After being part of the USSR for seven decades, Belarus became an independent country in 1991. It has still kept close relations with Russia, with political and economic ties keeping the two countries close. The first directly elected president, Aleksandr Lukashenk, was elected in 1994, and has since kept his position through authoritarian means. There are government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion.

General Information
Official Name: 
Republic of Belarus, Рэспубліка Беларусь (Bielarus), Республика Беларусь (Belarus)
Capitol: 
Minsk
Population: 
9,417,000
Languages: 
Belarussian, Russian
Geographic Region: 
Europe
Eastern Europe
Geographic Size (km sq): 
207,595
Year of UN Membership: 
1945
Year of Present State Formation: 
1990
Online Profiles
Key Statistics & Indicators
Gross Domestic Product (GDP, Nominal): 
$76.448 Billion
Per Capita Income (PPP Adjusted): 
$16,327 (CID)
GDP Growth: 
2.10 (%)
Human Development Index (HDI): 
0.79
Gini Index (Income Inequality): 
26.50
Unemployment: 
5.90%
Economic Grouping: 
Developing Country
History
International Relations
UN Voting Blocs & Caucuses: 
Eastern European Group
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
Major International & Regional Organizations: 
BSEC: Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone
CBSS: Council of the Baltic Sea States
CEI: Central European Initiative
CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States
CSTO: Collective Security Treaty Organization
EAEC: Eurasian Economic Community
EAPC: Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
EBRD: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
GCTU: General Confederation of Trade Unions
ICC: International Chamber of Commerce
ICRM: International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
IFRCS: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
IMSO: International Mobile Satellite Organization
Interpol: International Criminal Police Organization
IOC: International Olympic Committee
IOM: International Organization for Migration
IPU: Inter-Parliamentary Union
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
ITUC: International Trade Union Confederation
NSG: Nuclear Suppliers Group, aka London Group
OSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
PCA: Permanent Court of Arbitration
PFP: Partnership for Peace
WCO: World Customs Organization
WFTU: World Federation of Trade Unions
ZC: Zangger Committee
UN Specialized Agencies & Organizations: 
CD: Conference on Disarmament
CTBTO: Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency
IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
ICSID: International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
IFC: International Finance Corporation
ILO: International Labor Organization
IMF: International Monetary Fund
ITU: International Telecommunications Union
MIGA: Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
OPCW: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNWTO: United Nations World Tourism Organization
UPU: Universal Postal Union
WBG: World Bank Group
WHO: World Health Organization
WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO: World Meteorological Organization
WTO: World Trade Organization
Current UN Peacekeeping Missions: 
UNIFIL: UN Interim Force in Lebanon
Bilateral Relations
United Nations Data
Government Sources
UN Mission
136 East 67th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10065
(212) 535-3420
(212) 734-4810
belmission.contact@gmail.com
Nearest Transit Stop: 
68th Street, Hunter College

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