conventional short form: Bassas da India

Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the
Republic, resident in Reunion

Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Bassas da India

Economy - overview:
no economic activity

Transportation Bassas da India

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Military Bassas da India

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Bassas da India

Disputes - international:
claimed by Madagascar

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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@Belarus

Introduction Belarus

Background:
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus
attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political
and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet
republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union
on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic
integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the
accord, serious implementation has yet to take place.

Geography Belarus

Location:
Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Geographic coordinates:
53 00 N, 28 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 207,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 207,600 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,900 km
border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km,
Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between
continental and maritime

Terrain:
generally flat and contains much marshland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m
highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m

Natural resources:
forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas,
granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Land use:
arable land: 29.55%
permanent crops: 0.6%
other: 69.85% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country
contaminated with fallout f