Travelling Club - Belarus

Fact Sheet: Belarus

• Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland
• Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 28 00 E
• Area: total: 207,600 sq km
• Climate: cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
• Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland
• Natural hazards: NA
• Population: 10,293,011 (July 2006 est.)
• Ethnic groups: Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)
• Religions: Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
• Languages: Belarusian, Russian, other
• Government type: republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
• Capital: name: Minsk
• Currency code: Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)
• Exchange rates: Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002), 1,390 (2001)
• Internet country code: .by
• Airports: 86 (2006)