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Compare Nigeria (2004) - Belarus (2006)

Compare Nigeria (2004) z Belarus (2006)

 Nigeria (2004)Belarus (2006)
 NigeriaBelarus
Administrative divisions 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 43.4% (male 29,985,427; female 29,637,684)


15-64 years: 53.7% (male 37,502,756; female 36,205,442)


65 years and over: 2.9% (male 1,944,260; female 1,977,564) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 15.7% (male 825,823/female 791,741)


15-64 years: 69.7% (male 3,490,442/female 3,682,950)


65 years and over: 14.6% (male 498,976/female 1,003,079) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Airports 70 (2003 est.) 86 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 36


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 11


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 6


under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 41


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 22


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 12 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 34


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 18 (2004 est.)
total: 45


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 6


under 914 m: 35 (2006)
Area total: 923,768 sq km


land: 910,768 sq km


water: 13,000 sq km
total: 207,600 sq km


land: 207,600 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of California slightly smaller than Kansas
Background Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Despite some irregularities, the April 2003 elections marked the first civilian transfer of power in Nigeria's history. 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. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexander LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue.
Birth rate 38.24 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 11.16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $8.026 billion


expenditures: $11.09 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
revenues: $5.903 billion


expenditures: $6.343 billion; including capital expenditures of $180 million (2005 est.)
Capital Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja; most federal government offices have now made the move to Abuja name: Minsk


geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
Coastline 853 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution new constitution adopted May 1999 15 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
Country name conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria


conventional short form: Nigeria
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus


conventional short form: Belarus


local long form: Respublika Byelarus'


local short form: Byelarus'


former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency naira (NGN) -
Death rate 13.99 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 14.02 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $31.07 billion (2003 est.) $4.662 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Howard Franklin JETER


embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja


mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos


telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205


FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353
chief of mission: Ambassador Karen B. STEWART


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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Jibril Muhammad AMINU


chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400


FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385


consulate(s) general: Atlanta and New York
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 ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; Nigeria initially rejected cession of the Bakasi Peninsula; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision, the unresolved Bakasi allocation, and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; several villages along the Okpara River are in dispute with Benin; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; the whole boundary with Latvia and more than half the boundary with Lithuania remains undemarcated; discussions toward economic and political union with Russia proceed slowly
Economic aid - recipient IMF $250 million (1998) $194.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under the new civilian administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. The government has lacked the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. During 2003, however, the government deregulated fuel prices and announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries. GDP growth probably will rise marginally in 2004, led by oil and natural gas exports. Belarus's economy in 2005 posted 8% growth. The government has succeeded in lowering inflation over the past several years. Trade with Russia - by far its largest single trade partner - decreased in 2005, largely as a result of a change in the way the Value Added Tax (VAT) on trade was collected. Trade with European countries increased. 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. During 2005, the government re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure by 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; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest in the world. Because of these restrictive economic policies, Belarus has had trouble attracting foreign investment, which remains low. Growth has been strong in recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough, centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing, rate of inflation. Belarus continues to receive heavily discounted oil and natural gas from Russia. Much of Belarus' growth can be attributed to the re-export of Russian oil at market prices.
Electricity - consumption 14.55 billion kWh (2001) 34.3 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports 20 million kWh (2001) 800 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 7 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 15.67 billion kWh (2001) 30 billion kWh (2004)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m


highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
Environment - current issues soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Nigeria, which is Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5% Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)
Exchange rates nairas per US dollar - 129.222 (2003), 120.578 (2002), 111.231 (2001), 101.697 (2000), 92.3381 (1999) Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002), 1,390 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Federal Executive Council


elections: president is elected by popular vote for no more than two four-year terms; election last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)


head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKIY (since 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 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, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits allowing president to run in a third election held on 19 March 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%, Aleksandr KOZULIN 2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud
Exports NA (2001) 14,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners US 38.3%, India 9.9%, Brazil 6.8%, Spain 6.2%, France 5.6%, Japan 4% (2003) Russia 38.5%, Ukraine 7.8%, Poland 7.1%, Latvia 4.2%, UK 4.1%, China 4.1% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green 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 ornamentation in red
GDP purchasing power parity - $114.8 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 30.8%


industry: 43.8%


services: 25.4% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 9.3%


industry: 31.6%


services: 59.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $900 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 7.1% (2003 est.) 9.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 00 N, 8 00 E 53 00 N, 28 00 E
Geography - note the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes
Heliports 1 (2003 est.) 1 (2006)
Highways total: 194,394 km


