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Hunting and Fishing. Belarus. About the country
| About the country |  | Sights and Tours | | Entertainment | | Reception | | Pieces of Advice | | Visa Support |
The capital: Minsk
Territory: 207, 6 thousand sq. km.
Population: 10 mln. People
National language: Belarusian and Russian
Time: GMT + 2 hours
Currency: Belarusian rubles (Br)
Climate: moderate continental with mild and wet winter, and warm summer
Nature and geography: Belarus is situated in Eastern Europe, borders Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Belarus is called a land of lakes — there are about 11 thousand lakes in Belarus. Most of them are situated in the north and north-west of the country. Woods occupy about 36% of the territory of the country, 6,1% of the country are natural territories. There are quite few huge forestlands here (the two biggest — Belovezhskaya and Nalibokskaya Pushchas), but there are no forestless districts. Belarus is situated on the East-European Plain, but there are also uplands here and there. When describing the relief of Belarus, one can’t but mention about wonderful swamps, which altogether make a unique ecosystem. Many kinds of birds and animals inhabit the territory of these swamps.
Money
The national currency of the Republic of Belarus is a Belarusian ruble. In circulation are only banknotes from 10 to 100.000 rubles (10, 20, 50, 100, 1000, 20.000, 50.000, 100.000 bel. rubles). Belarusian rubles can be changed in banks or exchange offices. Banks take also circular cheques and credit cards. The cash can be taken from cash machines.
How to Get to Belarus
- By air. In the capital of the republic Minsk there are two international airports: the National airport «Minsk-2» which is situated 40 km from the center of the city, and «Minsk-1», which is situated in the city.
- International Trains. All the trains arrive and depart from the Central railway station. Tickets can be booked in advance in «CentreKurort».
City Transport
Minsk has a well-developed net of public transport (buses, trolleybuses, trams, Metro). Traffic works from 5.30 till 1.00. Tickets can be bought at kiosks in the streets, in shops and also from the driver. Tickets for buses, trams and trolley-buses should be punched as soon as you get on the vehicle.
Metro
There are 2 lines and 22 stations which connect all the districts with the centre of the city. To get to the Metro you should take a token, or a plastic card.
Taxi
Taxis can be found near the hotels, at the airport, railway stations or in the streets. Credit cards are not taken in taxis.
Telephone
You can phone to any place of the world from Belarus. For international calls it is necessary to dial «8», then wait for a long buzz, dial «10» + the code number of the country you need + the code number of the place + telephone number.
There are four operators of cellular connection. One of them works in the analog standard NMT and digital CDMA 2000, the others work in the digital standard GSM. The nets of operators are available in cities, towns and the main motorways, but they are not always available in distant rural districts.
