Politics of Belarus

These elections fell according to the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission [1] significantly short of OSCE commitments. Universal principles and constitutionally guaranteed rights of expression, association and assembly were seriously challenged, calling into question the Belarusian authorities’ willingness to respect the concept of political competition on a basis of equal treatment. According to this mission principles of an inclusive democratic process, whereby citizens have the right to seek political office without discrimin ...

See also:

Politics of Belarus, Politics of Belarus - Independence, Politics of Belarus - 1994 elections, Politics of Belarus - Lukashenko's first term, Politics of Belarus - Problems of Democratization, Politics of Belarus - Executive branch, Politics of Belarus - Legislative branch, Politics of Belarus - Political parties and elections, Politics of Belarus - Developments since 1993, Politics of Belarus - November 1996 referendum and constitutional changes, Politics of Belarus - Elections of 2000 and 2001, Politics of Belarus - Elections of 2004, Politics of Belarus - Referendum of 2004, Politics of Belarus - Speech assembly media and opposition parties, Politics of Belarus - Reference

Read more here: » Politics of Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Politics of Belarus - Political parties and elections

In October 2005, roughly 900 delegates from various political groups met in the capital, Minsk, to pick a single candidate from among various political parties and groups. Milinkievič won over three other political leaders at the meeting. In the past, the delegates often failed to be sufficiently united to field a single opposition candidate, but they stressed the importance of supporting Milinkievič's campaign in order to unseat President Lukashenko, who has run Belarus for over a decade. Belarus' ...

See also:

Alaksandar Milinkievič, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Biography, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Campaign for president, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Personal, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Alleged government repression

Read more here: » Alaksandar Milinkievič: Encyclopedia II - Alaksandar Milinkievič - Campaign for president

Milinkievič was born in 1947 in Hrodna. After graduating from the University of Hrodna, he passed his aspiranture at the Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Science of Belarus. Between 1980 and 1984 he was in charge of the (then forming) Faculty of Physics at the University of Sétif in Algiers. He also served as a docent at the University of Hrodna between 1978 and 1980, and then from 1984 on to 1990. At that time he also started to cooperate with local city authorities as a chief of one of the committees ...

See also:

Alaksandar Milinkievič, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Biography, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Campaign for president, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Personal, Alaksandar Milinkievič - Alleged government repression

Read more here: » Alaksandar Milinkievič: Encyclopedia II - Alaksandar Milinkievič - Biography

The Republic of Belarus is a landlocked nation-state in Eastern Europe, which borders Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Its capital city is Minsk, and other important cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homyel'), Mahilyow and Vitebsk. Throughout much of history, the area which is now known as Belarus was part of various countries including Lithuania, Poland and the Russian Empire. Eventually, in 1922, Belarus became a republic in the Soviet Union as the Byelorussian SSR. The republic officially declared i ...

Including:

• Belarus - History of the name
• Belarus - History
• Belarus - Politics
• Belarus - Subdivisions
• Belarus - Geography
• Belarus - Economy
• Belarus - Demographics
• Belarus - Culture
• Belarus - Related topics
• Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia - Belarus

Between the 6th and 8th centuries, what is now known as Belarus was settled by the Slavs, who still dominate the country. The Early East Slavs gradually came into contact with the Varangians and were organized under the state of Rus', mainly in the area around modern-day Polatsk in the northern part of the country. In the 13th century, the state was badly affected by a Mongol invasion, and eventually parts of Rus' were swallowed up by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The core lands of the duchy were teritories around Kernavė, Trakai and Vilniu ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - History

President Alexander Lukashenko provoked outrage when he praised Hitler in a Russian NTV interview in 1995, saying that: The history of Germany is a copy of the history of Belarus. Germany was raised from the ruins thanks to firm authority, and not everything connected with that well known figure, Adolf Hitler, was bad. German order evolved over the centuries and under Hitler it attained its peak. In 2004, Charter 97 reported that for some government job applications Belarussians are required to state their nationality. This has ...

