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[148][149] Re-admission of the country into the council is dependent on the completion of benchmarks set by the council, including the improvement of human rights, rule of law, and democracy. In the 1990s some raised the estimate even higher, to 2.7 million. [233] As part of the Union of Russia and Belarus, both states have discussed using a single currency along the same lines as the Euro. Its population is also aging; the median age of 3034 is estimated to rise to between 60 and 64 in 2050. ), 2005. Overall, 48.3% of the population is Orthodox Christian, 41.1% is not religious, 7.1% is Roman Catholic and 3.3% follows other religions. [150], Neither the pro-Lukashenko parties, such as the Belarusian Socialist Sporting Party and the Republican Party of Labour and Justice nor the People's Coalition 5 Plus opposition parties, such as the Belarusian People's Front and the United Civil Party of Belarus, won any seats in the 2004 elections. The victims were hospitalized with intramuscular bleeding of the rectum, anal fissure and bleeding, and damage to the mucous membrane of the rectum. [48] During this time, the duchy was involved in several military campaigns, including fighting on the side of Poland against the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410; the joint victory allowed the duchy to control the northwestern borderlands of Eastern Europe. [219] The country relies on Russia for various imports, including petroleum. We were very nervous . Vietnam. The chairs of executive committees for raions and city of oblast subordinations are appointed by the regional executive committees at the level above; the chairs of executive committees for towns of raion subordination, settlements and villages are appointed by their councils, but upon the recommendation of the raion executive committees. /TASS/. Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote; the Russian Federation and the CIS deemed the vote open and fair[152] while the OSCE and other organizations called the election unfair. Belarus, a country of about 9.5 million people which gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has a troubled record on human rights that has complicated its relationships with the U.S. and the EU for almost all its independence. When opposition protesters took to the streets in Minsk, many people, including some presidential candidates, were beaten and arrested by the riot police. The country, which is home to the capital city Minsk, is around 40% forest. This figure represented a staggering quarter of the prewar population. The present borders of Belarus were established during the turmoil of the World War Two. [219] In 2005, nearly a quarter of the population was employed by industrial factories. Noticeable gymnasts include Inna Zhukova, who earned silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Liubov Charkashyna, who earned bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and Melitina Staniouta, Bronze All-Around Medalist of the 2015 World Championships. It is bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The Belarusian team . ", "One Week After Election, Belarus Sees Giant Protests Against 'Europe's Last Dictator', "Belarus: inside Europe's last dictatorship", "Belarus's Lukashenko: 'Better a dictator than gay', "Belarus suspended from the Council of Europe", "Belarus Office of the Directorate General of Programmes", "OSCE Report on the October 2004 parliamentary elections", "Belarus in the aftermath of the Presidential election of 19 March 2006", "Police guard threatened to rape Belarus Free Theatre director after election protest", Belarus opposition leader Andrei Sannikov jailed, "Belarus: 7 presidential candidates face 15 years", "Why Belarus' Dictator Is Not Fond of Applause", "Belarus: EU imposes sanctions as Lukashenko orders police to clear the streets", "UNITED NATIONS MEMBER STATES | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases", "Russia-Belarus relations: The future of the union state", "CIS: Foreign Ministers, Heads Of State Gather In Minsk For Summit", "The U.S. Was Set to Send an Ambassador to Belarus. The Soviets invaded and annexed much of eastern Poland, which had been part of the country since the Peace of Riga two decades earlier. 1921 - The Treaty of Riga divides Belarus between Poland and Soviet Russia. [142], Lukashenko has been frequently described as the "last dictator" in Europe in media. [73][74] Use of the Belarusian language was discouraged. During this period, Anatoly Bogatyrev, creator of the opera In Polesye Virgin Forest, served as the "tutor" of Belarusian composers. Sino-Belarusian relations have improved,[169] strengthened by the visit of President Lukashenko to China in October 2005. The self-naming of Goths was Gutans and Gytos, which are close to Gudija. ", "Belarus Economic Crisis Deepens as Currency Plunges", "Security Council Press Statement on Minsk Bombing | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases", "Belarus's Protests Aren't Particularly Anti-Putin", "Protests in Belarus continue despite challenger's departure", "Belarus asks Lithuania to extradite opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya", "Lithuania to Belarus: 'Rather watch hell freeze over' than deliver Tsikhanouskaya", "Headquarters of Tsikhanouskaya, Coordination Council and National Anti-Crisis Management", "Belarus protests: Why Poland is backing the opposition", "Belarus opposition leader: Foreign mediation may be needed", "El Pais interview with HR/VP Borrell: "Lukashenko is like Maduro. [122] Three major rivers run through the country: the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnieper. [266] Rock music has become increasingly popular in recent years, though the Belarusian government has attempted to limit the amount of foreign music aired on the radio in favor of traditional Belarusian music. [66], The Republic of Central Lithuania was a short-lived political entity, which was the last attempt to restore Lithuania in the historical confederacy state (it was also supposed to create Lithuania Upper and Lithuania Lower). The National Bank of Belarus abandoned pegging the Belarusian ruble to the Russian rouble in August 2007. Tensions between NATO and Belarus peaked after the March 2006 presidential election in Belarus. [260], By the 16th century, Polotsk resident Francysk Skaryna translated the Bible into Belarusian. [140] The members of this council need not be members of the legislature and are appointed by the president. It was time yesterday. [248] Roman Catholicism is practiced mostly in the western regions, and there are also different denominations of Protestantism. Foods are usually either slowly cooked or stewed. The biggest of these was the Soviet Union (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) which was made up of countries such as Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia and a number of other countries. [209] In either case, the councils have the power to approve or reject a nonimee for executive committee chair. Centered on the historical capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilna (Lithuanian: Vilnius, Polish: Wilno), for 18 months the entity served as a buffer state between Poland, upon which it depended, and Lithuania, which claimed the area. KHATYN, Belarus Even by Soviet standards, the massive memorial complex near Minsk to the victims of Nazi atrocities stands out for its immense scale and ambition.Spread across half a million . [213], As for 2019, the administrative-territorial and territorial units include 115 cities, 85 urban-type settlements, and 23,075 rural settlements. [44] The Battle on the Nemiga River in 1067 was one of the more notable events of the period, the date of which is considered the founding date of Minsk. [38][39] The etymology of the word Gudija is not clear. [277], This article is about the Republic of Belarus. [252], Belarus was once a major center of European Jews, with 10% of the population being Jewish. The contested lands were divided between Poland and the Soviet Union after the war ended in 1921, and the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922. [244] Gomel, with a population of 481,000, is the second-largest city and serves as the capital of the Gomel Region. Each region of Belarus has developed specific design patterns. [60], In a Russification drive in the 1840s, Nicholas I prohibited use of the Belarusian language in public schools, campaigned against Belarusian publications and tried to pressure those who had converted to Catholicism under the Poles to reconvert to the Orthodox faith. [75] A Belarusian organization, the Belarusian Peasants' and Workers' Union, was banned in 1927, and opposition to Polish government was met with state repressions. Other aspects of life were explored by the Belarusian poets and novelists post the 1960s. [182] Belarus first began to cooperate with NATO upon signing documents to participate in their Partnership for Peace Program in 1995. [73][74] Nonetheless, compared to the (larger) Ukrainian minority, Belarusians were much less politically aware and active, and thus suffered fewer repressions than the Ukrainians. [204], Belarus is divided into six regions called oblasts (Belarusian: ; Russian: ), which are named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers: Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev, Minsk, and Vitebsk. [172] In addition to the CIS, Belarus is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (previously the Eurasian Economic Community), the Collective Security Treaty Organisation,[164] the international Non-Aligned Movement since 1998,[173] and the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). [90], Mass protests erupted in April 1991 and became known as the 1991 Belarusian strikes. Due to the cool climate, clothes were designed to conserve body heat and were usually made from flax or wool. [246] The average life expectancy is 72.15 (66.53 years for men and 78.1 years for women). However, its 60th place ranking in the United Nations' Human Development Index places it in the category of states with; "very high" human development. 275-316) Lszl Nndor Magyari This led to a proposal that the Belarusian ruble be discontinued in favor of the Russian ruble (RUB), starting as early as 1 January 2008. ", "Coordinates of the extreme points of the state frontier. [258] The government's Ministry of Culture finances events promoting Belarusian arts and culture both inside and outside the country. Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometre (127 per sqmi); 70% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas. [137], The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the prime minister, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. The welcoming ceremony also included the anthems of the two countries and the honor guard march. [160][161] Belarus was a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Belarusian government sponsors annual cultural festivals such as the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk,[257] which showcases Belarusian performers, artists, writers, musicians, and actors. [154] Many of the candidates, including Sannikov, were sentenced to prison or house arrest for terms which are mainly and typically over four years. We give money to Belarus, which is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's closest ally. Several state holidays, such as Independence Day and Victory Day, draw big crowds and often include displays such as fireworks and military parades, especially in Vitebsk and Minsk. Along with neighbouring and mainly. Under the 1994 constitution, the president could serve for only two terms as president, but a change in the constitution in 2004 eliminated term limits. Lukashenko was officially re-elected in 2001, in 2006, in 2010, in 2015 and again in 2020, although none of those elections were considered free or fair nor democratic.[91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100]. [120], Belarus lies between latitudes 51 and 57 N, and longitudes 23 and 33 E. Its extension from north to south is 560km (350mi), from west to east is 650km (400mi). [242] [256] Belarusian, although not as widely used as Russian, is the mother tongue of 53.2% of the population, whereas Russian is the mother tongue of only 41.5%.