Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Belarus - Statistics & Facts
Belarus is located in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Officially, Belarus is a presidential republic, but it is actually known for being one of the last dictatorships in Europe, as President Alexander Lukashenko has maintained power since 1994 and his government places harsh penalties on any opposition to his rule. The country was formed during World War II, and since then it has struggled to establish its own identity; remaining closely connected to and dependent on Russia in large part because of the oil and gas industry. Belarus gets oil and gas from Russia at a significant discount and in return, large quantities of oil and gas are exported from Russia to Europe through the country. v
