Belarus

Belarus (Belarusian language: Белару́сь, ''Biełaruś'', Russian (language): Белару́сь (formerly: Белору́ссия), Polish language: ''Białoruś'') is a landlocked nation of Eastern Europe with the capital Minsk. Belarus borders Poland on the west, Lithuania on the northwest, Latvia on the north, Russia on the east, and Ukraine on the south. The country is formally named the Republic of Belarus (Рэспу́бліка Белару́сь; Respublika Biełaruś) == Origin and history of the name == The spellings Belorussia and Byelorussia are transliterations of the name of the country in Russian (spelling), and are no longer widely used. Historically in English language, and today in some languages, Belarus was sometimes referred to as "White Russia" (a literal though not entirely correct translation of its name) or "White Ruthenia." The name "Byelorussia" is considered derogatory by some, as it reminds them of Russia and Soviet Union imperialism and policies of russification (the full title of the Russian tsar was "Emperor of All the Russias—Great, Minor, and White"). == History == The present Slavs population of Belarus settled there between the 6th and the 8th century. The Early East Slavs gradually came in contact with the Varangians and were organized under the Rus' (people), notably in the principality of Polatsk in modern-day northern Belarus. By the 13th century, the state of Rus was gravely impacted by the Mongols invasion. Belarusian territories were the core of newly created Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The city of Navahradak in today's western Belarus was the first capital of this state. This duchy as well included a number of territories of Rus' and Samogitia. There was no discrimination against any of nations or religions nor any major tension between them and people of them all dominated in their own regions. The Grand Duchy stretched across much of Eastern Europe from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea in 15th century. Since February 2, 1386, when Grand Duke Jogaila was crowned the King of Poland, Grand Duchy was joint with Poland in a personal union under one monarch. In 1569 Poland and Grand Duchy formally merged into the new state of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This union remained in force until the May Constitution of 1791, which abolished all the subdivisions of the states and merged into Kingdom of Poland. However, the new state was annexed soon afterwards by Imperial Russia, Prussia and Austria in the effect of the Partitions of Poland of 1795. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, at the end of the German occupation during World War I, on March 25, 1918 Belarusians declared their independence for the first time, but the Belarus National Republic (Беларуская Народная Рэспубліка) was short-lived and didn't manage to remain independent. In modern Belarus, Lukashenko's official historians disregard the date of the independence proclaimed by BNR, but many Belarusians celebrate March 25 every year both publicly and in private. In 1919, the Byelorussian SSR was declared, which in 1922 became one of the founding members of the Soviet Union. In World War II, Belarus was occupied by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1944. Another notable harsh period in Belarusian history was the Chernobyl accident of 1986. Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union on July 27 1990. On December 8, 1991, the leaders of Russia (Boris Yeltsin), Ukraine (Leonid Kravchuk), and Belarus (Stanislav Shushkevich) republics met in Belarus, in Belavezhskaya Pushcha, to issue a declaration that the Soviet Union was dissolved and replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States. ==Politics== Belarus is a republic governed by a Leaders of Belarus and a bicameral Parliament (National Assembly or ''Natsyyanal'ny Skhod''). The judiciary is headed by a Supreme Court and a Constitutional Court. Western world media, politicians and political scientists have increasingly labelled Belarus as Europe's last dictatorship due to the authoritarian rule of president Aleksandr Lukashenko. Belarus is the only country in Europe to be barred from full membership in the Council of Europe and to be identified by the United States as an "outpost of tyranny." During the rule of the current administration in Belarus there have been several cases of persecution, disappearance and mysterious deaths of prominent opposition leaders and independent journalists. Pavel Sheremet, a journalist criticizing the Lukashenko regime, was continuously persecuted for miscellaneous reasons. Dmitri Zavadsky, an opposition journalist, has disappeared. Anatoli Majsenia, chief of the anti-presidential Center for Strategic Initiatives, died in an automobile crash that looked like a staged accident. Mikhail