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Compare Belarus (2001) - Lithuania (2004)

Compare Belarus (2001) z Lithuania (2004)

 Belarus (2001)Lithuania (2004)
 BelarusLithuania
Administrative divisions 6 voblastsi (singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady, singular - horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk); note - when using a place name with the adjectival ending 'skaya' the word voblasts' should be added to the place name

note:
voblasti have the administrative center name following in parentheses
10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus
Age structure 0-14 years:
17.93% (male 947,820; female 908,210)

15-64 years:
68.21% (male 3,428,920; female 3,631,290)

65 years and over:
13.86% (male 473,992; female 959,962) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 309,736; female 294,129)


15-64 years: 68.4% (male 1,202,603; female 1,262,784)


65 years and over: 14.9% (male 184,145; female 354,502) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 136 (2000 est.) 102 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
33

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
19

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

under 914 m:
11 (2000 est.)
total: 28


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 14 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
103

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
10

1,524 to 2,437 m:
11

914 to 1,523 m:
14

under 914 m:
65 (2000 est.)
total: 74


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 67 (2003 est.)
Area total:
207,600 sq km

land:
207,600 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 65,200 sq km


land: NA sq km


water: NA sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas slightly larger than West Virginia
Background After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration but, to date, neither side has actively sought to implement the accord. Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Birth rate 9.57 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 8.49 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$4 billion

expenditures:
$4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1997 est.)
revenues: $5.427 billion


expenditures: $5.742 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital Minsk Vilnius
Climate cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 99 km
Constitution 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996 adopted 25 October 1992
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Belarus

conventional short form:
Belarus

local long form:
Respublika Byelarus'

local short form:
none

former:
Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania


conventional short form: Lithuania


local long form: Lietuvos Respublika


local short form: Lietuva


former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR) litas (LTL)
Death rate 13.97 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 11.03 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $1 billion (2000 est.) $7.671 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael KOZAK

embassy:
46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002

mailing address:
use embassy street address

telephone:
[375] (17) 210-12-83

FAX:
[375] (17) 234-7853
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen D. MULL


embassy: 2600 Akmenu 6, Vilnius


mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 09723


telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500


FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Valeriy TSEPAKLO

chancery:
1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 986-1604

FAX:
[1] (202) 986-1805

consulate(s) general:
New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Vygaudas USACKAS


chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860


FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466


consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York
Disputes - international none in May 2003, the Russian Parliament ratified the 1997 land and maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, which ratified the treaty in 1999, legalizing limits of former Soviet republic borders; both states also implement a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals transiting Lithuania to and from the Russian Kaliningrad coastal enclave; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights
Economic aid - recipient $194.3 million (1995) $228.5 million (1995)
Economy - overview Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprise. In addition to the burdens imposed by extremely high inflation, businesses have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, and retroactive application of new business regulations prohibiting practices that had been legal. Further economic problems are two consecutive bad harvests, 1998-99, and persistent trade deficits. Close relations with Russia, possibly leading to reunion, color the pattern of economic developments. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies. Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment remains high, still 10.7% in 2003, but is improving. Growing domestic consumption and increased investment have furthered recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and has moved ahead with plans to join the EU. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is nearing completion. Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.
Electricity - consumption 27.647 billion kWh (1999) 8.683 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 2.62 billion kWh (1999) 6.3 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 7.1 billion kWh (1999) 1.389 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 24.911 billion kWh (1999) 14.62 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
99.9%

hydro:
0.1%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Nyoman River 90 m

highest point:
Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m
Environment - current issues soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases
Environment - international agreements party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups Byelorussian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4% Lithuanian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Belarusian 1.6%, other 2.1%
Exchange rates Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 1,180 (yearend 2000), 730,000 (15 December 1999), 139,000 (25 January 1999), 46,080 (second quarter 1998), 25,964 (1997), 15,500 (yearend 1996); note - on 1 January 2000, the national currency was redenominated at one new ruble to 2,000 old rubles litai per US dollar - 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002), 4 (2001), 4 (2000), 4 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state:
President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)

head of government:
Prime Minister Vladimir YERMOSHIN (since 18 February 2000); First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey KOBYAKOV (since 13 March 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Mikhail DEMCHUK (since 14 July 2000), Mikhail KHORSTOV (since 27 November 2000), Valeriy KOKOREV (since 23 August 1994), Leonid KOZIK (since 4 February 1997), Gennadiy NOVITSKIY (since 11 February 1997), Aleksandr POPKOV (since 10 November 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via the November 1996 referendum); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

election results:
Aleksandr LUKASHENKO elected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 85%, Vyacheslav KEBICH 15%
chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)


head of government: Premier Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS (since 3 July 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the premier


