tion: 0.88 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.39 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.13 years
male: 62.04 years
female: 74.52 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Belarusian(s)
adjective: Belarusian

Ethnic groups: Byelorussian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Polish 4.1%,
Ukrainian 2.9%, other 1.9%

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Languages: Byelorussian, Russian, other

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
conventional short form: Belarus
local long form: Respublika Byelarus'
local short form: none
former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: BO

Government type: republic

Capital: Minsk

Administrative divisions: 6 voblastsi (singular--voblasts') and
one municipality* (harady, singular--horad); Brestskaya (Brest),
Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna),
Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)

Independence: 25 August 1991 (Belarusian Supreme Soviet
declaration of independence from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note--date set
by referendum of 24 November 1996; represents Minsk liberation from
German occupation

Constitution: 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24
November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and
became effective 27 November 1996

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergey LING (acting since 18
November 1996, confirmed 19 February 1997); First Deputy Prime
Ministers Petr PROKOPOVICH (since 23 December 1996) and Vasiliy
DOLGOLEV (since 2 December 1998); Deputy Prime Ministers Valeriy
KOKOREV (since 23 August 1994), Vladimir ZAMETALIN (since 15 July
1997), Ural LATYPOV (since 30 December 1997), Gennadi