has been created on the Russian side. This is due to the events in Ukraine, as well as the introduction by Russia of sanctions against a number of countries, in particular Poland, which borders Belarus. The need for creation was caused by the fact that it was across the border of this country that goods from countries against which sanctions were imposed went to Russia.
Immediately there was talk that the border between Russia and Belarus was closed. It should be emphasized that the border is closed to residents of other countries. This did not affect citizens of neighboring countries crossing the border.
Reasons for the appearance of the border zone
Moscow’s decision to introduce a border zone in the areas where the border between Russia and Belarus lies does not apply to Russians and Belarusians - it concerns foreigners. The Republic of Belarus has introduced a five-day visa-free regime for eighty countries, which is associated with the development of tourism in the country. This poses a certain threat to the Russian Federation. The introduction of a visa-free regime allowed citizens of other countries, taking advantage of the open border, to enter Russian territory without permission or registration.
The logic of such a decision can be justified by the fact that Belarus did not coordinate this decision with the Russian government in advance. According to the government of our country, it was necessary for three states - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan - to agree in advance on the list of visa-free countries. This was not done. In this case, there is a threat of the possibility of extremists entering Russia, in particular from Ukraine, smuggling contraband, drugs, and transit migrants from Asia through Europe.
Who will be affected by the creation of a border zone?
The changes will primarily affect people who have problems with the law in Russia, who are not allowed to travel abroad, and foreign citizens seeking to enter the Russian Federation through the Republic of Belarus, bypassing airports, taking advantage of the openness of the border, in other words, illegal migrants. The main reasons for organizing the border zone are to combat smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal transit migration.
As they explain, the border between Russia and Belarus for the crossing of citizens and cargo will remain open as before. The creation of a border zone does not mean conducting inspections of people and cars, and this cannot mean that inspection points will be opened across the border. Documents on the organization of border zones do not imply their opening and do not set a goal to limit the freedom when residents of neighboring countries cross the border line.
Where are the border crossings located?
Through the territories of which regions does the border zone pass, where is the border between Russia and Belarus? It runs along the line of contact with Belarus of three regions - Smolensk, Bryansk and Pskov. Border points will be located on the border with the Russian Federation. Work is currently underway to organize them.
Crossing the border by car
If you want to travel from any city in the Russian Federation to Minsk, then on your way there will be the border between Russia and Belarus. By car you will have to cross the border checkpoint, which is located on the territory of our country. There are no border checkpoints on the Belarusian side.
The width of the border zone is 5 kilometers. Border guards work here legitimately. Citizens of the two countries can travel calmly; crossing the border between Russia and Belarus will not cause any trouble. The rules remain the same. You can drive along the M1 "Minsk - Moscow" or A-240 "Bryansk - Gomel" highway without any permits. When the car moves through the border zone, it has the right to be stopped for document checks and random control.
It is possible to determine that traffic is passing through the border zone using special identification signs. If everything is in order with the passengers and nothing suspicious is found, then further passage will be unhindered. For residents living in areas adjacent to the border zones, movement will be free if they have a passport.
Required documents
When crossing the line where the border between Russia and Belarus lies by car, you must remember that to prevent misunderstandings, all necessary documents must be in order. The package of documents includes:
- Passport.
- Car documents and driver's license.
- Insurance document (relevant for Green Card holders).
Travel from Belarus to Russia is unhindered. Those traveling by car should remember that you may be asked how much alcohol you are carrying. The standard limit for transporting alcoholic beverages of any strength is 3 liters per person. The declaration is not filled out, but it should be remembered that there are transportation standards for certain goods. You can take with you:
- Personal belongings within 50-80 kg.
- Food 5 kg per person.
- No more than 1 block of cigarettes.
- 5 types of precious jewelry.
- Wristwatch 1 pc.
- Leather and fur items no more than 3 items.
- The cost of a transported video camera should not exceed 1 thousand euros.
Currency - dollars and euros can be carried without restrictions, but there is a norm for transporting Belarusian rubles. You can have no more than 500 times the minimum wage in this country.
Some rules for passing inspection
The question of whether there is a border between Russia and Belarus is not entirely correct. Of course there is. To avoid misunderstandings, it is necessary to remember that according to the existing legislation of Belarus, you need to purchase a medical insurance policy if you are a citizen of the Russian Federation, since Russians only receive emergency care. It is issued for 14 days, the cost ranges up to 500 rubles and depends on the company that provided it. You can buy it at the border.
The Republic of Belarus is within the coverage area of international vehicle insurance policies. If you don’t have a Green Card, you can purchase Belarusian insurance, which, depending on the type of car, is issued for 5 or 15 days, the cost can be up to 53 euros. Passenger cars do not need to go through customs; trucks do. The search is carried out only on a random basis, so you should not be surprised if the car is stopped and searched.
Crossing the border by rail
Crossing the border between Russia and Belarus is much easier than by car. To do this, you only need a passport and a travel card. Usually there are no checks. Border guards do not check documents or inspect luggage.
Small concessions have been made for passengers with children crossing the border. First of all, for a child under 14 years old you need to have a birth document, for over 14 years old - a passport. When a child crosses the border with one parent, certified consent from the second is not required. Consent from the parents, certified by a notary, is necessary only if he is traveling across the border without his parents.
