Fun Facts About Belarus

Minsk is the capital of Belarus.
Minsk is the capital of Belarus.

The Republic of Belarus is located in Eastern Europe. Its people are known for a good sense of humor, kindness and friendliness. A series of interesting facts about Belarus are listed below.

  • Belarus gained its independence in December 26,1991, but its independence day is celebrated each 3rd of July.
  • Once Belarus passed its constitution, the office of the president was created in 1994.
  • Alexander Lukashenko is the first and only President of Belarus. He has served as the president since he was elected in 1994.
  • The economy of Belarus mainly relies on agriculture and the manufacturing industry.
  • The average rate of unemployment in Belarus is 5.9%
  • The highest point in Belarus is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara, which is 345 meters (1,130 ft) above sea level.
  • The Białowieża Forest in Belarus hosts 800 European Bison, which is the heaviest land animal in Europe.
  • The rate of corruption in Belarus is very high, with very little protection of property rights.
  • As of 2016, Belarus was the 92nd most populous country in the world.
  • Russia is the biggest partner of Belarus, both economically and politically. Russia accounts for 48% of Belarus' external trade, while Belarus accounts for 6% of Russia’s trade.
  • The most popular sports in Belarus include handball, football, skiing, ice hockey, volleyball, biathlon, fencing, and wrestling.
  • Minsk is the capital city of Belarus. This is the most developed city in the country, and is supported by buses, trams and a metro system. It is the industrial and educational center of Belarus.
  • Minsk, also called the Green City, has more than 844,000 trees and an area of 72,766 meters squared.
  • The Svisloch River, which runs through Minsk, has 54 bridges traversing its width.
  • The capital has had to be rebuild repeatedly after burning down 18 times.
  • Minsk is also called ‘hero city’ for bouncing back after all its tragedies.
  • Independence Avenue in Minsk is the longest street in Belarus at 15 km.
  • Independence Avenue has had its name changed 14 times so far.
  • Almost 25 percent of the country’s population died during World War II.
  • About 45% of Belarus is covered by forests.
  • The primeval lowland oaks can only be found in Belarus' Pripyatski National Park.
  • The Bible was first printed in the Belarusian language in 1517.
  • More than 800,000 Jews were slaughtered in Belarus during World War II.
  • The Botanical Garden in Minsk is the third largest in Europe.
  • Belarus is famed to have produced around 68 Olympic champions in the past 50 years.
  • The death penalty has been abolished in the whole of Europe, except Belarus.
  • Belarus has a 99.7 literacy rate.
  • Belarusians have at least 300 recipes that include potatoes.
  • Belarus has a total of 101,700 km of highways, and 5,491 km of railways.
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