Minsk: 1,672,000(1995).

Density: 51 people per km; distribution: 66% urban, 34% rural. With an average of more than 50 people per kilometre, Belarus is one of the most densely populated republics of the former Soviet Union.

Ethnic composition:77,9% Belarusians; 13,2% Russians; 4,1 % Poles; 2,9% Ukrainians; 1,1% other (1989)

Territory: 207,600 km² (80,153 sq. miles). Belarus is a bit bigger than Austria, Ireland, Portugal or Greece. Minsk (the capital) lies roughly on the same latitude as Hamburg, Dublin or York. From east to west Belarus covers 650km; north to south - 560 km. Most of the country consists of flat lowlands. Forests cover the northern part.

Borders: Belarus has borders with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Belarusian is a Slavic language that resembles Russian and Ukrainian. It is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, the same system of writing used for Russian.

The Soviet government had discouraged use of Belarusian and promoted use of Russian. In 1990 Belarusian became an official language of Belarus. It replaced Russian. However, since the spring 1995 referendum which gave the Russian language the same status as Belarusian, the local tongue risks even further marginalisation. Belarusian is mainly spoken in the countryside. In Minsk and other main cities almost everyone will communicate in Russian.

Most Belarusians follow either the Belarusian Catholic religion or an Eastern Orthodox faith. Belarusian Catholics are also called “Greek” Catholics or Uniates. They follow Eastern Orthodox rituals. But they accept the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope, whereas the Orthodox faiths do not. Orthodox Christians belong to either the Russian Orthodox Church or the Belarusian Autocephalous (self-governing) Orthodox Church. The Belarusian Autocephalous church long promoted Belarusian independence from the Soviet Union. As a result, it was banned from the 1920s until 1990, except for a brief period in the 1940s.

Other religious groups in Belarus include Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jews. Before World War II Jews made up about 8% of the population. But the Nazis killed almost all the Jews during the war.

TIME: Belarus is in the Eastern European Time Zone: GMT + 2. 

ELECTRICITY: The electrical current is 220 Volts AC, 50Hz.

Telephone: IDD is available at all major cities, including Minsk 172 and Brest 162. Country code: 375. Post: Local express delivery is available as well as DHL, UPS, Federal Express and TNT.

Belarus has cold winters and warm summers. The temperature averages about 6°C in January, the coldest month, and about + 18°C in July, the hottest month. Annual average precipitation, including rain and melted snow, ranges from 50 to 65 centimetres.

Required clothing: Medium - to heavy-weights in winter. Waterproofs are advisable throughout the year.

No coins. Notes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000 Belarusian roubles, nicknamed “zaitchiki”, or bunny rabbits after the delightful picture on the (now extinct due to inflation) BR note, replaced the Soviet rouble in 1992.

Changing American dollars and DM into Belarusian or Russian roubles is not a problem. Other currencies present more difficulties. Torn or marked notes and dollar banknotes issued before 1990 are generally not accepted. Do not change currency in the street! If you want to exchange your roubles back into dollars do so in banks. Private individuals are more likely to buy dollars. But be aware that changing money in the street is illegal and might cause problems with the police.

Credit cards: Major European and international credit cards, including American Express, Visa, Mastercard and Diners Club, are accepted in the larger hotels, best restaurants and shops. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. American Express, VISA and Thomas Cook Traveller's Cheques can be encashed at banks, but are useless as tender in the retail world.

DUTY FREE: The following goods may be imported into Belarus without incurring customs duty: 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500 g of tobacco products; 2 litres of alcoholic beverages; a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use; other goods up to a value of $5000. Note: While entering the country, tourists must complete a customs declaration form which must be retained until departure. This records the import of articles intended for personal use including currency and valuables.

Prohibited imports: Military weapons and arnunition, drugs, pornography, loose pearls and anything owned by a third party that is to be carried in for that third party.

Prohibited exports: Annulled securities, state loan certificates, lottery tickets, works of art and antiques (unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture), saiga horns, punctuate and red deer antlers (unless on organised hunting trip), and punctuate deer skins.

