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After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus declared its sovereignty on July 27, 1990, and independence from the Soviet Union on August 25, 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have 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. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place. Lukashenko has made Russian the second official language of the nation in addition to the [[Belarusian language]].<ref name=cia/>
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus declared its sovereignty on July 27, 1990, and independence from the Soviet Union on August 25, 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have 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. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, [[Alexander Lukashenko]] has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place. Lukashenko has made Russian the second official language of the nation in addition to the [[Belarusian language]].<ref name=cia/>
===Western Europe 'Lebensraum'===
{{See also|Lebensraum}}
Belarus was a prime target of the [[Western Europe]]an [[Axis Powers]] '[[Lebensraum]]' policies. Approximately one third of the population was exterminated to create 'Living space' for Aryan Nordic and other Western European races.
==Geography==
==Geography==