Belarus. Ballpoint Pens, Rollerball Pens,Cartridges, Fountain Pens.

England Description Belarus 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, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place. Location Eastern Europe, east of Poland WebCam   Geographic Coordinates 53 00 N, 28 00 E Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas Coast line 0 km (landlocked) Climate none (landlocked) Terrain Belarus cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime Natural Resources Belarus generally flat and contains much marshland Irrigated land timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay Total Renewable Water Resources 1,310 sq km (2003) Natural Hazards 58 cu km (1997) Environment Currentissues NA Geography Note soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine Population Belarus landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes Population growth rate 9,612,632 (July 2010 est.) Birth Rate -0.368% (2010 est.) Death Rate 9.76 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 13.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 1.25 children born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 0.2% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths 1,100 (2007 est.) Religions Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census) Languages Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Education Expenditures Belarusian (official) 36.7%, Russian (official) 62.8%, other 0.5% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities) (1999 census) Government Type 6.1% of GDP (2006) Administrative Divisions republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship Independence 6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel' (Gomel), Horad Minsk* (Minsk City), Hrodna (Grodno), Mahilyow (Mogilev), Minsk, Vitsyebsk (Vitebsk) National Holiday 25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union) Constitution 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 Legal System 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 Suffrage based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Legislative Branch 18 years of age; universal Political Partie Sand Leaders bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Council of the Republic or Sovet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional and Minsk city councils and 8 members appointed by the president, to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs (unregistered) [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Association of Journalists [Zhana LITVINA]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK]; Belarusian Independence Bloc (unregistered) and For Freedom movement [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth [Andrus KRECHKA]; Charter 97 (unregistered) [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Perspektiva small business association [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Nasha Vyasna (unregistered) ("Our Spring") human rights center; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus (Malady Belarus) [Zmitser KASPYAROVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Zmitser DASHKEVICH] International Organization Participation BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CEI, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) 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 ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country Economy Overview Belarus has seen limited 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. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subjected to pressure by central and local governments, including arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. Continued state control over economic operations hampers market entry for businesses, both domestic and foreign. Government statistics indicate GDP growth was strong, reaching 10% in 2008, despite the roadblocks of a tough, centrally directed economy with a high rate of inflation. However, the global crisis pushed the country into recession in 2009, and GDP fell 0.2%. Slumping foreign demand hit the industrial sector hard. Minsk has depended on a standby-agreement with the IMF to assist with balance of payments shortfalls. In line with IMF conditions, in 2009, Belarus devalued the ruble more than 40% and tightened some fiscal and monetary policies. Nevertheless, Belarus missed its 2009 budget targets with a deficit of less than 1% of GDP. On 1 January 2010, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a customs union, with unified trade regulations and customs codes still under negotiation. In late January, Russia and Belarus amended their 2007 oil supply agreement. The new terms will raise prices for above quota purchases and increase Belarus' current account deficit. GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) $116 billion (2009 est.) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) $46 billion (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate -0.2% (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) $11,600 (2009 est.) Labor Force 5 million (2009) Unemployment Rate 1% (2009 est.) Population Below Poverty Line 27.1% (2003 est.) Distribution Of Family Income 27.9 (2005) Unvestment Gross Fixed 36.6% of GDP (2009 est.) Inflation Rrate 10% (2009 est.) Central Bank Discount Rate 12% (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate 8.55% (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $4.872 billion (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $8.784 billion (31 December 2008) Stock Of Domestic Credit $18.42 billion (31 December 2008) Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares $NA Agriculture - Products grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk Industries metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators Industrial Production Growth Rate -7% (2009 est.) Electricity Production 29.92 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Consumption 30.54 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Exports 5.062 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Imports 9.406 billion kWh (2007 est.) Oil Production 32,950 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Consumption 184,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Exports 303,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Imports 444,800 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 198 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Production 152 million cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 17 billion cu m (2009 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (2009) Natural Gas Imports 17.6 billion cu m (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves 2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Current Account Balance -$3.656 billion (2009 est.) Exports $24.8 billion (2009 est.) Exports Commodities machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs Exports Partners Russia 32.3%, Netherlands 16.5%, Ukraine 8.5%, Latvia 6.5%, Poland 5.5%, UK 4.3% (2008) Imports $30.4 billion (2009 est.) Imports Commodities mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals Imports Partners Russia 59.4%, Germany 7.1%, Ukraine 5.3% (2008) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $5.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Debt - External $7.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.) Radio Broadcast Stations 3.718 million (2008) Television Broadcast Stations 8.693 million (2008) Internet Country Code AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998) Airports 113,115 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003)

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