Belarus

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. Until its independence in 1991, Belarus was the smallest of the three Slavic republics of the Soviet Union. The terrain of Belarus was largely formed by glaciation during the Pleistocene epoch. Most of the country is flat plains separated by low hills and high plateaus. The country's natural vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. Conifers, pine and spruce dominate in the north. In the south, the proportion of deciduous trees, such as oak and hornbeam, grows. Birch is widespread, especially as the first growth in burnt areas. The Belovezhskaya Forest is one of the largest remaining areas of ancient forest in Europe, covering more than 1200 square kilometers on the western border with Poland. The Belarusian part of the forest was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992. Here, the rich forest vegetation that once dominated much of Europe has survived, crowned by trees that have grown to outstanding heights. The forest is the home of the European Bison, which became extinct in the wild after the First World War, but was reintroduced thanks to captive breeding. Elk, deer and wild boar can be found here and in other forests of Belarus, as well as small game, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, badgers, martens and beavers along the rivers. Among the birds are grouse, partridge and ducks, and many rivers are full of fish.