| Basic data | |
| Capital | Minsk |
| Population | 9.349 million (2021) |
| Language | Belarusian, Russian |
| Religion | 60% religious, of which 82% Orthodox, 12% Catholic, 6% other |
| State system | presidential republic |
| Head of State | Alexander Lukashenko |
| Head of government | Roman Golovchenko |
| Currency name | Belarusian ruble (BYN) |
| Travel | |
| Time shift | +2 hours (in summer +1 hour) |
| Economy | |
| Nominal GDP (billion USD) | 60.7 |
| Economic growth (%) | -0.9 |
| Inflation (%) | 7.4 |
| Unemployment (%) | 5.3 |
According to a2zdirectory, Belarus is a presidential system with a bicameral parliament. The head of state has been President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994 (his internationally recognized presidential mandate ended on 05/11/2020, the Czech Republic did not recognize the result of the falsified presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020), who, with the help of the so-called power vertical and with the support of the security forces, controls the parliament, the judiciary power and all authorities. The state of human and civil rights in Belarus has fallen to the lowest imaginable level over the past year. The number of political prisoners has reached a new all-time high and has a tendency to continue to grow. Belarusian NGOs are under unprecedented pressure and face existential danger. Belarus is also the last country in Europe that still carries out the death penalty.
The heated internal political situation after the presidential elections, together with the low demand for Belarusian goods on world markets due to the spread of the coronavirus, are significantly draining the economy, and the living standards of the population are decreasing. The current decline in GDP occurs against the background of a low comparative base, which indicates a significant weakening of the economy. The crisis hit the economy hard through inflationary expectations, deepening the country’s indebtedness and a drop in domestic demand. The growth prospects of the Belarusian economy in the following years are very limited and due to persistent internal threats (increasing overinflation, limited financial and investment resources, mismatch between wage levels and labor productivity,
There are no structural reforms in Belarus. It is still a centrally managed economy in which state enterprises controlled by individual ministries have a decisive share. Their dominant position, preferences obtained from the authorities (financial and credit resources, concessions, advantages regarding normative obligations, etc.) slow down the development of the promising private sector. This makes the country’s economy much more vulnerable to external shocks. Inefficient state-owned enterprises are one of the main reasons why the Belarusian economy is weak. On the other hand, the country has a broad agricultural and industrial base (industry makes up less than 25% of the Belarusian economy and more than half of industrial production is destined for export), which today offers a number of business and investment opportunities for Czech solutions as part of the ongoing modernization of companies. which annually generate billions in revenue and thus contribute significantly to the state budget. Demand is growing steadily in the following sectors: energy, engineering, agriculture and food, and the area of waste management. However, the functioning of not only Czech companies could become more difficult in response to the imposition of sectoral EU sanctions against Belarus.
Practical telephone numbers (emergency services, police, firemen, information lines, etc.)
Since 2013, the single number 112 can be used to call for help.
- Firefighters: 101
- Police: 102
- Emergency service: 103
- Gas: 104
- Railway: 105
- Airport: 106
- Taxi: 107, 135, 152, 157, 158
- Bus station: 114
- Telephone numbers of organizations: 109
- Weather forecast: 195
- Information on phone numbers: 185
Other important phone numbers:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic: +420224181111 (switchboard)
- Ministry of Industry and Trade: +420224811111 (switchboard)
Important web links and contacts
Official web presentation of Belarus http://www.belarus.by
Belarusian Telegraph Agency BELTA ( https://www.belta.by )
Belarusian Information Society BELAPAN ( https://belapan.by )
Independent information website Belarusian Partisan ( http://www.belaruspartisan.org )
Charter 97 Internet News ( https://charter97.org/ )
Vyasna Center for Human Rights Defenders Internet News (unregistered) ( http://spring96.org )
Addresses of important constitutional officials and institutions
President ( https://president.gov.by )
Council of Ministers ( http://www.government.by )
Ministry of Architecture and Construction ( http://mas.gov.by )
Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( https://www.mfa.gov.by )
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Management ( http://www.mjkx.gov.by )
Ministry of Health ( http://www.minzdrav.by )
Ministry of Internal Affairs ( https://www.mvd.gov.by )
Ministry of Informatics ( http://www.mininform.gov.by )
Ministry of Culture ( https://www.kultura.by )
Ministry of Forestry ( http://www.mlh.by )
Ministry of Defense ( https://www.mil.by )
Ministry of Education ( https://edu.gov.by )
Ministry of Taxes and Fees ( http://www.nalog.gov.by )
Ministry for Emergency Situations ( https://mchs.gov.by )
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection ( https://www.minpriroda.gov.by )
Ministry of Industry ( https://minprom.gov.by )
Ministry of Communications and Informatization ( https://www.mpt.gov.by )
Ministry of Agricultural Economy and Food ( https://www.mshp.gov.by )
Ministry of Sports and Tourism ( http://www.mst.by )
Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade ( https://mart.gov.by )
Ministry of Transport and Communications ( https://www.mintrans.gov.by )
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection ( http://www.mintrud.gov.by )
Ministry of Finance ( http://www.minfin.gov.by )
Ministry of Economy ( http://www.economy.gov.by )
Ministry of Energy ( https://www.minenergo.gov.by )
Ministry of Justice ( https://minjust.gov.by )
National Statistical Committee ( https://www.belstat.gov.by )
State Customs Committee ( https://www.gtk.gov.by )
State Committee for Standardization ( https://gosstandart.gov.by )
State Committee for Science and Technology ( http://www.gknt.gov.by )
State Property Committee ( http://www.gki.gov.by )
State Military-Industrial Committee ( https://www.vpk.gov.by )
National Bank ( https://www.nbrb.by )
Belarusian Association of Motor Carriers (BAMAP) ( http://bamap.org )