See also:

Human rights in Belarus, Human rights in Belarus - Freedom of the press, Human rights in Belarus - Gays and lesbians, Human rights in Belarus - Polish minority crisis, Human rights in Belarus - Anti-semitism, Human rights in Belarus - Freedom of religion, Human rights in Belarus - Political dissidents and prisoners, Human rights in Belarus - Industrial relations, Human rights in Belarus - Opposing views, Human rights in Belarus - Sources

Read more here: » Human rights in Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Human rights in Belarus - Anti-semitism

Between the 6th and 8th centuries, what is now known as Belarus was settled by the Slavs, who still dominate the country. The Early East Slavs gradually came into contact with the Varangians and were organized under the state of Rus', mainly in the area around modern-day Polatsk in the northern part of the country. In the 13th century, the state was badly affected by a Mongol invasion, and eventually parts of Rus' were swallowed up by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The core lands of the duchy were teritories around Kernavė, Trakai and Vilniu ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - Related topics, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - History

Historically, the country was referred to in English as "White Russia", although this is not exactly correct, the correct translation is "White Ruthenia"; the practice continues to this day in other languages. The first known use of "White Russia" to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th Century by European Jerome Horsey. He used the term to describe the areas of Ivan the Terrible's empire. During the 17th century the Russian tsars used "White Ruthenia", asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the Polish-Lithuanian C ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - History of the name

Main articles: Politics of Belarus, Foreign relations of Belarus. Belarus is a republic, governed by a President and a bicameral parliament—the National Assembly—comprising a lower house, the 110 member House of Representatives, and an upper house, the 64 member Council of the Republic. The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the Prime Minister of Belarus, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister and make suggestions on the foreign and domestic policy of Belarus. The ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Politics

The majority of the population of Belarus are native Belarusians, who comprise 81.2 percent of the total population of 10,300,483 people. Russians are the second largest group making up 11.4 percent of the population. The Poles and Ukrainians account for 3.9 and 2.4 percent of the population, respectively. Languages commonly spoken in Belarus are Russian and Belarusian, which are both official languages of Belarus. The population density is about 50 persons per square kilometer and 71.7 percent of the total population lives in ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Demographics

Traditional Belarusian dress originates from the time of Kievian Rus and over time was under the influence of cultures of neigbors: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Aside from its predominantly Ruthenian roots, Belarusian cuisine is very close to Lithuanian. It is sometimes considered as somewhat less rich and impressive than those of its imposing neighbours. In fact, however, this may result from the general lack of national identity which still continues to hold back the development of a nation and also l ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Culture

Traditional Belarusian dress originates from the time of Kievian Rus and over time was under the influence of cultures of neigbors: Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and other European nations. Aside from its predominantly Ruthenian roots, Belarusian cuisine is very close to Lithuanian. It is sometimes considered as somewhat less rich and impressive than those of its imposing neighbours. In fact, however, this may result from the general lack of national identity which still continues to hold back the development of a nation and also led to the loss of many culinar ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Culture

Belarus is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land. Lakes and rivers punctuate the country. The largest marsh territory is Polesia, which is also amongst the largest marshes in Europe. There are 11,000 lakes in Belarus, but the majority of the lakes are smaller than 0.5 km². Three major rivers run through the country, the Neman River, the Pripyat River, and the Dnepr River. Belarus' highest point is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Dzyarzhynsk Hill), 345 m, and its lowest point is on the Neman River, 90 m. T ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Geography

Belarus is divided into six provinces ("voblasts"), named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers. The city of Minsk, located in the Minsk province, has the special status of being a national subordinate as it isn't included in any voblast. Subdivision into voblasts is inherited from the Soviet era. Voblasts are further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as "districts" or "regions"). Local legislative authorities (raisovet, "raion council") are elected by the raion's residents; local executiv ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Subdivisions

The situation of trade unions and their members in the region has also been criticised by Amnesty UK, with allegations that authorities have interfered in trade union elections and that independent trade union leaders have been dismissed from their positions. In recent years, trades unions in the country have been subject to a variety of [12]restrictions, including: The banning of unregistered trade unions As of 1999, all previously registered trade unions have to re-register and provide the official address of th ...

