A landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Formerly part of the Soviet Union, it gained independence in 1991.
From the Belarusian words 'bela' (white) + 'Rus' (Ruthenia, an old name for the region). Literally means 'White Ruthenia' or 'White Russia,' possibly referring to the white clothing worn by locals or the white-barked birch forests common in the region.
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