The Republic of Belarus (Belarus) is located in the eastern part of Europe. In the West it borders on Poland, in the North-west, Lithuania, in the North, Latvia, in the North-east and East, Russia, in the South, Ukraine. Its borders (the total length is 2,969 km) run across flatland without any significant natural barriers, which fosters the construction of transport lines and the development of broad economic links. The territory of Belarus is crossed by one of the Eurasia's transport main lines and transport arteries providing the shortest communication routes from central and eastern districts of Russia to Western European countries, as well as between the Baltic and the Black seas. The distance from Minsk, the Republic's capital, to the capitals of the neighbouring countries is as follows: 215 km to Vilnius, 470 km to Riga, 550 km to Warsaw, 580 km to Kyiv, 700 km to Moscow, 1060 km to Berlin.

The territory of Belarus is 207.6 thousand square kilometres. It is a compact country. The longest distance, 650 km, is from West to East, and 560 km from North to South. By the size of its territory, the Republic occupies the 13th place among the European countries and the 6th among the CIS countries (following Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan). The Belarusian territory in Europe is slightly smaller than that of Great Britain and Romania, and more than 2.2 times bigger than Portugal and Hungary.

On 1.1.2000, the population of Belarus constituted 10,018 thousand people. Belarus is 5th among the CIS countries by its population, following Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The country's population is 14 times smaller than in Russia, 5 times smaller than in Ukraine, but 1.3 times as big as that in the three Baltic states of the ex-USSR taken together, 2 times bigger than in Finland or Denmark, more than in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria or Sweden.

Representatives of more than 100 nationalities live in Belarus. The majority of the population is represented by the indigenous Belarusian nation constituting more than 3/4 of the entire population, both in the Republic as a whole and in the urban and rural areas. Significant numbers of Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and other nationalities live in the Republic along with Belarusians.

The relief of Belarus is predominantly low hilly land with the average height of 160 m over the sea level, while the highest point is only 345 m over the sea level. The flatland nature of the surface creates favourable conditions for the expansion of human settlements, agricultural development of the territory, construction of industries, transport and service lines, development of tourism and recreation services.

Agricultural lands occupy 45% of the Republic's territory, including 30% of tillage. There are 0.9 hectares of cultivated land, including 0.6 hectares of tillage, per capita in Belarus.

Forests account for 36% of the country's territory. There are 0.7 hectares of woods and 111 m3 of timber per capita here, which is almost twice as high as the mean European level. The trees growing in Belarus mostly belong to valuable species. Pine- tree occupies 52.9%, fur-tree, 10.5%, oak and other hard-leaved species, 3.8%, birch-tree, 18.1%, aspen, 2.3%, alder, 9.6% of the forest-covered area. However, the specie composition of the woods is far from optimal. Considering the fertility of the forest soils, the area under hard-leaved species may be expanded 1.5 to 2 times over. On the whole, the forest potential in Belarus is rather high, the annual increment of timber reserves is 25 million cubic metres, while the actual timber production is 10-11 million cubic metres per year. The area under forest and timber reserves, including mature woods, grows. The forest, apart from being a source of timber, performs numerous ecological functions (such as water protection, water regulation, soil protection, assimilation functions, etc.), as well as sanitation, recreation and health-building functions. Belarusian forests play an important biospheric role and make a considerable contribution into the ecological stabilisation of Central and Eastern Europe.

The Republic's forests concentrate considerable natural resources of alimentary melliferous, medicinal, technical and other useful herbs. Blackberry, cranberry, bilberry, blueberry, ashberry, wild pears, and high cranberry are harvested. About 1.5 thousand tonnes of mushrooms, 0.4 thousand tonnes of medicinal raw materials, 34 thousand tonnes of birch-tree sap, 16 thousand tonnes of hazelnuts, and more than 20 thousand tonnes of galipot are produced annually in Belarus.

Natural resources. About 30 kinds of mineral raw materials have been prospected in Belarus (more than 4000 deposits and fields of natural resources). The most significant are potassium salts the reserves of which in the country occupy one of the leading places in Europe. The reserves of rock-salt are virtually inexhaustible. The prospected industrial reserves in the Mozyr, Davydov and Starobin deposits exceed 22 billion tonnes.

The country is rich in rock products, such as granites, dolomites and dolomite limestone, marl, chalk, fusible and refractory clay, loam, sand and gravel. There are raw materials for the production of natural paints (marsh iron ore, ochre, glauconite, etc.).

