Belarus

Belarus gained independence from Russia in 1991, after seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR. The country has maintained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any other former republic, and Russia is by far its largest single trading partner. The government has instituted a wide range of policies to redistribute wealth, and Belarus currently has the smallest rich-poor gap in the world. Since 2008, however, Russia has been raising the price of its energy commodities sold to Belarus, and the country has been forced to rely on external borrowing to manage the growing pressures on the economy. Counterpart International's (Counterpart) programs work with local partners to distribute humanitarian assistance in order to help meet the needs of the marginalized population of Belarus.

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.