Map of Belarus
Belarus is a country in Europe with its capital at Minsk, home to about 9.09 million people across 207,597 km². The interactive map below plots 15 cities and towns, 6 rivers, 1 lakes and 1 mountain summits recorded for Belarus in YearMaps.
- Population
- 9.09 million
- Area
- 207,597 km²
- Capital
- Minsk
- Continent
- Europe
Interactive Map of Belarus
Centred on Minsk at 53.9019° N, 27.5647° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About 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. Belarus spans an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a population of 9.1 million. 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.
For most of the medieval period, the lands of modern-day Belarus were ruled by independent city-states such as the Principality of Polotsk. By the 14th century these lands had come fully under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth; this period lasted for 500 years until the 1792–1795 partitions of Poland-Lithuania placed Belarus within the Russian Empire for the first time. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution in 1917, different states arose competing for legitimacy amid the Civil War, ultimately ending in the rise of the Byelorussian SSR, which became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922.
After the Polish-Soviet War (1918–1921), Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland. Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939, when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland, and were finalised after World War II. During World War II, military operations devastated Belarus, which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources. In 1945, the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations, along with the Soviet Union. The republic was home to a widespread and diverse anti-Nazi insurgent movement which dominated politics until well into the 1970s, overseeing Belarus's transformation from an agrarian to an industrial economy.
The parliament of the republic proclaimed the sovereignty of Belarus on 27 July 1990, and during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus gained independence on 25 August 1991. Following the adoption of a new constitution in 1994, Alexander Lukashenko was elected Belarus's first president in the country's first and only free election after independence, serving as president ever since. Lukashenko heads a highly centralised authoritarian government. Belarus ranks low in international measurements of freedom of the press and civil liberties. It has continued several Soviet-era policies, such as state ownership of large sections of the economy.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Belarus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Belarus
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union, envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place and negotiations on further integration have been contentious. Since taking office in 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. Restrictions on political freedoms have tightened in the wake of the disputed presidential election in 2020. The election results sparked large-scale protests as members of the opposition and civil society criticized the election’s validity. LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in 2020. Since 2022, Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.
- Location
- Eastern Europe, east of Poland.
- Climate
- Cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime.
- Terrain
- Generally flat with much marshland.
- Highest point
- Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m.
- Lowest point
- Nyoman River 90 m.
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Land borders
- Total: 3,599 km; border countries: Latvia 161 km; Lithuania 640 km; Poland 375 km; Russia 1,312 km; Ukraine 1,111 km.
- Major rivers
- Dnyapro (Dnieper) (shared with Russia [s] and Ukraine [m]) - 2,287 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Natural resources
- Timber, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 39.6% (2023 est.); arable land: 27.4% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 11.7% (2023 est.); forest: 44% (2023 est.); other: 16.5% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Large tracts of marshy land.
- Geographic note
- Landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes.
- Languages
- Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.)
- Religions
- Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Belarusian 83.7%, Russian 8.3%, Polish 3.1%, Ukrainian 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.9% (2009 est.)
- Economy
- Declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Belarus in Numbers
- Population
- 9.09 million
- GDP
- US$93.4 billion
- GDP per person
- US$10,279
- Life expectancy
- 74.4 years
- Population growth
- -0.51% a year
- Population density
- 45 per km²
- Urban population
- 79.5%
- Surface area
- 207,629 km²
- Forest cover
- 44.1%
- Arable land
- 27.2%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 94.3%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Belarus in Depth
History
From 5000 to 2000 BC, the Bandkeramik predominated in what now constitutes Belarus, and the Cimmerians as well as other pastoralists roamed through the area by 1,000 BC. The Zarubintsy culture later became widespread at the beginning of the 1st millennium. In addition, remains from the Dnieper–Donets culture were found in Belarus and parts of Ukraine. The region was first permanently settled by Baltic tribes in the 3rd century. Around the 5th century, the area was taken over by the Slavs. The takeover was partially due to the lack of military coordination of the Balts, but their gradual assimilation into Slavic culture was peaceful. Invaders from Asia, among whom were the Huns and Avars, swept through c. 400–600 AD, but were unable to dislodge the Slavic presence.
Geography
Belarus lies between latitudes 51° and 57° N, and longitudes 23° and 33° E. Its extension from north to south is 560 km (350 mi), from west to east is 650 km (400 mi). It is landlocked, relatively flat, and contains large tracts of marshy land. About 40% of Belarus is covered by forests. The country lies within two ecoregions: Sarmatic mixed forests and Central European mixed forests. Many streams and 11,000 lakes are found in Belarus. Three major rivers run through the country: the Neman, the Pripyat, and the Dnieper. The Neman flows westward towards the Baltic Sea and the Pripyat flows eastward to the Dnieper; the Dnieper flows southward towards the Black Sea.
