BARANKEVICH,chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH];
Social-Sports Party [leader NA]; Opposition parties: Belarusian
Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat
Party Narodnaya Gromada or BSDP NG [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman];
Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH,
chairman]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LEBEDKO]; Party of
Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Women's
Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson]
note: the opposition Belarusian Party of Labor [Aleksandr
BUKHVOSTOV] was liquidated in August 2004, but remains active
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NSG,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986–1604
FAX: [1] (202) 986–1805
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador George A. KROL
embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002
mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723
telephone: [375] (17) 210–12-83, 217–7347, 217–7348
FAX: [375] (17) 234–7853
Flag description:
red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the
width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side
bears Belarusian national ornamention in red
Economy Belarus
Economy - overview:
Belarus's economy in 2003–04 posted 6.1% and 6.4% growth. Still,
the economy continues to be hampered by high inflation, persistent
trade deficits, and ongoing rocky relations with Russia, Belarus'
largest trading partner and energy supplier. Belarus has seen little
structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the
country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this
policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and
currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene
in the management of private enterprises. In addition, businesses
have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local
governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous
rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business
regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory
owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at
the bottom of the ladder; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest
in the world. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from
the West and its open-market economies. Growth has been strong in
recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough, centrally directed
economy and the high, but decreasing, rate of inflation. Growth has
been buoyed by increased Russian demand for generally noncompetitive
Belarusian goods.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$70.5 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.4% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11% industry: 36.4% services: 52.6% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
4.305 million (31 December 2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 14%, industry 34.7%, services 51.3% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2% officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed
workers (2004)
Population below poverty line:
27.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 20% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
21.7 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17.4% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3.326 billion
expenditures: $3.564 billion, including capital expenditures of $180
million (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Industries:
metal-cutting machine
