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Welcome to Belarus
For many people Belarus is an unknown country. Prior to
1991 it didn't even exist. Located east of Poland and west
of Moscow, this new, independent state was formed after
the collapse of the USSR.
There's a lot more to this little country than one might
suspect. Belarus is home to the last piece of primeval European
forest, which is now the Belavezhskaja Pushcha Nature Reserve.
Here one can still see herds of the once near-extinct European
bison.
Belarus was once completely covered in forest, but by the
16th century, much of it had been cleared for farming. Today
about one third of Belarus' landscape is covered in forest,
mostly pine and birch groves.
Although landlocked, Belarus has about 11,000 lakes, most
of which have amazingly clean water. Marshy lowlands, huge
forests, lakes, small villages and an amazing array of wildlife,
such as deer, birds and boars cover its landscape. It almost
seems like a forgotten world. Outside of the major cities,
you won't find many paved roads or crowds. Belarus is a
nice place for nature lovers with lots of opportunities
for camping, hiking, fishing and bird watching in the wild.
If you’re more into culture and history, you'll find many
12th to 14th century castles all over the country. Some
of them are well preserved, but many are half destroyed.
Beautiful 12th century orthodox churches and catholic churches
from the 14th to 16th centuries can be found as well.
Minsk, the capital of Belarus, boasts a diverse cultural
scene with the Belarusian Ballet, the National Museum of
History and Culture, an opera, a puppet theater and a circus.
However, travelers to Belarus should know that living standards
are low compared to western countries. Many people living
in small villages are poor and survive on potatoes and vegetables
they grow themselves. Private land or business does not
exist. Belarus is not a democracy, but a dictatorship under
the authoritarian rule of President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Furthermore, the country is the only one in Europe to be
disqualified from full membership in the Council of Europe.
Security
Even though Belarus is relatively safe to travel to you
should exercise care and expect political street protests
by opposition parties in big cities, such as Minsk. It is
recommended to avoid these completely.
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