Political parties and leaders:
pro-government parties: Belarusian Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail
SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic
Party) or BPR [Nikolay ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Communist Party of
Belarus or KPB [Tatsyana HOLUBEVA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
[Sergey GAYDUKEVICH]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice [Vasiliy
ZADNEPRYANYY]
opposition parties: Belarusian Christian Democracy Party [Pavel SEVERINETS] (unregistered); Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Sergey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV] (unregistered); Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Aleksey YANUKEVICH]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Hramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada ("Assembly") or BSDPH [Anatoliy LEVKOVICH]; Belarusian Social Democratic Party People's Assembly ("Narodnaya Hramada") [Nikolay STATKEVICH] (unregistered); Belarusian Women's Party Nadzeya ("Hope") [Yelena YESKOVA, chairperson]; Christian Conservative Party or BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; European Belarus Campaign [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Party of Freedom and Progress [Vladimir NOVOSYAD] (unregistered); "Tell the Truth" Campaign [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatoliy LEBEDKO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs (unregistered) [Sergey MATSKEVICH];
Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK];
Belarusian Association of Journalists [Zhana LITVINA]; Belarusian
Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK]; Belarusian Independence Bloc
(unregistered) and For Freedom movement [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH];
Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth
[Andrus KRECHKA]; Charter 97 (unregistered) [Andrey SANNIKOV];
Perspektiva small business association [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Nasha
Vyasna (unregistered) ("Our Spring") human rights center; "Tell the
Truth" Movement [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; Women's Independent Democratic
Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus (Malady Belarus) [Zmitser
KASPYAROVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Zmitser DASHKEVICH]
International organization participation:
BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD,
FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, PFP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Oleg KRAVCHENKO
chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986–1604
FAX: [1] (202) 986–1805
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael SCANLAN
embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya Street, Minsk 220002
mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723
telephone: [375] (17) 210–12-83, 217–7347 through 7348
FAX: [375] (17) 334–7853
Flag description:
red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country
National anthem:
name: "My, Bielarusy" (We Belarusians)
lyrics/music: Mikhas KLIMKOVICH and Uladzimir KARYZNA/Nester SAKALOUSKI
note: music adopted 1955, lyrics adopted 2002; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Belarus kept the music of its Soviet-era anthem but adopted new lyrics; also known as "Dziarzauny himn Respubliki Bielarus" (State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus)
Economy ::Belarus
Economy - overview:
Belarus has seen limited structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subjected to pressure by central and local governments, including arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. Continued state control over economic operations hampers market entry for businesses, both domestic and foreign. Government statistics indicate GDP growth was strong, surpassing 10% in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high rate of inflation and a low rate of unemployment. However, the global crisis pushed the country into recession in 2009, and GDP grew only 0.2% for the year. Slumping foreign demand hit the industrial sector hard. Minsk has depended on a standby-agreement with the IMF to assist with balance of payments shortfalls. In line with IMF conditions, in 2009, Belarus devalued the ruble more than 40% and tightened some fiscal and monetary policies. On 1 January 2010, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a customs union, with unified trade regulations and customs codes still under negotiation. In late January, Russia and Belarus amended their 2007 oil supply agreement. The new terms raised prices for above quota purchases, increasing Belarus' current account deficit. GDP grew 4.8% in 2010, in part, on the strength of renewed export growth. In December 2010, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to form a Common Economic Space and Russia removed all Belarusian oil duties.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$128.4 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $122.5 billion (2009 est.)
$122.3 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$52.89 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 0.2% (2009 est.)
10.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,400 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 $12,700 (2009 est.)
$12,600 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 42.9%
services: 48.1% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
5 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 75
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 34.7%
services: 51.3% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1%