Live cameras: Belarus

Belarus

Belarus is a state in the east of Europe. The country was previously also called Belarus. It is about two-thirds larger than Germany, but the same number of people live there as in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. The capital is Minsk, where almost every fifth resident of the country lives.

Belarus is the largest state in Europe that does not have its own seashore. The highest point of Belarus is the Dzerzhinsky Mountain hill with a height of 345 meters. There are two major rivers in Belarus: the Pripyat and the Dnieper. Both rivers later merge and flow into the Black Sea.

For a long time the country was part of Russia. After the First World War, Belarus was divided: the eastern half was captured by the Soviet Union, the western half by Poland. After World War II, the whole of Belarus became part of the Soviet Union. Since 1991, it has been an independent state.

Ukraine borders Belarus in the south. In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in Ukraine.