Europe: Belarus

This Eastern European country neighbours Lithuania and Latvia, Russia, Ukrain and Poland, is quite a flat country with large spaces of marsh lands, as many as 11,000 lakes, some streams and at least a third of forest lands. Its climate can be extreme with freezing winters and cool, wet summers with annual changing from maritime to continental climates.

Belarusian Natural Resources consist of oil and peat deposits, natural gas and dolomite (limestone), granite and chalk, marl, sand, gravel, and clay.

Belarusian cuisine consists greatly of bread, meat and vegetables. A popular cold soup, Okroshka, is also made from vegetables. Other popular drinks are Russian wheat vodka and a malted rye flower drink, kvass.

Belarusian Culture is nowadays aided by the Belarusian government who offers sponsorship to cultural festivals like Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. This Bazaar has Belarusian artists, writers, and performers, musicians, and actors.

Belarusian Literature started with the 11th - 13th century religious writing and the 12th century poetf Cyril of Turaw. The Bible, translated into Belarusian by the 16th century Francysk Skaryna and published in Prague and Vilnius between 1517 – 1525 made it the first printed book in Belarus and Eastern Europe. Other important writers included Yanka Kupala, Zmitrok Biadula and Maksim Haretski, Uladzimir ˇylka, Yakub Kolas and Kazimir Svayak.

The National Academic Theatre of Ballet was awarded the 1996 Benois de la Dance Price (as the top world ballet company), while NIghtingale was the first Belarusian ballet showcased at the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre in Minsk.

The traditional Belarusian dress consist flax and/or wool, for warmth and decorated with patterns representing specific neighboring cultures such as Latvian, Russian or Polish.

Belarusian cuisine consists greatly of bread, meat and vegetables. A popular cold soup, Okroshka, is also made from vegetables. Other popular drinks are Russian wheat vodka and a malted rye flower drink, kvass.

The 10 Largest Cities of Belarus are:
Minsk - with a population of 1741.4
Homel - with a population of 481.2
Mogilev - with a population of 365.1
Vitebsk - with a population of 342.4
Hrodna - with a population of 314.8
Brest - with a population of 298.3
Babruysk - with a population of 220.8
Baranovichi - with a population of 168.6
Barysau - with a population of 150.4
Orsha - with a population of 130.5

The Travel-Informed Team

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