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In Belarus, it is considered bad luck to whistle indoors. Source

Belarus is a world leader in the peat industry. Source

The population of Belarus is 9.399 million. The CIA World factbook ranks it as the 94th most populous country. Source

Belarus is the country most affected by the Chernobyl disaster. Source

In the early 21st century, about one fifth of Belarusian land was contaminated by nuclear fallout from Chernobyl. Source

The Chernobyl disaster led to an increase in cancer (especially thyroid cancer), increase in birth defects, and a decrease in birth rates. Source

Throughout the 1980s, '90s, and early 2000s, the Belarusian government buried towns and villages in containment areas, the residents of which were relocated in new buildings built in safer regions.

Belarus has only been an independent country during a brief period in 1918-1919, and in the modern day since 1991. Source

The currency of Belarus is the Belarusian Ruble, which is equivalent to 100 kapeks. Source

In Belarus, the phone number for medical emergencies is 103. Source

In Belarus, the phone number for police emergencies is 102. Source

Belarus's international dialing code is +375. Source

Belarus's Alpha-3 code is BLR. Source

Belarus's Alpha-2 code is BY. Source

Belarusian outlets have electrical current of 220 volts, 50 hertz. Source

Belarusian outlets use standard European two pronged plugs as well as Schuko plugs. Source

The national drink of Belarus is Krambambula. Source

The national food of Belarus is rye bread. It is often given to guests as a symbol of hospitality. Source

The national animal of Belarus is the European Bison.

The national anthem of Belarus is "My Belarusy", which means "We, Belarusians". Source

The national flower of Belarus is the common flax. Source

Belarusian and Russian are the national languages of Belarus. Source

83.7% of the population of Belarus is ethnically Belarusian. Source

Minority ethnicities in Belarus include Russians (8.3%), Poles (3.1%), and Ukrainians (1.7%). Source

Belarus has one heliport. Source

Belarus has roughly 6,000 kilometers of railways. Source

The capital of Belarus is Minsk. Source

As of January of 2021, Minsk city had a population of 2,009,786. Source

The geographic coordinates of Minsk are 53 54 N, 27 34 E. Source

A rushnyk pattern is on the left of the Belarusian flag.

The modern national flag of Belarus is nearly identical to the BSSR's flag, sans the hammer and sickle. Source

The green in the Belarusian national flag represents the green fields of the country. Source

"The ratio of the width of the State Flag of the Republic of Belarus to its length is 1:2. A vertical red-on-white Belarusian national pattern as large as one ninth of the flag length is located near the flagpole." Source

An alternate Belarusian flag used by the Belarusian Democratic Republic had three horizontal stripes, the top and bottom white and the middle red. This flag was used from 1991-1995, though it was later replaced by the modern one. Source

The older red-and-white verison of the Belarusian flag has become a symbol of protest against Lukashenka's regime.

You can read the Belarusian constitution here.

Belarus is the only country in Europe to never have any COVID restrictions (as of 2/10/21).

Belarus has a primarily state capitalist economy. Many of its core industries are state-owned.

Belarus does not recognize Kosovo as a country. Source

Belarus is the last dictatorship in Europe. Source

The dictator Aleksandr Lukashenka has been the Republic of Belarus's only leader. Source

Lukashenka was originally elected through democratic processes, though he gradually centralized his power and extended his tenure to the point that he is effectively a dictator.

For a long time, Lukashenka had a positive reputation due to his effective economic reform and ability to bring Belarus out of its post-Soviet pandemonium.

In Belarus, Lukashenka is colloquially called "Batska", an endearing term for father in Belarusian. It is typically by his supporters. Source

Lukashenka was born in a rural villiage near Orsha, Belarus.

Lukashenka was raised by a single mother. His father is unknown.

Belarus is 207,600 square kilometers large. Source

Belarus borders Russia to the East, Ukraine to the south, Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, and Poland to the west Source.

Belarus has 3,599 kilometers of border. Source

The Belarusian-Russian border is 1,312 kilometers long. Source

The Belarusian-Ukrainian border is 1,111 kilometers long. Source

The Belarusian-Lithuanian border is 640 kilometers long. Source

The Belarusian-Polish border is 375 kilometers long. Source

The Belarusian-Latvian border is 161 kilometers long. Source

Belarus is the 86th largest country in the World. Source

Belarus is a landlocked country. Source

47.3% of Belarusian land is used for agriculture. Source

42.7% of Belarusian land is forest. Source

Belarus is primarily flatland with signficant marsh. Source

About 3/5 of Belarusian soil is podzolic.Source

80.3% of the Belarusian population resides in urban areas. Source

Belarus's forests are mixed deciduous and coniferous, with conifers being more dominant in the north and deciduous in the south. Birch trees are found throughout the country. Source

The population of Belarus is fairly evenly distributed across the country. Source

Belarus is separated into 6 administrative divisions (voblasts): The Minsk Region, Vitsebsk Region, Mahilyow Region, Homyel Region, Brest Region and Hrodna Region, and one munincipality, Minsk City. Source

The Vitsebsk Region is the largest Belarusian administrative division.

The city of Salihorsk is the site of a potash salt reserve. It is 14,000 square kilometers large and holds some 50 billion metric tons of potassiam salts. Source

Belarus is heavily reliant on Russian exports due to its general lack of natural resources.

