The Republic of Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe. Within its territory the shortest transport communications connecting the CIS countries with the states of West Europe are laid. Belarus shares common frontier with Poland, the Baltic States, Russia and Ukraine. The territory of Belarus is 207, 000 sq. km., population - about 10 million people; urban population makes up 70% of people. The population of Minsk city, the capital of Belarus is about one fifth of the country population. In accordance with the political division, Belarus consists of six regions (oblasts). The state languages are Belarusian and Russian.

The Republic of Belarus is a democratic social state with the rule of law (Art. 1 of the Constitution f the Republic of Belarus). In accordance with Art. 8 of the Constitution the Republic of Belarus admits the priority of generally acknowledged principles of international law and assure the conformity of legislation with them. The foreign citizens and persons without citizenship in the territory of the Republic of Belarus enjoy the rights and freedoms and carry duties equally with the citizens of the Republic of Belarus if otherwise isn't provided by the Constitution, Laws and international treaties (Art. 11 of the Constitution).

The state power exercised on the basis of its division on legislative, executive and judicial. Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic of Belarus is a head of state, a guarantor of the Constitution, of peoples' rights and freedoms. In accordance with the Constitution the legislative body is the Parliament consisting of two branches. The executive power in the republic is been exercised by the Government - the Council of Ministers being the central body of state administration.

The local administration and self-administration is been carried through the system of local executive and administrative bodies, bodies of self-administration, referenda, etc.

The judicial power in the republic belongs to the courts. Control over accordance of legal acts with the Constitution is been exercised by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus.

Belarus is one of economically developed countries of the CIS. In its economic share of industry is nearly one third of national product's volume. The most developing branches of industry are motor-car construction, machine-tool construction and bearing production, electrical industry, oil mining and processing, production of synthesized fiber, fertilizers, pharmaceutical industry, production of building materials, light and food industries. Charasteristic feature of national industry is production of finished commodity, the most part of which is exported .

Natural conditions of the Republic of Belarus let succesfully produce such highly remunerative kinds of production as milk, beef, pork, meat and eggs of poultry, grain, potatoes, long-fibred flax, white beet and so on. Great attention is devoted to technical re-equipping of light and food industry, raising of export potential of agrarian sector.