[255]. In culture and social life, both the Polish language and Catholicism became dominant, and in 1696, Polish replaced Ruthenian as the official language, with Ruthenian being banned from administrative use. Although Belarus is now an independent nation, it is also an isolated dictatorship that has in some ways remained unchanged since the 1990s, and is largely seen both culturally and. But since the mid-20th century, the number of Jews has been reduced by the Holocaust, deportation, and emigration, so that today it is a very small minority of less than one percent. The national hockey team finished fourth at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics following a memorable upset win over Sweden in the quarterfinals and regularly competes in the World Championships, often making the quarterfinals. The 2014 IIHF World Championship was hosted in Belarus and the 2021 IIHF World Championship was supposed to be co-hosted in Latvia and Belarus but it was cancelled due to widespread protests and security concerns. [246], According to the census of November 2011, 58.9% of all Belarusians adhered to some kind of religion; out of those, Eastern Orthodoxy made up about 82%: Eastern Orthodox in Belarus are mainly part of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, though a small Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church also exists. This is only a partial archive of certain expired general licenses likely to be of interest -- it is not an exhaustive list of every general license that may relate to OFAC sanctions programs. (Eng. [123][124] The country lies within two ecoregions: Sarmatic mixed forests and Central European mixed forests. The experts also received reports of violence against women and children, including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons. [122], Natural resources include peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomite (limestone), marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay. Geopolitically, Belarus. The Belarusian leader pointed out that NATO was quickly building up forces on the border with Belarus in Poland and in the Baltic countries Read more Moscow-Kiev talks to begin at 12:00 Moscow . [54] However, the Ruthenian peasants continued to speak their native language. [158], The Byelorussian SSR was one of the two Soviet republics that joined the United Nations along with the Ukrainian SSR as one of the original 51 members in 1945. At first, a policy of "Belarusianization" was followed in the newly formed Byelorussian SSR. . [236][237] A new currency, the new Belarusian ruble (ISO 4217 code: BYN)[238] was introduced in July 2016, replacing the Belarusian ruble in a rate of 1:10,000 (10,000 old ruble = 1 new ruble). The first one was the 2004 RussiaBelarus energy dispute when Russian energy giant Gazprom ceased the import of gas into Belarus because of price disagreements. Flutter Entertainment Plc: The online gambling firm reported higher full-year revenues and profits, after winning two million new monthly customers through acquisitions and newly legalized sports . The takeover was partially due to the lack of military coordination of the Balts, but their gradual assimilation into Slavic culture was peaceful in nature. The national awakening in today's Belarus is especially striking because it is taking place in a country that had previously clung to the traditions, symbols, and narratives of the USSR with more enthusiasm than any other former Soviet republic. The Belorussian senior group earned bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. While the world has just five truly communist countries, socialist countries (countries whose constitutions include statements about the protection and rule of the working class) are relatively common Examples include Portugal, Sri Lanka, India, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania. [193] At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in Okrestino prison in Minsk or on the way there. Wheat and rye bread are consumed in Belarus, but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. The title, "Socialism Is the Best Prophylaxis," comes from a statement made by Dr. Maxim Zetkin (1883-1965), the son of the communist and international women's rights activist Clara Zetkin . [191] Corrupt practices such as bribery often took place during tender processes, and whistleblower protection and national ombudsman are lacking in Belarus's anti-corruption system. The official version of events as publicised by the Belarusian government was questioned in the unprecedented wording of the UN Security Council statement condemning "the apparent terrorist attack" intimating the possibility that the Belarusian government itself was behind the bombing. [276], Belarus has four UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites: the Mir Castle Complex, the Nesvizh Castle, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha (shared with Poland), and the Struve Geodetic Arc (shared with nine other countries). While Russia is no longer communist, its president, Vladimir Putin, considers the fall of the Soviet Union the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century" and is currently (as of. [51] This union set in motion the developments that eventually resulted in the formation of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, created in 1569 by the Union of Lublin. The red-green flag, which has an embroidered pattern along one side, was introduced in 1951, when Belarus won a seat at the UN despite still being part of the Soviet Union. NATO used to be much smaller, and it is only since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the break up of the Warsaw pact, the communist equivalent to NATO, that the organisation swelled its. Anyone from outside the duchy gaining rights to a property would actually own it only after swearing allegiance to the Grand Duke of Lithuania (a title dually held by the King of Poland).