Economy
Belarus is a developing country, but at 60th place in the United Nations' Human Development Index, it has "very high" human development. In 2019, the share of manufacturing in GDP was 31%. Manufacturing employed 35% of the workforce. Manufacturing growth is much smaller than for the economy as a whole—about 2.2% in 2021. Important agricultural products include potatoes and cattle byproducts, including meat.
Belarus has trade relations with over 180 countries. As of 2024, its main trading partners were Russia, which accounted for 66% of Belarus' international trade, and EU countries, with 11% of the country's trade.
In April 2022, as a result of its facilitation of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed trade sanctions on Belarus.
Demographics
According to the 2019 census the population was 9.41 million with ethnic Belarusians constituting 84.9% of Belarus's total population. Minority groups include: Russians (7.5%), Poles (3.1%), and Ukrainians (1.7%).
Belarus has a population density of about 50 people per square kilometre (127 per sq mi); 70% of its total population is concentrated in urban areas. Minsk, the nation's capital and largest city, was home to 1,937,900 residents in 2015. Gomel, with a population of 481,000, is the second-largest city and serves as the capital of the Gomel Region.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Belarus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Belarus: Key Facts
| Currency | Belarusian ruble |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Belarusian, Russian |
| Head of state | Alexander Lukashenka |
| Head of government | Alexander Turchyn |
| Form of government | presidential system, republic |
| Calling code | +375 |
| Internet domain | .by |
| Highest point | Dziaržynkaja hara |
| Lowest point | Neman |
| Established | 25 August 1991 |
Facts from Wikidata Q184 (CC0).
History of Belarus: Empires and States
The atlas records 22 polities whose mapped territory included part of Belarus, from Kievan Rus' in 882 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Kievan Rus' | 882–1235 CE | Nearly all |
| Principality of Kiev | 1056–1187 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Volhynia | 1056–1201 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Polotsky | 1056–1249 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Vitebsk | 1111–1187 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Drutsk | 1111–1249 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Minsk | 1111–1313 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Smolensk | 1188–1201 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Turov and Pinsk | 1188–1240 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Galicia-Volhynia | 1202–1240 CE | A small part |
| The Mongol Empire | 1241–1293 CE | A large part |
| Grand Duchy of Lithuania | 1250–1449 CE | Nearly all |
| Principality of Pinsk | 1294–1325 CE | A small part |
| Polish-Lithuania Kingdom | 1395–1449 CE | Nearly all |
| House of Jagiellon | 1450–1571 CE | Nearly all |
| Tsardom of Russia | 1572–1661 CE | Most |
| Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth | 1572–1793 CE | Nearly all |
| Pro-Swedish Poland | 1706–1712 CE | Nearly all |
| The Russian Empire | 1772–1916 CE | Nearly all |
| Second Polish Republic | 1920–1939 CE | A large part |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 1922–1991 CE | Nearly all |
| Republic of Belarus | 1992–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Belarus
Belarus on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Belarus
Belarus (Belarusian and Russian: Белару́сь) is a former Soviet state whose history begins in the 10th century CE. While not on most tourists' radar, Belarus preserves beautiful castles, pristine nature, and Soviet heritage. It maintains close ties and an open border with its neighbor Russia.
Commonly referred to as "Europe's last dictatorship", Belarus is a strict authoritarian country. As a tourist you should remain cautious in Belarus due to arbitrary law enforcement, extensive surveillance, political repression, and the risk of sudden border or travel restrictions or avoid visiting the country altogether.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Belarus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Belarus
15 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minsk | 1.80 million | Minsk | National capital |
| 2 | Homyel | 480,951 | Homyel' | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Mahilyow | 369,200 | Mahilyow | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Vitsyebsk | 342,700 | Vitsyebsk | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Hrodna | 317,365 | Hrodna | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Brest | 300,715 | Brest | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Babruysk | 220,517 | Mahilyow | Populated place |
| 8 | Baranavichy | 168,772 | Brest | Populated place |
| 9 | Barysaw | 155,389 | Minsk | Populated place |
| 10 | Orsha | 135,206 | Vitsyebsk | Populated place |
| 11 | Pinsk | 130,777 | Brest | Populated place |
| 12 | Mazyr | 112,137 | Homyel' | Populated place |
| 13 | Maladzyechna | 101,300 | Minsk | Populated place |
| 14 | Lida | 100,216 | Hrodna | Populated place |
| 15 | Polatsk | 82,258 | Vitsyebsk | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Belarus
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dzyarzhynskaya | 346 m | 1,135 ft | Europe |
Dzyarzhynskaya
Mountain · 346 m
Dzyarzhynskaya is a mountain rising to 346 metres (1,135 ft) in Belarus, in the Europe region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (Belarusian: Дзяржынская гара, romanized: Dziaržynskaja hara, [dzʲarˈʐɨnskaja]) is the highest point in Belarus. The hill is 345 meters (1,130 ft) above sea level and is located west of the capital Minsk, near Dzyarzhynsk, in the village of Skirmantava. The original name of the hill was Svyataya hara (Belarusian: Святая гара, lit. 'holy mountain'). In 1958, the hill was renamed Dzyarzhynskaya hara, in honour of Soviet revolutionary and politician Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the OGPU.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 346 m (1,135 ft)
- Global rank
- #621 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Europe (#76)
- Country
- Belarus
- Coordinates
- 53.8600°, 27.0800°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Dzyarzhynskaya ranks #621 by elevation, below Ukko Koli (347 m) and above Mount Hillaby (340 m).
