Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

the 1900s.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Beirut 51

 

Belarus

Belarus is a country in eastern Europe.

Its capital and largest city is Minsk.

Belarus shares borders with Russia,

Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Most of the country is flat, except for

central low hills. There are many wetlands,

including the Pripet Marshes in

the south. Belarus has cold winters and

cool summers.

Silver birch trees grow throughout

Belarus. Pines and spruces grow in the

north, while oak and hornbeam trees

grow in the south. Elk, deer, boars, and

European bison live in the forests. Birds

include partridges and ducks.

Belarusians make up the largest ethnic

group, followed by Russians. Most

people speak Belarusian and Russian.

Less than half the people are Christian;

the rest are nonreligious. More than two

thirds of the people live in cities.

Banking and other services, manufacturing,

and mining are important to

Belarus’ economy. Manufacturers make

machinery, chemicals, and food. Mines

provide potash, which is used to make

fertilizers. Belarus is also a leading producer

of peat, a type of fuel. Farmers

grow potatoes, sugar beets, barley, and

rye.

Slavic people settled in what is now

Belarus between the AD 500s and 700s.

Over the years the area was controlled

by various foreign powers, including

Russia, which took over in the 1700s. In

1922 Belarus became part of the Soviet

Union. In 1986 an accident at the Chernobyl

nuclear power plant in Ukraine

led to many health problems in Belarus.

In 1990 Belarus broke away from the

Soviet Union. In 1991 it declared full

independence.

..More to explore

Minsk • Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics •Wetland

People dance around a burning scarecrow

in Minsk, Belarus. The festivities are part of

a celebration marking the end of winter.

Facts About

BELARUS

Black Sea

Population

(2008 estimate)

9,675,000

Area

80,153 sq mi

(207,595 sq km)

Capital

Minsk

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Minsk, Homyel,

Mahilyow,

Vitsyebsk,

Hrodna

52 Belarus BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Belau

..see Palau.

Belfast

Population

(2006 estimate)

267,000

The United Kingdom is a country in

western Europe that is made up of four

main parts: England, Scotland,Wales,

andNorthern Ireland. Belfast isNorthern

Ireland’s capital and largest city. The city

is located in the northeastern part of the

island of Ireland. It lies where the Lagan

River flows into a part of the Irish Sea.

The economy of Belfast is based mainly

on service industries, such as health care,

social services, and tourism. The city is

Northern Ireland’s center of trade, banking,

and education. It is also the main

seaport in Northern Ireland.

People have lived in the Belfast area for

thousands of years. Belfast began as a

small fishing village. In the 1600s Scottish

and English settlers formed a colony

in the area. They built up a large industry

that made linen cloth.

Belfast and the rest of the island of Ireland

became part of the United Kingdom

in 1801. In 1920 the southern part

of the island became the separate country

of Ireland. Belfast was made the capital

of Northern Ireland, which remained

in the United Kingdom.

Throughout much of the 1900s Belfast

was torn by violent conflicts between its

two main groups—Protestants and

Roman Catholics. They fought about

whether Northern Ireland should stay in

the United Kingdom or join Ireland.

The United Kingdom is mainly Protestant,

while Ireland is mostly Catholic.

Most of the city’s people are Protestant.

In the late 1960s Belfast’s Catholics protested

against unfair treatment by the

Protestants. Deadly violence broke out.

Many people left the city in the 1970s

and 1980s because of the violence and

the loss of manufacturing jobs. The

fighting lasted until a peace agreement

was signed in 1998. After that the city

was more stable, and its economy

improved. However, clashes broke out

again in the early 21st century.

..More to explore

Northern Ireland • United Kingdom

Queen’s University is the oldest university in

Belfast. It was founded in 1845 by Victoria,

queen of the United Kingdom.

Belfast is

famous for its

shipbuilding.

The passenger

ship Titanic,

which sank

during its first

trip in 1912,

was built in

Belfast.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Belfast 53

 

Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a small,

prosperous country in northwestern

Europe. Brussels is the capital and largest

city.

Geography

Belgium is bordered by The Netherlands,

Germany, Luxembourg, and France. The

North Sea lies to the northwest.

Belgium is divided into three main

regions. Lower Belgium, in the north, is

flat and low. Middle Belgium, in the

central part of the country, has many

farms on its plains. Upper Belgium, in

the south, includes the Ardennes highlands

and forests. Most of Belgium’s

wild animals—including boars, wildcats,

deer, and pheasants—are found in the

Ardennes.

People

Belgians are divided into two main

groups. More than half of the people are

Flemings, who live mostly in the north.

About one third are Walloons, who live

mostly in the south. The Flemings speak

Netherlandic, also known as Flemish or

Dutch. TheWalloons speak French. A

smaller number of people speak German.