Marinich, leader of the opposition, was jailed. Belarus is also the only country in Europe where capital punishment is still legal and executed. ==Subdivisions== {{main|Foreign relations of Belarus]} == Administrative division == At the higher administrative level, Belarus is divided into six provinces (''voblasts''), with Minsk city having a special status of the national capital. (Administrative centers are given in parentheses.) {| cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" |- | {| |- valign=top |*1 Minsk (capital) | |- |*2 Brest Province |(Brest, Belarus) |- |*3 Homyel Province |(Homyel') |- |*4 Hrodna Province |(Hrodna) |- |*5 Mahilyow Province |(Mahilyow) |- |*6 Minsk Province |(Minsk) |- |*7 Vitsebsk Province |(Vitsebsk) |} | |} Voblasts are further subdivided into ''raions'' (usually translated as ''districts''). == Geography == Although landlocked, it has 11,000 lakes. Three major rivers run through it: the Neman River, the Pripyat River, and the Dnepr River. Belarus is relatively flat and marsh-rich. The largest marsh territory is Polesie. Belarus' highest point is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill), 345 m, and its lowest point on the Neman river, 90 m. The natural resources of Belarus are forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay. See also: * List of cities in Belarus == Economy == Lukashenko launched the country on the path of "market socialism" in 1995. In keeping with this policy, Lukashenko re-imposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprise. In addition to the burdens imposed by high inflation, businesses have been subject to pressures emanating from both central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, and retroactive application of new business regulations prohibiting practices that had been legal. A lot of profitable businesses that were privatized during early 90's have now been nationalized or taken under over by the Presidential administration, businesses describe the current situation as "creeping nationalization." Further economic problems are two consecutive bad harvests, 1998-1999, and persistent trade deficits. Close economic relations with Russia remain extremely important for Belarus economy. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies. == Demographics == Belarus is primarily inhabited by Belarusians, and some Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and others. Most demographic indicators resemble other European countries, notably with both the population growth rate and the natural growth rate in the negative. == Religion == According to various estimates, 60 to 70 percent of Belarusians consider themselves Russian Orthodox, about 15 to 20 percent are Roman Catholics, and 5 to 10 percent are Protestants or of other faith. There are a considerable number of atheism. Historically the Belarusians have practiced a variety of religions including the Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic Church, and Protestantism. Since president Lukashenko in 1994 has come to power, the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus has been favoured by the government. This has been particularly evident in tax breaks that have allowed the Church to become a large-scale exporter of tax-free vodka and cigarettes. A new religion law was passed in 2003 against the will of Catholics, Protestants as well as other believers. They complain that it discriminates against them, giving preference to the Orthodox Church in many areas. (See also Kalvaryja cemetery, an old Catholic cemetery in Minsk). == Culture == See also: * Belarusian language * Music of Belarus * Belarusians, list of Belarusians * Belarusian media * Public holidays in Belarus * Art in Belarus == Symbols from earlier history == The images show the white-red-white flag (бел-чырвона-белы сцяг) and ''The Chase'' (''Паго́ня'', Pahonya) coat of arms. These historical symbols were adopted as the symbols of the Belarus National Republic and as the official national symbols of the Republic of Belarus from the time it got its independence in July 1991 and until the Referendum of 1995. The coat of arms is similar to that of Lithuania (Vytis). == Miscellaneous topics == * Communications in Belarus * List of Belarusian rulers * Transportation in Belarus ** Belavia (national airlines) * Military of Belarus * Belarus (tractor) * BelKA, the first satellite of independent Belarus == External links == * [http://www.pravapis.org/art_belarus_name.asp The 21 Names of Belarus] * [http://www.president.gov.by/eng/ President's official site] * [http://www.government.by/ru/rus_news.html Government of Belarus][In Russian] * http://www.belarus-misc.org/ * http://www.belarusguide.com/ * http://www.belarusinside.org/ * http://www.about-belarus.info/ * http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/chernobylheart/ Belarus ang:Hw�trussland bn:বেলারুশ bs:Bjelorusija cv:Белоруси fa:بلاروس hy:Բելառուս ht:Byelorusi ka:ბელარუსი la:Ruthenia Alba lv:Baltkrievija li:Wit-R�sland ms:Belarus zh-min-nan:Belarus na:Belarus nds:Wittrussland simple:Belarus yi:בעלאָרוסיע

