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Compare Belarus (2004) - Nepal (2003)

Compare Belarus (2004) z Nepal (2003)

 Belarus (2004)Nepal (2003)
 BelarusNepal
Administrative divisions 6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk


note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Age structure 0-14 years: 16.3% (male 859,219; female 823,839)


15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,469,926; female 3,662,203)


65 years and over: 14.5% (male 496,204; female 999,129) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,424,396; female 5,080,171)


15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,692,134; female 7,320,059)


65 years and over: 3.6% (male 468,697; female 484,112) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Airports 135 (2003 est.) 45 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 50


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 21


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


under 914 m: 21 (2003 est.)
total: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 85


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 64 (2003 est.)
total: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 28 (2002)
Area total: 207,600 sq km


land: 207,600 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 140,800 sq km


land: 136,800 sq km


water: 4,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas slightly larger than Arkansas
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. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime. In 2001, the Crown Prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. The country is now governed by the king and his appointed cabinet, which has negotiated a cease-fire with the Maoist insurgents, until elections can be held at some unspecified future date.
Birth rate 10.52 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 32.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.976 billion


expenditures: $3.211 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (2003 est.)
revenues: $665 million


expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00 est.)
Capital Minsk Kathmandu
Climate cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits 9 November 1990
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: Kingdom of Nepal


conventional short form: Nepal
Currency Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR) Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Death rate 14.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $851 million (2001 est.) $2.55 billion (FY 00/01)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador George A. KROL


embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002


mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723


telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348


FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI


embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [977] (1) 411179


FAX: [977] (1) 419963
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV


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-designate Jai Pratap RANA


chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550


FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain undemarcated despite European Union financial support joint border commission continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents
Economic aid - recipient $194.3 million (1995) $424 million (FY 00/01)
Economy - overview Belarus' economy in 2003 posted 6.1 percent growth and is likely to continue expanding through 2004, albeit at a slower growth rate. The Belarusian economy in 2004 is likely to be hampered by high inflation, persistent trade deficits, and ongoing rocky relations with Russia, Belarus' largest trading partner and energy supplier. 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 enterprises. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies. Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 42% of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Textile and carpet production, accounting for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in recent years, contracted in 2001-02 due to the overall slowdown in the world economy and pressures by Maoist insurgents on factory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US have led to a decrease in tourism, another key source of foreign exchange. Since 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms, e.g., by reducing business licenses and registration requirements to simplify investment procedures, reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community's role of funding more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of growth.
Electricity - consumption 26.69 billion kWh (2001) 1.764 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 300 million kWh (2001) 95 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 4.3 billion kWh (2001) 227 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 24.4 billion kWh (2001) 1.755 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 8.5%


hydro: 91.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m


highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)
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 deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4% Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
Exchange rates Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 1,790.92 (2003), 1,920 (2002), 1,390 (2001), 876.75 (2000), 248.795 (1999) Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)


head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (since 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei KOBYAKOV (since December 2003), Vladimir DRAZHIN (since 24 September 2001), Ivan BAMBIZA (since 25 May 2004), Anatoly TYUTYUNOV (since July 2002)


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; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; new election held 9 September 2001; October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits allowing president to run for a third term in September 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%
chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)


head of government: Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch


note: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a bloody shooting at the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also claimed the lives of most of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is believed to have been responsible for the shootings before fatally wounding himself; immediately following the shootings and while still clinging to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three days later and was succeeded by his uncle
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals; textiles, foodstuffs carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports - partners Russia 49.1%, UK 9.4%, Poland 4.4%, Germany 4.2%, Netherlands 4.2% (2003) India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year 16 July - 15 July
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 Belarusian national ornamention in red red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
GDP purchasing power parity - $62.56 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 11.1%


industry: 36.4%


services: 52.5% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 40%


industry: 20%


services: 40% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,100 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.8% (2003 est.) -0.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 53 00 N, 28 00 E 28 00 N, 84 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with China
Heliports 1 (2003 est.) -
Highways total: 74,385 km


paved: 66,203 km


unpaved: 8,182 km (2000)
total: 13,223 km


paved: 4,073 km


unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 5.1%


highest 10%: 20% (1998)
lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)
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; a small and lightly regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports - partners Russia 65.8%, Germany 7.1%, Ukraine 3.1% (2003) India 21.2%, China 13%, UAE 11.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1% (2002)
Independence 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Industrial production growth rate 5% (2003 est.) 8.7% (FY 99/00)
Industries metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production
Infant mortality rate total: 13.62 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 12.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 70.57 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 68.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 72.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 28.2% (2003 est.) 2.8% (2001 est.)
International organization participation CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 6 (2000)
Irrigated land 1,150 sq km (1998 est.) 11,350 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) Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Council)
Labor force 4.8 million (2000 est.) 10 million


note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation NA agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%
Land boundaries total: 2,900 km


border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
total: 2,926 km


border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Land use arable land: 29.55%


permanent crops: 0.6%


other: 69.85% (2001)
arable land: 20.27%


permanent crops: 0.49%


other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
Languages Belarusian, Russian, other Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)
Legal system based on civil law system based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteliy (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms)


elections: last held 18 March and 1 April 2001 and 17 and 31 October 2004 (bi-election will be held March 2005 to fill one unfilled seat in the Palata Predstaviteliy); international observers widely denounced the October 2004 elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on massive government falsification; pro-Lukashenko candidates won every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for technical reasons


election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Palata Pretsaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA
bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA)


note: Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002


election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 10.4%, NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP 11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.57 years


male: 62.79 years


female: 74.65 years (2004 est.)
total population: 59 years


male: 59.36 years


female: 58.63 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.6%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.5% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 45.2%


male: 62.7%


female: 27.6% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, east of Poland Southern Asia, between China and India
Map references Europe Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Military branches Army, Air and Air Defense Force Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $176.1 million (FY02) $57.22 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.4% (FY02) 1.1% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 2,764,856 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 6,674,014 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 2,164,923 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 3,467,511 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 86,716 (2004 est.) males: 303,222 (2003 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 Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)
Nationality noun: Belarusian(s)


adjective: Belarusian
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)


adjective: Nepalese
Natural hazards NA severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Natural resources forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Net migration rate 2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 5,223 km; oil 2,443 km; refined products 1,686 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders Pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Social-Sports Party; Opposition parties: Belarusian Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat Party Narodnaya Gromada or BSDP NG [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LEBEDKO]; Party of Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson]


note: the opposition Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV] was liquidated in August 2004, but remains active
Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; National People's Front (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra Bahadur, chairman]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [Lila Mani POKHAREL, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL also known as Prahanda, chairman; and chief negotiator, Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
Population 10,310,520 (July 2004 est.) 26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 22% (1995 est.) 42% (1995-96)
Population growth rate -0.11% (2004 est.) 2.26% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Mazyr none
Radio broadcast stations AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998) AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)
Railways total: 5,523 km


broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2003)
total: 59 km


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Religions Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%


note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female


total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 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' fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational


international: country code - 375; 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: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network


domestic: NA


international: radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 3,071,300 (2003) 236,816 (January 2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.118 million (2003) NA
Television broadcast stations 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995) 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain generally flat and contains much marshland Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Total fertility rate 1.36 children born/woman (2004 est.) 4.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers (2003 est.) 47% (2001 est.)
Waterways 2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003) none
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