Administrative and Territorial Structure

The Republic of Belarus consists of 6 Regions comprising 118 administrative Districts and the city of Minsk. The country numbers 110 towns, and 101 urban-type settlements.

Not strongly expressed regional differentiation is characteristic of Belarus, nevertheless, the Regions and Minsk City differ in the level of socioeconomic development and economy structure. The distinctive features of socioeconomic, natural and geographical and environmental components are as follows:

• a higher level of industrial development of western regions, with energy and material-intensive production facilities prevailing there;

• availability of large-sized chemical and petrochemical complexes in Vitebsk, Grodno, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev Regions creating a heavy burden on the environment;

• a high level of concentration of the industries in the capital and cities;

• difference between the Districts in the level of the agribusiness development defined by soil, climatic, ecological and other local specifics and distribution of main subsectors of agricultural specialization;

• predominant concentration of social infrastructure complexes in Minsk, Regional and District centers and other towns.

Of 211 towns and urban-type settlements, 7 cities are with the population size from 100 to 200 thousand residents and 6 cities — with the population size from 200 to 500 thousand residents.

The city of Minsk is located in the middle of Belarus and is the Capital of the Republic of Belarus and the center of the Region and District bearing the same name. The city of Minsk is entitled to a special status of an independent administrative and territorial unit. It is the largest political, economic, scientific and cultural center of the republic. It has a resident population of 1,726 thousand (as of 01.01.2003). It occupies an area of 255.8 km². Administratively, it is subdivided into 9 urban districts.

For the first time Minsk was mentioned in 1067 (referred to as Mensk, Menesk in chronicles).

The industrial, science and scientific servicing, transportation management and financial sectors are developed in the city.

Among the regions of Belarus, Minsk ranks first in the industrial output. Its share in the republic’s industry accounts for over 23%. About 300 large-sized and medium-sized industrial enterprises operate here. Minsk exceeds other regions in the output of machine-building, power-engineering, nonferrous, medical and printing industries. The distinguished feature of the capital’s industry development is that machine-building products prevail in its structure. Machine-building and metalworking enterprises manufacture more than half of the city’s industrial products. Such large-sized enterprises as the Production Associations BelavtoMAZ, Minsk Tractor Works, Minsk Engine Plant, Joint-Stock Company Atlant and others operate in Minsk. Power engineering and food industries also make up a large share. The city’s industrial complex is characterized by a high export potential and a number of enterprises export over 80% of the total output.

Situated on the strategic crossroads from East to West, between Moscow and Warsaw, Vilnius and Kiev, Minsk is the largest transportation hub of the Republic. The local air company, CIS and foreign air companies transport passengers and freight via the city’s airports — Minsk-1 and Minsk-2. The Machulishchy cargo airport located in the capital’s suburbs has capacities to handle transportation jumbos.

The planned rehabilitation of existing and building new European-wide transportation corridors Brest-Minsk-Moscow and Baltic states-Minsk-Ukraine serve the basis for developing the Minsk transportation hub and is the major potential for the urban development.

33 higher educational establishments are located in Minsk including 11 non-governmental educational institutions (about 170 thousand students), 27 secondary specialized educational establishments (over 40 thousand students), 267 general education schools (over 239 thousand students) and 445 preschool institutions.

Minsk is the largest scientific center of Belarus, with 185 research institutions including the National Academy of Sciences operating in it.

Minsk is the largest cultural center of Belarus. 16 museums, 11 theatres, 20 movie theatres, 132 libraries, 38 Palaces and Centers of culture, over 3.5 thousand of sporting facilities offer their services. 258 magazines and 282 newspapers are issued in Minsk.

Brest Region is located in the southwest of the republic. It borders Poland in the west and the Ukraine in the south. Its area — 32.8 thousand km² (15.8% of the country’s area), and resident population — 1,477.2 thousand people (14.8% of the country’s population). The Region’s center is the city of Brest (the population size is 296 thousand residents). It comprises 16 Districts, 20 towns and 9 urban-type settlements.

