Thu, 19:38 28 Aug 2008 GMT17

 
Belarus
 
Capital: Minsk
Area size: 207480 sq. km Slightly smaller than the United Kingdom
Time zone: Standard Time GMT +2, Summer Time GMT +3
Currency: Belarusian ruble
Area code: (+) 375
Driving: Right
Climate description: Continental maritime; cold winters and cool, moist summers
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Belarusian (official), Russian (second language for most of the population), Polish, Ukrainian, Yiddish and Tatar
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population
2007 9.8 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 9.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 9.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 9.8 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 9.9 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 10.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 10.0 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 10.1 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
9.7 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)

Ethnic groups
Ethnic Belarusians account for 81 percent of the population. Minorities include Russians (11 percent), Poles and Ukrainians.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Christian Orthodox in the east, Roman Catholic in the west of the country.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 73.2 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 72.7 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 72.2 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 71.8 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 71.3 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 70.9 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 70.4 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 70.0 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1919
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2006)

Percentage of population under 15
2005 15.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 15.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 16.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 17.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 17.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 18.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002


Average life expectancy
2005 68.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 68.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 68.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 70.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 69.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 68.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male
2005 62.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 62.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 62.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 64.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 64.3 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 62.8 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female
2005 74.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 74.1 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 74.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 75.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 75.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 74.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality
2006 12 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 10 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 9 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 13 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2006 13 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 12 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 11 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 17 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 20 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 20 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 20 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 No data available percent
1995-2000 No data available percent

Maternal mortality
2005 18 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000 35 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
2005 64 UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 67 UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 67 UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 62 UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 53 UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 56 UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
1 percent (2000-2006)
Source: UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008

Percentage of undernourished population
2002-2004 average 4 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 3 percent FAO 2006
2000-2002average 2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1999-2001average 3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000average 2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water
2004 100 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 100 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation
2004 84 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 No data available percent
2000 No data available percent

Literacy - average
2004 99.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 99.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 99.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 99.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 99.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
2004 99.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 99.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 99.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 99.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 99.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - female
2004 99.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 99.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 99.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 99.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 99.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Landlines telephones
2006 347 per 1,000 people International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007
2005 337 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2004 324 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2003 311 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2002 299 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2001 287 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2000 274 per 1,000 people ITU 2007

Cellular telephone subscribers
2006 614 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2005 420 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2004 228 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2003 113 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2002 47 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2001 14 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2000 5 per 1,000 people ITU 2007

Internet users
2006 565 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2005 348 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2004 251 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2003 163 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2002 90 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2001 43 per 1,000 people ITU 2007
2000 19 per 1,000 people ITU 2007

Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
2007 150 (joint) Transparency International 2007
2006 151 (joint) Transparency International
2005 107 (joint) Transparency International
2004 74 (joint) Transparency International
2003 53 Transparency International
2002 36 (joint) Transparency International
2001 Not ranked
2000 43 (joint) Transparency International

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
1990-2005 No data available percent
1990-2004 No data available percent
1990-2002 No data available percent
1990-2001 <2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2006 3470 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 2780 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 2150 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 1610 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 1370 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 1300 current US$ WorldBankDataProfileTables2008
2000 1380 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP
2006 36.9 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 30.2 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 23.1 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 17.8 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 14.6 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 12.4 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 12.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual GDP growth
2005 9.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004 11.4 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2003 7 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002 5 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2001 4.7 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2000 5.8 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007

Annual inflation
2005 16.6 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2004 22.7 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2003 30.7 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2002 44.9 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2001 79.5 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007
2000 185.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
3.4 (latest available year)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
23.5 (latest available year)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008

Physicians
2000-2004 455 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 455 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 450 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002 457 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
2005 0.3 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2006
2003 0.3 percent UNAIDS 2006

Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO

TB cases
2006 61 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2005 61 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2004 61 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2003 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2002 60 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2001 66 per 100,000 people WHO 2008
2000 73 per 100,000 people WHO 2008

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2006 9371 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 8857 UNHCR
2004 8244 UNHCR
2003 7815 UNHCR
2002 6364 UNHCR
2001 3696 UNHCR
2000 2519 UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here
2006 690 UNHCR
2005 725 UNHCR
2004 725 UNHCR
2003 638 UNHCR
2002 618 UNHCR
2001 584 UNHCR
2000 458 UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
No data available

Landmine casualties per year
2004 At least 16 Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 9 Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (2003 )
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
2005 1.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 1.4 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 1.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Percentage of GDP spent on education
2002-2005 6.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2002-2004 5.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2000-2002 6.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1999-2001 6.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000 6.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 4.6 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004 3.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 4.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001 4.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000 4.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003


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