Geography
What is the capital city of Belarus
Minsk
What is traditional Belarusian embroidery called?
Vyshyvanka
Belarus was once part of what larger country before 1991?
Russia
What type of government does Belarus officially have?
Republic
What country is Belarus closely allied with today?
Russia
Name two countries that share a border with Belarus.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine
What are some symbols often found in Belarusian embroidery?
White: the color of heaven
Red: the sun and earth, protection of organic life
Black: the underworld and spiritual life
Who has been president of Belarus since 1994?
Alexander Lukashenko
Why is Belarus often called an authoritarian state?
Belarus is an authoritarian state. The country's constitution provides for a directly elected president, who is chief of state, and a bicameral parliament, the national assembly. A prime minister appointed by the president is the nominal head of government. In practice, however, power is concentrated in the presidency.
What impact did the Russia-Ukraine war have on Belarus?
Belarus revoked its neutral and non-nuclear status. The request has been made for Russia to bring nuclear weaponry to Belarus if NATO moved nuclear weapons into Poland or Lithuania.
Is Belarus landlocked or does it have a coastline?
It's landlocked.
Name one major Belarusian holiday or festival.
Radonitsa or October Revolution Day
What major conflict influenced Belarus's history during the 20th century?
World War II
Name one major industry of Belarus.
Manufacturing (machining)
Agriculture
Energy
Why have some countries placed sanctions on Belarus?
They don't agree with the 2020 presidential elections, repression of human rights, and Belarus's involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine.
What large forested region covers much of southern Belarus?
The Bialowieza Forest
What language(s) are commonly spoken in Belarus?
Belarusian and Russian
What was the Soviet Union and how did it affect Belarus?
The Soviet Union, also called the USSR, was a large group of countries led by Russia that followed a communist government system. It existed from 1922 to 1991 and included Belarus as one of its 15 republics.
Belarus was heavily controlled by the Soviet government. The leaders in Belarus had to follow the rules made in Moscow.
Belarus's economy is a limited-free market economy, meaning most everything is run by the government.
The USA's economy is a free-market economy, meaning most everything is run by the people.
What is one human rights concern in Belarus today?
Belarusians don't have freedom of speech. They can't speak their minds freely and if they do, they run the risk of being imprisoned or killed.
Shipping costs are going to be 50% higher than for countries with coastline.
What is one way Belarusian culture has been influenced by its neighbors?
The Soviet Union, now Russia, played a huge role in shaping the governmental structure of Belarus.
When did Belarus declare independence?
August 25, 1991
What kind of control does the government have over the media in Belarus?
The government controls every aspect of the media in Belarus. There is no freedom of speech in Belarus. People aren't even allowed to criticize the government.
How do current events in Belarus affect its citizens?
They make the Belarusians fearful for their safety; they are distrustful of everyone around them...