The major industries are food, consumer goods and machine-building and metalworking industries. They account for nearly 2/3 of the total industrial output. Power engineering, forestry, and woodworking, pulp-and-paper, flour-milling and cereal and mixed-feed industries are also developed. The agribusiness sector specializes in beef and dairy husbandry, potato growing, cereals, sugar beet cropping and horticulture.

The Region has mineral resources being the basis for development of industries capitalizing on local natural resources. This primarily includes construction stone, low-melting and refractory clays, glass-making, molding and construction sands, peat, sapropel and gravel; slate and brown coal deposits have been stricken. The Brest free economic zone was established in the Region.

The Berlin-Warsaw-Brest-Minsk-Moscow transit corridor, extensive network of railways and highways and a direct route to Vilnius and Kiev run through the Region, thereby creating favorable conditions for passenger and freight traffic from European countries to Russia, Ukraine and other countries. In addition, Brest operates the international all-weather 1st category airport allowing wide-body aircraft like Boeing-747 to be received and serviced. The state national park Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located in the Region. Extensive researches are being conducted in the park to protect a unique natural complex characteristic of Belarus and Europe.

Vitebsk Region is located in the northwest of the country. It borders Lithuania, Latvia and Russia. Its area — 40.1 thousand km² (19.3% of the republic’s area) and resident population — 1,348.3 thousand people (13.5% of the country’s population). The center of the Region is the city of Vitebsk (population size is 351 thousand residents). The Region comprises 21 Districts, 19 towns and 28 urban-type settlements. Vitebsk Region is an industrially developed region of the country. The power-engineering sector is dominant in the industry. High-capacity Lukoml Public District power plant (PDPP) and Novopolotsk central heat power plant (CHPP) are located in the Region. In addition to the power engineering industry, the food, consumer goods, fuel, and chemical industries are also developed. The farms specialize in dairy and beef husbandry, pig husbandry, flax growing, while farms in the vicinity of Vitebsk, Orsha and Polotsk specialize in poultry husbandry and horticulture.

A unique natural complex — the major part of the Belarusian Poozerye (lake district) — is located in the Region. Of 19 largest Belarusian lakes, 11 are located in Vitebsk Region. The lakes serve as a habitat for survived fauna and flora species included into the Red Book of Belarus. The territory of the complex offers good opportunities for developing tourist and recreational industries. One of the ancient cities of the Eastern Slavs — Polotsk — is located in the Region in which many historical and cultural monuments (St. Sophia’s Cathedral, Church of Savior and Efrasinnia, Epiphany Church, etc.) remained intact.

Vitebsk Region offers beneficial transportation advantages since two international transeuropean corridors (Paris-Moscow and Helsinki-Vitebsk-Gomel-Kiev-Plovdiv) run through its territory.

Gomel Region is located in the southeast of the republic. It borders Russia in the east and Ukraine in the west. Its area — 40.4 thousand km² (19.5% of the republic’s area) and resident population — 1,527.5 thousand people (15.4% of the republic’s population). The center of the Region is the city of Gomel (the population size is 492 thousand residents). The Region comprises 21 districts, 17 towns and 18 urban-type settlements. The Region is one of the most industrially developed areas. The food, ferrous metallurgy and machine-building industries make up the largest share in the industrial structure (nearly half of the output of the region). The Region produces about 92% of all ferrous metallurgy products manufactured in the republic. The Region is also leading in Belarus in fuel, forestry, woodworking, and pulp-and-paper and microbiological industries’ output. The farms specialize in dairy and beef husbandry, in cropping cereals, flax, potato and those located in the vicinity of cities specialize in poultry husbandry and horticulture. The free economic zone Gomel — Raton has been established in the Region. National and international main railway traffic arteries run through the Region. The transeuropean corridor goes through Gomel and it is provided with diverging routes (Gomel-Minsk-Klaipeda) allowing cargo owners from the regions of the Eastern Ukraine and Central Russia to have access to specialized maritime ports Klaipeda, Ventspils and Kaliningrad.

The Pripyatsky National Park (in which the landscape, unique for the Belarusian Polessie, is preserved in the natural state and used for studying changes of the environment induced by land drainage reclamation in the Polesskaya Lowland) and the Polessky radiation and ecological reserve are located in the Region.

