The Republic of Belarus

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest Capital: Minsk, Official languages: Belarusian and Russian, population: 9,457,500 (2012 census), currency: Belarusian ruble (BYR), declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990

Etymology
Belarus corresponds literally w/ the term White Ruthenia which is often referred to as White Russia a misinterpretation supported by Russia Several claims exist to where the origin of the name White Rus came from; an ethno religious theory suggests the name used to describe the part of old Ruthenian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that had mostly been populated by early Christianized Slavs, as opposed to Black Ruthenia that was mostly inhabited by pagan Balts Second theory relates to the white color of the clothing worn by the Slavs, and the third suggests that old Ruthenian lands were not conquered by the Tatars

History
Both homo erectus and Neanderthal remains have been found in the region Region was first settled by the Slavs in the 6th century who formed a polity, the Kievan Rus, w/ the Varangians bands of Scandinavian warriors and traders. Upon the death of the Kievan Rus leader the state split into independent principalities who were badly affected by a Mongol invasion in the 13th century and many were later incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania The union between Poland and Lithuania ended in 1795 with the partitioning of Poland by Imperial Russia, Prussia, and Austria. During this time the territories of Belarus were acquired by the Russian Empire under the reign of Catherine II and held until their occupation by German Empire during World War I Belarus first declared independence under German occupation in 1918 forming the Belarusian People Republic, soon after it found itself torn b/t Russian and Poland in the Polish-Soviet War Part of Belarus under Russian rule emerged as the Belarusian Soviet Socialistic Republic in 1919. BSSR was the hardest hit Soviet Republic in WWII and remained in Nazi hands until 1944 Stalin implemented a policy of Sovietization to isolate the Belorussian SSR from Western influences. The official use of the Belarusian language and other cultural aspects were limited by Moscow.

In 1988 mass graves of victims executed in 1937-41 were found near Minsk. Some nationalists contend that this discovery is proof that the Soviet government was trying to erase the Belarusian people, causing Belarusian nationalists to seek independence.

Politics
A national constitution was adopted in March 1994 in which the functions of prime minister were given to the president of Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko became president in 1994 and was re-elected in 2001, 2006 and 2010. Under the 1994 constitution, the president could only serve for two five-year terms as president, but a change in the constitution in 2004 eliminated term limits. When opposition protesters took to the streets in Minsk after what they said was a fraudulent election in 2010, many people including most rival presidential candidates were beaten and arrested by the state militia for terms over four years. Western countries have described Belarus under Lukashenko as a dictatorship.

Culture
The traditional Belarusian dress originates from the Kievan Rus' period. Due to the cool climate, clothes were designed to preserve body heat and were usually made from flax or wool. Each region of Belarus has developed specific design patterns. Cuisine consists mostly of vegetables, meats and bread. Wheat and rye breads are consumed but rye is more plentiful because conditions are too harsh for growing wheat. Belarus has four World Heritage Sites: the Mir Castle Complex, the Nesvizh Castle, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Struve Geodetic Arc. Belarusian literature began with 11th- to 13th-century religious scripture. By the 16th century Francysk Skaryna translated the Bible into Belarusian. It was published in Prague and Vilnius sometime between 1517 and 1525, making it the first book printed in Belarus or anywhere in Eastern Europe. After Belarus was incorporated into the Soviet Union the Soviet government took control of the Republic's cultural affairs. The majority of prominent Belarusian intellectuals and nationalist advocates were either exiled or killed in Stalinist purges.