The green stripe symbolizes the future, hope, spring and revival. The red represents the past and the blood of their defenders. The white and red vertical stripe is a traditional Balarusian pattern.
This region pictured above was settled by Slavic tribes in the 6th century and has been conquered, suffered through constant warfare... but has survived, sort of.
The Republic of Balarus in 1939 was mostly Polish, when it became part of the Soviet Union. A third of its population died and a million buildings were destroyed in the Second World War. The Jewish population was essentially eliminated. Byelorussia (an equivalent name) was one of the 51 founding members of the United Nations in 1945, but was soon dominated by Moscow. Independence was attained on August 25, 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. However, Independence Day is celebrated on July 3, when in 1944 Minsk was liberated from German troops.
The country is flat and landlocked, climate cool and there is almost total energy dependence from Russia, with which things are not exactly hunky dory. Yet, discussions are ongoing about a formal Union of Russia and Belarus. It is slightly smaller than Kansas and has a population of 10 million. The life expectancy is 69 and GDB/capita is $6,800. The economy remains state-controlled using the old Soviet style. Unfortunately 70% of the Chernobyl fallout landed in Belarussia.
The chief of state is President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has led since 1994 with an authoritarian style, otherwise known as a dictatorship. There is no freedom of the press. Relations with the U.S. are strained, while cooperation with China seems to be increasing.
Belarusians eat pork, potato and rye bread, favor a cold vegetable soup called okroshka and drink wheat vodka. There are various UNESCO World Heritage sites in Belarus. Americans can visit the country, but while this is not recommended, if you do go, don’t participate in a public demonstration or discuss politics. In Belarus, the KGB is still the KGB. There is a common hotel ploy where employees hide your possessions in the most obscure of places in the room. If you do not report anything stolen or can’t find it, they just return and take it.
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The Dow Jones Industrials ended up 32 at 8744. World markets also mostly increased. Crude oil shot up to $63.56/barrel and gold edged up a buck to $937/toz.
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Tropical Storm Molave, now at 70 MPH, west and south of Taiwan, is moving west, and will make landfall in China in two days. In the North Atlantic, there is a disturbance in the vicinity of Cape Verde that shows potential for development. Both Carlos and Dolores in the East Pacific have sufficiently dissipated.
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I would like to thank friends and strangers for their concern and advice. I wasn't expecting anything, really, but the response, not only below, but through personal communications, was moving and appreciated.
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