Belarus Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Belarus?

Overview:

Belarus occupies 80,154 square miles (207,600 square kilometers) and is approximately the size of Great Britain or the State of Kansas. It is a landlocked country bounded by Poland on the west; Ukraine on the south; on the northeast by Russia; and the northwest by Latvia and Lithuania. From east to west, Belarus covers 404 miles (650 kilometers); from north to south is 348 miles (560 kilometers).

The highest point in Belarus, Dzyarzhynskaya Hara, is 1,135 feet (346 meters). Averaging only 656 feet above sea level (200 meters), the country is predominately gently rolling fields in the north and marshy lowlands in the south. More than half the land is used for agriculture. Some one-third is densely forested with large stands of spruce, pine, oak, and/or beech, everywhere interspersed with beautiful white/silver birch. It is a land of more than 11,000 lakes — the largest, Lake Naroch, lies in the northwest. It is also a nation of many rivers and countless streams (more than 20,000). The most important river is the Dnjapro, which flows well into Belarus from Russia, then south into Ukraine — ultimately providing an all-important shipping channel between the Baltic and Black Seas. Natural resources are timber and deposits of peat, granite, potassium salts, dolomitic limestone, and chalk.

Geography - note:

landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay

Climate:

Belarus is located on the 53rd latitude--roughly the same as Hamburg, Germany; Dublin, Ireland; and Edmonton, Canada. It has a temperate continental climate. Average summer temperatures are in the mid-60's to mid-70's. (July is the warmest month.) It can be cold from October to April. Average winter temperatures are in the low teens and 20's F. Frost can occur 6 to 7 months of the year. Snow/ice can be expected from December to March, and occasionally into April. Winter days are short. Spring, summer, and fall bring long hours of welcome light. Average annual precipitation is 22-28 inches; June, July, and August are the wettest months.

Belarus Use of Natural Resources

Belarus Environment

Climate:

Terrain:

generally flat and contains much marshland

Natural Resources:

forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Natural Hazards:

Irrigated Land:

444 Square Miles
1,150 Square Kilometers

Environmental Issues:

soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine

Environment - International Agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Belarus Geography

Geographic Location	Europe
Total Area	80,154 Square Miles 207,600 Square Kilometers
Land Area	78,340 Square Miles 202,900 Square Kilometers
Water Area	1,815 Square Miles 4,700 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries	2,054 Miles 3,306 Kilometers
Irrigated Land	444 Square Miles 1,150 Square Kilometers
Border Countries	Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
Geographic Coordinates	53 00 N, 28 00 E
Terrain	generally flat and contains much marshland
Highest Point	346 Meters
Highest Point Location	Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
Lowest Point	90 Meters
Lowest Point Location	Nyoman River 90 m
Natural Resources	forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay
Time Zone	UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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