Belarus

== Early talk == I felt the sentence :"Some Belarusians suggest the name "Byelorussia" is derogatory..." is incomplete an imprecise. First, it was unclear what exactly was deriding (I tried to clarify a bit); Second, it was unclear what was an alternative ("Belarus"); Finally, the word "suggest" is wrong IMO. The word "Byelorussia" was not used in derogatory sense (unlike, say "bul'bash" (potato-eater)). It was rather perceived as derogatory by growing (or rather rekindling) national self-consciousness and hence sometimes proclaimed as such. So I took the liberty to change it to "perceive". User:Mikkalai 18:55, 27 Nov 2003 (UTC) I suppose that version Belarussia is an effect of Russian propaganda. It is ridiculous from logical point of view. This is neither exact translation nor non slavic version of original Byelarus. Exact translation should be White Ruthenia (Ruthenia is Latin for Rus - Ruthenia Alba means is Belarus in Latin). It is true that many Belarusians and Ukraninians regard derogatory English translation of word Rus as Russia. From the historical point of view Rus should be translated as Ruthenia. An inhabitan of Rus is Ruthenus in Latin. In slavic languages (including Russian and Belorusian) there is clear difference between Rus (Ruthenia) and Rossiya (Russia). The first word regards to all East Slavic nations ( for example Belorusians and Ukrainians) as well as for historical Kievian Rus. The second one to Russia and Russian state only. So difference is as between Germanic and German (it would be ridiculous to call the English: German, wouldn't be?). So there is no Great Russia but Great Ruthenia! And the tsar is "the Emperor of Whole Ruthenia (!) - Great, Minor and White". I know that Ruthenia is used to name small teritory in Western Ukraine. But in this case the more proper would be: Carpathian Ruthenia (Karpatskaya Rus). I let myself to include in the article the forms White Ruthenia and Ruthenia Alba. http://www.pravapis.org/art_belarusian_adjective.asp In Wikipedia: Country names etymology. Regards, SF ---- "Emperor of All the Russias, Great, Minor, and White": In the English translation of the title, although grammatically correct, the primary idea of "Rus, one and indivisible" is lost as compared with the literal text: "Emperor of the Whole Russia, Great, Minor, and White", so the discussed statement loses some of its power. User:Mikkalai 01:49, 28 Jan 2004 (UTC) : Perhaps so, but "Emperor of All the Russias" is the generally accepted English translation (551 returns on Google versus 30 for "Emperor of the Whole Russia"). If you go for the latter I think the meaning won't be as clear, because it's simply not a title that people will recognise. -- User:ChrisO 19:17, 28 Jan 2004 (UTC) :: Yes, I've already noticed this. What do you think about paraphrasing: "... whose literal translation is: 'of the Whole'..."? Tsar's idea was to stress that there was one and the only Rus, not many Russias. This is the main derogatory part; not just in being a synonym, the latter would show some independence, but in being completely dissolved in "the whole Rus". User:Mikkalai 21:39, 28 Jan 2004 (UTC) ---- I removed Ivonka Survilla from "presidence" in the official template on this page. If someone wants to write about Belarus National Republic and link it to Belarus article, they are welcome. User:Mikkalai 03:10, 13 Feb 2004 (UTC) ---- "Emperor of All the Russias, Great, Minor, and White". Why are we using "All the Russias" here and not "whole Rus'" which is the meaning in Russian? Maybe Mikkalai can shed some light on the origin of this inadequate translation... Gaidash :I ain't no English expert. Possibly the wordwise does not sound correctly in English: "of the whole Rus: Great, Minor, and White": it might leave and impression that Rus is both Great and Minor, and White, too. BTW, in Russian the archaic version was abandoned: "Vseya Rusi" -> "Vserossiyskiy" User:Mikkalai 01:45, 10 May 2005 (UTC) ==Lacinica== Belarusian language is written not only in Cyrillic, but also in Latin script (''łacinica''). Perhaps we should indicate it also? E.g. Homyel' -> Homiel, Mahilyow -> Mahiloŭ, Vitsebsk -> Viciebsk, Baranavichy -> Baranavičy; Zhytkavichy -> Žytkavičy ... — User:Monedula 18:37, 15 Apr 2004 (UTC) :Belarusian language ''could be'' written, but usually ''is'' not written in Latin. Most languages could be written in most alphabets, Belarus was written in Latin at one point of time, but rarely is now. Of course, it should be mentioned at Belarusian language if it's not already. _