Belarus is a state located in Eastern Europe. Its territory is located in the basins of such rivers as the Western Dvina and Dnieper, Neman and Bug. The northeastern and eastern regions of Belarus border on the Russian Federation, the southern regions border Ukraine, the western regions border Lithuania and Poland, and the northwestern regions border Latvia.
This state is an endless expanse of fields sown with grain crops, flax, potatoes. The country of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is known for its vast territories of swamps, which Napoleon once called the fifth element.
Formation of the State
On the territory where Belarus is currently located, Turov, Polotsk and some other principalities existed in the 10-13th centuries. All of them were part of Kievan Rus. It was a kind of medieval federation, in which relations between princes developed on the basis of suzerainty-vassalage.
From the middle of the thirteenth century, this situation has undergone significant changes. For five and a half centuries, this territory became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Then the lands were subordinated to the Russian Empire without the formation of statehood.25.03.1918 a new stage in the history of the country began. It was on this day that the bourgeois-democratic state - the Belarusian People's Republic - was proclaimed. However, despite such a loud status, the country did not have its own Constitution, its own armed forces and clear boundaries. Thus, this territory could not be recognized as a full-fledged state.
Only from January 1, 1918, in connection with the formation of the BSSR, the country had its own Constitution, and power was concentrated in the hands of the Soviets of Deputies.
27.07.1990 Belarus declared its sovereignty. According to the current Constitution of the Republic, the head of its executive power is the President, and the highest legislative body is the National Assembly.
Independent State
The characteristics of the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus have changed radically since the end of the so-called Cold War. This was the period when the USSR collapsed and the Warsaw Treaty Organization ceased to exist. Since 1991, the history of the Republic of Belarus has been the history of an independent state with significant resources, as well as military and economic potential.
Country on the map
Assessment of the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus closelyrelated to its geographic location. The country can be found in the very center of Europe, in the middle part of the Eurasian continent. The length of Belarus from its northern to southern borders is 560 kilometers. In the direction from east to west, the territory of the country is slightly larger. This distance is 600 km.
The Republic of Belarus is surrounded by fairly strong and influential countries. The length of all its borders is 2969 km, including:
- with Poland – 399 km;
- with Latvia – 143 km;
- with Ukraine – 975 km;
- with Lithuania – 162 km;
- with Russia – 990 km.
When assessing the favorable geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus, the location of its capital, the city of Minsk, is also taken into account. From him to:
- Moscow – 700 km;
- Vilnius – 215 km;
- Kyiv – 580 km;
- Warsaw - 550 km;
- Riga – 470 km;
- Vienna - 1300 km;
- Berlin - 1060 km.
The role of neighboring states
Location in a long-established and settled part of Europe determines the high assessment of the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus. At the same time, a favorable neighborhood is an important aspect for the economic development of the country. The states that are part of the immediate environment of Belarus have a positive impact on the development of its national economy.
Especially important for the Republic is the proximity to the central andnorthwestern regions of Russia. These are economically highly developed regions, on the territory of which many chemical, machine-building, textile and other industries are concentrated, closely connected with similar enterprises in Belarus. In addition, Belarus is the closest and, therefore, the most economically advantageous supplier for Russia, delivering its goods to such major cities as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Poland for Belarus as a neighboring state also plays a big role in economic development. The integration of the Republic into the European community largely depends on the relationship with the western neighbor. At the same time, it is worth remembering that Belarus and Poland are connected not only by a common border. These two countries have many common historical and ethnographic roots.
Transport communications
When assessing the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus, it is worth mentioning that this country is a continental one. It is included in the list of seventeen countries in the world that do not have direct access to sea routes. Of course, this is a clear disadvantage. However, it is fully compensated by the well-developed river system located on the territory of the country. In addition, the leadership of Belarus actively uses nearby seaports located in neighboring states. Among them are Gdansk and Kaliningrad, Klaipeda and Ventspils. All these ports are located at a distance of 250 to 350 kilometers from the state borders of the Republic of Belarus.
The geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus is also highly appreciated due to the fact that itsborders with neighboring states pass through flat areas. This was an excellent prerequisite for the creation of convenient routes, which are currently used to develop economic ties not only with neighboring countries, but also with many other countries in Asia and Europe.
It is worth mentioning that one of the most attractive aspects of the geographical position of Belarus is transit. Thanks to it, a large number of trade, cultural and economic routes of communication intersect on the territory of the country. This fact has a positive effect on the economic development of the Republic.
It is also worth mentioning that the path known to us from history “from the Varangians to the Greeks” covered almost the entire current territory of the country with its branches. Today, corridors are open here, through which international relations of the Republic of Belarus with the B altics, Ukraine, Russia and Poland are carried out. Neighboring countries also use them for contacts between themselves and with other states. A part of the transcontinental type railway line passes through Belarus. It crosses all of Eurasia.
Belarus is a country where almost fifty percent of energy supplies are transited, pumping liquid fuel from Russia through gas and oil pipelines to consumers in Western Europe. In this regard, the Republic of Belarus has a significant economic benefit.