Very common on the territory of Belarus are mineral waters which serve as basis for building sanatorium resort complexes and companies trading and exporting mineral curative and table water. 63 sources have been prospected with the total reserves of 155,572 m³ per day.

The Republic possesses sufficiently strong raw material reserves for the production of construction materials. However, there is deficit of high-grade glass-making sand and clays.

Peat fields are widely spread in Belarus, although, due to an intensive exploration, the peat fields as production sources have largely been exhausted. The total geological reserves are estimated at 4.4 billion tonnes. The extractable resources constitute 600 million tonnes, while the rest is within protected zones or is included into the land stock of the Republic. Sapropels are an important natural raw material, their estimated reserves are 3 billion cubic metres. A comprehensive utilisation of peat and sapropel resources is important. The reserves of oil are not big and oil is extracted in small quantities. Deposits of brown coal and pyrischist have been found in Belarus. However, their low caloric value and high ash content preclude their utilisation in energy production in the near future. Briquetted brown coal (possibly, with peat) can only be used as household fuel material or as raw material for producing wax and plant growth stimulants. On the whole, the internal fuel and energy resources, including associated gas and wood, can only provide for 12% of the total requirements of the Republic's economy.

The Belarusian territory is promising in terms of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Prospecting for amber, titanium, rare-earth metals deposits are being carried out.

The existing resources of mineral raw materials fully provide for the future needs of potassium and rock salt, lime and cement materials, refractory and ceramic clays, construction sand, gravel, or facing stone.

It must be noted that the mining resources in Belarus are still insufficiently investigated. The new economic situation and the emergence of new sophisticated technologies call for a revaluation of the deposits and reserves of mineral resources in the Republic, a more efficient utilisation of all components of the resources mined.

The climate of Belarus is moderately continental with mild and humid winter, warm summer and wet autumn. The mean temperature in January is from -40C in the South-west to -80C in the North-east of the country; that of July is +17-190C. The annual precipitation is 550-650 mm in lowland areas and 650-750 in flatland and elevated areas. The average vegetation period is 184-208 days. The climatic conditions in Belarus are favourable for growing staple grain crops, vegetables, fruit trees and bushes which are common for moderate climate zones of East Europe, especially for cultivating potatoes, flax, annual grass and fodder root crops.

Water resources. There are more than 20 thousand rivers and streams in Belarus with the total length of 91 thousand kilometres, and about 11 thousand lakes, including 470 lakes with the area exceeding 0.5 km2 each. Naroch is the largest lake in Belarus (79.2 km2, the deepest point about 25 m). More than half of the water resources of the country is in the Black Sea basin, the rest belongs to the Baltic Sea basin. The rivers Pripyat, Dnieper, Nieman, Berezina and Zapadnaya Dvina, as well as the Dnieper-Bug canal are important for river navigation.

More than 145 artificial lakes have been made in Belarus. The most important is the Viliya Reservoir (75 km2) which gives birth to the Viliya-Minsk system of canals along which water from the Viliya river is directed to Minsk, the Repub-lic's capital.

The renewable resources of surface and underground fresh water in the country are sufficient for meeting the present and future needs: the river water resources constitute 57.9 km3 per year. The total volume of water accumulated in lakes is estimated at 6-7 km3, the volume of artificial reservoirs is 3.1 km3. The average water intake for the household and industrial purposes does not exceed 5-7% of annually renewable water reserves.

Plant kingdom. The natural plant kingdom of Belarus occupies about 70% of the Republic's territory. There are around 12 thousand species of plants, about 2.1 thousand of them belong to higher (anthophorous) and more than 9 thousand belong to lower (algae, mosses and lichens) plants. More than 200 species of plants which are entered into the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus are protected on the national scale. More than 60 kinds of medicinal and technical plants are harvested in Belarusian forests (300 tonnes per year, or 1% of total reserves).

The animal kingdom of Belarus counts 457 kinds of vertebrates (including 73 kinds of mammals, 290 species of birds, about 60 species of fish) and more than 20 thousand invertebrates. Gamy kinds include 22 species of mammals, 31 species of birds and 1 specie of reptiles. Such gamy animals as fox, marten, hare, otter, ferret, ermine, elk, and wild boar have a high economic value.

97 species of vertebrates and 85 species of invertebrates are entered into the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus.

Environment protection
The main aspects of the environment policy of the Republic of Belarus are determined by the laws On Environment Protection (1992), On State Ecological Expert Evaluation (1993), On Specially Protected Natural Territories and Objects, On Protection and Utilisation of Animal Kingdom (1996), etc. The National programme of environment protection (Ecology programme) and the National Programme of Harmonious Exploitation and Environmental Protection Up to the Year 2000 have been worked out.

