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Administrative and Territorial
Grodno Region is located in the north-west of the republic. It borders Poland in the west and Lithuania in the north. Its area — 25.0 km² (12.0% of the country’s area) and population — 1,166.2 thousand people (11.7% of the country’s population. The center of the Region is the city of Grodno (the population size is 312 thousand residents). It comprises 17 districts, 14 towns, and 18 urban-type settlements. The chemical industry is dominant in the regional economy. The largest chemical sector’s enterprises are located in Grodno and Lida, namely, the Production Associations Azot and Khimvolokno, and Joint-Stock Company Lakokraska. Food and machine-building industries’ enterprises produce over one third of the output. The glass plant Neman (Berezovka, Lida District) is widely known for its products.
One of the trunk roads of Eurasia runs through the Region, thereby promoting an extensive international cooperation. Owing to its beneficial geographical situation, Grodno Region may become an effective integrating link in the commerce between West and Central Europe countries and CIS and Asia countries. Many historical and architectural monuments remain in Grodno, namely, 11-19th century castles, Boris and Gleb Church (built in the 2nd half of the 12th century), Monasteries of Jesuits (17th century), Franciscans (17th century) and others.
Minsk Region is located in the middle of the republic. Its area — 39.9 thousand km² (19.2% of the country’s area) and population — 1,527.3 people (15.3% of the country’s population). The center of the Region is Minsk. The Region comprises 22 Districts, 24 towns, and 19 urban-type settlements. This is the only Region in Belarus not directly bordering on other states, but important transport corridors running through it offer good opportunities for maintaining beneficial economic relations with CIS and foreign countries. Machine-building and chemical industries account for the largest share of the output in the Regional industrial structure. In addition, agricultural processors are highly developed in the Region. The Region ranks first in the republic for food, flour-milling, and cereal and mixed feed output. Mineral resources have been prospected and are being exploited in the Region. The most important of them are potassium and rock salts, and also peat, construction materials, sapropels, chalk, slate coal, iron ores, mineral water, etc. The dairy and beef/beef and dairy husbandry, pig husbandry, potato growing supplemented by flax growing and sugar beet growing in the southwest of the Region are developed. The farms located in the vicinity of Minsk and other cities also specialize in horticulture and operate large poultry farms and poultry factories.
The natural complex of the Region has great potential for developing the tourist and recreational industry. A chain of Naroch lakes with superb conditions for recreation and health rehabilitation and a part of Belarusian Poozerye — the refuge Blue Lakes — are located in Myadel District. The major part of Berezensky Biosphere Reserve is located in the Region, with its main objective being conservation of typical and unique natural and landscape complexes and developing scientific framework for environmental protection and ecological education. |
Farming is highly developed in the Region. Dairy and beef husbandry, pig husbandry, potato growing combined with flax growing are dominant in the east, while sugar beet growing — in the west; the farms located in the vicinity of large towns specialize in poultry husbandry and horticulture.
