Belarus
Welcome to Belarus
By Alexandr
Dec 18, 2005, 20:28

Welcome to Belarus!

Belarus (sometimes called Belorussia) is a former USSR republic which got its independence in 1991. It's a country with an ancient history that is rich in significant events. The notes about the first state on the territory of modern Belarus go back to the end of 10th century. The Republic of Belarus is situated in the Eastern Europe. It's bordered by Russia in the east, Ukraine in the south, Poland in the west, and the Baltic Republics of Latvia and Lithuania in the northwest. The territory of Belarus is 207 thousand square km. The population is 10.2 million.

Belarus has a generally flat terrain with many forests, lakes, and marshes. Nearly 80 percent of its people are ethnic Belarusians, and about three-quarters of its population live in urban centers. Belarus has a centrally planned economy dominated by state-controlled heavy industry. Its government is a presidential republic in which the executive is the chief authority. Official languages are Belarusian and Russian.

Perhaps Belarus is the only former USSR republic which retained a lot from its Soviet past. It can be easily seen once you arrive here. We have a lot of Soviet symbols in architecture. We retained Soviet names of the streets and even kept the Soviet holidays. We have got Lenin, the hammer and sickle, and rows of gray buildings. But we also have:

The capitol city, Minsk, offers the visitor a number of important attractions:

• Beautiful parks and museums including reputably the most impressive tributes to the Great Patriotic War (WWII).
• A myriad of entertainment and dining options from bowling to cafes, pubs, discos, shops, department stores, new internet clubs, and even several MacDonalds to cast the hunger, money, and night away.
• Modern, clean, and safe streets accompanied by an extensive transportation system - including one of the world's newest undergrounds - to make getting around a breeze.
• No open container law. Enjoy a beer in the park or on the street without being harassed by the police!

Minsk is on the way to many popular destinations and can be comfortably visited in one day, between trains, flights, and buses using an easy-to-obtain transit visa. Following is a partial list of nearby cities:

• Vilnius 172 km
• Warsaw 561 km*
• Moscow 641 km*
• St. Petersburg 863 km*
• Kiev 434 km*

*Overnight Train

Don't miss the opportunity to visit this intriguing and unique European capitol.