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The Republic
of Belarus is a small and beautiful country. It is situated in
Eastern Europe, and borders on Russia, the Ukraine, Poland,
Lithuania and Latvia. It covers an area of 207,600 square kilometers
with a population of more than 10 million people. Belarus is
situated on a broad plain. One third of the republic’s territory is
covered with forests. The climate in the republic is moderately
continental, the breeze off the Baltic Sea is constantly felt here. |
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At the beginning of the 20th century, Belarus was a
backward province of the Russian Empire – called the North-Western
region. In 1919 Belarus was proclaimed as the Belarussian Soviet
Socialist Republic and in 1922 became a member of the USSR. |
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During World
War II Belarus suffered greatly. It lost more than half of its
national wealth. The fascists killed every fourth person living
there. But despite all this, Belarus has restored its cities and
rebuilt its economy. Today Belarus’ industry produces tractors, big
lorries, automatic lines, computers, refrigerators, television sets,
bicycles, watches, fertilizers, textiles, and much more. |
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The
agricultural aspect specializes in milk and meat production. The
main crops cultivated here are grain, potatoes, flax, herbs and
vegetables. Belarus is a republic of well developed science and
culture. There are 37 state higher educational establishments, the
Academy of Sciences, there are about 400 professional schools there.
Secondary education is compulsory and free of charge, which adds to
the high rate of literacy in this region. |
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Nowadays, the
Republic of Belarus has become a sovereign independent state. The
Declaration of State Sovereignty was adopted by its Supreme Soviet
of July 27, 1990. Belarus is a founding member of the United Nations
and a number of other international organizations. |
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Minsk is the
capital of Belarus with a population of 2.5 million. The city was
founded in 1067 and was totally destroyed during World War II and
rebuilt according to a symmetrical pattern, with wide embankments
flanking the river Svisloch in 1945. The places of interest include
Troitskoye – a mansion with grounds. There are also numerous
theaters, ballets, museums and other cultural attractions making
Belarus a popular destination for local and international tourists
alike. The main industries are machine building (mainly for
agriculture) and chemical products production. The universities,
various institutes and the Academy of Sciences of Belarus are
located in Minsk. There is a metro system (subway) in Minsk as well.
The Opera and Ballet Theatre is very well-known throughout the
world. |
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