- Ranges:
- Tatra Mountains (Europe), Carpathian Mountains (Europe)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Suur Munamagi (318 m), Kékes (1,015 m), Sněžka (1,603 m)
- Settlements below:
- Minsk (32 km), Maladzyechna (53 km), Barysaw (101 km)
More about Dzyarzhynskaya
Dzyarzhynskaya: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 185 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q921447 (CC0).
Largest Lakes in Belarus
1 lake recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiev Reservoir | 647 km² | Reservoir |
Kiev Reservoir
Reservoir · 647 km²
Kiev Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Ukraine and Belarus, with a mapped surface area of about 647 km². It exists because of a dam rather than natural drainage, and was filled in 1964 behind Kiev.
The Kyiv Reservoir (Ukrainian: Київське водосховище, romanized: Kyivs'ke vodoskhovyshche), locally the Kyiv Sea (Ukrainian: Київське море, romanized: Kyivs'ke more), is a large water reservoir located on the Dnipro River in Ukraine. Named after the city of Kyiv, which lies to the south, it covers an area of 922 square kilometres (356 sq mi) within the Kyiv Oblast. The reservoir filled in 1964–1966 after the dam for the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant was built at Vyshhorod. The reservoir is mainly used for hydroelectricity generation, industrial and public consumption, and irrigation.
The reservoir is 110 km in length, 12 km in width, has a depth of four to eight meters, a volume of 3.7 km3 (0.89 cu mi), and a usable volume of 1.2 km3 (0.29 cu mi). The reservoir, together with the Kakhovka Reservoir (destroyed in 2023 during Russian invasion of Ukraine), the Dnieper Reservoir, the Kamianske Reservoir, the Kremenchuk Reservoir, and the Kaniv Reservoir, has created a deep-water route on the river.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Kyiv Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 647 km²
- Area rank
- #265 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Reservoir
- Countries
- Ukraine, Belarus
- Impounded
- 1964
- Dam
- Kiev
- Coordinates
- 51.0438°, 30.4842°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Kiev Reservoir ranks #265 by surface area, after Siletitengiz Kli (647 km²) and ahead of Lake St. Joseph (645 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
More about Kiev Reservoir
Kiev Reservoir: Key Facts
| Surface area | 922 km² |
|---|---|
| Surface elevation | 99 m |
| Inflows | Dnieper |
| Outflows | Dnieper |
| Drainage system | Dnieper basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q1425651 (CC0).
Rivers in Belarus
6 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belarus
4 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Białowieża Forest | 1979 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
| 2 | Mir Castle Complex | 2000 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) |
| 3 | Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh | 2005 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) (vi) |
| 4 | Struve Geodetic Arc | 2005 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (vi) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Belarus
1 landform recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Europe | 11.24M km² | Continent | Europe |
Countries Bordering Belarus
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Europe
Belarus: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Belarus?
- The capital of Belarus is Minsk.
- What is the population of Belarus?
- Belarus has a population of about 9.09 million, the #100 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Belarus?
- Belarus covers 207,597 km², ranking #87 by area, with about 44 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Belarus in?
- Belarus is in Europe.
- Which countries border Belarus?
- Belarus shares a land or maritime border with Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Latvia, Ukraine.
- What is the largest city in Belarus?
- Minsk is the largest city in Belarus, with a metropolitan population of about 1.80 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Belarus?
- The highest summit recorded for Belarus in YearMaps is Dzyarzhynskaya at 346 m (1,135 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Belarus?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Belarus is Kiev Reservoir, at roughly 647 km².