Belarus: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

News •

‘A restless and difficult night’ in the Baltics as NATO fighter jets fail to shoot down drone • Nov. 11, 2026, 6:14 AM ET (Euronews)

Belarus hosts trans-Atlantic security group's chief, part of efforts to improve ties with the West • Nov. 3, 2026, 9:13 AM ET (AP)

Evacuees reunite with family at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border after fleeing Oleshky • Oct. 31, 2026, 4:41 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Belorussia • White Russia • Byelorussia • Byelarus • Republic of Belarus • Respublika Byelarus’
Head Of State And Government	President: Alexander Lukashenko, assisted by Prime Minister: Alyaksandr Turchyn
Capital	Minsk
Population	(2026 est.) 904,000
Form Of Government	republic with two legislative houses (Council of the Republic [64¹]; House of Representatives [110])
Official Languages	Belarusian; Russian
Official Religion	none²
Official Name	Respublika Belarus (Republic of Belarus)
Total Area (Sq Km)	207,629
Total Area (Sq Mi)	80,166
Monetary Unit	Belarusian rubel (or ruble; Br)
Population Rank	(2026) 100
Population Projection 2030	9,195,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 112.8
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 43.5
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2023) 78.4% • Rural: (2023) 21.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 68.1 years • Female: (2021) 78.1 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 75,404
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 8,260
¹Statutory number. ²However, a 2003 concordat grants the Belarusian Orthodox Church privileged status.

Photos

Political map of Belarus showing its national boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries: Latvia and Lithuania to the north and northwest, Poland to the west, Russia to the north and east, and Ukraine to the south. The map includes a small inset locator highlighting Belarus's position within Europe.

Map highlighting Belarus in light brown at the center of Eastern Europe, bordered by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine, with its capital Minsk marked. Surrounding countries and nearby bodies of water, including the Baltic Sea and Black Sea, are also labeled.

Map of Belarus highlighting its physical features, including uplands, lowlands, plains, rivers, national parks, and nature reserves. Neighboring countries-Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland-are shown, and a small locator map in the top left corner marks Belarus's location within Europe.

Two wooden canoes rest on the grassy shore beside calm water in the Pripyatskiy Zapovednik Nature Preserve, Belarus, with open wetlands and a distant treeline.

Eastern Orthodoxy: Belarus

Facade and high white defensive walls of the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on Karl Marx Street in Grodno, with two towers topped with crosses and a red-tiled roof.

Belarusian rubel

Green Russian cannon displayed on a red brick platform at Brest Fortress, Belarus, with several other cannons and a large stone monument in the background.

National anthem of Belarus

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Topics

Alexander Lukashenko Avrom Sutzkever Europe collapse of the Soviet Union nation-state Collective Security Treaty Organization Minsk Commonwealth of Independent States Minsk Brest United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stands at a podium, wearing a dark suit and tie, speaking during a formal meeting.

Alexander Lukashenko

president of Belarus

default image

Avrom Sutzkever

Israeli writer

Map showing the countries of Europe with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.

Europe

continent

Minsk, Belarus

Minsk

national capital, Belarus

Minsk: National Library of Belarus

Minsk

province, Belarus

Baranavichy

Brest

province, Belarus

Vitsyebsk

Vitsyebsk

Belarus

Besed River

Homyel

province, Belarus

Vitsyebsk: Western Dvina River

Vitsyebsk

province, Belarus

Hrodna: castles

Hrodna

province, Belarus

Mahilyow

Mahilyow

Belarus

Hrodna: church of St. Francis Xavier

Hrodna

Belarus

Mahilyow: monastery of St. Nicholas

Mahilyow

province, Belarus

Mazyr: St. Michael's Church

Mazyr

Belarus

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Homyel

Belarus

Brest: Resurrection Church

Brest

Belarus

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Salihorsk

Belarus

Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)

Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

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Which Country Is Larger? Quiz

7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia

Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

The Country Quiz

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Countries of the World

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Countries & Their Features

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Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

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Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz