What is the capital of Belarus?

Minsk is the capital of the Republic of Belarus and the largest city in the country. With a population of nearly two million in 2019, it is the tenth most populous city in Europe. Located in the center of the country, the city is also the capital of the Minsk voblast and an autonomous municipality. It is the only city in the country to have a metro system, built in 1977 and opened in 1984. The Minsk metro currently consists of two main lines with a total length of 30.3 kilometers. A third line is currently being planned.

Geographically, Belarus is an Eastern European country bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The medieval principality of Polotsk can be considered the first form of Belarusian state, but since then the country has been integrated into major powers that have often imposed their culture in an authoritarian manner. Throughout its history, Belarus has had a strong Jewish presence, especially in the cities, where Jews made up a significant portion of the population before World War II.