The National Library of Belarus, located in Minsk, is a rhombicuboctahedron shaped building that houses some 8,600,000 items. Source

The most popular sport in Belarus is football (soccer).

The second most popular sport in Belarus is ice hockey.

The world's third-longest hockey game was played in the Belarusian Extraleague. It lasted 169 minutes and four seconds. Source

The IIHF ranks Belarus as the national ice hockey team with the 14th highest number of points. Source

2011 was the last time the Belarusian national team qualified to participate in Olympics ice hockey. They placed 4th.

The Belarusian gymnast Ivan Litvinovich won Olympic gold in Men's trampoline gymnastics at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Belarusian gymnast Uladzislau Hancharou also won 4th place in the event. Source

Belarusian is categorized as a vulnerable endangered language. Source

48.3% of Belarusians are Eastern Orthodox Christians. Source

41.1% of Belarusians are nonbelievers. Source

7.1% of Belarusians are Roman Catholics, primarily concentrated in the western part of the country. Source

In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed the Union State Foundation Treaty to politically integrate Belarus and Russia. Source

Belarus stopped sharing a currency with Russia due to the Russian financial crash in 1998.

In 1994, the Belarusian constitution was replaced to better allow the implementation of a market system in Belarus.

The 1994 constitution also set up presidential and democratic systems that mirrored those of the United States.

Due to its rule under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Belarusians were introduced to Christianity earlier than other East Slavic cultures.

Neither gay marriage nor civil union is legally recognized in Belarus.

The current territory of Belarus was determined in the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

Belarus is widely considered to be the country that suffered the most as a result of WWII. An estimated 25% of the population was killed, and 25% more were displaced to be slave laborers for Nazi Germany.

Before WWII, Jews made up the second largest ethnic group in Belarus, and about half of the urban population. The war resulted in Belarus's loss of any significant Jewish presence. Source

To memorialize Belarus's losses from WWII, when the UN was formed in 1945 Belarus was granted a seat despite being an SSR at the time.

Trasianka is a mixed language with Belarusian and Russian traits spoken by many Belarusians. Its name comes from the Belarusian word for poor hay, referencing how some farmers mix fresh and old hay to cut costs. Source

The Belarusian language has five main dialects: Standard, North-Eastern, Middle, South-Western and West-Palyesian. Middle is a mix between the North-Eastern and South-Western dialect groups. Source

Lacinka is the term for writing Belarusian with the Latin script. It has features of many Western Slavic languages such as Czech, Polish, and Sorbian. Source

Taraškievica is the most commonly accepted orthography of the Belarusian language. It was in official use from its inception in 1918 until 1933, when the Belarusian orthography was reformed under Soviet rule. Source

Out of the three East Slavic languages (Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian), Belarusian is closest to Ukrainian. Source

Belarusian is a recognized minority language in Czechia. Source

Foragaging is a popular traditional activity in Belarus, especially for berries and mushrooms. Source

It is illegal to gather mushrooms with any mechanical equipment in Belarus. Source

In Belarus "individuals can gather wild berries, mushrooms, hazelnuts, extract birch juice, and or take away fallen foliage, moss, and tree branches without any restrictions", so long as they are not intending to sell them. Source

Those who intend to sell mushrooms in Belarus must pay a tax to pick mushrooms, but people can sell gathered mushrooms to companies free of income tax. Source

Jaywalking is heavily fined in Belaurs. Source

The median age in Belarus is 40.9 years (38 for men, and 43.9 for women). Source

The population of Belarus is decreasing at a rate of -0.29% annually. Source

Belarus has a death rate of 12.96 deaths per 1,000. It has the 8th highest death rate in the world. Source

Belarus has a net migration rate of 0.77 migrants per 1,000. It has the 66th highest net migration rate in the world. Source

Belarus is experiencing urbanization at an estimated 0.28% annual rate of change. Source

The average life expectancy age in Belarus is 74 years. Source

Belarus has a fertility rate of 1.51 children born per woman.Source

An estimated 0.5% of Belarusians are HIV positive. Source

About 1/4 of Belarusian adults are obese. Source

The average number of school years for Belarusians is 15. (15 for boys, 16 for girls) Source

The contraceptive prevalence rate of women in Belarus is 71.2%. Source

Belarus has an unemployment rate of 0.8%. Source

66.8% of the Belarusian workforce is in services. Source

23.4% of the Belarusian workforche is in industry. Source

9.7% of the Belarusian workforce is in agriculture. Source

5% of the Belarusian population is below the poverty line. Source

Belarus has an estimated industrial growth rate of 5.6%, the 47th highest in the world. Source

Belarus's infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the world. Source

Belarus is a transshipment point for illicit drugs going to West Europe, the Baltics, and Russia, though Russia is also a source for many illicit drugs going to Belarus. Source

The Belarusian government has built three tunnels designed to help frogs cross roadways. Source 1 | Source 2

The crosswalk figure used in Belarus is the same as the one used throughout other formerly USSR countries.

Belarus has an intentional homicide rate of 2 per 100,000 people, it is among the lowest in the world. Source

Belarus has a suicide mortality rate of 21.2 per 100,000 people, among the highest in the world. This is still a great improvement from 2002, when the suicide rate was 44.3 per 100,000. Source