Belarusian national cuisine is often based on potatoes with mushrooms and berries as favourite side dishes: 

Bliny — thin pancakes doused in butter with sour cream; 

Borsch — a beet-based soup with potatoes and vegetables served hot with sour cream;

Chebureki — meat-filled fried pocket of bread;

Draniki — fried potato pancakes served with butter and sour cream or mushrooms, might be filled with meat and/or mushrooms;

Gorshochkl — potato pancakes with mushrooms, stewed meat served in a pot; ikra (caviar) — title from sturgeon and red from salmon; Kholodnik — a chilled beet soup with cucumbers, sliced hard-boiled eggs with a dash of sour cream;

Mochanka — a thick soup mixed with lard accompanied by hot pancakes; Okroshka — boiled sausages chopped into kvas with spring onions and sliced hard-boiled eggs;

Rassolnik — soup with chicken kidneys and pickled cucumbers; Zakuska — 1. whatever one eats to follow up a shot of vodka; 2. whatever you are offered to nibble at while waiting for the main course at a restaurant. Drinks: Local beer and vodka are cheap, accessible 24 hours a day and are more than palatable. Beer is generally light in complexion. Since mid-1996 Belarusian leading brewery “Lida” has been supplying Minsk with beer much to the delight of local beer lovers. Dark beer addicts should try “title Prince”; light beer fans “Lida Classic”. The best Belarusian vodkas are “Krystall”, the silky “Belaya Rus” and of course vodka “Charodei” which was the only official vodka at Oscar'99 ceremony as well as at the New Year party of prince of Monaco in 2000. Don't confuse with “Belovezhskaya Bitters”, a brown herbal drink said to contain medical qualities.

SHOPPING: What can you bring home to show the folks and impress the kids? Ceramics figurines, embroided blouses, dresses, linen and wooden carvings, wooden caskets, trinket boxes, straw items, decorative plates and other handicraft items. A wide range of goods such as watches, cameras, wines and spirits, furs, ceramics and glass, jewellery and toys may be bought for foreign currency only at favourable prices. Typical Russian souvenirs like wooden matreshka dolls and original samovars, amber and lacquer boxes are also available. All other shops accept local currency only.

Skoriny Avenue and Masherov Avenue are the main streets with antique and souvenir shops, department stores. Most shops are closed on Sunday, but tourist shops are usually open every day. Antiquities, valuables, works of art and manuscripts other than those offered for sale in souvenir shops require an export licence. Shopping hours: food shops 08:00/09:00-20:00/21:00 Monday to Saturday; all others 10:00/11:00-19:00/20:00 Monday to Saturday.

TRAVEL:

Air: The national airline is “Belavia” (B2) and serves a large number of major European cities. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, EL AL, LOT and Lithuanian Airlines all provide a regular service to and from Minsk and most European capitals. International airport: “Minsk-2” (MSQ) is 40km (27 miles) from the city centre. Airport facilities include bank and bureau de change, bars, car hire, duty-free shops, nursery, post office and restaurants.

Rail: There are several lines from Berlin via Warsaw and Brest with connections to Minsk. Another line runs from Vienna via Warsaw and Brest. Further direct trains are available from other Western and Eastern European cities. Road: Foreign tourists may drive their own cars or may rent a car. Road crossing points are as follows: Poland/Belarus: Terespol —Brest, Kuznitsa — Grodno. Those entering by car at all crossing points should have their visas and are advised to insure their vehicle. The petrol supply is available. Petrol stations accept cash and/or credit cards. The Green Card is not accepted and insurance companies issue special policies for Belarus. The supply of petrol and service stations is best on the major routes (Europe highways/ motorways) through the country, such as Brest — Minsk — Smolensk — Moscow — Tver — St.Petersburg — Vyborg and Brest — Minsk — Vilnius — Riga — Tallinn —St.Petersburg — Vyborg. Contact us for information on the temporary documentation required to import a car. Sample distances: from Minsk to Moscow — 690km (429 miles); from Minsk to St. Petersburg — 900km (563 miles); from Minsk to Kiev — 650km (407 miles). A motoring guide is available at SMOK Travel.

Rail: There are 5590 km (3494 miles) of track in use.

Road: Belarus has a road network of 265,600 km (166,000 miles) of which 227,000 km (141,875 miles) are paved. The following documentation should be carried at all times: valid passport with valid visa; International Driving Permit; customs form guaranteeing the visitor will take the car out of the country again; insurance certificate. Traffic drives on the right. International traffic signs and regulations are in use. Driving under the influence of alcohol is strictly forbidden. Speed limits are 60 km/h (37 mph) in towns and cities and 90 km/h (55 mph) on country lanes.