Random Country of the Week: Belarus

By Brian Englesma

Yo dogs, I’d like to introduce to yet another random country, so grab your boarding passes and get aboard the AirBrian flight to Belarus, a center of random-ocity in Eastern Europe, a region that, in my book, is considerably underrated when it comes to being random.

Belarus is a landlocked country sandwiched among Russia, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine. The area now known as Belarus was originally settled by Slavic tribes in the sixth century. The regioin has been traded back and forth many times throughout it’s history by Lithuania, Poland and Russia.

Following Russia’s withdrawal following World War I, Belarus became an independent nation for the first time in its history. This newfound independence would be short lived, as the new nation was invaded by the USSR in 1919.

During World War II Belarus was the hardest hit of all the Soviet Republics, remaining in Nazi hands until 1944. The Germans destroyed 209 of 290 cities, 85% of Belarus’ industry, and more than million buildings. It took until 1971 for the area to regain the population it lost during World War II.

Following World War II, Soviet leaders attempted to “Sovietize” the Byelorussian republic by migrating massive amounts of Russians to the area, and putting Russians in key leadership positions. Native Byelorussian’s fought back against this policy and attempted to preserve their culture and identity.

On June 27 th 1990, Belarus declared it’s independence from the Soviet Union. Since then the country has largely become a satellite state of Russia, a move supported by Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’ President who has held office since their independence.

Belarus is over 80,000 square miles large, most of it flat and marshy land. 40% of the country is covered by forests, and there are over 11,000 lakes in Belarus. Belarus’ natural resources include peat, along with trace amounts of oil and natural gas.

Perhaps the most significant event in Belarus’ history occurred in 1986, with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Around 70% of the radiation leaked from the meltdown eventually entered Byelorussian territory. As of 2005 nearly one fifth of the nation’s land continues to be affected by nuclear fallout from the disaster.

To a great extent the economy of Belarus is still state run, with over half of all workers employed by the government. Following Belarus’ independence from the USSR it was one of the most industrialized societies in the world, with the wealthiest economy per capita of post-Soviet states. Key exports include heavy machinery, agriculture and energy products.

By all accounts Belarus is just a simple, random country. Its randomness is very thorough. It has a history of being the conquered rather than the conqueror, its economy is bland, and altogether nothing to brag about. Geographically the country is flat and marshy. What could be more unremarkable and forgettable? Belarus, you truly are a random country.