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History and Culture
* Once commonly called White Russia, forming a border with Latvia and Lithuania on the north, Poland on the west, Rusia on the east and the Ukraine on the south
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* It is 207,600 square kilometers in size, roughly four times larger than Nova Scotia. Similar in make-up to eastern Ontario or inland Nova Scotia, Belarus is a land of lakes, marshes and forests. The landscape is flat with woods covering approximately one-third of its territory.
* The climate is moderated by the Baltic Sea, with an average July temperature of 20C and a January temperature averaging -6C. Average precipitation is 22-28 inches, similar to Ontario and Quebec.
* Belarus has approximately 10.5 million people, eighty precent being Belarusian. The remainder is comprised of Russian, Ukrainians, Poles and Jews.
* Two thirds of the population are urban dwellers, the result of rapid industrialization after World War II, before which only 20% of Belarusians lived in cities.
* Belarus has a rich and varied cultural history; poets, writers, artists, playwrights and musicians are recognized the world over , as are thier achievements in sports, architecture and applied arts. Linens, carved wooden dishes, bead work and threaded belts are renowned.
* Major centers include Minsk (the capitol of roughly 2 million people), Gomel, Mogilev, Brest and Grodno
* The devastation of World War II practically wiped out Belarus' agriculture industry, leading to intensive postwar restoration efforts. A largely rural society was transformed almost overnight to a modern industrialized state. It supplied the Soviet Union Empire with trucks, cars, agricultural machinery, fertilizers and other agri-chemicals in return for oil, coal, natural gas, metals, cotton, synthetics, canned goods and pharmaceuticals.
* In 1991 the collapse of the Soviet regime gave Belarus its independence but unfortunately left it in a state of economic chaos that worsened during the first years as a free country. Today, Belarus struggles and faces drastic shortages that are basic to a functioning society.
* On April 26, 1986 there was an early morning explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine. 70% of Belarus, which is located just 10km north of the power plant, was contaminated by radio active fallout due to the wind and weather patterns that day. An estimated 800,000 people live in the affected areas.
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