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Compare Korea, South (2002) - Belarus (2003)

Compare Korea, South (2002) z Belarus (2003)

 Korea, South (2002)Belarus (2003)
 Korea, SouthBelarus
Administrative divisions 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities* (gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi* 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 5,488,808; female 4,875,379)


15-64 years: 71% (male 17,404,645; female 16,894,361)


65 years and over: 7.6% (male 1,434,873; female 2,225,934) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 16.8% (male 885,265; female 848,516)


15-64 years: 68.9% (male 3,456,769; female 3,652,766)


65 years and over: 14.3% (male 490,529; female 988,306) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Airports 102 (2001) 124 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 69


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 18


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 21 (2002)
total: 28


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 21


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 33


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
total: 96


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 67 (2002)
Area total: 98,480 sq km


land: 98,190 sq km


water: 290 sq km
total: 207,600 sq km


land: 207,600 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Indiana slightly smaller than Kansas
Background After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a historic first north-south summit took place between the south's President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il. 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.
Birth rate 14.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.18 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $118.1 billion


expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)
revenues: $4 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1997 est.)
Capital Seoul Minsk
Climate temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Coastline 2,413 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 25 February 1948 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Korea


conventional short form: South Korea


local long form: Taehan-min'guk


local short form: none


note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country


abbreviation: ROK
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
Currency South Korean won (KRW) Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)
Death rate 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 14.05 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $128.2 billion (2001) $851 million (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD


embassy: 82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul 110-710


mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001


telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114


FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael G. KOZAK


embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002


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


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


FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol


chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600


FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle


consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)
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
Disputes - international Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks/Take-shima/Tok-do disputed with Japan 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging illegal border crossing; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain undemarcated despite European Union financial support
Economic aid - donor ODA $200 million (2000) -
Economic aid - recipient - $194.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is roughly 20 times North Korea's and equal to the lesser economies of the European Union. This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged by 6.6% in 1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms have stalled. Led by industry and construction, growth in 2002 was an impressive 5.8%, despited anemic global growth. 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 high inflation and persistent trade deficits, 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. 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.
Electricity - consumption 254.08 billion kWh (2000) 26.69 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 300 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 4.3 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 273.2 billion kWh (2000) 24.4 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 61%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 38%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 99.5%


hydro: 0.1%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0.4% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m


highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m


highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
Environment - current issues air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 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
Ethnic groups homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese) Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4%
Exchange rates South Korean won per US dollar - 1,317.01 (January 2002), 1,290.99 (2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997) Belarusian rubles per US dollar - NA (2002), 1,390 (2001), 876.75 (2000), 248.8 (1999), 46.13 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President ROH Muh-hyun (since 25 February 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (since 27 February 2003); Deputy Prime Minister KIM Chin-p'yo (since 27 February 2003)


cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation


elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation


election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - ROH Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of vote - ROH Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)


head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (acting; since 10 July 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei KOBYAKOV (since 13 March 2000), Sergei SIDORSKY (since 24 September 2001), Vladimir DRAZHIN (since 24 September 2001), Roman VNUCHKO (since 10 July 2003)


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 (next election to be held by 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%
Exports $159.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals; textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners US 20.7%, China 12.1%, Japan 11.0%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 3.9% (2001) Russia 50.8%, Latvia 7.3%, Ukraine 6.3%, Lithuania 4.1%, Germany 4.1% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field 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 a Belarusian national ornament in red
GDP purchasing power parity - $931 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $90.19 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 42%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 15%


industry: 40%


services: 45% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $8,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.8% (2002 est.) 4.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 37 00 N, 127 30 E 53 00 N, 28 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Korea Strait 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
Heliports 204 (2002) -
Highways total: 87,534 km


paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)


unpaved: 22,146 km (1999)
total: 74,385 km


paved: 66,203 km


unpaved: 8,182 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 25% (1998 est.)
lowest 10%: 5.1%


highest 10%: 20% (1998)
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; lax money-laundering and banking regulations
Imports $146.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals
Imports - partners Japan 18.9%, US 15.9%, China 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Australia 3.9% (2001) Russia 68.2%, Germany 9.4%, Ukraine 3.2% (2002)
Independence 15 August 1945 (from Japan) 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate 6.5% (2002 est.) 2.5% (2002 est.)
Industries electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators
Infant mortality rate 7.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.13 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2002 est.) 42.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, NAM (observer), NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 11 (2000) 23 (2002)
Irrigated land 11,590 sq km (1998 est.) 1,150 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly) 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)
Labor force 22 million (2001) 4.8 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation services 69%, industry 22%, agriculture 10% (2001) industry and construction NA%, agriculture and forestry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 238 km


border countries: North Korea 238 km
total: 2,900 km


border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Land use arable land: 17.44%


permanent crops: 2.05%


other: 80.51% (1998 est.)
arable land: 29.76%


permanent crops: 0.69%


other: 69.55% (1998 est.)
Languages Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school Belarusian, Russian, other
Legal system combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought based on civil law system
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms); note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected; possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in the National Assembly


elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats as of January 2002 is: GNP 136, MDP 118, ULD 15, DPP 2, independents 2
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 Pretsaviteley (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms)


elections: last held October 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)


election results: party affiliation data unavailable; under present political conditions party designations are meaningless
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.88 years


male: 71.2 years


female: 78.95 years (2002 est.)
total population: 68.43 years


male: 62.54 years


female: 74.6 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 99.3%


female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.6%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.5% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Map references Asia Europe
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: not specified


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 501 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,679,171 GRT/9,172,403 DWT


ships by type: bulk 104, cargo 160, chemical tanker 47, combination bulk 6, container 52, liquefied gas 16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 25, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 5, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard) Army, Air Force (including air defense), Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Military expenditures - dollar figure $12.8 billion (FY00) $176.1 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.8% (FY00) 1.4% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 14,194,960 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 2,756,572 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 8,990,488 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 2,158,875 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 394,397 (2002 est.) males: 86,654 (2003 est.)
National holiday Liberation Day, 15 August (1945) 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
Nationality noun: Korean(s)


adjective: Korean
noun: Belarusian(s)


adjective: Belarusian
Natural hazards occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest NA
Natural resources coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed gas 4,519 km; oil 1,811 km; refined products 1,686 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Democratic People's Party or DPP [CHO Sun, chairman]; Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [leader NA]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman, KIM Chong-ho, acting president]


note: on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP
Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; 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 Party or SDBP [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party or Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Socialist Party [Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV]; Civic Accord Bloc (United Civic Party) or CAB [Anatol LIABEDZKA]; 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 or "Nadezhda" [Valentina POLEVIKOVA, chairperson]
Political pressure groups and leaders Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student Associations NA
Population 48.324 million (July 2002 est.) 10,322,151 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 4% (2001 est.) 22% (1995 est.)
Population growth rate 0.85% (2002 est.) -0.12% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu Mazyr
Radio broadcast stations AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001) AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)
Radios 47.5 million (2000) -
Railways total: 3,124 km


standard gauge: 3,124 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2000)
total: 5,523 km


broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2002)
Religions Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1% Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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 (2003 est.)
Suffrage 20 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: excellent domestic and international services


domestic: NA


international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
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
Telephones - main lines in use 24 million (2000) 2.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 28 million (September 2000) 8,167 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999) 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south generally flat and contains much marshland
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.1% (2002 est.) 2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers
Waterways 1,609 km


note: restricted to small native craft
NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river systems
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