paved: 60,068 km (including 1,194 km of expressways)


unpaved: 134,326 km (1999 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.6%


highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)
lowest 10%: 5.1%


highest 10%: 20% (1998)
Illicit drugs a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; safehaven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity, remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime 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
Imports NA (2001) 360,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals
Imports - partners US 15.6%, UK 9.6%, Germany 7.3%, China 7.2%, Italy 4.3% (2003) Russia 57.9%, Germany 9.7%, Ukraine 6.4%, Poland 5.2% (2005)
Independence 1 October 1960 (from UK) 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate 2.3% (2003 est.) 15.6% (2005 est.)
Industries crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators
Infant mortality rate total: 70.49 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 73.55 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 67.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 13.8% (2003 est.) 10.3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO BSEC (observer), CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land 2,330 sq km (1998 est.) 1,310 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee) 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 54.36 million (2003 est.) 4.3 million (31 December 2005)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.) agriculture: 14%


industry: 34.7%


services: 51.3% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries total: 4,047 km


border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 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: 31.29%


permanent crops: 2.96%


other: 65.75% (2001)
arable land: 26.77%


permanent crops: 0.6%


other: 72.63% (2005)
Languages English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani Belarusian, Russian, other
Legal system based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (only in some northern states), and traditional law based on civil law system
Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (107 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (346 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.6%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 73, ANPP 28, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 9.3%, other 8.8%; seats by party - PDP 213, ANPP 95, AD 31, other 7; note - two constituencies are not reported
bicameral National Assembly 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 four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004; international observers widely denounced the 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 Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 50.49 years


male: 50.35 years


female: 50.63 years (2004 est.)
total population: 69.08 years


male: 63.47 years


female: 74.98 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 68%


male: 75.7%


female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.6%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.5% (2003 est.)
Location Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon Eastern Europe, east of Poland
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 327,808 GRT/608,076 DWT


by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, petroleum tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: Norway 2, Pakistan 1, Togo 1, United States 1


registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $469.8 million (2003) $420.5 million (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (2003) 1.4% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 32,665,407 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 18,763,229 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 1,452,231 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960) 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: Nigerian(s)


adjective: Nigerian
noun: Belarusian(s)


adjective: Belarusian
Natural hazards periodic droughts; flooding NA
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, arable land forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
Net migration rate 0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines condensate 105 km; gas 1,896 km; oil 3,638 km; refined products 3,626 km (2004) gas 5,223 km; oil 2,321 km; refined products 1,686 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Alliance for Democracy or AD [Alhaji Adamu ABDULKADIR]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Chekwas OKORIE]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Audu OGBEH]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [Saleh JAMBO] pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolai ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Party of Labor and Justice [Viktor SOKOLOV]; Social-Sports Party [Vladimir ALEXANDROVICH]


opposition parties: 10 Plus Coalition [Alyaksandr MILINKEVICH], includes: Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Syarhey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor (unregistered) [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV, Leonid LEMESHONAK]; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Vintsyuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO]; Party of Freedom and Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LYABEDKA]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson]


other opposition includes: Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Nardonaya Hromada or BSDP NH [Alyaksandr KOZULIN, chairman]; Christian Conservative BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; Ecological Party of Greens [Mikhail KARTASH]; Party of Popular Accord [Sergei YERMAKK]; Republican Party [Vladimir BELAZOR]
Political pressure groups and leaders Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC [Adams OSHIOMOLE] Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Alyaksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee of Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dzmitryy DASHKEVICH, Syarhey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group [Vladimir KOBETS]
Population 137,253,133


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
10,293,011 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 60% (2000 est.) 27.1% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 2.45% (2004 est.) -0.06% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Warri -
Radio broadcast stations AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001) AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)
Railways total: 3,557 km


narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge


standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
total: 5,512 km


broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)


standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2005)
Religions Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 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 (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: an inadequate system, further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made


domestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19 earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable; mobile cellular facilities and the Internet are available


international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom, is the sole provider of fixed line local and long distance service; modernization of the network to digital switching progressing slowly


domestic: fixed line penetration is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; four GSM wireless networks are experiencing rapid growth; strict government controls on telecommunications technologies


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
Telephones - main lines in use 853,100 (2003) 3,284,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,149,500 (2003) 4.098 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002) 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north generally flat and contains much marshland
Total fertility rate 5.32 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate NA (2003 est.) 1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers (2005)
Waterways 8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2004) 2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003)
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