Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Covering an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) and with a population of 9.1 million, Belarus is the 13th-largest and the 20th-most populous country in Europe. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is administratively divided into six regions. Minsk is the capital and largest city; it is administered separately as a city with special status.
Some of the key events about Belarus
- 1918The German army occupied Belarus during World War I
- 1919The Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was established, granting Belarus a form of statehood
- 1941Nazi Germany invaded Belarus, leading to massive destruction and loss of life
- 1945Belarus became a founding member of the United Nations
- 1986The Belarusian State University was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for achievements in training qualified specialists
- 1986The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in neighboring Ukraine severely affected Belarus with radioactive fallout
- 1991Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union, becoming a sovereign state
- 1991The Belarusian economy collapsed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union
- 1994The country adopted its first post-Soviet constitution
- 1994The country's first presidential election was marred by allegations of fraud
- 1996Belarus became a nuclear-free state after transferring all its nuclear weapons to Russia
- 1996A controversial referendum expanded presidential powers, reducing democratic checks and balances
- 2001The National Library of Belarus, one of the largest in Eastern Europe, opened its new building in Minsk
- 2004Belarus won its first Olympic gold medal as an independent nation at the Athens Summer Olympics
- 2006The country's first satellite, BelKA, was launched into orbit
- 2006Presidential elections were widely criticized as undemocratic by international observers
- 2010Post-election protests were violently suppressed by authorities
- 2019Minsk successfully hosted the 2nd European Games, a major multi-sport event
- 2020Widespread protests erupted following a disputed presidential election, leading to a harsh government crackdown
- 2022Belarus faced international sanctions for its role in supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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