Belarus

[byel-uh-roos, bel‑]

noun

1. Formerly White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic. Formerly Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic,. a republic in eastern Europe, north of Ukraine: formerly a part of the Soviet Union. 80,154 sq. mi. (207,600 sq. km). Minsk.

Belarus

/ ˌbɛl-, -ˌrʊs, ˌbjɛləʊˈrʌʃə, ˈbɛləˌrʌs /

noun

1. Also called: Byelorussian Republic.  Bielorussia.  White Russia. a republic in E Europe; part of the medieval Lithuanian and Polish empires before being occupied by Russia; a Soviet republic (1919–91); in 1997 formed a close political and economic union with Russia: mainly low-lying and forested. Languages: Belarussian; Russian. Religion: believers are mostly Christian. Currency: rouble. Capital: Minsk. Pop: 9 625 888 (2013 est). Area: 207 600 sq km (80 134 sq miles)

Belarus

1. Republic in eastern Europe, bordered to the northwest by Russia, Lithuania, and Latvia, to the northeast, east, and southeast by Russia, to the south by Ukraine, and to the west by Poland. Its capital and largest city is Minsk.

Belarus is also known as White Russia or Belorussia.

This former member of the Soviet Union declared its independence in 1991.

Example Sentences

EU countries on the bloc’s eastern border face the greatest direct threat of airspace violations from Russia and Belarus, but any EU member state can be at risk, the roadmap said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Golf is scratching his sporting itch at the moment - his handicap is down to single figures - and even watching Scotland's footballers toil against Belarus at Hampden has not unduly affected his sunny disposition.

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The 27-year-old from Belarus is now the undoubted women's number one but it was hard work and suffering which got her there, and some of it played out very publicly.

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Watch the best of the action as goals from Che Adams and Scott McTominay earn Scotland a narrow World Cup qualifying win over Belarus.

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Poland shares not only a border with the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, but also Belarus, a close Moscow ally now enmeshed in Russia’s defense infrastructure.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal