After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991.

It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration.

Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place.

Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexandr Lukashenko has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 9,724,723 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.7% (male 733,010/female 691,734) 15-64 years: 70.4% (male 3,327,119/female 3,520,690) 65 years and over: 14.9% (male 471,863/female 980,307) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 38.2 years male: 35.1 years female: 41.1 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: -0.41% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 9.5 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 13.98 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.945 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.481 male(s)/female total population: 0.873 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 6.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.05 years male: 64.31 years female: 76.14 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.22 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 15,000 (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,000 (2001 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian

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Ethnic groups: Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census)

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Religions: Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

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Languages: Belarusian, Russian, other

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.8% female: 99.4% (1999 census)

Belarus's economy in 2006 posted more than 8% growth. Trade with Russia - by far its largest single trade partner - decreased in 2006, largely as a result of a change in the way the Value Added Tax (VAT) on trade was collected. Trade with European countries increased. Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure by central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest in the world. Because of these restrictive economic policies, Belarus has had trouble attracting foreign investment, which remains low. Growth has been strong in recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough, centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing, rate of inflation. Belarus receives heavily discounted oil and natural gas from Russia and much of Belarus' growth can be attributed to the re-export of Russian oil at market prices. This growth will be threatened in 2007, however, when Russia raises energy prices closer to world market prices for Belarus. Russia is planning to increase Belarusian gas prices from $47 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $100 per tcm for 2007, gradually increasing to world prices by 2011. Russia has also introduced an export duty on oil shipped to Belarus, which will increase gradually through 2009, and a requirement that Belarusian duties on re-exported Russian oil be shared with Russia - 70% will go to Russia in 2007, 80% in 2008, and 85% in 2009.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $82.94 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $28.98 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 9.9% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,100 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.3% industry: 31.6% services: 59.1% (2005 est.)

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Labor force: 4.3 million (31 December 2005)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14% industry: 34.7% services: 51.3% (2003 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers (2005)

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Population below poverty line: 27.1% (2003 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 20% (1998)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30.4 (2000)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 25.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $6.578 billion expenditures: $7.164 billion; including capital expenditures of $180 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products:

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grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk

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Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators

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Industrial production growth rate: 15.6% (2005 est.)

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Electricity - production: 29.33 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 31.05 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 4.723 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 8.5 billion kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 34,260 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 165,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 249,900 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - imports: 378,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - proved reserves: 198 million bbl

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Natural gas - production: 180 million cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 20.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 16.22 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$511.8 million (2006 est.)

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Exports: $19.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

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Exports - partners: Russia 34.7%, Netherlands 17.7%, UK 7.5%, Ukraine 6.3%, Poland 5.2% (2006)

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Imports: $21.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals

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Imports - partners: Russia 58.6%, Germany 7.5%, Ukraine 5.5% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.329 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $5.498 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $194.3 million (1995)

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Currency (code): Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR)

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Exchange rates: Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year