See also:

Human rights in Belarus, Human rights in Belarus - Freedom of the press, Human rights in Belarus - Gays and lesbians, Human rights in Belarus - Polish minority crisis, Human rights in Belarus - Anti-semitism, Human rights in Belarus - Freedom of religion, Human rights in Belarus - Political dissidents and prisoners, Human rights in Belarus - Industrial relations, Human rights in Belarus - Opposing views, Human rights in Belarus - Sources

Read more here: » Human rights in Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Human rights in Belarus - Industrial relations

Belarus has come under fierce attack from Amnesty International for its treatment of political prisoners, including those from the youth wing of the Belarusian Popular Front, a pro-democracy party. In a report dated 26 April 2005, Amnesty again criticised Belarus for its treatment of dissidents, including a woman imprisoned for publishing a satirical poem. Another political prisoner who has been in jail since 1999 is Yury Bandazhevsky, a scientist who was jailed ...

See also:

Human rights in Belarus, Human rights in Belarus - Freedom of the press, Human rights in Belarus - Gays and lesbians, Human rights in Belarus - Polish minority crisis, Human rights in Belarus - Anti-semitism, Human rights in Belarus - Freedom of religion, Human rights in Belarus - Political dissidents and prisoners, Human rights in Belarus - Industrial relations, Human rights in Belarus - Opposing views, Human rights in Belarus - Sources

Read more here: » Human rights in Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Human rights in Belarus - Political dissidents and prisoners

Belarus is divided into six provinces ("voblasts"), named after the cities that serve as their administrative centers. The city of Minsk, located in the Minsk province, has the special status of being a national subordinate as it isn't included in any voblast. Subdivision into voblasts is inherited from the Soviet era. Voblasts are further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as "districts" or "regions"). Local legislative authorities (raisovet, "raion council") are elected by the raion's residents; local executiv ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - Related topics, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Subdivisions

Main articles: Politics of Belarus, Foreign relations of Belarus. Belarus is a republic, governed by a President and a bicameral parliament—the National Assembly—comprising a lower house, the 110 member House of Representatives, and an upper house, the 64 member Council of the Republic. The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the Prime Minister of Belarus, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister and make suggestions on the foreign and domestic policy of Belarus. The ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - Related topics, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Politics

Historically, the country was referred to in English as "White Russia", although this is not exactly correct, the correct translation is "White Ruthenia"; the practice continues to this day in other languages. The first known use of "White Russia" to refer to Belarus was in the late 16th Century by European Jerome Horsey. He used the term to describe the areas of Ivan the Terrible's empire. During the 17th century the Russian tsars used "White Ruthenia", asserting that they were trying to recapture their heritage from the Polish-Lithuanian C ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - Related topics, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - History of the name

The majority of the population of Belarus are native Belarusians, who comprise 81.2 percent of the total population of 10,300,483 people. Russians are the second largest group making up 11.4 percent of the population and the Poles and Ukrainians account for 3.9 and 2.4 percent of the population respectively. Languages commonly spoken in Belarus are Russian and Belarusian, which are both official languages of Belarus. The population density is about 50 persons per square kilometer and 71.7 percent of the total population lives in urban areas, ...

See also:

Belarus, Belarus - History of the name, Belarus - History, Belarus - Politics, Belarus - Subdivisions, Belarus - Geography, Belarus - Economy, Belarus - Demographics, Belarus - Culture, Belarus - Related topics, Belarus - International rankings

Read more here: » Belarus: Encyclopedia II - Belarus - Demographics