However, this geopolitical advantage was not always beneficial. Being in the center of Europe, Belarus has repeatedly become a territory where the interests of its moreinfluential neighbors. Over the past three centuries, numerous wars have brought her great destruction and significant losses. No wonder the main day of Belarus, when the country celebrates its independence, falls on July 3 every year. This is the date of the liberation of Minsk from the German invaders during the operation "Bagration" carried out by the Soviet troops in the summer of 1944.
Size of territory
The area of Belarus is 207.6 thousand square kilometers. This fact also needs to be mentioned when assessing all the pluses and minuses of the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus. In terms of size, the country is in thirteenth place in the list of more than forty European countries. This is 2.1% of the area of the whole of Europe.
By its size, the territory of Belarus exceeds the lands of Austria, Portugal, Greece and the Netherlands. It can be compared with Great Britain, located on 244.1 thousand square kilometers, and with Romania, occupying 237.5 thousand square kilometers. km. As for the B altic states, their area even in aggregate is less than that of Belarus by 1.2 times.
Inhabitants of the country
It is impossible to describe the features that characterize the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus without mentioning its population. In terms of the number of inhabitants, the Republic of Belarus is in the fourteenth place in Europe. It is worth saying that the population of Belarus is larger in number:
- 1, 3 times than in the B altic countries;
- 2 times than in Denmark or Finland.
The population of Belarus is similar in size to many European countries. In theirthe list includes Hungary and Belgium, Portugal and Greece, Yugoslavia and the Czech Republic.
The population density per square kilometer on average in the country is within 48.4 people. This is close to that of Ireland (51 people) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (54 people). The population density of Belarus is slightly inferior to Lithuania, where 56 people live per square kilometer. As for the countries located in the center and in the east of Europe, they have significant differences in this respect. For example, in Poland, the density indicator is 124 persons/sq. km, in the Czech Republic - 131, and in Slovakia - 110.
The national composition of Belarus is relatively homogeneous. This favors the stable development of the country. According to the census conducted in 1999, the composition of the inhabitants of the Republic is represented by:
- Belarusians – 81.2%;
- Russians – 11.4%;
- Poles – 3.9%;
- Ukrainians - 2, 1%;
- Jews - 0.1% and other minorities.
There are two state languages in the Republic. This is Russian and Belarusian. However, the history of the state left its indelible mark on many generations. What language does Belarus prefer to communicate in? The table below clearly indicates that you are more likely to hear Russian in this country.
Armed Forces
One of the most important prerequisites for the sustainable development of Belarus is the conduct of a competent defense policy, taking into accountinterests of other peoples. It is worth mentioning that as of 1995 the country was one of the most militarized in the world. This had a huge impact on the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus. After the collapse of the USSR, the state carried out many measures to reform its military personnel. The result of these actions was a reduction in the size of the armed forces by almost half. Due to the compactness of the country's territory and the insignificant length of its land borders, Belarus manages to protect them even with a relatively small number of troops and the absence of natural defensive lines.
National currency
Today, the money of Belarus is not only cash. You can pay for goods and services with traveler's checks and plastic cards. The national currency is the Belarusian ruble. It is not freely convertible, and therefore it is not possible for tourists arriving in the country to purchase it in advance.
The state has nine types of banknotes in circulation. These are denominations from 100 to 200,000 rubles. As for metal banknotes, they are not used for calculations. The National Bank of the Republic of Belarus issues only commemorative coins that are of interest only to collectors.
From July 1, 2016, it is planned to carry out a denomination in Belarus with the replacement of the current banknotes of the 2000 sample. New banknotes will be put into circulation. These are banknotes of the 2009 sample. As a means of payment, after a long break, there will also becoins.
Modern development conditions
Belarus today belongs to the category of "small" countries that do not have a significant impact on the global development of economic processes. The table below confirms this geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus.
However, the convenient location of the country on the map is considered in the interests of major players in the system of international relations. Belarus today is a connecting bridge between East and West, South and North. In this regard, it can be assigned the role of a center for business, as well as transport and communication services. In addition, Belarus is interested in both Russia and countries located in Western Europe as a transit state.
Today, the reality of the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus lies in its political and economic integration into the CIS (Commonwe alth of Independent States) system. In addition, due to its predominant geographical location, the capital of the state - the city of Minsk - is the place where the coordinating body of the CIS is located. For most of the Commonwe alth countries, Belarus is a kind of window to Europe. In addition to this membership, the Republic is a member of the Eurasian Economic Community. It also includes Russia and Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Today, the geopolitical position of the Republic of Belarus finds its practical application due to the high density of internation altransport communications. Thus, on a relatively small section of the border (350 kilometers) there are a number of railway (Brest and Vysokoye, Berestovitsa, Svisloch and Grodno), as well as automobile border crossings.
It is worth mentioning that the political and economic-geographical position of individual regions of the country is very different. All its regions, except for Minsk, have borders with neighboring countries. Moreover, each of them has borders with two states. Only the Mogilev region has an external border only with Russia. Hence such a variety of commodity exchange structures, oriented towards cross-border contacts. Thus, the western regions of the country are actively cooperating with enterprises in Poland, Germany and other European countries. And the eastern regions are connected by strong economic threads with the Russian Federation.
Thus, the geopolitical and economic-geographical position of the Republic of Belarus is its most important resource. Its use, without any doubt, will allow the country to reach a new level of economic development. This is of great importance for the economic prosperity of the state.
