Belarus - the main facts

Lesson 8

Ex. 2

Official Name -Republic of Belarus

President of Belarus - Alexander Lukashenko (1994 - present )

Total land area of Belarus - 207,600 km²

Population – 9.463,3 million (on 1 January 2013)

• Life expectancy at birth – 70.6 years
• Population living in cities – 76.3%
• The capital is Minsk – 1.900,8 million inhabitants

Regional centres of Belarus (January 2013):

• Brest – 321,4 inhabitants
• Vitebsk – 360,3 inhabitants
• Gomel – 514,9 inhabitants
• Grodno – 352,4 inhabitants
• Mogilev – 366,8 inhabitants

Ethnicity

Languages spoken in Belarus –Belarusian and Russian

National holidays in Belarus: 15 March – Constitution Day (15 March marks the day in 1994 when Belarus established its new Constitution: April - Union Day of Belarus and Russia (This is the official holiday marking the union of the states of Belarus and Russia;2nd Sunday in May - Day of the National Emblem and Flag of Belarus (This holiday is dedicated to the main symbols of the country which embody the ideas of national unity and are the major attributes of sovereignty and independence in Belarus); 9 May - Victory Day (Victory Day commemorates victory in the World War 2 (known as the Great Patriotic War).During the war, 25 per cent of the population of Belarus died. The occasion is marked with a large parade in Minsk Victory Square led by war veterans);3 July - Independence Day (In Belarus, Independence Day is celebrated on 3 July and marks the liberation of Minsk in 1944 from fascist aggressors. The occasion is marked with a large military parade in Pobeditilei Avenue. Independence Day demonstrates the achievements of a sovereign Belarus and reminds the people that by suffering great loss, they have won the freedom of their country).

Other holidays and memorable dates in Belarus

Holidays:1 January –New Year;7 January- OrthodoxChristmas;23 February- Fatherland Defenders and Armed Forces day of the Republic of Belarus – a day that pays tribute to servicemen past and present, and recognizes all men too;8 March - Women’s Day. In modern Belarus 8 March is a celebration of love and respect towards women;1 May: Labour Day (Worker’s Day) - International Labour Day is one of the most popular holidays in Belarus. To celebrate there are lots of concerts and public entertainment and many families celebrate with picnics and barbecues.7 November- October Revolution Day;25 December- Catholic Christmas.

Memorable dates: Belarus officially established memorable dates to acknowledge victims of great tragedy and to pay respect to those that died: 9^th day after Orthodox Easter: Commemoration Day (Radonitsa) – on this day, people in Belarus usually visit cemeteries to pay respect and lay flowers on the tombs of relatives and friends; 26 April- Day of Remembrance of the Chernobyl tragedy;22 June-Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Great Patriotic War.

Apart from the official holidays in Belarus there are also popular ancient national holidays: 6 – 7 July: Kupalle – Celebrated over the entire night of 6 July, this holiday is accompanied by songs, dances and traditions such as fire-jumping and night swims.

National holidays when all offices are closed:

• 1 January: New Year
• 7 January: Orthodox Christmas
• 8 March: Women’s Day
• 9th day after Orthodox Easter: Radonitsa
• 1 May: Labour Day
• 9 May: Victory Day
• 3 July: Independence Day
• 7 November: October Revolution Day
• 25 December: Catholic Christmas

Currency of Belarus

Belarusian rouble (Br)

Main Business Partners of Belarus: Russia, Netherlands, Ukraine, Germany, Latvia,China, Poland, Italy, Lithuania, Brazil, Venezuela

Main Industries of Belarus: metallurgical, mechanical engineering, including tractors and agricultural, cars, machine-tool constructing and tool industry, instrument making, radio engineering, electro technical, electronic, optics-mechanical industry; and metal working, chemical and petrochemical, light industry, food industry

Agriculture: specializes in grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beet, flax, meat and dairy products

Natural resources: wood, peat, small oil and natural gas fields, granite, dolomite limestone, clay, sand

Number of people in employment

4.6 million (2012)

Internet users: more than 6.8 million