Belarus 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

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.

Economy

President 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 pressure on the part of 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.

Further economic problems are two consecutive bad harvests, 1998 - 1999 , and persistent trade deficits. Close relations with Russia , possibly leading to a political union, color the pattern of economic developments. 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.