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 13 June 2004 and 27 June 2004; premier appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament


election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%
Exports $7.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001)
Exports - partners Russia 66%, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Lithuania (1998) Switzerland 11.6%, Russia 10.1%, Germany 9.9%, Latvia 9.7%, UK 6.4%, France 5.1%, Denmark 4.7%, Estonia 4.3%, Sweden 4% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears the Belarusian national ornament in red three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red
GDP purchasing power parity - $78.8 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $40.88 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
13%

industry:
46%

services:
41% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 6.1%


industry: 31.3%


services: 62.6% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,500 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2000 est.) 9% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 53 00 N, 28 00 E 56 00 N, 24 00 E
Geography - note landlocked fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
Highways total:
63,355 km

paved:
60,567 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)

unpaved:
2,788 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1998)
total: 75,243 km


paved: 68,697 km (including 417 km of expressways)


unpaved: 6,546 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
4.9%

highest 10%:
19.4% (1993)
lowest 10%: 3.1%


highest 10%: 25.6% (1996)
Illicit drugs limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation
Imports $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities mineral products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, foodstuffs mineral products 21%, machinery and equipment 17%, transport equipment 11%, chemicals 9%, textiles and clothing 9%, metals 5% (2001)
Imports - partners Russia 54%, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Lithuania (1998) Russia 22%, Germany 16.1%, Poland 5.2%, Italy 4.3%, France 4.2% (2003)
Independence 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)
Industrial production growth rate 5% (2000 est.) 16.1% (2003 est.)
Industries metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earth movers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber
Infant mortality rate 14.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 7.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.61 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 200% (2000 est.) -1.2% (2003 est.)
International organization participation CCC, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NIB, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 4 (2000) -
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (1993 est.) 90 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives) Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the President
Labor force 4.8 million (2000) 1.642 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation industry and construction NA%, agriculture and forestry NA%, services NA% agriculture 20%, industry 30%, services 50% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries total:
3,098 km

border countries:
Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
total: 1,273 km


border countries: Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km
Land use arable land:
29%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
15%

forests and woodland:
34%

other:
21% (1993 est.)
arable land: 45.22%


permanent crops: 0.91%


other: 53.87% (2001)
Languages Byelorussian, Russian, other Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian
Legal system based on civil law system based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats)

elections:
last held October 2000 (next to be held NA)

election results:
party affiliation data unavailable; under present political conditions party designations are meaningless
unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, Homeland Union (Conservatives) 14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Union of Farmers and New Democracy 6.6%; seats by faction - Labor 39, Homeland Union 25, Social Democrats 20, Liberal and Center Union 18, Social Liberals 11, Union of Farmers and New Democracy Parties 10, Liberal Democrats 10, Electoral Action 2, independents 6
Life expectancy at birth total population:
68.14 years

male:
62.06 years

female:
74.52 years (2001 est.)
total population: 73.46 years


male: 68.22 years


female: 79 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
98%

male:
99%

female:
97% (1989 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.6%


male: 99.7%


female: 99.6% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, east of Poland Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
Map references Commonwealth of Independent States Europe
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm
Merchant marine - total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 296,856 GRT/317,731 DWT


by type: cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 8, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger 4


foreign-owned: Denmark 12, Netherlands 1


registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.)
Military branches Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards National Defense Volunteer Forces (SKAT), Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $156 million (FY98) $230.8 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (FY98) 1.9% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
2,729,956 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 943,063 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
2,138,743 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 738,602 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
86,396 (2001 est.)
males: 28,300 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union
Nationality noun:
Belarusian(s)

adjective:
Belarusian
noun: Lithuanian(s)


adjective: Lithuanian
Natural hazards NA NA
Natural resources forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas peat, arable land
Net migration rate 2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 1,470 km; refined products 1,100 km; natural gas 1,980 km (1992) gas 1,696 km; oil 331 km; refined products 109 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Agrarian Party or AP [Semyon SHARETSKY, chairman]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB [Viktor CHIKIN, chairman]; Belarusian Ecological Green Party (merger of Belarusian Ecological Party and Green Party of Belarus) [leader NA]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat or SDBP [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Socialist Party [Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV]; Civic Accord Bloc (United Civic Party) or CAB [Stanislav BOGDANKEVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDPB [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH, chairman]; Party of Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice or RPPS [Anatoliy NETYLKIN, chairman]; Social-Democrat Party of Popular Accord or PPA [Leanid SECHKA]; Women's Party Nadezhda [Valentina POLEVIKOVA, chairperson] Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor Party [Viktor USPASKICH, chairman]; Liberal and Center Union [Arturas ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Valentinas MAZURONIS, chairman]; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP; New Democracy and Farmer's Union or VNDPS [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; Social Liberals (New Union) [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS, chairman]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 10,350,194 (July 2001 est.) 3,607,899 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 22% (1995 est.) NA
Population growth rate -0.15% (2001 est.) -0.33% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Mazyr Butinge, Kaunas, Klaipeda
Radio broadcast stations AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998) AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios 3.02 million (1997) -
Railways total:
5,523 km

broad gauge:
5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2000)
total: 1,998 km


broad gauge: 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)


standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 169 km 0.750-m gauge (all service suspended) (2003)
Religions Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.49 male(s)/female

total population:
0.88 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female


total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly

domestic:
local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long; local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity - Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational

international:
Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access


domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber applications


international: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite
Telephones - main lines in use 2.313 million (1997) 824,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,167 (1997) 2,169,900 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995) 27


note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting stations, but may have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations (2001)
Terrain generally flat and contains much marshland lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Total fertility rate 1.28 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers 10.3% (2003 est.)
Waterways NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river systems 600 km (2004)
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