Aleksandr Lukashenko
President

(pronounced "al-ak-SAHN-der loo-kah-SHEN-koh")

"There is no exit from [our] situation without help from Russia."

Bounded by Russia on the east, Latvia and Lithuania on the north, Poland on the west, and Ukraine on the south, Belarus occupies some 207,600 sq km (80,154 sq mi) and has been a major east–west passage in both war and peace for more than 1,000 years.

Its population was estimated at 10.3 million in 2002, 81% of whom are ethnic Belarusians; 11% are ethnic Russians, with the remainder made up of Polish, Ukrainians, Tatars, and a scattering of other smaller nationalities. Its capital, Minsk, is also home to the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Belarusian is the official language, but Russian, which is closely related to Belarusian and spoken by most Belarusians (including President Lukashenko), also enjoys a privileged status. A distinct cultural community since at least...