The Brief:Belarus is a landlocked country in the region traditionally called Eastern Europe, bordering Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk and other major cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk. One third of the country is forested, and industries such as agriculture and manufacturing are staples of the Belarusian economy. Belarus is one of the countries most affected by nuclear radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident in the neighboring Ukraine.
At different points in its history, parts of Belarus have been under the control of several countries, including the Duchy of Polatsk, the Gra..