Belarus

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Covering an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) and with a population of 9.1 million, Belarus is the 13th-largest and the 20th-most populous country in Europe. The country has a hemiboreal climate and is administratively divided into six regions. Minsk is the capital and largest city; it is administered separately as a city with special status.

Some of the key events about Belarus

1918
The German army occupied Belarus during World War I
1919
The Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was established, granting Belarus a form of statehood
1941
Nazi Germany invaded Belarus, leading to massive destruction and loss of life
1945
Belarus became a founding member of the United Nations
1986
The Belarusian State University was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for achievements in training qualified specialists
1986
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in neighboring Ukraine severely affected Belarus with radioactive fallout
1991
Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union, becoming a sovereign state
1991
The Belarusian economy collapsed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union
1994
The country adopted its first post-Soviet constitution
1994
The country's first presidential election was marred by allegations of fraud
1996
Belarus became a nuclear-free state after transferring all its nuclear weapons to Russia
1996
A controversial referendum expanded presidential powers, reducing democratic checks and balances
2001
The National Library of Belarus, one of the largest in Eastern Europe, opened its new building in Minsk
2004
Belarus won its first Olympic gold medal as an independent nation at the Athens Summer Olympics
2006
The country's first satellite, BelKA, was launched into orbit
2006
Presidential elections were widely criticized as undemocratic by international observers
2010
Post-election protests were violently suppressed by authorities
2019
Minsk successfully hosted the 2nd European Games, a major multi-sport event
2020
Widespread protests erupted following a disputed presidential election, leading to a harsh government crackdown
2022
Belarus faced international sanctions for its role in supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine

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