Grodno Region is located in the north-west of the republic. It borders Poland in the west and Lithuania in the north. Its area — 25.0 km² (12.0% of the country’s area) and population — 1,166.2 thousand people (11.7% of the country’s population. The center of the Region is the city of Grodno (the population size is 312 thousand residents). It comprises 17 districts, 14 towns, and 18 urban-type settlements.

The chemical industry is dominant in the regional economy. The largest chemical sector’s enterprises are located in Grodno and Lida, namely, the Production Associations Azot and Khimvolokno, and Joint-Stock Company Lakokraska. Food and machine-building industries’ enterprises produce over one third of the output. The glass plant Neman (Berezovka, Lida District) is widely known for its products.

Farming is highly developed in the Region. Dairy and beef husbandry, pig husbandry, potato growing combined with flax growing are dominant in the east, while sugar beet growing — in the west; the farms located in the vicinity of large towns specialize in poultry husbandry and horticulture.

One of the trunk roads of Eurasia runs through the Region, thereby promoting an extensive international cooperation. Owing to its beneficial geographical situation, Grodno Region may become an effective integrating link in the commerce between West and Central Europe countries and CIS and Asia countries.

Many historical and architectural monuments remain in Grodno, namely, 11-19th century castles, Boris and Gleb Church (built in the 2nd half of the 12th century), Monasteries of Jesuits (17th century), Franciscans (17th century) and others.

Minsk Region is located in the middle of the republic. Its area — 39.9 thousand km² (19.2% of the country’s area) and population — 1,527.3 people (15.3% of the country’s population). The center of the Region is Minsk. The Region comprises 22 Districts, 24 towns, and 19 urban-type settlements. This is the only Region in Belarus not directly bordering on other states, but important transport corridors running through it offer good opportunities for maintaining beneficial economic relations with CIS and foreign countries. Machine-building and chemical industries account for the largest share of the output in the Regional industrial structure. In addition, agricultural processors are highly developed in the Region. The Region ranks first in the republic for food, flour-milling, and cereal and mixed feed output. Mineral resources have been prospected and are being exploited in the Region. The most important of them are potassium and rock salts, and also peat, construction materials, sapropels, chalk, slate coal, iron ores, mineral water, etc. The dairy and beef/beef and dairy husbandry, pig husbandry, potato growing supplemented by flax growing and sugar beet growing in the southwest of the Region are developed. The farms located in the vicinity of Minsk and other cities also specialize in horticulture and operate large poultry farms and poultry factories.

The natural complex of the Region has great potential for developing the tourist and recreational industry. A chain of Naroch lakes with superb conditions for recreation and health rehabilitation and a part of Belarusian Poozerye — the refuge Blue Lakes — are located in Myadel District. The major part of Berezensky Biosphere Reserve is located in the Region, with its main objective being conservation of typical and unique natural and landscape complexes and developing scientific framework for environmental protection and ecological education.

Mogilev Region is located in the middle of the eastern part of the country. It borders Russia. Its area — 29.1 thousand km² (14% of the country’s area) and population — 1,1191.8 people (12.0% of the country’s population). The center of the Region is the city of Mogilev (population size is 362.6 thousand residents). The Region comprises 21 Districts, 15 towns, and 10 urban-type settlements.

The chemical and petrochemical complex is dominant in the Region’s industry. The Region exceeds all other Regions of the country in the output of chemical and petrochemical industry. Food and light industry, machine building and power sectors also account for a sizeable share in the Region’s industrial potential. The machine-building and metalworking industries are leading in the motor, agricultural and road-construction machinery subsectors. The major mineral resources being extracted in the Region are cement and lime feed stock, peat, phosphorites, construction sands and sand-gravel material, dolomites and mineral water.

Farms specialize in dairy and beef husbandry, pig husbandry and flax growing. Sowing areas of cereal and fodder crops and potato have been increased. Farms located in the vicinity of towns also specialize in poultry husbandry and horticulture. An extensive network of railways and highways connecting the Region both with industrial centers of Belarus and the regions of Russia, Ukraine and Baltic States run through it.