GENERAL
Official name of the state
Respublika Belarus.
Capital
Minsk.
Geography
According to topschoolsintheusa, Belarus borders in the northwest with Latvia and Lithuania, in the north and east with the Russian Federation, in the south with Ukraine and in the west with Poland. Lakes, large moor areas (13% of the total area) and forests characterize the landscape. Mixed forests with birch, oak, maple and spruce cover a third of the area. The Dnieper and other large rivers flow through the mostly flat land. In the north is the largest lake, the Naratsch.
Government
Presidential republic since 1991. Constitution of 1994, amended in 1996. Bicameral parliament: House of Representatives with 110 members and Republic Council with 64 representatives of the regions and 8 members appointed by the head of state. Since 1991 independent state of the CIS.
Head of state
Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, since 1994 (re-elected in 2010 for another 5 years).
Head of government
Andrey Kabyakov, since December 2014.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz. No adapter required.
Time zone
Moscow Standard Time: CET +4
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official languages are Belarusian and Russian, as well as Ukrainian, Polish and other languages of ethnic minorities.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
The following items can be imported into Belarus duty-free in hand luggage (people over 18 years of age):
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of other tobacco products;
3 l spirits (this also includes beer from 7% alcohol content);
Perfume for personal use;
Items for personal use worth up to € 1,500 (€ 10,000 for air travel); (Total weight must not exceed 50 kg, including imported alcohol).
Attention: Those who enter Belarus by land more than once within three months are only allowed to import 20 kg of luggage worth € 300 duty-free.
Import regulations
Valuables should be declared and the declaration form for departure should be kept in a safe place.
Prohibited imports
Weapons, ammunition, military equipment, drugs, poisons, psychotropic drugs, narcotics, radioactive and explosive substances, immoral or subversive media directed against Belarus (especially photos and printed matter), beef and beef products. The embassies can provide further information.
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Formal attire and punctuality are expected. English, and sometimes also German, is the business language, especially in management. Agreed appointments should be confirmed, business cards should be printed in Russian and German or English. Negotiations are tedious.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Economy
Federation of German Industries
(Eastern Committee of German Business)
Breite Strasse 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de
Austrian
Chamber of Commerce (Eastern Europe Department)
Stubenring 8-10, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 514 50.
Internet: http://portal.wko.at
United Economic
Chambers Sonnenbergstrasse 48, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 268 43 00.
Internet: www.jointchambers.ch
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republic of Belarus
Communisticheskaya Street 11, BY-220029 Minsk
Tel: (0172) 90 72 49.
Internet: www.cci.by
Business contacts
Federation of German Industries
(Eastern Committee of German Business)
Breite Strasse 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de
Austrian
Chamber of Commerce (Eastern Europe Department)
Stubenring 8-10, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 514 50.
Internet: http://portal.wko.at
United Economic
Chambers Sonnenbergstrasse 48, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 268 43 00.
Internet: www.jointchambers.ch
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republic of Belarus
Communisticheskaya Street 11, BY-220029 Minsk
Tel: (0172) 90 72 49.
Internet: www.cci.by
COMMUNICATION
Phone
Direct dialing to all cities including Minsk (017) and Brest (0162). To make international calls abroad, first dial 8, wait for the dial tone, and then dial 10. Telephone cards are required for public telephones and are available from post offices and newspaper kiosks. Gray phone boxes are for national calls, blue phone boxes are for international calls. The national telephone company is called BelTelecom (Internet: www.beltelecom.by).
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800. Network operators are Velcom (Internet: www.velcom.by) and MTS (Internet: www.mts.by). The transmission / reception area is no longer limited to the big cities. Cell phones can be rented at the airport (in the Belcel office) and in Minsk.
Internet
There are internet cafes in Minsk and other cities, and some post offices also offer internet access. The main providers are Belpak (Internet: www.belpak.by) and Atlant-Telekom (Internet: www.telecom.by). Mobile surfing on the Internet is made possible by the Goodspeed Wi-Fi hotspots, which are subject to a charge (Internet: goodspeed.io/de). Information about free hotspots can be found at www.hotspotlocations.com.
Post Office
Airmail to Western Europe takes over 10 days. Larger hotels accept poste restante items. The main post office in Minsk (Skoriny 10; opening hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and the Yubileynaya and Planeta hotels in Minsk offer express mail services. DHL Worldwide Express and Federal Express also have branches in Minsk.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
CULTURE
Religion
Mostly Russian Orthodox; in addition, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Islamic.
Social rules of conduct
Shake hands to greet you. Hospitality is a given. Non-smoking areas are marked. Tip: 10% is common. In some hotels in Minsk and other major cities, 10-15% service is added to the bill. Photographing: Military installations and installations of strategic importance should not be photographed.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Temperate continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. It is best to travel to Belarus from late spring to early autumn.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +375 Area (sq km) 207 595 Population 9 589 689 Population density (per sq km) 46 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 103
