Industry

Processing industry makes up 25.3% of GDP. It is dominated by machinery and metalworking.

The other main branches have been engineering and refining. The production of different types of commercial vehicles, in addition to oil refining and petrochemicals activities account for more than 75% of Belarusian exports.

Belarus Potash Company controls around a 30% global market share. BelAZ is a major manufacturer of haulers and earthmoving equipment for mining.

Minsk Automobile Plant produces heavy trucks, buses, trailers and special vehicles.

mechanical engineering offers a wide range of sophisticated consumer goods such as TV sets, refrigerators and washing machines. We are known abroad by instrument making, electrotechnical, radio-electronic, optical, chemical industries.

Increase in food production contributed to food export growth. Belarus is a net exporter of meat, sugar beet, dairy and confectionary, alcohol beverages and soft drinks.

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture has a 6-8% share in the Gross Domestic Product. Agroindustrial complex of Belarus includes agriculture (plant-growing and animal husbandry), manufacturing industry (food manufacture, flour-and-cereals and mixed feed, flax preprocessing), service sector.

Agricultural enterprises in Belarus are mainly specialized in crops, meat, dairy and poultry production. The country can be divided into three agricultural regions: north (flax, fodder, grasses, and cattle), central (potatoes and pigs), and south (pastureland, hemp, and cattle).

Trade and catering stand for 10,7% of GDP.

General information about the state

The Republic of Belarus is a unitary, democratic, social state with the rule of law.

The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus is the Fundamental Law of the Republic of Belarus. It was adopted in 1994 .

The state power is exercised on the basis of its division on legislative, executive and judicial. Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic of Belarus is a head of state, a guarantor of the Constitution, of peoples' rights and freedoms.

legislative body is the Parliament- the National Assembly- consisting of two chambers- the House of Representatives (110 deputies) and the Council of the Republic ( 64 members).

The executive power in the republic is exercised by the Government - the Council of Ministers

The judicial power in the republic belongs to the courts. Control over accordance of legal acts with the Constitution is exercised by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus.

Geographical Position

Location Eastern Europe. Borders Russian Federation, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

Area area 207,600km²

Geography Also 20,000 rivers and streams and 11,000 lakes, with significant areas of marsh territory.

Climate Moderately continental

Administrative divisions Six regions (oblasts)

Population 9,480,000 (2009),

National anthem Мы, Беларусы ('We Belarusians')

National flower Flax

National bird/animal Black stork/European bison

National sport Ice hockey

Public holidays I January (New Year's Day), 7 January (Orthodox Christmas), 8 March (Women's Day), Orthodox Easter, Catholic Easter, I May (Labour Day), 9 May (Victory Day, a glorious celebration of the end of the 'Great Patriotic War'), 3 July (Independence Day), 7 November (October Revolution Day), 25 December (Catholic Christmas) and Radunitsa (Ancestors' Remembrance Day) on the ninth day after Orthodox Easter