Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, a flat, forested land of marshes, rivers, and lakes lying between Russia and the European Union. Its name means White Rus, linking it to the medieval world of the Eastern Slavs. For much of its history its people lived within larger states, and the country bore some of the heaviest suffering of the twentieth century. Since independence it has remained closely tied to Russia under a long-serving authoritarian leadership.
The lands of Belarus were part of the early Eastern Slavic world and then became the heartland of the powerful medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a large state in which an early form of the Belarusian language served as a language of administration. Later absorbed into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and then the Russian Empire, Belarus saw repeated war and partition. After a brief attempt at independence amid the Russian Revolution, it became a Soviet republic, finally gaining independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
Belarus is a low, flat country of gentle plains, extensive forests, and large areas of marsh and wetland, including the vast Pripet Marshes in the south, one of the largest in Europe. Thousands of lakes dot the land, earning parts of it comparisons to a land of lakes, and slow rivers wind through the countryside. Much of the country is wooded, including a fragment of ancient primeval forest that shelters European bison, the continent's largest land animal.
The flag of Belarus is red over green, with a vertical band of red-on-white traditional ornamental pattern at the hoist. The red is said to represent the country's history and the valour of its people, the green its forests and fields, and the decorative pattern its rich folk heritage of weaving and embroidery. The design is based on the Soviet-era flag of Belarus; an alternative white-red-white flag, used briefly after independence, is favoured by the political opposition.
The majority of Belarusians belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, the largest faith and a part of national and cultural identity, with a significant Roman Catholic minority, especially in the west, reflecting the country's position between the Orthodox and Catholic worlds. Decades of Soviet state atheism left a strongly secular society, but religion revived somewhat after independence. Orthodox and Catholic churches alike are part of the country's heritage and the rhythm of its traditional festivals.
Belarusian cuisine is hearty and built above all on the potato, so central that the country is sometimes affectionately associated with it. The national dish is draniki, crispy potato pancakes served with sour cream. Pork, rye bread, mushrooms, and dishes thickened with potato or grain are staples, suited to a cool climate, and hearty soups and stews warm the long winters. The food reflects a rural, farming heritage and a culture of simple, filling fare.
Agriculture is an important part of the Belarusian economy, much of it still organised through large state and collective farms inherited from the Soviet era. The country grows potatoes in great quantity, along with grains, sugar beet, and flax, a traditional crop used for linen, and it has a significant dairy and livestock sector that supplies exports, chiefly to Russia. The flat, fertile, well-watered land supports this farming, though large areas were contaminated by a nuclear disaster.
Belarus's role at the heart of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and its repeated devastation in war, shape its history. It suffered terribly in the Second World War, losing a huge share of its population and seeing its cities, including Minsk, almost destroyed. In 1986 much of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, just across the border, fell on Belarus. Independence came in 1991, and the country has since been led by a long-serving authoritarian government closely aligned with Russia.
Belarus has a population of around 9.2 million people, the great majority ethnic Belarusians, an Eastern Slavic people, with a Russian minority. Both Belarusian and Russian are official languages, though Russian is the more widely used in daily life. The population is largely urban, concentrated in the capital, Minsk, a city rebuilt in monumental Soviet style after its wartime destruction. The country has experienced emigration and political emigration, especially in recent years.
