Belarus or literally "White Russia" is in Eastern Europe characterized by lowlands, low hills and uplands. Forests drape one third of the land area and the Pinsk Marshes cover much of the south. Foreign powers Kiev, Lithuania and Poland dominated much of Belarus in the 18th century, but it was Russia who took over control of the country after 1772. The post war years were kind to Belarus as it undergoes massive heavy industrial development, which was concentrated around Minsk.
But disaster struck in 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Facility, south of Belarus in Ukraine, and contaminated a third of the country. A meltdown that sent 70% of radiation into the territory that triggers high incidence of cancer and birth defects among the citizens. In effect, radiation rendered 25% of Belarus still considered uninhabitable.
New hope came in 1991 with the granting of independence and with it a new
Belarus flag was born. The national flag is rectangular in form consisting of two longitudinal stripes; two-thirds red upper and one-third green lower stripe; together with red-on-white Belarusian pattern that is one-ninth in proportion to the flags length and placed along the hoists side.
The red color signifies the past history of Belarus, also of the Red Army, while green represents the many forests of the country and for aspirations about the future.
With independence in 1991 also coupled economic decline, and to address dissent the government continues to stifle democracy and oppose the privatization of losing and non-performing state enterprises. Belarus remains heavily indebted and dependent on Russia for its energy needs and to this day aims for greater economic and political integration with Russia.
by:
The Flagman
