Belarus: Science, Technology, Innovations.pdf

Belarus is a unitary democratic social state with the rule of law, exercising state power through the President, Parliament, Government, and courts. The President is the Head of State, and the Parliament is a representative and legislative body consisting of two chambers. The executive power is exercised by the Government, and the currency is the Belarusian ruble. Belarus has a total land area of 207,600 km², situated in the center of Europe, with international borders with five countries. The capital is Minsk, with 1,901.1 million inhabitants, and regional centers include Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, and Mogilev. The main ethnic groups are Belarusian (83.4%), Russian (8.2%), Polish (3.1%), Ukrainian (1.7%), and Jewish (0.13%). The main business partners are Russia, Netherlands, Ukraine, Germany, Latvia, China, Poland, Italy, Lithuania, and Brazil. The main industries include metallurgical, mechanical engineering, and agriculture, with a focus on grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beet, and meat production. Natural resources include wood, peat, oil, natural gas, granite, dolomite, limestone, clay, and sand. In 2012, the country achieved key indicators of innovative development, including a share of innovative products shipped (17.4%), innovatively active organizations (24.8%), and GDP research intensity (0.9-1.1%). Various projects were implemented in petrochemical, chemical, energy, and industrial fields, resulting in increased efficiency and export growth.