Belarus Flag
Flags of the World > Belarus Flag
Brief History. Originally settled by Slavs, the region was subject to Lithuania and Poland before passing to Russia in the late 18th century. Belarus was a constituent republic of the USSR for seven decades and attained its independence from in 1991. However, it retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexander Lukashenko has consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue.
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