Belarus

Where the name comes from

Belarus joins bel-, “white”, and Rus, the medieval East Slavic realm; the meaning of “white” is disputed.

First people

East Slavic tribes settled here in the 500s to 700s, and Polotsk became one of the first Rus principalities.¹

Known for

Belarus is known for Białowieża Forest, one of Europe’s last primeval forests and a home of the European bison.²

Outside contact

These Rus lands later became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and then of the Russian Empire in the 1790s.³

The modern country

Belarus became independent in 1991, when the Soviet Union broke up. Belarusian and Russian are both official, reflecting a separate national identity alongside close ties to Russia.^4,5