Many people think Olga Korbut is Russian. But she is not! Olga was born in Belarus -- a small independent country in Central Europe. Belarus borders Poland in the west, Lithuania in the northwest, Latvia in the north, Russia in the northeast and east, and Ukraine in the south. The territory of Belarus is 78 thousand square miles (which is about the territory of Great Britain or the State of Arizona) populated by 10.2 mln. Citizens, 70% of them are urban. About one fifth of the population live in the city of Minsk - the capital of Belarus. The distance from Minsk to Warsaw is 300 miles, to Moscow - 450 miles.The length of Belarus: 350 miles from North to South, 406 miles from East to West. From 1919 until 1991 Belarus was a part of USSR as one of 15 republics. The surface is mainly flat; the average altitude is about 524ft. The climate in Belarus is moderate continental. The average temperatures in Minsk in January are 27F degrees, in July 70F degrees. About the same as in Ohio or New York.
	The most distinguished Belarusian athletes are six time Olympic Champion Vitaly Shcherbo, six time World Champion in skating Igor Zhelezovsky, four time Champions Olga Korbut, Victor Sidyak and Elena Belova (fencing). Svetlana Boginskaya (gymnastics), Alexander Medved (wrestling), Vladimir Parfenovich (canoeing), and Tatiana Samusenko (fencing) ascended the Olympic podium three times
	Before reading the map just look at the official Belorusian flag. Belarus have a different flag. It is was changed by pro-Moscow president of Belarus. This is the real flag of Belarus. Unfortunately it's gone. Click here to find out how the power of Moscow has destroyed this. More... Pictures from Belarus.