Belarus WATCH 42

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union, envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place and negotiations on further integration have been contentious. Since taking office in 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. Restrictions on political freedoms have tightened in the wake of the disputed presidential election in 2020. The election results sparked large-scale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election s validity. LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in 2020. Since 2022, Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.

Eastern Europe, east of Poland

total : 207,600 sq km land: 202,900 sq km water: 4,700 sq km

timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

large tracts of marshy land

total: 9,460,972 (2025 est.) male: 4,414,771 female: 5,046,201

Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)

Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.) major-language sample(s): Книга фактов о мире незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)

soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

name: Minsk geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the origin of the name is disputed; it may be derived from the Menka River

chief of state: President Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (since 20 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Alyaksandr TURCHYN (since 10 March 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly most recent election date: first election held on 23 June and 10 July 1994; the 1994 constitution set the next election for 1999, but Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA extended his term to 2001 via a referendum; subsequent election held in 2001; a 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed LUKASHENKA to run and win a third term (19 March 2006), fourth term (19 December 2010), fifth term (11 October 2015), sixth term (9 August 2020), and seventh term (26 January 2025) election results: 2025: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 86.8%, Sergey Syrankov (Communist Party) 3.2%, 3.6% voting against all 2020: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA reelected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 80.1%, Svyatlana TSIKHANOWSKAYA (independent) 10.1%, other 9.8%; note - widespread street protests erupted following announcement of the election results amid allegations of voter fraud 2015: Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA elected president; percent of vote - Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA (independent) 84.1%, Tatsyana KARATKEVIC (BSDPH) 4.4%, Sergey GAYDUKEVICH (LDP) 3.3%, other 8.2%. expected date of next election: 2030

legislature name: National Assembly (Natsionalnoye Sobranie) legislative structure: bicameral

$265.22 billion (2024 est.) $254.995 billion (2023 est.) $244.89 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$29,000 (2024 est.) $27,800 (2023 est.) $26,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5.8% (2024 est.) 5% (2023 est.) 15.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

China 34%, Kazakhstan 10%, Uzbekistan 7%, Poland 6%, Brazil 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

China 33%, Poland 16%, Germany 11%, Lithuania 10%, Turkey 9% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Belarus Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Force, Special Operations Force, Special Troops, Territorial Defense Forces Ministry of Interior: State Border Troops, Militia, Internal Troops (2025) note: in early 2023, President LUKASHENKA ordered the formation of a new volunteer paramilitary territorial defense force to supplement the Army

2% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)