The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 13.37 deaths/1,000 live births

       male: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 12.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 68.72 years

       male: 63.03 years

       female: 74.69 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.39 children born/woman (2005 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.3% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       15,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       1,000 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Belarusian(s)

       adjective: Belarusian

      Ethnic groups:

       Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other

       1.1% (1999 census)

      Religions:

       Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant,

       Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

      Languages:

       Belarusian, Russian, other

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 99.6%

       male: 99.8%

       female: 99.5% (2003 est.)

      Government Belarus

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of Belarus

       conventional short form: Belarus

       local long form: Respublika Byelarus'

       local short form: none

       former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

      Government type:

       republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

      Capital:

       Minsk

      Administrative divisions:

       6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality*

       (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk,

       Vitsyebsk

       note: administrative divisions have the same names as their

       administrative centers

      Independence:

       25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date

       Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date

       of independence from the Soviet Union

      Constitution:

       15 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996

       giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective

       27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing

       presidential term limits

      Legal system:

       based on civil law system

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)

       head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (since 19

       December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since

       December 2003)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;

       first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the

       1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999,

       however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996

       referendum; new election held 9 September 2001; October 2004

       referendum ended presidential term limits allowing president to run

       for a third term in September 2006; prime minister and deputy prime

       ministers appointed by the president

       election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent

       of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%

      Legislative branch:

       bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of

       the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56

       members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the

       president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives

       or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by universal

       adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms)

       elections: last held 18 March and 1 April 2001 and 17 and 31 October

       2004; international observers widely denounced the October 2004

       elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on massive government

       falsification; pro-Lukashenko candidates won every seat, after many

       opposition candidates were disqualified for technical reasons

       election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party -

       NA%; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by

       party - NA%; seats by party - NA

      Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);

       Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president

       and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives)

      Political parties and leaders:

       Pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [leader NA];

       Belarusian Communist Party or KPB [leader NA]; Belarusian Patriotic

       Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH,

       chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH];

       Social-Sports Party [leader NA]; Opposition parties: Belarusian

       Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat

       Party Narodnaya Gromada or BSDP NG [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman];

       Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH,

       chairman]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LEBEDKO]; Party of

       Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Women's