Capital: Minsk Currency: Belorussian Rouble Languages: Belorussian,Russian Time: GMT +3 (currently 2:00) Dialing Code: +375 Top Level Domain .by Drive on the: Right Last reviewed: 28-October-2006

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Bialowieza Forest Mir Castle Complex Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh Struve Geodetic Arc

The former USSR territory, the Republic of Belarus (Belorussia), reluctantly became independant of Moscow in 1991.

It has few natural resources other than agriculture and the Chernobyl Nuclear disaster, in neighbouring Ukraine in 1986, has had major effects on the environment. Many areas are still contaminated and the health of the Belorussians has suffered severely.

There are few tourists, with those who do visit coming from Belarus' Slav and Baltic neighbours. many of the historic buildings were destroyed in World War 2 and there are few assets on which a tourist industry can be built.