Belarus, country of eastern Europe. Until it became independent in 1991, Belarus, formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia, was the smallest of the three Slavic republics included in the Soviet Union (the larger two being Russia and Ukraine).
Belarus is a landlocked country bordered by Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest, by Russia to the north and east, by Ukraine to the south, and by Poland to the west. In area, it is roughly one-third the size of its southern neighbour, Ukraine.
Russian is considered an official language alongside Belarusian, and in capital city Minsk, the headquarters of the KGB – the Russian secret police and intelligence agency – are an imposing reminder of the nation’s history.
Belarus has a cool continental climate moderated by maritime influences from the Atlantic Ocean. Average January temperatures range from the mid-20s F (about −4 °C) in the southwest to the upper teens F (about −8 °C) in the northeast, but thaw days are frequent; correspondingly, the frost-free period decreases from more than 170 days in the southwest to 130 in the northeast. Maximum temperatures in July are generally in the mid-60s F (about 18 °C). Rainfall is moderate, though higher than over most of the vast Russian Plain of eastern Europe, and ranges from about 21 inches (530 mm) on the lowlands to some 28 inches (700 mm) on the higher morainic ridges. Maximum rainfall occurs from June to August.
Under the former Soviet government Belarus achieved virtually universal literacy. Education is compulsory from ages 7 to 16. Institutions of higher learning include the Belarusian State University (1921), the Belarus State Economic University (1933), and the Minsk State Linguistic University (1948), all in Minsk; the Yanka Kupala State University (1978) in Hrodna; the Francisk Skorina State University (1969) in Homyel; and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy (1848) in Horki. There are several medical, pedagogical, technological, and agricultural institutes as well. The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (1929) is the chief scientific organization in the country and is headquartered in Minsk.
With individual housing units largely limited to the suburbs and rural areas, apartment buildings are the most common form of housing in the cities. Many Soviet prefabricated apartment blocks survive today, although a number of new housing projects, especially in Minsk, have been constructed since independence. Most urban residents rent, rather than own, their apartments. Rents are subsidized and remain low, but the acute shortage of housing that existed during the Soviet period has continued to be a problem in the 21st century.
Belarus
, country of eastern Europe. Until it became independent in 1991, Belarus, formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia, was the smallest of the three Slavic republics included in the Soviet Union (the larger two being Russia and Ukraine). Belarus is a landlocked country bordered by Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest, by Russia to the north and east, by Ukraine to the south, and by Poland to the west. In area, it is roughly one-third the size of its southern neighbour, Ukraine. Russian is considered an official language alongside Belarusian, and in capital city Minsk, the headquarters of the KGB – the Russian secret police and intelligence agency – are an imposing reminder of the nation’s history.Belarus has a cool continental climate moderated by maritime influences from the Atlantic Ocean. Average January temperatures range from the mid-20s F (about −4 °C) in the southwest to the upper teens F (about −8 °C) in the northeast, but thaw days are frequent; correspondingly, the frost-free period decreases from more than 170 days in the southwest to 130 in the northeast. Maximum temperatures in July are generally in the mid-60s F (about 18 °C). Rainfall is moderate, though higher than over most of the vast Russian Plain of eastern Europe, and ranges from about 21 inches (530 mm) on the lowlands to some 28 inches (700 mm) on the higher morainic ridges. Maximum rainfall occurs from June to August.
Under the former Soviet government Belarus achieved virtually universal literacy. Education is compulsory from ages 7 to 16. Institutions of higher learning include the Belarusian State University (1921), the Belarus State Economic University (1933), and the Minsk State Linguistic University (1948), all in Minsk; the Yanka Kupala State University (1978) in Hrodna; the Francisk Skorina State University (1969) in Homyel; and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy (1848) in Horki. There are several medical, pedagogical, technological, and agricultural institutes as well. The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (1929) is the chief scientific organization in the country and is headquartered in Minsk.
With individual housing units largely limited to the suburbs and rural areas, apartment buildings are the most common form of housing in the cities. Many Soviet prefabricated apartment blocks survive today, although a number of new housing projects, especially in Minsk, have been constructed since independence. Most urban residents rent, rather than own, their apartments. Rents are subsidized and remain low, but the acute shortage of housing that existed during the Soviet period has continued to be a problem in the 21st century.