On June 5, 1992, leaders of more than 150 states and governments of the world, including Belarus, signed the Convention on Biodiversity in Rio de Janeiro. The Convention was ratified by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus on June 10, 1993.

One of the main tasks under the Convention on Biodiversity is the creation by each contracting party of a system of protected areas where special measures need to be taken for preserving biological diversity. The Republic of Belarus actively participates in resolving the tasks of preserving biological diversity in general and in creating a system of protected areas in particular. In conformance with the Belarusian legislation, such protected areas are referred to as specially protected natural territories and objects.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park
The park is located in the South West of Belarus, 340 km from Minsk. It was founded in 1939 on the basis of historically protected medieval territory. The national park territory is about 90 thousand hectares. In 1992, by the decision of UNESCO the park was entered into the list of the World Heritage, in 1993 it was granted the status of a biospheric reserve, while in 1997 - a European Diploma. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a unique forest area in Europe where medieval flatland forests, which used to be widespread, with relic plants and animals, notably, the aurochs, have been preserved. The first mention of the Pushcha in manuscripts (the Ipatiyev annals) dates back to 983. A regime which was close to protective was set on the Pushcha territory early in the 15th century. In 1919 the last wild aurochs was shot, while the programme of restoring the aurochs in the Pushcha started in 1929.

Mixed and broad-leaved forests (more than 1,000 oaks aged 300 to 700 years, 450 year-old ash-trees, 220 year-old pine-trees, 150 year-old junipers have been registered there), meadows and water systems are being preserved in their natural medieval state. The flora and fauna of Belovezhskaya Pushcha are characterised by a large number of rare species of plants (silver fir, various species of oak, fir, pine, hornbeam and ash) and animals (aurochs, elk, wolf, wild boar), as well as numerous species of fish and birds. Almost all of them are exhibited in the natural history museum at the National Park headquarters in the settlement of Kameniuki. The National Park is an important natural scientific laboratory which attracts scholars from many research institutions of the Republic and other countries.

Animals of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha can be seen in their natural habitat in the runs located close to the hotel. The park visitors may get acquainted with such historical and cultural monuments as Tyshkevich's hall, the old tsar highway, articles of beekeeping, the old tower Belaya Vezha, the church complex of unique architecture, and other sights. The Viskouli Complex where the leaders of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine signed in 1991 the Belovezh Agreement which served as legal basis for terminating the existence of the USSR is located on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Various one-day and multi-day excursions (walking, horse or automobile) have been compiled and offered to the National Park visitors. There are 3 hotels for 212 guests, 4 comfortable guest homes in picturesque locations accommodating 22 visitors, and a restaurant serving national dishes cooked from wild game and plants. A handicraft studio making souvenirs is located close to the hotel. One may buy a souvenir for remembering the days spent in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha and its nature. A hall for holding symposiums, conferences and other events is available in the administrative building. Hunting facilities are offered at the Shereshovsk Forestry.

Address: Kameniuki Village, Kamenets District, Brest Oblast 225053 Republic of Belarus,

Tel. (01631) 56169, 56370

Braslav Lakes National Park
The Park is located in the North-west of the Republic of Belarus, 250 km from Minsk. Its area is around 70 thousand hectares. Founded in August 1995, it became known as one of the most picturesque places in Belarus. The unique ecological environment of this lake district preserves the features of the Ice Age. The biggest lakes, such as Driviaty, Snudy, Voiso, Strusto, North Voloso, Nedrovo, Berezha, Daubli, Potekh and others, lie in the midst of a hilly relief. Each of them bears unique features. The total area of the lakes is 183 km2. The isle of Chaichin, the second biggest in Belarus, with a small internal lake is located on the Strusto lake. The South Voloso lake is the deepest on the territory of the National Park. Its maximum depth is 40.4 m, the area is 1.2 km2. The lake is famous for its magically clean water, its transparency is 7 m deep.

The flora of the district counts more than 800 species of plants, 20 of them are rare and endangered species entered into the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus.

The territory of the National Park features typical and unique (including relic) zoological complexes and groups of valuable representatives of the animal kingdom. The aqueous ecological systems with diverse and, at times, unique fauna are the main treasure of the Braslav Lakes. The lakes of the Braslav district are the southern boundary of habitat of relic invertebrates which are clean water indicators.

The ichthyofauna of the lakes is also diverse. It numbers 30 species of fish, including the eel which is a marketable fish. Up to 35% of birds nesting in Belarus are concentrated on the Park territory, 45 species are entered into the Red Book. The groups of game birds are diverse in species (such as heath cocks, sandpipers, waterfowl) as well as in quantities (15% of all feather game of the Poozeriye District is within the area).

Such endangered species as badger, lynx, brown bear and flying squirrel, which have been entered into the Red Book, as well as elks, wild boar and roedeer inhabit the Braslav district territory.

Braslav, one of the oldest towns in Belarus, is the centre of the National Park. The first mentioning in the chronicles dates back to the 11th century. The town is situated along the northern bank of the lake Driviaty on a green plateau.

The National Park offers its visitors various one-day and multi-day tourist excursions (walking, horse, automobile or water). A trip by a motor ship or a view excursion on a helicopter leaves an unforgettable impression. The guests may enjoy the services of the museum, Slobodka, Driviaty and Zolovo tourist camps, a sauna, open-air parking lots. Hunting facilities are offered at the Braslav camp.

Address: Braslav, Vitebsk Oblast 211970 Republic of Belarus,

Tel/fax +375 (02153) 22166, 29361

Narochansky National Park
The Naroch area is associated with the soft whisper of the pine-tree forest and the splash of waves on the lake Naroch, the unique pearl of the Belarusian nature. The picturesque lake, beautiful forests, and the soft climate necessitated the creation of a big recreation centre on the Naroch coast, the only resort with sanatoriums, boarding homes, children's and tourist camps in the Republic. The period comfortable for relaxation lasts about 240 days, the bathing season is about 100 days long. The Naroch district is also known by its mineral water. A network of excursion routes offer the sights of numerous architectural, cultural and historical monuments on the district territory.

In the first half of the 20th century, several cottages, a restaurant, a yacht club, and a pier for sail-boats were built on the north-western coast of Naroch, a narrow-gauge railway was constructed from the Lyntupy Station via the village of Naroch to the lake, and a highway along the northern coast of the lake Naroch. During the war all construction was destroyed. Early in the 1950's new recreation facilities emerged by the Naroch settlement. These were the rest home of the Zvezda publishing house, the writers' cottage, and a tourist camp. In 1958 Naroch sanatorium was opened. An intensive construction of recreation and medical facilities started from 1975. Today, there are 18 sanatoriums and rest homes on the lake Naroch coast.

Narochansky National Park was created in 1999 with the aim of preserving the local natural complexes. The total area of the Park is 94 thousand hectares, including 37.9 thousand hectares of forests and 42 lakes with the total area of 18.3 thousand hectares. The territory of Narochansky National Park belongs to the Naroch-Vileiya forest complex in the Oshmiany-Minsk district of broad-leaved and fir-tree forests. The district is the source of rivers of the Zapadnaya Dvina, Nieman, Dnieper and Pripyat basins. The Park forests contain the biggest number of pine-trees in the Republic of Belarus. The forests stretch along the western coast of the lake Naroch, run along the left-hand bank of the Narochanka river and almost the entire length of the Viliya river. The fir-tree clusters among pine-tree forests are not frequent and concentrate to the west from the lake Shvakshty near the source of the Uglianka river.

Three groups of lakes are located on the Park territory, namely, the Naroch, Miadel, and Bolduk groups. The Naroch lake, the biggest in the Republic of Belarus, belongs to the Naroch group. Its area is 79.2 km2, the average depth is 8.9 m, the maximum depth is 24.8 m. The lake is unique by extraordinary purity of water, beautiful sand beaches and balmy pine woods along its coasts. One characteristic feature of the lake is that, while only several small streams flow into it, only one river flows out, i.e. the Narochanka river. The group also includes the lakes Miastro (second biggest, 13.1 km²) and Batorino (6.25 km²).

The lake Miadel is the heart of the Miadel group of lakes, the others are not big. The lake Miadel area is 16.2 km², its depth is 6.6 m, the maximum depth is 24.6 m. The Bolduk group comprises the lakes located in the vicinity of the river Stracha. The lake Bolduk is the biggest, 0.78 km2, the average depth is 15.3 m, the maximum depth is 40 m. The group also includes 10 smaller lakes. The place has been centre of educational tourism for many years, there are equipped tourist grounds, walking tours have been marked and equipped.

The Park possesses a great potential in terms of the development of environmental and educational tourism, with strict observation of environment protection principles.

Address: 6 Lenin St, Naroch Resort, Miadel District, Minsk Oblast 222395 Republic of Belarus