Statistical information Belarus 1992
Belarus in the World
Belarus - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: For centuries Byelorussia has been fought over, devastated, and partitioned among Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and, in World Wars I and II, Germany. After seven decades as a Soviet republic, the newly named Belarus declared its independence in August 1991. Itretains close political and economic ties to Russia.
Belarus - Geography 1992
top of pageLocation
Geographic coordinates
Map reference
Area
Total: 207,600 km²
Land: 207,600 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries: 3,098 km total; Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Coastline: none - landlocked
Maritime claims: none - landlocked
Disputes: none
Climate: mild and moist; transitional between continental and maritime
Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland
Elevation
Natural resources: forest land and peat deposits
Land use
Land use:
arable land: NA%; permanent crops: NA%; meadows and pastures
NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; includes irrigated NA%
NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; includes irrigated NA%
Irrigated land
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards
Geography
Belarus - People 1992
top of pagePopulation: 10,373,881 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Belarusian(s; adjective - Belarusian
Ethnic groups:
Byelorussian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Poles 4.1%,
Ukrainian 2.9%, Jews 1.1%, other 0.8%
Ukrainian 2.9%, Jews 1.1%, other 0.8%
Languages: Byelorussian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Religions: Russian Orthodox NA%, unknown NA%, none NA%, other NA%
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
Dependency ratios
Median age
Population growth rate
Birth rate: 15 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1992)
Population distribution
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: southern part of Belarus
Current issues note: landlocked
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Drinking water source
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
Education expenditures
Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Belarus - Government 1992
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
Government type: republic
Capital: Mensk
Administrative divisions:
6 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast');
Brest, Gomel', Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev, Vitebsk; note - all oblasts have the same name as their administrative center
Brest, Gomel', Grodno, Minsk, Mogilev, Vitebsk; note - all oblasts have the same name as their administrative center
Dependent areas
Independence: 1 January 1919 Belorussian Republic; 30 December 1922 joined with the USSR; 25 August 1991 redeclared independence
National holiday: 24 August (1991)
Constitution: adopted April 1978
Legal system: based on civil law system
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: universal at age 18
President: NA
Supreme Soviet:
last held 4 March 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (360 total) number of seats by party
NA; note - 50 seats are for public bodies
NA; note - 50 seats are for public bodies
Communists: NA
Executive branch: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral with 360 seats
Judicial branch: NA
Political parties and leaders
International organization participation:
CE, CIS, CSCE, ECE, IAEA, ILO, INMARSAT, IOC, ITU, NACC, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Martynov; Chancery at NA NW,
Washington, DC 200_; telephone NA
Washington, DC 200_; telephone NA
US:
Ambassador (vacant); David SWARTZ, Charge d'Affaires; Embassy at
Hotel Belarus (telephone 8-011-7-0172-69-08-02) plus 7 hours; (mailing address is APO New York is 9,862); telephone NA
Hotel Belarus (telephone 8-011-7-0172-69-08-02) plus 7 hours; (mailing address is APO New York is 9,862); telephone NA
Diplomatic representation
Flag description
: white, red, and whiteNational symbols
National anthem
National heritage
Belarus - Economy 1992
top of pageEconomy overview:
In many ways Belarus resembles the three Baltic states, for example, in its industrial competence, its higher-than-average standard of living, and its critical dependence on the other former Soviet states for fuels and raw materials. Belarus ranks fourth in gross output among the former Soviet republics, producing 4% of the total GDP and employing 4% of the labor force. Once a mainly agricultural area, it now supplies important producer and consumer goods - sometimes as the sole producer - to the other states. The soil in Belarus is not as fertile as the black earth of Ukraine, but by emphasizing favorable crops and livestock (especially pigs and chickens), Belarus has become a net exporter to the other republics of meat, milk, eggs, flour, and potatoes. Belarus produces only small amounts of oil and gas and receives most of its fuel from Russia through the Druzhba oil pipeline and the Northern Lights gas pipeline. These pipelines transit
Belarus enroute to Eastern Europe. Belarus produces petrochemicals, plastics, synthetic fibers (nearly 30% of former Soviet output), and fertilizer (20% of former Soviet output). Raw material resources are limited to potash and peat deposits. The peat (more than one-third of the total for the former Soviet Union) is used in domestic heating as boiler fuel for electric power stations and in the production of chemicals. The potash supports fertilizer production.
Belarus enroute to Eastern Europe. Belarus produces petrochemicals, plastics, synthetic fibers (nearly 30% of former Soviet output), and fertilizer (20% of former Soviet output). Raw material resources are limited to potash and peat deposits. The peat (more than one-third of the total for the former Soviet Union) is used in domestic heating as boiler fuel for electric power stations and in the production of chemicals. The potash supports fertilizer production.
GDP: NA - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --2% (1991)
Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real gdp growth rate
Real gdp per capita
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture products: accounts for 5.7% of total agricultural output of former
Soviet Union; employs 29 of the labor force; in 1988 produced the following in percent of total Soviet production: grain (3.6%), potatoes (12.2%), vegetables (3.0%), meat (6.0%), milk (7.0%); net exporter of meat, milk, eggs, flour, and potatoes
Industries: employ about 27% of labor force and produce a wide variety of products essential to the other states; products include (in percent share of total output of former Soviet Union): tractors(12%; metal-cutting machine tools (11%; off-highway dump trucksup to 110-metric- ton load capacity (100%; wheel-type earthmovers for construction and mining (100%; eight- wheel-drive, high-flotation trucks with cargo capacity of 25 metric tons for use in tundra and roadless areas (100%; equipment for animal husbandry and livestock feeding (25%; motorcycles (21.3%; television sets (11%; chemical fibers (28%; fertilizer (18%; linen fabric (11%; wool fabric (7%; radios; refrigerators; and other consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate --1.5% (1991)
Labor force: 5,418,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%, other 38% (1990)
Organized labor: NA
Labor force
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget: revenues $NA million; expenditures $NA million, including capital expenditures of $NA million
Taxes and other revenues
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance
Exports: $4.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Partners: NA
Imports: $5.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodoties: machinery, chemicals, textiles
Partners: NA
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt external
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates: NA
Belarus - Energy 1992
top of pageElectricity
Production: 7,500,000 kW capacity; 38,700 million kWh produced, 3,770 kWh per capita (1991)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions
Energy consumption per capita
Belarus - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephones
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Belarus - Military 1992
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Percent of gdp: $NA, NA% of GDP
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Terrorist groups
Belarus - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport system
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports: NA
Heliports
Pipelines: NA
Railways
Roadways
Waterways: NA km
Merchant marine: none - landlocked
Civil air: NA major transport aircraft
Ports and terminals
Belarus - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe