Factbook
History of Belarus — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Belarus, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1991After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991.
1991Independence: 25 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union).
1994Since taking office in 1994 as the country's first and only directly elected president, Alyaksandr LUKASHENKA has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system.
1999In 1999, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union, envisioning greater political and economic integration.
2019Languages: Russian (official) 71.4%, Belarusian (official) 26%, other 0.3% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities), unspecified 2.3% (2019 est.) Religions: Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%, non-believers 41.1% (2011 est.) Urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023).
2020LUKASHENKA has remained in power as the disputed winner of the presidential election after quelling protests in 2020.
2020Restrictions on political freedoms have tightened in the wake of the disputed presidential election in 2020.
2022Since 2022, Belarus has facilitated Russia's war in Ukraine, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 70% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 26.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.9% of total installe Energy use: 104.821 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles, refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances Agriculture: milk, sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, triticale, barley, maize, rapeseed, rye, chicken (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Major urban areas: 2.057 million MINSK (capital) (2023) declining Russian energy subsidies will end in 2024; growing public debt; strong currency pressures have led to higher inflation; recent price controls on basic food and drugs; public sector wage increases and fragile private sector threaten household income gains and economic growth Inflation: 5.8% (2024 est.).
2024Military spending: 2% of GDP (2024 est.).
